Octatrack + Novation Circuit

Elektron Gear Octatrack
1

Hello!

I was thinking about purchasing the Novation Circuit (NC) to work closely with my Octatrack (OT) but I have a setup in mind that I don’t know if it is even possible.

I basically want to use the scale and chord modes from the NC to be always in key when improvising (I already tried the scales from the arp in the OT but it is not enough for me since it seems to work only on recorded notes). Note that I don’t use either Ableton nor a computer.

For that the MIDI setup needs to be something like this:

  • The NC will act as a midi keyboard sending midi notes to the OT
  • The OT will receive those notes and spread them to the rest of my hardware in separate midi channels (depending on the active track i select in the OT)
  • Nice to have: The OT should also send midi clock to the NC to use its internal sequencer.
  • Nice to have: Use the NC knobs to send CC to the OT.

I would be open also for another alternative of a pad controller with scale mode on it without the need of a computer.

Thanks a lot in advance.

2

Launchpad Pro my friend. Can be used completely standalone without the computer, and the scales modes can be used in standalone. It has Note, Drum, and Device modes that you can use while hooked up to external gear. There’s also a Programmers mode where you can use custom firmwares and mappings with external gear if you know a little coding.

Bought mine for the DT when I had it, and it worked beautifully. The LPP, DT, and NC all made a terrific set up, so I imagine having an OT instead of a DT it would be even MORE flexible.

Best of luck!

3

The major issue with this is not being able to change the circuits default synth midi channels (they are 1 and 2) you could change the auto channel works on the octatrack (default is 11) but you’d have to change all of the channels as well. I tried it and it didn’t quite work so I just use my circuit as it is and sync it to the octatrack

4

Just put a midi juggler between and you are fine. Like iconnectivity midi4+ od 2+

Lets yoi change channels and nearly everything else. Works without computer after you have programmed it. Really can recommend this stuff.

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5

Thank you all for your answers.

@DataStrain I liked the NC for its knobs too, being able to map them to the volume of the OT tracks. But I was taking a deeper look at the Launchpad pro and it is pretty amazing that you can even program it and create your own modules, there is a guy who apparently . But it doesn’t have knobs, and the fader functionality with pads, I believe it is not for me. Anyway I think for now it is my best option.

@Augenadler so with the midi juggler you mean something like connecting the output of the NC to the input of the OT, the output of the OT to the input of the midi juggler and then distribute from the midi juggler to the rest of your devices? Sending the clock from the OT to the NC and the midi notes from the OT to the rest of the synths. I’m a bit confused with that setup.

@elek What do you mean with sync? just midi clock right?

I also saw this: http://www.artificialnoise.ca/key_control.html that would do what I want but it is pretty expensive for just changing a midi note.

6

You connect in and out of OT to iCM4+, the circuit goes in via USB or din, as you like. So does your other gear.
In the control program you chose what goes where. There you also can change the incoming midi channel from 1 and 2 to lets say 11 and 12

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