OT & Multi-Timbral Synth: your workflow / thoughts

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hello everyone,

I’ve seen allot of people raving on about how pairing a multi-timbral synth with the ot is the ultimate combo and how it feels like an extension of the ot rather than sequencing an external device.

Im not intending to ask how you actually get this set up. More so on how you guys actually integrate your multi-timbral synths to get the most out of the OT’s midi tracks. Have found myself doing allot of bouncing of midi tracks recently for various reasons, slowing down the workflow and taking up audio tracks! Feel like I should take advantage of the 8 midi tracks and their capability & flexibility, so a few things have sprung to my mind:

Using audio fx & external fx with synth: I take it the only way you can do this is via thru audio tracks? And you can only select the overall output of the synth and not its individual channels? This got me thinking though, you can mute tracks individually, so perhaps more is possible? Furthering that, I’ve not actually tried this, but if using a multitimbral synth in Ableton, wouldn’t you be able to process its different channels individually on each separate midi track you have (even though you’ve got it input through the synths main output)? I might be wrong with that, but in my head it seems like it would work. If that was the case, then maybe something similar could be possible on the OT? Or if you want to further process a sound from a synth are you limited to having to do it one sound at a time and then bouncing the track to audio? What is the most efficient way you guys process midi tracks?

What CC’s are your guys preferred ones to assign and do you generally use all 10 for each track? Of course, this relies on preference and what is required case by case, but im just curious to hear about all of your workflows.

Bit of a longshot really, but recently saw a video of Rusty assigning MIDI cc’s to a scene, super cool, wish he could spill the beans on how its done! Does anyone have any idea? Would happily pay for software that allows this, its not part of Octa Edit is it?

Just any general further tips on the best ways all of you integrate your external multi-timbral synths with your ot midi tracks. Feel like im a bit in the dark on the midi track side, so any pointers for exploiting them will be appreciated :grin:

#2

Regards the multi processing via fx in ableton or any daw this is only possible if the synth has multi outs along with the interface of the daw/PC having multi ins and you can route the synths sounds to its own outs, not aware of that many synths that do this, the analog keys does but unsure if too many others.

Using a handful of multi mode synths with the OT right now, a blofeld, a Nord, ms2k and a microkorg XL, I have also used Halion and several versions of Monark with great success so it’s not always hard synths. All seem to work pretty well but you need to be on top of your midi pages so a memory or an iPad note/paper pen whatever are good advice, my fave cc are dependant on the synth to be fair, the Korg for example has the ability to scan it’s waves from cc ( or internal lfo) which when modulated is pretty cool especially when tied to heavy delay and reverb as the sounds that are created can be very cool and you’d never guess where thy came from, you can be very precise of how many waves you desire or totally random and I think there’s about 70 in there, I’m not going to offer a mini review of this under rated synth that many call a toy here so I’ll shut up.

I’d say I immediately go to filter cutoff, drive and also osc shapes and mods as my first cc to map, if the synth has clever envelopes I place the cc in for those too, such as a looping envelope so the decay turns the envelope to a separate and adjustable lfo if you like. Obviously every synth has its own quirks that you will enjoy so they will end up being a choice.

Honestly, integrating synths with the OT is so easy that I encourage it whole heartedly. Multi mode synths are brilliant so long as you keep control of the sounds, I do not process them to audio until I need to, if I am staying working at home then I just store the midi settings in the OT and turn in the synths with the OT projects. For those that are becoming part of the work I take away and if I cannot carry the extra synth then they obviously get mixed down and will become static tracks.

Assigning cc to a scene is as easy as anything else I expect, I’ve not done it but I might just do one now to see if it’s how I think.

Edit: ok I’ve never tried scenes and midi like I say, quick effort says that the fader doesn’t work on cc as with audio (that’s a real shame now I’ve tried it I’m intrigued with ideas) but I expect that could be worked around with clever manipulation of midi and a translator of sorts.

Dive in I say

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#3

The Scenes do not work with the MIDI sequencer as MIDI cannot handle that sort of value interpolation

#4

Not quite: if you use audio track 8 of the OT as a master track, the track effects on track 8 are also applied to the audio from the external inputs.

3 Likes
#5

@J.m Thanks for getting back in such detail, some really useful stuff for me to take here :smile:

Out of curiosity, please could you elaborate on exactly what you mean by keeping control of the sounds & those that are becoming part of the work?

When you do have to bounce your midi tracks, how do you do so? A flex recorder sampling what the midi is playing on each pattern? Or a dynamic recording of the whole arrangement, followed a plays free, 1 shot trig static sample? The former seems v tedious, but the latter loses flexibility. So im keen to know what your, or any one elses method of doing this is!

When you listed the general ccs you like to assign it also made me wonder, are you doing your sound designing for your synths direct from the ot? Or have you just assigned these for further manipulation of an externally, previously made patch?

#6

Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TsyjjnGqf8

As J.m mentioned, I think with some manipulation this can be done, and im dying to find out how, would be so cool!

#7

Thanks, good to know. So the master or thru are the only ways?

#8

These are the only ways to use the OT’s effects on an external sound source.

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#9

Hey man no Probs.

Well my synth presents will change with the project so as I push extra percussion in, the bass that I thought I was happy with will change, same with everything else synth based really so yeah, the cc will automate throughout the track. When I say stay on top of them I mean making sure they are saved properly with the tracks if I change the presets, it’s very easy when jamming along to all of a sudden forget to actually dump the program change in the pattern especially as when I move parts I’ll maybe favour a different preset.

When I come to bounce down I may record the midi track by track to the OT via flex and then save as a set of files to play from static or maybe a mix of them, I am constantly mixing down and moving to a new bank or part depending on what is required, I don’t find its a Problem to be sampling quite often if required

I never remove the data from the midi tracks because I like to keep my freedom even after bouncing them to audio, you may wonder why I bounce them to audio at all if it’s not finished but it’s simply for glue purposes, sometimes they just sit better once in the OT rather than playing through it and it just keeps the flow moving especially if I get the urge to manipulate the audio, basically all my synths are playing through a separate mixer which in turn has a group output feeding input C/D on the OT, that means at anytime I can sample one or all my synths and other machines just by hitting a route button on the mixer.

Just stay on top of your midi so as not to be disappointed /angry after a change and then realising you aren’t where you thought you were, synth settings won’t matter as the cc changes and numbers will be set and saved in the OT if you choose to do so but remember to stay on top of your program changes and store them in the OT, especially if using multiple parts , that’s worth paying attention to.

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