Octatrack Oddities

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

I recently acquired an Octatrack MK2 and have encountered a couple of issues for which I couldn’t find solutions online or in the manual.

Recording Question:
When I record using the track record buffer, I’m able to capture incoming sound, edit it (including normalizing), and save it as a sample to be assigned to a machine. However, after completing these steps and attempting to assign a source to my machine (a flex machine in this case) by pressing the source button, a blinking X appears next to the recording buffer name I’ve just used. According to the manual, the blinking X indicates an unsaved sample in the recording buffer, but even after saving my sample or clearing the slot from the file menu in the Audio Editing section, the blinking X persists. The only way to make it disappear is by restarting the machine. Am I missing something here? I’m happy to provide additional information such as screenshots or videos if necessary. Although the blinking X doesn’t seem to affect the recordings and I can reuse the recording buffer, I haven’t encountered this issue in any tutorials or videos I’ve watched so far.

Thru Machine Question:
When I use a thru machine, everything works as expected until I use a thru machine in a different part. For instance, after copying part 1 into part 2 in my project, the thru machine in part 1 ceases to function, and I can’t get any sound in part 1. The only sound I hear is from the thru machine in part 2. Is this behaviour intentional? I couldn’t find any reference to this issue anywhere.

#2

Re: thru machines you’ll need to place a trigger to start them up. Could be you’re not doing this after switching parts?

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#3

Very good point @impbox ! I have a trigger for the thru machines placed in both parts

#4

Shouldn’t need to add or remove trigs for the thru machine again if they are already there for the first part. Trigs are tied per track, so when changing part the trigs will play whatever machine is on the track for that part. This is my understanding at least, could be I’m missing something. Perhaps you’re using one-shot trigs?

#5

This is one of those Elektron things that will drive you crazy and make you question reality. as long as you have saved a sample properly, you can ignore that flashing light. Or to put it another way, if you have done everything to make sure things are saved and that light keeps flashing, ignore it. In my opinion, this is useful functionality that unfortunately gets confused or stuck or what not, and IMO, Elektron could’ve implemented it a little better. The Machinedrum and Monomachine suffer from this too with their kits.

Does it work after a restart (like with the flashing star)? Because if it does, I am calling this a bug. I smell a bug because this feels consistent with other OT type of inconsistencies.

#6

I have used the same trig in both machines in both parts.
I didn’t specifically change the triggers but I indeed cleared them and re placed them to be sure they were there which resulted in the same problem where the thru machine worked in part 2 but not in part 1.

#7

Glad you brought the topic of restarting @error.eyes because it gets juicier.
Restarting didn’t help and even clearing part 2 from the menu (project + bank from memory) and having a thru machine ONLY in part 1 didn’t fix the issue. It’s like part 1 completely ignored any input.

#8

Just to clarify, are you aware that parts are not layers? Parts are more like “kits”, and you switch the active part; so if you copy part 1 to part 2 and then switch to part 2, part 1’s machines/settings/sample assignments are unloaded and replaced with part 2.

#9

So you’re saying that when I copy and paste things between parts I lose the info on the part copied over the new one? I probably did not understand the manual correctly then.
Whilst I understand that can be the case, it still feels weird that I went to my thru machine in part 1 and that was not giving me any input. I couldn’t get any input going from the mix either.

#10

Sorry, was just making sure you weren’t expecting both parts 1 and 2 to be active at the same time. Parts seem to be something that newcomers find it hard to understand, so was just covering all avenues.

I haven’t come across this issue, but will try to replicate. What else is happening in part 1? Is it just thru machine(s)?

edit: just tried it on mine, and copying part 1 to part 2 works without any issue. Thru machines on both.

#11

Thank you so much for testing @pselodux !

I run the same test:

  • copied my current new project to a new one (just in case)
  • copied part 1
  • paste part 1 in part 2
  • both thru machines work fine
  • upon restarting the machine everything seems to be working fine as well

In retrospect, I should have run this test before posting, my bad.
This makes me think that I probably had something weird going on in my project :thinking:

#12

Yeah that’s definitely possible. I’ve noticed some weirdness that is fixed by creating a new project. Usually it’s when a project was created in an earlier firmware version, but it’s hard to tell exactly what causes it! Glad you got it working :metal:

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#13

Welcome @NerdSkullz.

Blinking X is a reported visual bugs. I think the Thru problem is a user error.

There are bugs and oddities for sure.

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#14

Thanks for the reply @sezare56
since I’ve just recently got the unit I sometimes second guess if I’m doing something wrong or it’s a common issue :smiley:

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#15

@NerdSkullz would you mind to upload that particular bank (no waves or anything else) that made trouble in use as zip here? Cause i’d like to parse your bank file to learn more. If you like you can also zip the newer bank that seems to work and upload as well, then i can compare them and tell exactly where it went wrong…
(if so maybe rename the bank to indicate which one is the weirdo faulty whatever we don’t know yet)

Some thoughts: when a part 1 is somehow locked from being properly read then the OT would certainly not be able to figure out what machine it has to apply on that track. Which would likely force the firmware to fallback to another symbol for its machine type and behave strangely or even properly indicate that something is wrong by blinking

#16

@Shredrr unfortunately after running the test earlier I have deleted the faulty project and its folder in the memory card

#17

…if u quicksave, ur save…while once engaging in parts, parts better be saved single handedly to be safe, too…ot is oldschool tech still ready to conquer tomorrow…so, forgive it some little inconveniences it added up over the years…end of the day and after a little period of scratching ur head and wonder is it u or is it some lack of common logic, a neverending sonic honeymoon waits ahead of u…

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#18

…since ur new to all this…make sure u got a proper cv card in use right from the start and have it always mirrored to ur desktop…only then u gonna end up always safe and happy for real…

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#19

Thank you for the advice @reeloy
Would you recommend to use a different card than the one that came with the Octa?

#20

…if it’s the original elektron one, it’s too small in storage size anyways…and defenitly not one of the truu fast 'n solid ones in read 'n write realtime access ur ot likes to deal with the most…

so, sure…spent a little more money on real pro ones, yeah, those pretty pricy ones, since this pretty old format of mass storage is about to get more and more discontinued, so better make it two, with 32 or 64 gigs of capacity and then, never look back…

last people who really buy this sort of mass storage solution are hi end photophographers that still have their hi end digi but also classic reflex camras in use, that were the hi end shit ten years ago…and a few handful of ot users…
not that much of a market left for this kind of card tech, so to say…
while back then, the one and only solution to make such fast access solidity happen…

but be aware, this 32 pin slot is the most fragile part of ur device…once all in, all fine…but never rush when exchanging…be gentle and take care of doing so in a straight angle…

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