OT limitations, is it worth it in 2020

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Edit: I hope this isn’t purely a “should I buy this - thread”, meant more about discussing OT as a modern electronic instrument in the huge ecosystem.

To begin, I’ve never used OT.

I have always had an interest but was always scared off that I’d spend more time noodling and setting up projects than making music.

I got a DT last year as my first entry to elektron and I really like it but it seems (from videos and reading) that OT feels quite dated at this point, the mk2 is a nice visual change but no accompanying functionality (a few extra buttons and screen) seems insane.
I played with a korg esx-1 for 6 months but got frustrated by how dated it felt, that’s how I ended up with the digitakt!

The OT xfader and scenes looks amazing, though I feel like I can’t justify the cost when I think I can get everything else OT provides from a true DAW and a good midi controller… eg push2 and ableton.

At this point I’m waiting for a Mk3 that perhaps supports overbridge and perhaps can even be an overbridge host similar to the roland Aira Mixer that came out years ago… but maybe that’ll never happen?

My question is, if scenes are pretty much all I’m interested in (that i know of and that I can’t easily do in a daw) then is OT actually worth it? Would I find it hard to go to an OT Mk1 (shit screen etc) having used DT and DN as my first elektrons?

Does OT really stand the test of time or are some of its limitations just annoyances in 2020?

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Octatrack: Is buying this a mistake in 2021?
#2

The OT MKI will be an amazing instrument for decades to come.
I’d by a second one just for more scenes

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#3

It seems like it will definitely be iconic, i just think things like lack of midi scenes for example seems annoying? Maybe midi 2.0 can solve the issues that led to no midi scenes

#4

I don’t find it annoying that it does’t do midi scenes,
You can do midi loopbacks and all kinds of other tricks
There’s nothing like the OT and there never will be, it’s incredible

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#5

Personally I think if Elektron’s next release is not a kind of successor to the OT, a successor is never happening. If it is in the works, COVID screwed up the schedule.

It may or may not have Midi 2.0. MIDI scenes on OT will never happen as it’ll choke.

Honestly there is still nothing to rival it unless you are looking for your sampler to have something specific that the OT doesn’t have.

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#6

Love scenes but want Overbridge: Analog Rytm

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#7

The :elot: is a classic!

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#8

This is the case for just about all hardware though, isn’t it?

The MK1 screen has the same resolution as the MK2, and is larger in size. Many prefer it.
Nothing about the OT MK1 feels dated to me. Rather “timeless”.
The features, the Dieter Rams design language.

Sure the added buttons and encoder texts of the MK2 are nice, and it will match your DN/DT, but the MK1 gets the exact same results.

For the record I went from OT MK1 to MK2, and then back to MK1. I prefer the MK1’s use of LEDs.

Best solution is to just try one out and see if it is for you. With the OT, that’s the only way you’ll know for certain.

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#9

I suspect that you will have a long wait. Elektron appears to only produce new Marks of existing models when components for previous Marks are no longer available. The limited updates in the MkII simply reflect that it was a mature design that needed only a refresh. I think that Elektron tries to design instruments that will last a long time.

I think it’s quite possible that Elektron will produce another model of performance sampler in the future, but it wouldn’t be an Octatrack and it won’t be in the foreseeable future.

Clearly it has done in some objective way because it is still on sale nine years on.

These things are purely questions of your personal preferences.

That’s between you and your bank balance, and your time available for learning a new instrument.

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#10

I’ve never owned one but its the one bit of kit is always on my maybe list when buying something new.

I saw some going on ebay for just over £500 last year but seem to have went up in price since

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#11

Thanks all, I’m on the fence still because I already have too much gear. I should sell some before considering anything else.
I wasn’t meaning this to be a “persuade me or not to buy OT” but I think I just need to keep watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LrnBz0TpPY
every time I get the urge to give into GAS.

I know I could realistically just spend the time to develop a VST that gives me what I want and then just buy a midi controller with buttons and a cross fader. Essentially ALL I really want is the scenes and the Xfader to blend between settings.

Maybe RYTM is something I should look into but I’d be sad to wave goodbuy to digitakt (as RYTM seems like DT + analog - 8 midi channels)

#12

Yeah, you could spend all that time on something that sort of works and kind of sounds good,
Or you can get and OT

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#13

hahaha truuuue.
I mean I dont have anything else to spend my money on. And currency is on it’s way out anyway as the world’s coming to an end, the only true things of value are assets. Soooo I guess it’s time to buy an OT? :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

#14

If you use DT for sequencing other gear, don’t rely on Rytm to do a similar job. It’s drastically reduced in its capabilities there!

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#15

That would be smart!

So one of the great things about the OT is how it turbo charges gear you already have.
Not just as an FX box, but of course as a performance mixer, a transitional looper, a layering looper, an arranger, a modulator (MIDI LFOs).
So if there is anything you have already that you really like, the OT can take it to new heights.

And conversely, if there is anything you have that perhaps wouldn’t be benefited as much by OT as a partner, maybe put that in the sell pile.

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#16

I had a DT and was scared of a OT because I also thought it was “dated” but in the end it had the features that I wanted so I “upgraded”.

Disclaimer: I don’t really use the computer for anything except for recording/mastering.

With the DT I had an awesome drum machine/mono synth/granular engine but I didn’t have a mixer, a FX unit, a looper, something to play back long samples. These were things that I wanted. If all you want it for is the xfader then maybe it’s not worth it :man_shrugging: but you’ll probably find much much more to use it for.

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#17

Does some FX on the OT need an update? Particularly if you compare the Reverb of the Digi’s to OT’s Reverbs.

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#18

Dark Reverb rules tho!

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#19

it’s an old-school box, it just works. it’s very comforting to have one. in ten years people will be craving for it like they do for MM. i’m not getting rid of my OT unless there’s a new one (and I don’t think there will be).

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#20

Not really, you kind of hit the nail on the head when you mentioned the performance aspects, all built in, no need for extra controller, fast boot and ready to go, no need for a computer to do a live set.

The inverse is also true, you don’t get a portable version of Ableton, you only have 8 audio and 8 midi tracks, obviously less fx, memory etc etc.

With the right mindset, practice and determination you could easily do release quality material or a cracking live set with the OT, or Ableton, different paths, limitations, advantages and approaches.

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