OT with pads (microtiming and stuff)

Hey all

I connected some pads to my OT recently, in the hopes that I would be able to jam in some drums on my OT. Each track gets a drum sample, and I can jam with 8 different sounds, right? OK, cool.

Problem is that the “feel” I get when recording drums is way off, and not near what I banged in on my pads to begin with.

Does anyone know anything of the whole microtiming thing on the OT? 'Cuz it feels like it quantizes my notes in too big steps, and completely looses the feel for what I played in.

When I play it on an MPC, this does not happen, even though the MPC is a much older device, and whatever microtiming resolution that uses, it should not be as high as the OT.

Anyone with opinions?

– Alex

This will probably help;

:slight_smile:

No opinion really, but here’s a cold fact:

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.”

Are you live recording? And do you have the above setting checked? You can find it in the ‘personalize’ settings!

EDIT: Resolution for the MPC1000/2500 = 96ppqn (for the 4000/5000 = 960ppqn), the octatrack has a ppqn of 384/2 = 192, but that depends on your tempo divider settings.

Hey, thanks guys. I already had the Quatize Live Record turned off. So I can only conclude that I must be insaaanely untight when I record my drums.

With that being said, it should be possible to attain the same kind of feel for the drums that you get from playing on an MPC or other drum machine, right? I mean, if the resolution is higher (which it is I guess), it’s only up to the drummer’s skills… right…?

– Alex

Probably not. Some MPC’s have a timing resolution of 96ppq (parts per quarter note). The OT microtiming is nowhere near that level of accuracy.

Really? The manual says “1/384 step resolution micro timing grid”. I don’t see how 96 per quarter note could be higher than 384 per step (normally 16th note).

The Octatrack can also only record one (microtimed) trig per 16th note per track and the MPC has no such limitation.

I think you’ll have to take into account that the pad events are being transmitted to OT via MIDI. And from my experience with MIDI and Elektron is that it is never perfect. There are always MIDI latency and throughput issues.

Yes, I definitely thought about that, and think that must be the main reason. Which sucks, as my plan was to buy a Tempest and use those pads, so I could bang out a beat with samples on the OT, or a beat with synthesis using the Tempest, but using the Tempest pads for both jobs. But with this midi delay, it makes it kinda hard.

Mmh… so the MPC it is then…