I recently bought an OT, and I like everything on it but one thing: you can’t just record a MIDI track by hand and play it back the exact same way you played it; it’s always quantized to steps. I think it’s called linear sequencing (as opposed to step sequencing).
I think the MPC does linear sequencing.
Can any MPC users explain any other differences?
First of all i don’t own a Oktatrack. But if i see the video’s on youtube. You can’t compare the MPc touche or ren with the OT.
Every machine have his own right of exsisting in the music world. But the OT is more like a bleeps and plop sounds machine. It’s a sampler. But i never have a full song
. Maybe i’m wrong. But it’s more for alternative music production.With the MPC you can produce a total production. With samples, vst plugin and mixer with vst dsp. In the productions I don’t need a other soundsource or production tool. Although MPC is has a step sequencer, you also can record totaly off grid. And gift each track channel different effects with vst effect processor.
Also with MPC Live 2.0 you will get audiotracks. So you can produces a total track.
There are already many topics on the forum that discuss the differences between the OT and various MPCs:
https://www.elektronauts.com/search?q=OT%20MPC
I am sure that you will find some useful opinions by reading the linked topics.
The first question should be can record notes without quantize? Yes.
Menu Project > Personalize > Quantized Live Rec
“QUANTIZE LIVE REC will when checked quantize notes input while in LIVE RECORDING mode to full sequencer steps. When this option is unchecked notes will be quantized according to the micro timing resolution, which is 1/384 steps.”
The linear thing about the Mpc would be the free total length of sequences, but not individually. I’ve got both Mpc and Octatrack and of course there are a lot of differences, you can read in manuals!
You ARE WRONG for sure ! 
Maybe I wrong and are the examples I see on youtube note representive to the OT. I didn’t know you can run vst on the OT. And you can program your hole song in the OT. With vst synth’s and effects and so on. Sorry than I’m wrong.
Octatrack can’t run VST:s. But you can make any genre on it, any kind of track, any kind of production. As you mentioned, it’a sampler. The thing with the Octatrack is that it goes way beyond what a sampler traditionally is considered to be, even those who bend samples quite far.
If you just like to play the guitar, plug it in, record it, add some drums and fx, maybe a nice vocal track on top. And you’re good.
If you’re a classically trained pianist, set up your grand piano, record your sonatas and add some strings if you like.
If you’re the next Deadmau5, drop or record loops, one shots, modular mayhem and their cousins, put all this together into a track in the Octatrack, and then take it to the next level. Bend, slice, warp, twist and resample. And the, invite the guitar player and the pianist and have them layer their stuff on yours. And then warp it again.
The Octatrack can be any genre or style. It is, in fact, your style and only your style. It’s not blips and blops, it’s not singer songwriter, it’s not EDM, it’s not trance or techno. It’s you.
@BangBangSystens I forgive you! 
Usely videos are simple 4/4 patterns.
There is an arranger and 8 midi tracks, so even if it is not as practical as an Mpc 1000 (wich I know), you can do complicated things, even having different track lengths.
Main weaknesses : lack of polyphony per track (4), no overdub midi, even if you can use several tracks on the same midi channel.
For Vst you need a computer. Vst Hosts are computers. Mpc is not better in that concern.
hi there,
you cannot run vst on OT. And definitely you can finish a track - at least it was mission possible for me 
In the link below you can hear an example of a remix that I created for Chemical Brothers` Block Rockin Beats just by grabbing few samples from the original track and adding a rhythm section to them. No effects or additional sound processing - just OT and its 8 tracks (actually 7 if we exclude the master track 8 ;))
Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin Beats (Don’t Tell The Brothers Edit)
OT is a great tool and it sounds great for me. Of course it has its own limitations, but it meant to be played as an instrument… live instrument and be capable of doing some crazy things with samples, which I think exceeds the expectations of what a standard sampler can do.
OT and MPC are totally different machines - hence there is a contrast between both workflows. Reading the manuals will definitely answer some questions here, but I do agree with one of the comment above that notes can be recorded without quantization in MPC.
It’s quite simple to explain, what happens during recording Midi to the OT or to a MPC … it’s a general difference between step-sequencing (OT) and linear-sequencing (MPC).
MPC
You are right, MPCs use linear sequencing. A linear sequencer records Midi-events per track and together with the MIDI information (note-on, note-off, velocity, pressure, CC, etc.) a time-stamp too. If quantisation is disabled, the time-stamp will be as played. All events are kept in queue according to their time-stamps. Depending on the time resolution, generally described as “pulses per quarter note” or “ppgn”, there can be even multiple events on the “same time stamp”. Now, if the midi recording is played back, the time-stamped events are sent out in sequence and provide an almost true feel and groove of the recorded performance.
OT
OT and the other Elektron machines work with step-sequencers. There are 64 steps per track and we can use this, as an example, as 4 bars with 16 steps. Now, there is only one event per step available, usually (note: OT-midi allows up to four notes per step - but simultaniously only). The OT has quite a good time resolution, that allows us, to use this for micro-timing events. But this does not extend the quantity of one event per step.
Now, what do we have to expect, if we are recording live from a Midi-controller and have quantisation disabled?
If we play only events, which do not overlap with respect to the time, which the sequencer takes to move on from one step to it’s successor, each event “drops” into one of the steps, is micro-timed, recorded, and the recording will play back quite natural. But, if there is an overlap, let’s say, a grace-note and it’s succeeding main-note would like to drop in the same time-slot of a single step, then the latter will overwrite it’s predecessor, because only one event is possible. And this destroys the performance usually.
There are some workarounds on the OT … but they are not solving the issue at hand.
Faster speed of the step-sequencer generates “more steps per time”. We can use 64 steps as 1/16 in normal speed, but as 1/32 at double speed.
Adopt live performance habits such that the aforementioned “overlaps” don’t happen. TBO, that is quite a challenge for a keyboard player with a tendency to perform grooves, which are “driving” or “laid back”. I gave it up long time ago and resorted to linear sequencers for groovy live performances. That’s one reason, why I still have my MPC
I hope, I could shade a little light on this
Well explained! It is not that simple I think.
Thanks SoundRider! Everything you said confirms what I’ve heard about MPC’s.
What I’m wondering now is: what else do you like about the MPC over the OT?
Are you excited about the MPC Live that is rumored to be in the works?
For me MPC and OT are similar but also very different instruments and I use both for tasks I think the one or the other might do better, musically or workflow wise
My personal opinion is …
Sequencing
As I mentioned already, I prefer recording with linear sequencers for my personal style of keyboard playing live, but for step sequencing, I like more to work on Elektron step-sequencers. To have 16 buttons in a row and all those p-locking facilities at hand makes those sequencers outstanding. I can directly see the groove I am programming. If I have a groove pattern already in mind, it is quickly keyed in … and also changed in a live performance. Try this with a typical MPC work flow … no way.
Jamming live with pattern and loops
It’s more intuitive to change between the pads of a MPC rather the buttons of the OT in live performances. The MPC is more of a jamming instrument, pads are velocity sensitive and depending on the MPC (I have the 5k) there is more than one sample availabe per pad. We can even have a sample sequence on one pad. Repeated hitting of one pad can be used to change between the samples each time. Any kind of finger drumming, be it with drum sounds or loops, is the domain of the MPC not the OT. MPC is more to be used as a live instrument, the OT more as an orchestra, which is directed by the musician, if you understand, what I mean. Both use cases are important for my music and thus, I use both.
Quality of sound
Well, this is down to personal taste only, so let’s not go in to it … I only will tell you, I like both
FX
Nice on MPC but OT shines there. If we want to mangle clips and what not very creatively and “non-destructive”, this is the world of the OT … and … OT can handle real large samples, because it can stream directly from the storage medium. There are tasks, I wouldn’t even think about to use the MPC for … but maybe I am thinking too much OT already.
Yes, I am excited and I am sure that it’s not only a rumor … and it’s time, since others have already started to enter this market segment, like Pioneer with Toraiz
Thanks SoundRider! It’s nice to hear from someone who has a lot of experience with both. I’ve never used an MPC, but I’ve owned an Akai AX60 and currently own an MPK249 and they’re both really solid pieces of gear, so I’m sure the MPC Live is going to be killer.
Yeah, I agree with you about the OT step sequencer. It is really outstanding. But it’s only outstanding for mechanical techno type music. It’s terrible for anything that approaches jazz or classical. Not to say that it’s a bad thing, but it’s a tradeoff that was made. If the OT only had a third mode for linear sequencing (with a ridiculous amount of memory for sequence data, of course), I don’t think I would need another machine.
I’m not sure, but I suspect the MPC Live will incorporate a lot of ideas from the Octatrack, since the OT has been around for long enough and it’s been really influential. Or at least should be.
That’s a very good description. I also have an MPC and OT and agree that it largely depends on the song in answering which one is “better” at sequencing. Having said that, in recent months I have moved on to the Cirklon which is awesome at BOTH step (P3) and linear (CK) sequencing, so now I actually sequence my MPC and OT from the Cirklon 
The OT invites us, just to hit the buttons and create Techno … but … there is micro-timing, which allows a lot of funky-groovy feel. We have only to be aware of it and make use of it. I often time-shift some notes manually or record a simple pattern without quantisation. Together with the right p-lockings groovy “non-techno” tracks can be created easily.
I agree that the OT is not made to play jazz. But on the other side, some classical pieces should work fine. Remember, one of the first synth recordings has been “Switched on Bach” Particularly Bach’s music is composed and performed quite orderly and has a tight timing, almost like a musical box. I dare to say, if Bach had synths and sequencers at his time, he would have loved it.
He would have wrote Toccatrack.
It always comes back to Circlon innit? I bet I will own one within the next decade. How much those go for nowadays?
The main problem with Cirklon is that second hand ones can be more expensive than the new ones, because you don’t have to wait !
So 10 years is realistic !
Sample it.
