OT or DT if they cost the same

Apotropaia · 2023-11-20T10:13:36.195Z

As others have said, it really depends on what you plan to do with them and your current setup. With that said, I really don’t think it’s an either/or situation, as both are great at different things. I prefer using the Digitakt, and I also think it’s better for basic sampling and resampling (as it’s more straightforward to use), and for more basic drum duties (again because of the workflow, and because it has Overbridge, so it easily multitracks your drums if you want that).

Meanwhile the Octatrack is an amazing performance device. In my opinion if you just wanted to do basic sampling there are many other devices I would choose over the Octatrack, as they are faster and easier to use. It also wouldn’t be my first choice as a looper. I feel EZBot’s videos of his Octatrack templates showcase what I feel the OT is best at, which is remixing and mangling audio in real-time, in a performative way. Or as Elektron has marketed it, which is as a “dynamic performance sampler.” It’s just a lot of fun, and for that specific use case there is not a single thing on the market that is better than the OT.

Even if an OT MK3 came out tomorrow, I would probably still keep my current one as a dedicated FX-box for remixing audio, creating transitions, etc.

The DT meanwhile is a little magic box that I just find so inspiring and enjoyable to use. It feels perfectly balanced to me. It was my first Elektron box, and after having owned almost every product Elektron currently makes, I would say it’s still my favorite.

SonWu · 2023-11-20T10:55:58.645Z

I find it interesting that everybody says the DT is so quick…

If you use the Octatrack in a limited fashion (replicating the DT functions)
it can be pretty quick too.

Superunknown · 2023-11-20T11:03:46.283Z

Octatrack is better with long samples top. Disk streaming allows for that. Digitakt is sampling drumachine in my mind. If that is what you need i think it is flawless. Anything else Octatrack all day.

Azzarole · 2023-11-20T11:57:26.948Z

SonWu:

I find it interesting that everybody says the DT is so quick…

If you use the Octatrack in a limited fashion (replicating the DT functions)
it can be pretty quick too

I guess it can, but the fact that digis don’t use kits/parts means that it’s unbeatably fast to just copy a pattern, make some changes to sound parameters or notes etc. and thus come up with a lot of patterns while in the flow. Or just copy a pattern, do ctrl. all and see if something sticks. You can then revisit these and see if any of these work as transitions, bridges or even new track parts etc. and tweak them further. Imo that’s just unbeatable for the creative phase, the flagships (which I consider the OT to be) are maybe better for finalizing songs and preparing live sets/tweaks. The limited nature and whole design of the digis also feel more encouraging to just mess around and try stuff, while OT and analogs feel a bit more intimidating imo.

DelayDude · 2023-11-20T12:03:42.542Z

If I remember correcty, I´ve seen one of your videos, where you didn´t like the OT at all.

SonWu · 2023-11-20T12:10:22.419Z

well…not completely…I was giving the counterpoint regarding the Elektron SEQUENCER.
Which is something many people praise as THE BEST

And I still think the Elektron sequencer is way more cumbersome than something like the OP-Z.

Now, when we are talking about SAMPLERS, that’s a different story. The OT sampler is amazing…the OP-Z is laughable in that department.

Apotropaia · 2023-11-20T12:12:36.500Z

To add to this, there’s also something as simple as being able to set a recording threshold on the DT, so you don’t have to mess around with trimming the sample start. You absolutely can get around this on the OT, but it involves a little more work. Of course you can then save a template on the OT, but the point is that there’s just less fuss with the Digitakt, which leads it to being faster (while also being more limited, but again that’s not necessarily a bad thing).

SonWu · 2023-11-20T12:19:36.764Z

Interesting to hear a more in depth perspective of this, because everybody says it’s faster but you rarely hear the specifics.

Sleepyhead · 2023-11-20T12:20:23.914Z

Agree! And another vote for the DT. Coming from the DT, I expected the OT to be a digitakt and more. The OT is amazing at a lot of things, but it’s not purely an upgrade or a replacement of the digitakt.

The OT is like an 8 channel fluid recorder/mixer/sampler which allows you to interactively mess with audio tracks and samples. Its great if you have other gear to work with, or as a central hub to a (dawless) setup.

The DT is better as a standalone do it all machine IMO. Some things require some creativity, but you can make samplebased beats on it, use it as a drummachine and or/ a collection of 8 synth voices using (granular) samples as oscilators. It has better fx, and is way better suited as a sequencer for melodic lines because you can record length and velocity.

Azzarole · 2023-11-20T12:46:40.856Z

So, @jaekae, I think you’ve now got all the information and know about the pros and cons of OT and DT. Did you make any decision yet? What are you planning to do with OT/DT and what’s most important to you when using a sequencer based sampler?

Billy1992 · 2023-11-20T12:47:05.686Z

I had wonderful times with Octatrack doing experimental live resampling plunderphonics and rythmic noise. This machine also has a wonderful midi sequencer with a very powerful arp (with few parameters that can be modulated and sequenced). The song mode is way more deeper than Digitakt’s song mode. But the workflow is outdated (still okay of course but the digiline is so much fun and quick to use) and you have to put a lot of effort into it to get interesting stuff (not a con but still a particularity).

Digitakt has the most powerful LFOs. Ok, no LFO designers and only 2 but they are way more complex, every parameter can be plocked and modulated and they can go easily into audio rate. Digitakt has a true synth routing with filter and vca and their enveloppes plus a lot of effect (bit crush, sample rate reducer, distorsion, and delay, reverb and compressor as master effects). The digitakt can modulate the sample used. For melodic stuff, it’s very nice instead of the OT which is not adapted to this.

Son imo both have great features, the OT is not better technically than Digitakt, just different.

reeloy · 2023-11-20T13:53:34.509Z

…if u don’t need any playback streaming in sync, no stereo stage, no various selections of individual insert fx from eq’s, filters, ditortions and whatnot, that all add up big time when also plocked and/or resampled, an optical crossfader to get sonic movement and variations into and overall anything, that can be stretched in all directions, see no need for midi arps and are ok to miss out on it’s unique and famous comb filter actions, then dt is ur best and most handy sonic friend forever…

jaekae · 2023-11-20T15:35:03.632Z

90% sure to go the DT route now, only have 1-2 hours per day for musicmaking so think a fast and bit easier workflow is the best for me.
And i used to have a analog rytm mk1 and analog keys and analog 4 mk1 some years ago , but sold all those after a while and now have a syntakt that i really like and will never sell, so maby its a sign that i like the digiboxes the most…

Azzarole · 2023-11-20T15:45:34.227Z

That sounds like a good choice ! While OT is different than the analogs, it shares their characteristics of being very deep but not as approachable imo. If you love ST, you already know your way around DT and will get quick results.

Let us know how it goes. Like I’ve posted above: it’s a good time to buy a used DT relatively cheap. Or if you wanna buy new and can afford the premium, the E25 will not lose its value I suspect.

Stickhit · 2023-11-20T16:30:21.217Z

In 2015 I had to buy the OT because the DT had not yet been released.

lowph · 2023-11-20T16:52:02.061Z

Azzarole:

while OT and analogs feel a bit more intimidating imo

I think that makes a little less sense after you learn how to use the OT. I never look at the OT and feel intimidated; I just feel creative.

Did you mean that from the perspective of looking at it for the first time? If so, yeah, the DT takes a bit less time to come up to speed. I remember recording some great stuff an hour or two into owning the DT, but but the OT took me longer

Azzarole · 2023-11-20T16:59:43.140Z

Your Mom:

think that makes a little less sense after you learn how to use the OT. I never look at the OT and feel intimidated; I just feel creative.

OT (as well as A4 and AR) just gives you way more options, has more buttons and thus more routes you can take, more things to learn, more things that can go wrong. That can be intimidating to me, and stop me from coming up with cool stuff by just starting from scratch. There’s something about the digis that is much more streamlined and inviting, so I always quickly have an idea running on them and get into the flow. Of course you can do the same on OT (and AR, A4), but there’s undoubtedly always a bit more to learn first, even if you want to only use a few of their functions.

slicetwo · 2023-11-20T18:28:44.405Z

I’ve owned 1 Digitakt and 5 Octatracks. I still have the Digitakt, and have no Octatracks. The OT is amazing, but the drawbacks really made it hard for me to be able to use it in my setup the way I wanted to use it. If the DT had stereo sampling and more memory, it’d be almost perfect for me.

Cedre · 2023-11-20T18:30:09.957Z

OT UI UX is awful
DT UI UX is a masterpiece

lowph · 2023-11-20T18:38:38.880Z

slicetwo:

I’ve owned 1 Digitakt and 5 Octatracks.

I think it’s fascinating when people re-purchase the OT and then decide to get rid of it, but then later try it again and then the cycle repeats. I hear this story more with the Octatrack than other instruments.

The times you went back to the OT, was there something “on paper” that made you do it? And then what triggered getting rid of it?