Octatrack pattern help

S.I.M · 2023-04-16T20:33:54.179Z

Owning four Elektron instruments, I decided to add an OT into the mix, for several reasons. I’ve only had it a couple of days and working my way through the different machines. I’ve come to what I’m sure is a pretty basic stumbling block, but just can’t get my head around it. I think I’m just a bit frazzled!

I’m experimenting with samples & laying down patterns, pretty standard stuff. I’ve moved onto part 2 to keep my samples as they are in P1 for now. Laid down a new 4 bar pattern on pattern 1 (with a new sample on T1) with slicing, and want to move through the patterns to create variations. When I move onto pattern 2 the sample on T1 defaults back to the sample on T1, part 1. Obviously I can reload the new sample but I’m sure there’s something more straightforward I’m missing that will save me chopping up again, etc. I’ve tried copying pattern 1 to pattern 2 to manipulate it that way but it doesn’t stick.

I have the ST, DT, DN & A4 and they all work in the same way, so this is new to me. Then again, a lot the OT workflow seems to be!

I’d go back to the manual but I’ve read the tits off of it over the last few months, along with Synthdawgs, and haven’t got the motivation to track down the info right now… or watch any more vids… like I said, frazzled!

Thx.

Kultschar · 2023-04-16T20:38:51.841Z

Have you saved the Part? Its an individual save if I remember rightly

S.I.M · 2023-04-16T20:42:27.034Z

Part 1 or 2? I’m sure I’ve saved neither! I’ll check on that. Thanks!

sezare56 · 2023-04-16T20:45:41.427Z

Welcome @S.I.M

I think saving part wouldn’t change the behavior as part parameter changes are kept saved or not. You need to use Reload to recall saved parameters.

Did you properly assign part 1 to pattern 1, part 2 to pattern 2 ?

You seem have a good knowledge of Elektron stuff. What are your other Elektrons?

S.I.M · 2023-04-16T21:27:07.185Z

Thank you for the welcome & info @sezare56

I have the ST, DT, DN & A4. The OT does seem to behave quite differently, although far from alien & close enough to the others to be able to jump straight in (to a point).

To be honest I haven’t saved any parts yet (only via the project)… but I’ve just twigged (off of the back of your comment) that parts are per pattern, aren’t they? Not a new set of 1-64 patterns per part. It makes sense now. I need rewire how I think of this workflow.

So, I could set part 1 on pattern 1 only & then part 2 from pattern 2 onwards? Or have I got that wrong?? Once saved, do parts then change automatically to their allocation as you move through the patterns? I guess the best way to find out is to get back on the horse!

Microtribe · 2023-04-16T21:32:52.878Z

S.I.M:

that parts are per pattern, aren’t they?

Incorrect.
Parts are per bank.
You get 4 parts per bank.

Patterns can be assigned to parts.

Swap the word Part for Kit and it all makes sense.

Parts save everything above the transport controls.

Patterns save everything below the transport controls.

S.I.M:

Once saved, do parts then change automatically to their allocation as you move through the patterns?

Yes they do, and that is why I save Parts. To maintain the Part/pattern allocation, so I can move through my set/album with ease.

S.I.M · 2023-04-16T21:39:10.689Z

Aha. That’s making sense. Thanks

sezare56 · 2023-04-16T21:39:38.873Z

S.I.M:

that parts are per pattern, aren’t they?

You can consider parts as A4 kits, but unfortunately you have only 4 parts per bank. You can’t use parts freely as on A4.

16 patterns and 4 parts per bank. You have to deal with it.
You can copy/paste patterns and parts of course.

16 banks x 16 patterns, hence 256 patterns.

S.I.M · 2023-04-16T21:41:07.242Z

Got it. Thx.

sezare56 · 2023-04-16T21:57:19.580Z

S.I.M:

Once saved, do parts then change automatically to their allocation as you move through the patterns?

Saving part isn’t necessary if you want to keep parameters. Parts parameters are saved with the project when you save the project.

Saving part is useful if you want to reload a specific state, you want to be able to reload. Some find it safer, I think it takes too much time. Part Reload is interesting if you tweak live and want to revert to your saved stated.

When you load a project, you load last part state, not saved part state.

If you modify a part, it is reflected to all patterns assigned to that part, saved or not.

Microtribe · 2023-04-16T22:07:38.939Z

sezare56:

I think it takes too much time

Takes less than a second, can be done with the sequencer running. I save parts, I dont bother naming them.

Safer? For me yes. Depends on your work flow I guess, and how you use Parts. Not everyone uses them the same way.

sezare56 · 2023-04-16T22:48:31.405Z

Y

Microtribe:

Not everyone uses them the same way.

Yes ! Saving part systematically doesn’t suit me. As I said, I use part saving for live tweaking / reload purpose. Not saying it’s a bad thing…

mrcrappypantson · 2023-04-17T00:39:05.561Z

Microtribe:

Parts save everything above the transport controls.

Patterns save everything below the transport controls.

This should be in the OT tricks and tips thread

ericd · 2023-04-17T02:10:53.867Z

I realise this is a very, very basic insight and may or may not be related to the OP’s issue, and apologies if this is too basic. I just know this caused me alot of headaches so thought I would share it here.

Understanding how the sample slots list works was a major lightbulb moment for me. I would get very confused when going from say Pattern 1, Part 1 to Pattern 2, Part 2, and thinking ‘great, now I’m in Part 2 I will assign a different sample to Track 1’. Then I couldn’t understand why the sample for Track 1 had changed when I went back to Part 1.

What I had to understand was that when assigning a sample to a Track, you are assigning a sample SLOT to that track. I was inadvertently changing the sample loaded into sample slot 1, rather than loading the new sample into a new slot then assigning that slot in Part 2. The navigation and UI was fooling me!

The Part remembers which sample slot is assigned to a track. There’s 128 (or is it 256?) available slots in a project, each slot can be assigned to any Track in any Part.

I now tend to use a system where Track 1 Part 1 is sample slot 1, Track 1 Part 2 is sample slot 9 (1+8) and so on.

Microtribe · 2023-04-17T02:30:37.579Z

ericd:

There’s 128 (or is it 256?) available slots in a project,

128 flex slots. 128 static slots. So potential 256 total slots. Global, per project.

Correct, you assign a sample slot to a machine on a track.

Tis all in the manual, frustrating as that may be.

rev_c · 2023-04-17T06:17:42.809Z

I’m with you. Always save them. It’s only a matter of time before you inadvertently hit func cue in the middle of a set.

sezare56 · 2023-04-17T07:08:55.867Z

rev_c:

It’s only a matter of time before you inadvertently hit func cue in the middle of a set.

Not a problem if the part isn’t saved : no reload.

If you saved a part once, yes, seems better to save it systematically.

rev_c · 2023-04-17T17:42:43.868Z

Okay, maybe change that to “always or absolutely never”. I actually thought that it would reload the inital state, but it’s possible my experiences with this were parts that I had saved at one point and neglected to save later.

bodymechanics · 2023-04-17T17:57:12.774Z

Did you find a solution?

S.I.M:

Obviously I can reload the new sample but I’m sure there’s something more straightforward I’m missing that will save me chopping up again, etc.

This makes me think that when slicing a sample, you can save the samples settings.
Also, understanding the difference from Sample Locks, vs Parts may help.