Octatrack Tips & Tricks (OT Tips)

JonMakesBeats · 2024-01-19T22:38:14.420Z

Not sure if this has been covered but would like to share a way to make any synth, when paired with the octatrack, get the wow and flutter effect without using any effect slots.

First you need to connect the midi out of the OT to the midi in of the synth. Make sure the synth can receive CC information.

Choose a midi track. Select the midi channel that is associated with the synth. Go to Ctrl 1 page (FX1) and turn on PB by holding function and pushing the corresponding knob in. Once this is done you’ll be able to control the pitch bend using the OT.

My setup uses all 3 LFOs all set to parameter PB.

LFO 1 is set to Inverted Triangle wave, fast speed (to taste) and on Trig One. depth all the way up. Put trigs down in the sequencer wherever you want (I typically put down on 1, 5, 9 and 13). Make sure you also disable the note being played on each trig so it only activates the LFO, not any notation info. Then, in the micro timing menu for a trig make the trig condition something like 1 or 2 percent. Very low probability. This will act as when the tape “catches” and produces that noticeable warble.

LFO 2 is set to Random wave and the speed is very fast (to taste), but somewhere in the x64 multiplier. Trig is Free and Depth anywhere from 15-20. This simulates the flutter.

LFO 3 is a triangle wave and slow. Trig is Free and Depth no more than 8 but you can be much more subtle. This is going to produce the Wow.

Great, now you’ve essentially made your synth sound like it’s failing like an old cassette tape, at least pitch wise. Combine with a wide band passed filter (add some distortion from the second page) and some delay to really seal the deal.

Hope this helps.

Edit: I should note that this trick will essentially render your actual pitch bend all but unusable. You’ll get something out of it but it won’t be reliable.

Edit 2: ALSO have to note that the amount these LFOs are affecting the pitch is relative to the parameters set to the pitch bend on the synth. The settings above were dialed in for a patch with a pitch bend range of 2 semitones each way. If you load up a patch with an octave spread on the pitch bend it’s going to sound a lot more unstable.

mrcrappypantson · 2024-01-20T00:31:58.382Z

Wait, your name is Jon?

Ulysses · 2024-06-01T16:04:10.668Z

forest · 2024-08-04T16:08:10.544Z

this is hardly a trick but more something I’ve been doing wrong for a long time. you can send the inputs directly out to cue by pressing cue and rec1 etc. I’ve always set up a thru track and cued that out like an idiot. The input monitoring lights flash to show what’s sent out. Funny having octatracks for so long and seeing it do something new

sezare56 · 2024-08-04T18:25:07.018Z

I’ll add inputs to CUE send level is fixed to 100, not 127.

forest · 2024-08-06T11:01:48.017Z

thanks, I did notice this and just turned it up elsewhere a touch

feedbac · 2024-08-12T18:33:05.863Z

Not sure if it was said already, and it’s probably written black on white in the manual but …

I just figured you can switch part in real time, right in the middle of a playing pattern, so not only you have the scenes and crossfader, but the part can be used as a “big scene”, sort of… instead of using the parts only to statically configure sets of patterns.

Just tried it while playing a pattern, switched to a “defaults” part, and everything went crazy

Still amazed at what this thing can do.

(edit: it’s even better when the part you switch to is actually programmed with some intention )

GurtTractor · 2024-10-12T06:51:28.494Z

Something I didn’t realise before is that internal sources T1-8 are post-FX but pre-fade, so if you have track recorders listening to T1 for example you can mute or adjust the level of track 1 without affecting the recording signal going to the other tracks. There’s probably some interesting applications for that.

sezare56 · 2024-10-12T20:37:03.172Z

GurtTractor:

There’s probably some interesting applications for that.

You can use T2 as a Neighbor track (recording T1 or CUE), and mix it with T1.

MK7 · 2024-11-02T13:45:41.879Z

DNII piano preset via the OT‘s comb filter, anyone?

sezare56 · 2024-11-02T13:48:37.684Z

Midi processor allowed ?
Or 16 notes max (8 Plays Free tracks + Track trigs)

MK7 · 2024-11-02T13:52:10.532Z

All allowed, it’s just about the inspiration.

sezare56 · 2024-11-02T15:47:59.956Z

MK7:

DNII piano preset

I could get a cheap Koto only…
DIgitone 2 wins hands down for piano. Not enough feedback with OT.

MK7 · 2024-11-02T16:11:20.053Z

Very nice, thanks for posting. Could you describe your settings?

sezare56 · 2024-11-02T17:46:52.369Z

MK7:

settings

White noise sample, Amp Hold min.

Scene A : Comb with feedback -63, release 0
Scene b : Comb with feeback +63, release 48

A different pitch for track 1-8
I used Plays Free tracks, one shot, with a different pitch plocked on first trig…
16 different pitches.

marccc · 2024-12-15T13:00:13.048Z

not so much a trick, more of a workaround for the known problem when copying banks into new projects. works only with a second device (digiseries are perfect for this) instead of setting sampleslot-locks on the octatrack sequencer i started triggering sampleslots via slots note mapping (manual page 138). this way i always have the correct trigs via my digitone midi track.

by setting the midi mode mapping to map/track (ot manual page 70/71) you could specify exclusively one or more audiotracks for trigger sampleslots via midi. this makes transferring ot banks and patterns a bit easier as you only have to figure out linking the correct samples to sampleslots after transferring your banks. all samplelocks are done via a digitone/syntakt/digitakt. digi banks and patterns can easily exported as sysex files to maintain redundancy between your digi-device and octatrack.

Blasted_pingin · 2024-12-15T15:03:55.834Z

Not sure to understand the advantage of it since you still have to put the samples in the right slots. That’s the most time consuming, copying parts is a hassle but doesn’t take as much time.

thumperjack · 2024-12-20T07:37:03.686Z

I was today years old when I learned that slots trig mode fires the slot off according to the playback settings of the selected track. so you can play the same sample, instantly 8 different fucking ways. I mean, you can play 16 samples, 8 different ways. and it’s 8 voice poly, ie the same sample, can be firing 8 different ways at once.

Snipecatcher · 2024-12-20T07:38:26.482Z

Wait, what?!

thumperjack · 2024-12-20T07:43:24.626Z

bruh. just load up samples in slots mode, then whatever track you have selected, the slot trigger plays the sample via those playback settings. all the tracks can have different settings… depending on what track is selected is how the slots play. i feel like i just opened a pyramid