Oh no, not another Octatrack 2 thread

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Ok, I’ve looked and apart from an Octactrack Mk II (1891 post) monster thread, I couldn’t find a late 2020 fresh thread of thinking on what an actual 2, rather than Mk II might involve.
So apologies if I’ve missed it and the mods send this straight to some other thread …

So here goes my take on what if elektron have a true 2 up their sleeve - what would make me upgrade from my trusty MK I.

Core principle is expecting that it’s an evolution up from current Octatrack, not a leap into time travel or trying to be all the other interesting machines out there that have emerged.
So a step-change of all the logical step changes, preserving all that is special and unique about the OT and distinguished it from DAW-in-a-box or other new machines that are out there …

Here are some ideas in that incremental model, adding in ideas from subsequent posts too

FORMFACTOR/PHYSICAL

  • primary design concepts, workflow and structure remain as is.
  • Same sized steel slab / new A4/Rytm sloped case size. will look very like a (Mk I /) Mk II but with some small differences.
  • 9 tracks - 9th is master
  • Velocity sensitive / aftertouch trig buttons - perhaps silicon not solid?
  • Larger, higher resolution, but similar screen (not looking for RGB colour, just crispness and size)
  • fader becomes joystick (quad scene fader)?

MEMORY, STORAGE, CONNECTIVITY

  • Compact flash changes to SDXC,
  • USB changes to C
  • power over USB
  • RAM improvements
  • persistent buffers after switch off
  • Overbridge & generic USB audio
  • more audio (8 outs…)
  • dedicated extra stereo fx loop in addition to the current IO (also guitar pedal fx / eurorack FX loop friendly)
  • multi func configurable CV interface modular I + O or EXP pedal in, 2 or 3 function TRS (record/play/undo)
  • USB Host
  • DIN + TRS midi
  • battery

STRUCTURE

  • more advanced mixer page
  • sample, midi phrase tag / search system
  • Kits
  • Fill button
  • internal entanglement a la modular: freely placed Amp, fx, multiple same LFO assignments, envelope followers etc

DSP

  • polyphony per track
  • bpm per pattern and cross track audio modulation lfo for side chains and fx
  • Better timestretch (choice of algos)
  • Legacy Effects + new effects ( Digitakt etc high quality Delay, Reverb + Chorus; range of distortions, granular gizmos)
  • 3 FX layers rather than 2,. more powerful CPU so less compromises on FX combinations
    8 analog filters per track (ASP)
  • internal sidechaining, as well as compressor with the visual feedback of the DT

INTERNAL MACHINES/TOOLS

  • New Audio Machines (multisample loader, midi integrated multisampler)
  • Enveloper followers, Pitch followers, auto-accompany tools (audio pitch to midi)
  • Synthesis techniques based on samples & waveshapes, think Roland partial model with samples as the OSC
  • scrambler/scatter audio tools a la Roland/Teenage Engineering

LOOP TOOLS

  • Better live instrument input looper tools

SEQUENCING

  • Midi Machines & macros (Squarp Pyramid type stuff, chord & scalers and Euclidian machines)
  • scrambler/scatter midi tools a la Roland/Teenage Engineering

AUDIO EDITOR

  • transient detection / auto slicing
  • Melodyne/IRIS type sample ‘demixer’ algorithm to ‘stems’
9 Likes
What's next for Elektron?
#2

call it the octatrack+

2 Likes
#3

Nonatrack.

#5

8 1/2 track, after Fellini.

10 Likes
#6

Isnt this thread just another version of the ‘feature request’ thread that every piece of gear seems to aquire?

3 Likes
#7

I’d buy one of them ^^
Can I have bpm per pattern and cross track audio modulation lfo for side chains and fx aswell please :money_mouth_face:

1 Like
#8

Not meant to be - this is a hardware/CPU new v2 machine thread; rather than a mere OS upgrade feature request thread for existing machines …
But yes it has been done before.

#9

Octatrack MKII thread was in 1891? :scream:
I’m getting old.

11 Likes
#10

I think it will use the Digitakt/tone software/hardware stack but have all the traditional capabilities that the Octratrack had with enhancements such as higher quality effects, the newer sequencing tricks, etc. In terms of new features, maybe one more pair of inputs and a master track w/ master effects. No reason to totally re-invent the device or bog it down with new features that make it more complex. If it weren’t for the dated FX, increasingly clunkly interface due to new feature additions, lower quality time stretching and lack of OB (seemingly a major push for Elektron), I doubt they would make a version 2. The thing that makes it most likely we get a OT2 is OB support, so even people that don’t use it should be happy. I think they see creating the OB ecosystem as being a big driver of sales and the OT may be the most important device to have it.

So why haven’t we seen an OT2 yet? First because of how popular the first has remained. And because it used live so much, I do think they have to perfect OB before releasing it, which it looks like they done. And class compliant USB. Having said that, perhaps the new OT will be a USB host so all the other instruments can plug into it. I do wonder if it will be A4 mk2 form factor or OTmk2 form factor, I see arguments for both.

1 Like
#11

post 1891.

#12

I would basically like all the cool features (Scenes +CF, real time sampling, mixer, slices) with a modern Elektron UX (Kits, Fill button), oriented towards a neutral sound (à la Digitakt) + more memory please.

Oh, and a Niatrack is a good idea :slight_smile:

2 Likes
#13

Following for more @mokomo

#14

Ok I’ll bite

Analog mkii box, 8 tracks, 4 outs/ins, same machines/routing, all over OB, minor synth engine from DN, updated FX (plus: granular), includes current sequencer, pickup machine tweaks, cv outs (and ins?) and - the thing that’ll probably push me over the edge - internal entanglement a la modular: freely placed Amp, fx, multiple same LFO assignments, envelope followers etc…

Id start an OnlyFans for that.

3 Likes
#15

I think the OT MKIII should just be an OT MKII chassis, filled with loose jack sockets, a random selection of electrical components, one or two DSP chips and a book on programming in C. It would technically be able to fulfil every singe feature request on this forum.

8 Likes
#16

I guess if it had more inputs, and individual outs I’d upgrade.

#17

Can’t wait to see it! :raised_hands:

#18

I don’t know why they’d do something more complex that OT.
A mixer with some of its features would make sense. 8 ins, 8 outs, fx with sequencer, crossfader with scenes, simple looper, and I’m in, keeping original OT.

OT or Digi format.

4 Likes
#19

Don´t forget a mixer page like the A4´s or DT´s.

1 Like
#20

yeah, i’m definitely on the side of what smaller enhancements could make sense in terms of the more advanced but cost effective hardware components of today, and some organic workflow, DSP, tool/machine tweaks, natural expansions.

sort of a ‘think inside the box’ rather than outside

2 Likes
#21

And internal sidechaining, as well as compressor with the visual feedback of the DT.

1 Like