OT Feature Requests Thread (active)

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1936

Is there really no way to trigger a track recorder via MIDI if that track is using a MIDI map mode other than standard? Because that’s a massive bummer if so.

Got some tracks that are using chromatic or slice modes that I trigger with a keyboard/pads. Was planning on using a foot controller to start/stop recording into the buffers but that appears to be impossible unless I change the MIDI map mode to standard, and then I can’t trigger them chromatically or hit slices. I can still arm track recorder trigs but that’s not exactly ideal.

Not sure if I’m just missing something but it feels like a big oversight not having the ability to start recording via CCs into a track, which should allow you to do that in conjunction with chromatic/slice/etc MIDI triggering.

#1937

Not sure if this helps but as a workaround the recorder doesn’t need to be on the same track as the playback. Use a recorder on a different track to record the track you’re interested in.

1 Like
#1938

I’d love an indicator for record armed when using QREC there’s currently no indication that your input has been acknowledged. A flashing pixel or something where the + goes would be great and a flashing + when you’ve queued end recording perhaps. The lack of feedback is super confusing.

3 Likes
#1939

In general there’s not enough feedback on the device for various things, there’s a lot of partially hidden states that can happen that makes the OT a bit tricky to understand initially. For an OT successor I think I’d really like to see Elektron move to a new generation of bigger higher-res screens so they can show much more info.

#1940

A big part of octatrack for me is creating chains of one-shot samples using octachainer or similar, then opening them in a static/flex track, turning on slice, and you can use one track as an amazing drum machine with n one-shot samples. It gets really creative when you go beyond drums, with chains of one-shots, too.

I would love it if I could prep my sample chains more easily inside the OT, rather than on a computer.

Two ideas of how this could work.

One is by selecting a load of samples - perhaps highlighting a range in the sample list - and then an option to concatenate them into a chain, which would also appear in the list. I say this, because at the moment, browsing and loading a lot of samples into the static sample list is pretty nice: it’s a shame you have to do func-yes to audition, but basically, you keep hammering the arrow keys and all is smooth.

My second preferred way would be an option to say “take the n samples after this one in the current folder, and concatenate them to a chain”. That would allow whole folders to be quickly chained.

Lastly, I realise that I can make chains manually by importing eg 64 one shots to the sample list, then painstakingly laying out a 64 trig pattern, changing each trig to a different oneshot from the list in order, then slowing the tempo, then slicing that with a grid, then saving that output and using it as a chain. I’ve done it. It’s slow!

3 Likes
#1941

One more since I’m here.

I love chromatic mode, where the trig keys turn into a keyboard (even tho the samples can only go one octave up or down).

But I wish it could also support scales, like many other Elektron devices do!

Coincidentally you’d get two octaves on the page since most scales are 8 notes!

1 Like
#1942

Ha okay last one.

A pattern chain on the OT cannot contain the same pattern twice.

This limitation seems odd and unnecessary. It’s unlikely to be computational power. The limitation doesn’t exist on elektron digi boxes, so it’s unlikely to be ideological.

I realise that Arranger exists, and I like it, but it’s less immediate than pattern chain.

3 Likes
#1943

It would have to change name then :wink:

1 Like
#1944

indeed: ( ) == MASTER-LENGTH
A(16) | B(16) | B(16) | C(16) is same as A(16) | B(32) | C(16)
but
A(16) | B(16) | A(16) | C(16) can not be achieved with clever master length you will have to use ARRANGER instead.
No surprise, the Arranger supports 8 different arrangements which can be loaded/saved/chained in each of those you are free as heck to sort the patterns you want, actually more precise as pattern chain would allow. Yep you figured that out. Apart from that, with a little nerdery you could force chaining with SPP aka Program Change Messages as long they are send to the OT in time of the running pattern to define which pattern should be next.

Edit: momento, the more i think about… what if Arranger would be able to go ahead one valid row or back (excluding REM) by MIDI command. We could program a liveset with properties and follow the arrangement like a Ableton set, row per row on purpose (the moment we can do that by selecting the row and hit YES). Now imagine one more weirdo (likely impossible) feature to allow playing Bank1 Track1 and Bank2 Track2 in parallel (cause Scene-clash thats a no-no)… uuhh sweet sweet liveset, endless possibilities.

PS: isn’t it funny coming up with a feature request just to figure out it kinda is already there just needs a second, third and so on OT. Gosh my bank account

#1945

Holding a trig with locks should highlight the pages that have locks on them in the same way that scenes do.

8 Likes
#1947

It would be nice if holding a trig with a sample lock and pressing AED should open the locked sample in the AED instead of the track default sample.

Likewise if trig has a locked slice the locked slice should be visible in the AED.

5 Likes
#1948

When in MIDI mode, trig buttons 9-16 should be able to trigger the default MIDI note for each channel. Just like you can trigger samples on audio tracks.

10 Likes
#1949

A master fx settings page (not via track 8) like the MPC 1K has would be great. Just with EQ and compressor/limiter.

6 Likes
#1950

quick way to clear all parameter pages for a single track, have suggested super copy in the past, but even just this alone would be great.

[how it could work:
Hold the track button for the track you wish to clear, then press clear. Currently this seems to do nothing.] Nevermind, this is already the method for demoing a tracks sample including its parameter settings.

currently I either clear the entire part, or clear each parameter page of the track individually by holding that page and pressing clear.

If any one knows of a faster way to do this please let me know!

#1951

Unfortunately that would not possible without altering an established button combo and possibly breaking workflows people have developed over the years… Even though it would be in line with the other boxes.

While your idea would be consistent with how things work on the Analog Four and the Rytm, what you refer to as “clear” is ultimately a secondary function of the Play button.
From the Octatrack MkII manual: “[TRACK] + [PLAY] trigs the sample assigned to the machine of the track.” (I think this includes the AMP envelope. Not sure about LFO triggers and other stuff.)

Changing something like that at this point would probably do more harm than good.
I don’t believe the Octatrack can ever reach full UI consistency with the newer boxes without a major redesign.

So, manual clearing of individual parameter pages is probably is the best way to go for now. You’ll quickly have it in your muscle memory.

4 Likes
#1952

Thanks, Dolphins! I was mistaken, track + play does have a nice use, looks like that does include the LFO’s as well. I didn’t intend to suggest replacing an existing function with a new one and agree that would be messy.

Yes, I’ve been using the 10x button combo for years now, which is to page clear 5 times. Not very elegant though, I think a new combo would be useful.

All together this adds to the case for a supercopy menu.

#1953

Copy/paste a track with initial parameters works.
You can even do templates on bank 16 / pattern 16 for quick access.

Clear 5 pages doesn’t bother me. Usually it is for a test so I clear the part, or change bank.

3 Likes
#1954

Hi All,

it would be really nice to see the actual playing position with long samples during live performance on the sample edit page. For example with a progress bar, something like this:

sample edit
sample edit816×456 165 KB

4 Likes
#1955

I would buy a 6th Octatrack if there was a way to mute trigs easily and not the audio (like the Digi boxes).

2 Likes
#1956

Enable Scenes for midi!!! And polyphonic sampling PLEASEEE!

1 Like