Hello, which previous skills you think are required to get O.T better.? I have none previous experience in producing neither in sampling just a few patterns and steps with volcas and electribe sx. But suppose someone has no previous experience, what would you recommend to prepare himself before getting octa? Or just starting with octa and commitment to learn is enough?
Watch the how-to videos on the Octatrack product page and read the manual why you’re waiting for your OT to ship.
- Watch all the online tutorial videos. Read the Manual. Read the forum questions and answers and read the linked files
Repeat 1)
Get Octatrack
Repeat 1)
Do something new with it.
Repeat 1)
Some time later … You still have a lot to learn and explore
Read the Manual etc
also remember to read the manuals of your other gear 
the volcas have midi, i think, but you could also sync them with an audio pulse from the OT cue outs etc - so knowing your gear and all the options (including good midi knowledge) is handy too
I always read the manual before i buy gear. I took me about a year until i could say I “knew” it. Still today Heureca moments occur becuse its so versatile. However, from not having one to have released my first EP on Vinyl with the whole production made with it. Time and money seems well spend., and wow, what great times it was not previously skilled… I gave Yves de Mey the good advise to buy one, so i’ll give the same advise to you.
Have a nice day!
wanna hear EP?
https://soundcloud.com/0henrik0/sets/a-o-t-the-echo-ep-vosnos-001
Spend lots of time with an octatrack will make you a better user, that goes with every skill in life. There are no stupid questions, BUT you learn more from seeking for the truth than praying for an answer, so to speak.
The whole forum is coming apart with RTM questions, another ‘why doesn’t my *** do ***’ and ‘how do I ***’ questions. I love answering every single one as much as the next guy and luckily there’s people on this forum who gladly spend their time doing so, but please… Becoming really good and skilled at anything never starts with asking how on a musicforum!
Be positive about yourself and the skillset you already have, find something you like to do with your electronic gear, make some tunes about it, rinse repeat. Don’t look at what anybody else is doing or how or why, keep at it and find your own methods to the madness that could end up making you an original artist and could lead to money, fame and above all recognition.
I understand and im sorry for not previously seeking for the truth, its because im from Argentina and here its dificult to sell this kind of equipment, really, and the money change rates are way more expensive, so an elektron box would cost any argentinian way more expensive than almost any other money value, so I have to choose wisely, I kinda feel I almost cant go wrong with any elektron gear, but I need the right one to start making a but more futuristic sounding and pro tunes, and then perform em live, " I have heard that to enjoy octa most you need a lot of gear" which I lack, and thats not so productive to make tunes with it without having tons of gear. im almost scared by the octatrack but some part of me want to learn it and quit computer daws, but i still need to justify the expensive money i Will pay for it. So i need a gratificating machine for making the tunes and then perform them.
Please don’t apologize! You can ask whatever you want, no stupid questions remember. The only limitation in Argentina will be the good weather and spending time indoors with your octatrack, ok? 
Now for the “you’ll need a lot of gear part”, well you don’t! I have linked a thread to the old forum earlier it’s about the octatrack science labs. Where a bunch of people make up some rules, restricting them to use only one sound for example and only the octatrack. They made songs and shared ideas.
Now what I was trying to tell you earlier is that all you need is yourself, time and the octatrack (and manual). Be creative, be very very creative and make yourself look for new ideas and make every problem you encounter when working with something new a challenge to overcome.
Example: you don’t have any gear at all, but you buy the octatrack?
Solution: you fill the compact flash card with samples! Or use an old radio as an input.
What if you don’t have any inspiration or don’t know where to start? That’s where forums come in handy, ask me for some samples, visit the old forum and do the science labs, etcetera! There are always ways to make music with gear, people have been doing it for a long time and without any skills or help even!
Here’s the link to a fantastic science lab:
There’s so much to learn from reading that and listening to what people made. It can all be done with a bit of time, persistence and two seconds of white noise
Good luck and enjoy the ride!!
You do not need a lot of gear - if you work at it, you will need LESS gear if you have the OT.
Of all the Elektron machines, I think the OT is the most flexible - it does so many things in a very gratifying way.
It is a performance machine, designed to make crazy live performance, very hands-on.
It is the most fun machine I have ever owned, and I am not a young person.
If you find you don’t like it, it will be easy to sell.
But I think you will really like it.
Example: you don’t have any gear at all, but you buy the octatrack?
Solution: you fill the compact flash card with samples! Or use an old radio as an input.
Yes thats true, but what I was thinking If Im going to " fill " it with Other sources samples , ( i think ) Im going to loose the octatrack essensential function and it Will be like a analog rytm but without the analog drums and pads… ( due that analog rytm also load samples that way ) … Or does octa manipulate/ arrange/morph external loaded samples in a diferent way rytm does?
Completely different.
So incredibly different. The things you can do with the OT are really quite next level. The Rytm will be fun and sound great but it will NEVER be an OT.
No need for more gear than just an Octatrack to make tunes! In fact, I’ve tried to use other Elektron gear alongside my OT, and while I liked the other boxes, I actually ended up selling them because I felt I was more productive just focusing on one unit. Of course other people make awesome stuff using more.
But all you need is some samples loaded on your CF card and you’re good to go. Find some drum sounds you like and some instrumental sounds and you’re set. That’s how I’ve been making tunes recently. If you have a smartphone, you can just load sounds on Youtube and sample that way (that way you can work without a computer in front of you). I made an EP on just my OT entirely out of classical cassette tapes (no separate drum samples).
I love playing with synths and all kinds of gear. But I really think that forcing yourself to focus on one box is the better route to start with. I think of DJ Shadow with an MPC, Madlib on an SP-303, etc. Good luck!
An element of musicianship must come into play though? I need to get some keyboard/piano lessons which I know will 101% compliment my skills with Octatrack. There is a whole industry which i feel is preying on wannabe musicians telling them they need to buy this that and the other when ulimately its (maybe) compensating musical ability
and what a great EP jamrod…
Its all what you put in it. no matter what maschine we talk about.
When you spend time with something and have fun and challenge yourself along the way you get good at it.
OT would in my eyes be the most versatile among the elektrons. But all units bring something the others don’t.
Excelent ep’s !! Congratulations i really enjoyes those old tapes