Odd Time Signatures on the OT MkII

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

I’ve been given the trust and opportunity to be one of the early testers of the Octatrack MkII.

I’ve had it for a few weeks and worked with it for a bit. These were my immediate thoughts:

  • New hardware is great. The feel of the buttons and encoders matches that of the Digitakt. Solid!
  • Significantly better labels and a couple of new dedicated buttons, makes it easier to find ones way around the UI.
  • Trig conditions! Yeah. They squeezed trig conditions in there!

For my first video, I’ve been exploring odd time signatures.

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Introducing Octatrack MKII
#2

Can’t wait new Os ! Thanks, especially for showing TRC.
Lego time signatures ! :thup:

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#3

Did you happen to check if multiple trig editing is now possible on the OT? Or if copying patterns works now without having to switch the active pattn?

#4

What about hi res encoders ? Does it can change things drastically, like start points?

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#5

As in p-locking several trigs at once? Not that I can manage.

Haven’t read a new manual yet. But using what’s in Mk1 manual - no.

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#6

What about this increased headroom thing @CarlMikaelBjork?

Did you sample much with it, and noticed any difference from the MKI? If it’s improved in a way that you’ll actually notice in this area (not that it was bad to begin with, it was great), I might get this as my recording solution over the Digitakt.

#7

On SRC page sample start is still 0-127. No decimals as on Digitakt. Don’t know how stuff is handled internally.

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#8

I wouldn’t be the right person to answer this. I’ve sampled a bit using both flex/track recorders and pickup machines. But the technicalities of headroom is not my strength. Never really ran into issues on the Mk1 and haven’t now either.

I’ll stay away from any statements. :smile_cat:

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#9

Ok thanks, so it won’t change the world.
I guess as they are the same as DT, they use hi-res term even if resolution doesn’t change.
Still faithful to MKI so.

#10

Very cool to see you encourage the use of odd meters, Carl Mikael. I have been using odd time signatures with sequencers for decades and sometimes it can be quite frustrating with machines that are so clearly designed with a 4/4 grid in mind. 7/8 is great fun to play, as is 9/8 and 11/8. Once you get into them, they’re actually quite inspiring to jam along with, pushing the performance into places you might not otherwise have explored.

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#11

Thank, Scot!

Yeah - it’s great fun. And it takes me places I don’t immediately go.

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#13

Thanks for posting the vid @CarlMikaelBjork

I love bending the OT to do asymmetrical meters! The main thing is the pulse. Some people do get caught up in counting every beat, so great point about breaking it down into “things you do know” and breaking down the beat for folks unfamiliar with odd meters. All these meters are just combinations of long and short pulses (but so much creative potential resides there).

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#14

Wonderful video.

Making us Patreon supporters proud!

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#15

This is great stuff, polymeter is really important for breaking out of the 4/4 box that is so easy to get stuck in with step sequencers.

I wish there was a step sequencer out there that was really suited for additive rhythms, those are the best. IT’s doable in something like the Elektron boxes (which already puts them ahead of a lot of step sequencers) but still a bit clunky.

Personally I’ve always found additive more intuitive in terms of actually counting or playing an instrument live, but when it comes to step sequencing everything is always coming from a Western, divisive paradigm and I always fin myself working against that a bit.