Octatrack - sell it to me

So, as an experienced Ableton live user with an MPC one and a Digitakt (i know the workflow and sequencer), why would I need/use an Octatrack. I do most of my audio mangling/looping in Ableton, visually on a big screen. I don’t need one as a mixer either, kind of drawn to it though as I know its a complex beast?

Maybe you don´t need it, but you know you´ll get it anyway…

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In one word : crossfader.
Mangle / morph up to 250 parameters on 8 stereo tracks, between 2 scenes. (16x4x16 available scenes per project).

Simple to set up. I doubt it can be faster on Ableton. Can be long if you’re picky like me.
Randomize example, 25 parameters assigned quicky.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW-t5YIhT2s

Recording can be the most complex part, depends on people.

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you obviously don’t need it.

If you want to read why people like it have a read here

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You have no need for an Octatrack.

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What draws you to it specifically?

For me it’s the performance aspect of it. You can use it to mix, remix and live loop. You can sample in real time, and mess with said recording buffer as its being recorded :exploding_head:. The crossfader is really fun and allows you to quickly try out a lot of creative things in non-destructive ways.

It’s definitely a machine that requires some patience to learn and set up however. If you’re looking for more instant results its probably not for you.

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According to my government, no need for music or anything cultural anyway.

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The Octatrack can’t be sold. Its a calling.

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…if u don’t hit stages, or in case u do, don’t mind havin’ a computer with u, there’s NO reason to bother…

Buy it, test it, like it or sell it!

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You’re stupid if you don’t buy it and I know you’re not stupid :wink:

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You don’t need one. I didn’t either. In fact I had one sitting there barely used for ages but could never bring myself to sell it.

I have ableton and push 2 and it’s awesome. Why would I need to use the octatrack when I can do it in ableton? Ableton’s audio engine is better, I have more inputs, I don’t have to worry about losing stuff. The fx are far better. What’s the point of the octatrack?

Then I started to use it, and learn it. Then I got it. I can experiment with the ot in a way I never seem to do in ableton. I can jam with hardware with the ot at the centre in a way I never do with ableton. And if a come across a limitation, for example polyphonic sequencing, I sync it to ableton and away I go.

Essentially the OT sometimes makes me giggle with delight at some of the stuff it does. A daw in comparison, makes me nod appreciatively. Give it a go.

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Ableton and DT covers a lot of ground of what an OT could do.
Also consider that OT is hard to learn, so it will take some time to become proficient with it

If you power through though, you will be rewarded with the most-dawless DAW-in-a-box music production devices on the planet. You dont even need to water your succulents anymore because they will draw their energy from your generative ambient soundscape patterns instead of boring photosynthesis :wink:

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There are three or four (or more) threads like this on this forum and when I read these headlines I feel like I’m getting baited in the same way all these YouTube thumbnails do it (“5 reasons why YOUR favourite DAW SUCKS!!” etc) - not saying that’s your intention, it’s just the feeling I get when someone wants to recruit me into a sales effort.

Ableton Live is super powerful, arguably your MPC One is total overkill / duplication of functions as well - there’s NOTHING the MPC can do that Ableton can’t do.

Whatever sold you on getting that anyway, try that with the OT and see where it takes you.

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The Octatrack buys you.

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If you use Ableton most of the time, have a DT and if mangling and mutilating samples like a madman isn’t your thing I don’t think you’d gain much. Live 11 will also have some nice probability stuff.

My OT kind of just sits on my desk not doing much as the lack of Overbridge and/or separate outputs makes combining it with Ableton (or any daw) a bit inconvenient. I just use the DT. If I’m not using Ableton then the OT is fun.

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If you’re happy with Live and like working on a big screen and like more than 64 step seqs, stick to Ableton.
I’m personally proud to do so, and use the OT only for occasional projects.

I’d say if you enjoy the DT but want to take that user experience further, give it a shot. get a used one. play around. see if it’s for you. sell it if not. you likely won’t lose anything on the transaction.

you can also get one from a retailer that allows returns without penalty. but I think the OT is too complex to really get to grips with within any retailer’s return window.

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Octatrack users will usually end happy.

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I absolutely, 100% completely don’t need an Octatrack. I read these threads with trepidation because every time I do I’m one step closer to buying one just because I want it.

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