OT limitations, is it worth it in 2020

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#45

It’s a unique instrument which I think is worth it still. If you plan to use it as an instrument and not just a DAW replacement then it’s amazing. It can replace a DAW, but it’s going to be quite annoying and limited to try and accomplish what would simple and fast with a DAW. Most people will be disappointed if they are looking for a hardware DAW in the OT.

As an instrument for making unique sounds and sequences, there’s nothing quite like it. If this is how you view it, you probably won’t regret getting one.

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#46

Honestly at this point im frustrated at how uncreative I feel as soon as I open a daw.
I sit in front of PC all day for work. Music is a good change of pace.
Rytm does look great too. I guess there’s redundancy with the DT then so maybe an OT would be more interesting as it can be used to augment what I’ve got.

I have a lot of synths already I shud probs sell before I buy anything. I feel bad that the push2 isn’t what I wanted as I bought it this month. 2nd hand tho so shud be able to resell at cost.

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#47

Do you already have a decent DAW and hardware controller? If so, I’d pass on an OT for the moment, unless you want to go DAWless. I bought a MKII, and while I have fun with it, I still record in Ableton, so it doesn’t see that much use since Live can almost do everything the OT can from a sound design or looping perspective. If you want it for performance, I think that’s a different story. If you really want one, grab a beat up second hand MKI that you can sell for the same price you bought it for if you don’t like it.

Also parroting what someone said about the Rytm. It’s really fun to pair with a DT! I’ve made some huge beats with just those two boxes together. And the new(ish) dual VCOs sound so cool as a bass or sub or even a huge kick drum.

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#48

(In response to the odd conspiracy theory post, now deleted)

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#49

I‘m thinking if selling my mk2. Its great but I just dont use it to its full potential and i have a rytm mk2 which is a little redundant for what I do which is basically fire oneshots.

#50

Push2 and OT requires the same kind of (project) preparation work upfront to really shine. Both devices feel very slow when starting projects from zero, but when almost everything is in place using them becomes fun.

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#51

Octatrack is much, much older…

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#52

Since its sooo old the black color got worn out on mine to grey :wink:

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#53

pic??

#54

You don’t need an OT

Just use DT, DN, a mixer, some dynamic processing and a good pair of ears and you are done - I am for less is more.

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#55

This is EXACTLY why you buy an OT.
Stop futzing with all those endless roads of options that may or may not sound good.
Loosing hours trying to EQ something when it probably sounded fine before you started EQing it.
Step all the way away from the DAW and learn and instrument and why embracing it’s limitations spawns creativity.
For crying out loud, people spend thousands of dollars on reverbs from the 80’s :roll_eyes:
The OT is an amazing piece of gear that does so much, and what ever it doesnt you can simply add to your rig.

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#56

OT opens endless roads of options too, though… But unified under one paradigm.

About endless EQing: that’s funny because I was trying to process an old drumbreak with a long chain of EQs on neighbour tracks. After hours of fucking around, I A-B’d the break…and it sounded better pre-processing. :sweat_smile:

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#57

Hey, I followed the same path and got an OT MKII after an amazing year spent with the DT. Yes the Octatrack is great, but YES it feels dated. Especially compared to the DT.

The OT definitely is unique and powerful, it’s very inspiring. I clicked with it pretty much right away and still use it all the time after 3 months (for this kind of stuff). But the complex UI is kind of in the way sometimes, some of the FXs sound a bit old school and harsh, the timestretch algorithm works but probably not as smoothly as Ableton, the chromatic mode only has 2 octaves (so frustrating when you’re used to the DT’s 4 octaves), obviously no Overbridge… Also I use pick-up machines a lot and they still have major bugs when the OT has been out for like 6/7 years, which is sooo annoying but oh well. You can do amazing and one-of-a-kind stuff on the OT but it will never be Ableton in term of audio quality and possibilities. It’s a matter of what workflow you prefer!

I still really-really love it and would buy again. I just thought I would talk about the darker side because I feel like people tend to overlook those things, just because the OT is so iconic. To me it’s iconic and dated (in many ways).

9 Likes
#58

I think OT is timeless just like people find the MPC 1000 jjos or 3000XL legendary and timeless.

I tend to look at it from a perspective of it being an instrument that has already moved to a legendary legacy product even though it’s still in production.

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#59

Hello

I love my digitakt and i have the same interrogation , since 5 years i look every month OT !!!
But the price was the principal problem … and the new workflow to learn .
I buyed recently IPAD mini A12 ( just for music) and i use drambo with controller ( axiom ,nanok , or other cheap controller ) , you have scene fct , sampler , synthesis etc )

The only things i always want buy an OT it’s for dedicate usage it’s wonderful harware machine , wonderful look and mixer .
L’ipad can’t have this … ( With soundcard it’s possible … But 3 équipement instead to have just one …)
But ipad with digitakt can replace some usage of octotrak , i wanted digitone but , i put stroke machine or dq fm with , and it’s veryy power full, with drambo you have a virtual OT and more , maybe it’s way to considering.
It’s not replacement but i do so many thing ( to much ) with my ipad now .
Im not a apple fanboy …
I m free Elektron :wink:
The problem ?
i always want all Elektron machine :wink:
So maybe the only answer is , if you can , buy it !!!
If you can’t you have this solution . :wink:

( Sorry for syntax , vocabulary etc…i’m french )

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#60

The most overlooked limitation is it doesn’t make any sound you have to feed it.But it doesn’t need much feeding.

#61

@sezare56 already proved you wrong ^^

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#62

100% still worth it and always will be. The amount of techniques and features you will discover seems near limitless. My use of it is still rudimentary but I know I have a whole world of exploration on the desk. And as others have said - buy, try, sell for the same money if it’s not for you.

#63

Yes haha :smiley:

#64

I think the biggest mistake is to consider the OT as DAW replacement. The term “performance sampler” is great because it highlights that the OT should be viewed as an instrument, not a workstation. Sure, it is a very versatile instrument, that can be used as a sampler, granular synth, loop machine, live hub, mixer, midi sequencer, effects machine, audio morpher and many more. But there are still things that the poor time stretch, the limited number of tracks and effects make the octatrack bad at doing. And for these, having a DAW around will make your life much much easier, and your time with the OT way more fun.

Recently i worked on a Dub like live setup with 8 tracks playing loops and stems, and the OT acting as a mixer + effects, and I would never have even tried that if I had to prepare the stems and loops using the OT itself. All the preparation has been done in Ableton, the stems are set to the correct BPM, level and pre-mixed in there and then are exported to the Octatrack to be performed, which it does very well!

Even sample editing (and particularly sample chains creation) is easier done in dedicated software than in the OT. But once they’re edited, it becomes so fun to manipulate them inside the OT.

One key aspect of the OT is to know what you will enjoy doing with it, and what you should better use something else for.

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