One bar per slice?

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

So I recently got the Octatrack again a couple of years later, with some more Elektron experience in the luggage :slight_smile:

I’m still learning, and trying to come up with the best workflow for me. I’d essentially like to record external drums and synths loops, mix, mangle and arrange to tracks.

Example structure of loops:
Kick A (4 bars), Kick B (4bars)
Lead A (8 bars), lead B (8 bars), Lead C (8bars), Lead D (8bars)

What would be the quickest/smoothest way record and arrange a track?

I thought about for example recording 32 bars of the lead synth, with all of the versions, and then slicing that to 32 grid, and then building out patterns that simply trigger different start points based on slice number.
Anyone have experience of using longer slices like this?

Would it be faster/better to just recording each loop as a separate audio file?

#2

With QREC you can record up to 1024 steps, corresponding to 64 bars.

I used that, but I don’t have particular advice concerning song arrangements.

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#3

…sure u can use longer slices, that already contain a complete phrase of something…

but it only makes sense, when that particular slice actually really has something interchanging to tell…in other words, there’s no realworld scenario where it be of any advantage to proceed that way if it’S just a kik that has to play a four to the floor pattern…in that case, ur way better off with a slice that contains that one kik sound, placed on the trigs accordingly…

overall, u really take most advantage out of the ot, if u separate strictly in individual phrases that u need for particular songs AND also a pre curated collection of commonly used single shot like samples preorganized in samplechains, where each slice contains one particular singular single shot each of it’s own…

since u better always keep in mind, if u don’t think in sample chains ur running out of sample slots pretty fast…each such sample slot, 128 flex and 128 static ones, can hold “only” one sample and the most basic beauty of an ot is, that this sample can contain so many individual samples of any length if u just bake them into one audiofile…u can have only one kik on a sample slot or 64 at once…ot does not bother, but u better do…

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#4

Yeah this can work well. If you set the max length to be however many bars you like you can also perform a remix using the trigs or a MIDI controller, I guess it becomes a bit like Ableton then. You’ll need to use the envelope to avoid clicks, there’s a slice at zero crossings option but you probably won’t want to use that to keep things in time if you’re live playing the slices, with trigs on the sequencer it probably wouldn’t matter though.

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#5

Thanks for the insights!

Yeah an ableton like workflow is pretty much what I had in mind :slight_smile:

I think it’s worth alot just to be able to quickly audition how different loops sound together

Hmm, interesting with the trigs and live remixing. Are you thinking about using the Trig / Slice mode?
Could you quantize the playback per bar? Then it would almost be like a Ableton Push mini workflow :slight_smile:

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#6

Yes. You can use a MIDI keyboard or pad controller too if you send the right notes and use the MAP/TRACK mode on the OT. Might be worth setting up so you have immediate access to a track or two for immediate changes in arrangement while you do other things on the OT.

Yep, QPL should allow you to quantise manual triggering so stuff will start at the next bar.

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#7

Sounds dope with the midi controller and all, thanks a bunch! Will investigate :slight_smile:

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#8

Caveats : slices playback can’t be quantized during live rec. :meh:

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#9

Bummer…! But they can be during regular (non-rec). playback?

#10

Is that right? I’ve always given up trying to program it to record super long length samples and just triggered start and stop manually with button presses, albeit quantised. I think when I last tried it seemed that the max programmed recording length was 64 beats, and even if you made the pattern on the track with the record trig progress slowly with ÷8 or whatever… The recording still nonetheless ripped ahead at the master beat progress rate? Apologies if I’m misremembering but (and apologies if lazy…) I’d I’ve to see a tutorial on programming recording of 1024 step samples…

#11

Quick tutorial:
Set QREC to PLEN (pattern length)
Scale Per Track mode
Master Scale Length : 1024

You can start recording with a One Shot rec trig, but you have to press Track + REC 1/2/3 twice to stop the recording quantized.

Memory Settings:
Dynamic Recorders: Yes
Reserve Recording: None

64 steps with RLEN.
But you can use QREC and RLEN set to max with above memory settings.

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#12

Yes. Even with external midi IIRC.

#13

Yes you can do this easily, and if you want to you can also have dynamic control of what slice plays, for example if you just wanted to try different slices in different sections or wanted to improv. You do this by using a scene or scenes. For example using 1 scene you could assign the slider to the lead slice point, then use the fader to pick which is played.

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#14

Thanks for the instructions!

Why twice? What happens if you press once? :fearful:

#15

Oh yes. That is a dope one fore sure. Thank you!

#16

Nothing. One Shot Rec trig isn’t considered as Rec press apparently.