OT - sound quality

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#165

The Capybara never cost remotely close to $1200USD even during a good sale and it required the addition of a host computer. Bottom line, at 4x or many more times the price of an OT, I would expect it to sound pretty bloody good. I’ve never seen anyone playing a Capybara on stage whereas the OT was designed specifically for performance. The two are very different animals.

I just looked at the prices of the low end Paca and you’d still be in the same ballpark, pricewise. $2970 for the hardware, plus computer and high end audio interface and you’re still at $5000, at a minimum.

#166

Didn’t mean to derail this thread, just makin’ a comment and some subtle observations.

The signal chain is Thru @ unityGain + Neighbor. Forgot to mention that I am running an EQ + dual lo-Fi FX and getting that metallic resonance.

When there is no active FX the signal sounds flat, dulls out the highs of the TR-606, though the MC-202s resonance cuts right through. Not sure how to make the highs crisp in-the-box, but I’ll figure it out. It’s my 3rd day with it, and thru tracks and neighbors is what I’ve been monitoring - because I’ve been reading this thread, I had to try it myself after reading everyone’s mixed opinions. And BTW, flat is good.

I am mostly interested in the MIDI side of the OT, so for my purpose, it’s everything I’ve been searching for in other instruments. I mapped 4 tracks/channels on the OT to different plug-ins in Logic. I can access a different track on the OT, and it corresponds to a different plug-in who’s parameters are already mapped. I think I t’s more convenient to use a sampler instrument in a daw, since the pitch/tune algorithm sounds great, and I can add/remove extra FX without “baking” the effect to a recording or mixing up all signals together in the OT. But that’s just my thought.

My other 4 tracks are audio tracks, two for the 606 and two for the 202. These four tracks get mixed up and sent to an audio interface. The midi tracks do not interfere, they trigger any plug-in I want. (Using the Environment in Logic)

The OT is now my MIDI controller; it will act as a mixer every now and then, but my SSL 2+ will still be the go-to when wanting to record my instruments in hi-fi.

#167

I’m almost tempted to get an OT again, just to make it sound awesome.

6 Likes
#168

Sound quality in a venue depends on many other factors than OT:
Work of the musician, whole chain of sound, settings and quality of the sound system (it is not because it is a good quality sound system that people are using it at its best - some people are using OT just to play stems…), the venue itself and… your ears.

1 Like
#169

…:content:…

4 Likes
#170

Any difference between OT Mk1 and Mk2 sound quality?
I remember MD sound quality was hugely improved from Mk1 to Mk2.
Comparing the OT specifications looks like lot of changes in I/O (noise, levels, impedance).
Also different power supply so that part has been redesigned as well.
I assume engineers did those changes with a good reason: improve the sound quality.
Is there anyone with critical ears into side by side comparison of the two revisions?

#171

OT sounds awesome, me not too much!

3 Likes
#172

This thread is in an infinite loop

14 Likes
#173

And $4402 for a Pacarana unit.

If one’s objective is to get everyone to sell their OTs and buy Kyma units, it’s not going to happen. It has little to do with brand loyalty (“being a fanboy”), and a lot more to do with each individual’s cost-benefit analysis.

2 Likes
#174

I started on OT comparison with Akai S1100, SSC Kyma Capy320 & Waldorf Quantum.
You guys only focus on Kyma…

Okay it’s been a while since I worked on the OT. Of course the AR mk2 is not the same as the OT. But to give myself an more equal perspective I just tested the AR mk2 with a mono bass drum sample vs the Quantum and pitched it on both up and down with 12 & 24 semitones. When down-pitching it is easy to hear how the sample is falling apart on the Rytm and on the Quantum it remains intact in subtle details.

Just a simple test so far.

Like I asked before are there any pointers in ‘lossless audio’ format where the OT shines in sound quality by some power users?

1 Like
#175

Secondhand they cost about $1200, there were two or three in that range on eBay when I checked yesterday and I’ve been seeing them under $2k for years (I didn’t check how many DSP cards were installed though). New a fully loaded one was around $10k.

1 Like
#176

NoiseLab doesn’t like the sound of the OT. I’m moving on. To sample and loop some modular with my rubbish Octatrack. Bye :grinning:

6 Likes
#177

I think what you’re finding here is that we didn’t buy this to listen to test tone sweeps. Also, many aren’t bothered by the character of the unit; I say this as a listener and producer that enjoys noisy chiptune tracks, punk, classic jazz and techno among other genres.

Why don’t you produce said recordings and tell everyone about how much more you enjoyed production on the Akai S1100, SSC Kyma Capy320 & Waldorf Quantum as opposed to the OT?

1 Like
#178

Right, as new, a heavy spec’d system was around $10k+. That’s not the same market as the OT. These two tools are attempting to solve different problems.

#179

I was not refering to colored sound, just quality sound, record something crisp, get that crispness out looped, as close as possible (without adding compression).
…just investigating what is the reason I never really liked OT sound live or while testing it in store

#180

OT sounds awesome through my tinnitus filter.

11 Likes
#181

I don’t ask anything like that or some A-B testing things.

What I like to hear is a good music production where the Octatrack plays the leading part on creative sampling.

Here an example what I like that is more a beat oriented production that I enjoy to listen and appreciation for the sound quality (still YouTube here but okay). https://youtu.be/g-g98-IHHIo

#182

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#183

Yeah, I thought we all agreed with that. in my earlier post I was saying that by the time they could be bought for the same price as an Octatrack I wasn’t interested in working primarily on a computer anymore.

1 Like
#184

Must be pretty funny to treat acoustically a place like that :wink:

2 Likes