Part getting loaded a bit too early on Pattern change [Video Inside]

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#21

Finally I can confirm @AldoVino is right because I tried this setup.

Using two Pickups:

  1. PUM1>T1>Ptrn1>Part1
  2. PUM2>T2>Ptrn2>Part2
    it is clearly heard the next part is preloadad before previous ends.

The video below with recorded words ”one, one, one” for Part1 and ”two, two, two” for Part2 shows that there is next part audiable before it starts:

Also I noticed from my video that in this case next Parts switches/starst on 63 of 64 beats, not at 00/beggining:

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image640×640 99.9 KB

Since now I will use Flex Machines with Parts for sure.

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#22

Hey that’s awesome that you took the time to test this, I really appreciate it!

It’s kind of a bummer but I’m glad to know that I’m not crazy, aha. I’ll try to find a different approach. By the way do you guys think it’s worth sending a bug report to Elektron? Looks like the OT won’t get any more big updates but who knows. :slight_smile:

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#23

There is no “time to load” involved, because all project data is already in RAM (besides static machines streaming from the CF card). Any switching between patterns or parts can be performed instantly by moving some memory pointers around.

Of course, send a bug report! There is bugfix update in the works (well, since more than a year now):

Somewhere in the same thread it got confirmed that the mentioned bugfix update will be even a larger one. So not all hope is lost … :wink:

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#24

Yep, confirmed here.

3 Likes
#25

This might well be by design. Given that the OT was pretty much designed to be the “master” of a set of devices (the holy trinity, but not solely that), if you want all devices to change patterns at the same time, the pattern change command must be issued BEFORE the first beat of the next pattern, otherwise all the “slave” devices will just cue the next pattern and wait for a cycle to change. IMHO it’s not exactly a bug, but a unfortunate side effect, that could have been avoided.

(BTW if we could imagine other terms to replace “master” an “slave” I be an early adopter)

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#26

Between machines it didn’t disturbed me yet but I agree, why not Clock Sender and Clock Receiver or something? :content:

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#27

Thanks everyone for your inputs! I did send a bug report but yeah I don’t really think Elektron would consider this as a bug. Even if they did I would be surprised if they could address this without compromising other little things. Also nobody else complained about it in 7 years, aha, so I guess this workflow is not really what the OT was designed for.

Oh well, the dream of a perfect looper is fading away a little bit but I’m not giving up. :slight_smile:

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#28

Hey, I found a workaround to use the OT as a looper and be able and to alternate between 2 loops to create verse/chorus structures if anyone is interested. You need 2 tracks per loop so not suitable for all setups I guess but anyway :

The idea is to use a Pick-Up machine in combination with a Neighbour machine. For exemple on Track 1 I have a PUM where I record my verse loop. On Track 2 you need to setup a Neighbour track with the Filter in one of the FX slot. Now on Pattern 1, put a Trig on the first step of Track 2 and P-lock the setting of the Filter so it’s open and transparent. Then go to Pattern 2 and P-lock the settings of the Filter so it’s completely closed. You basically just created a “mute per track”, on Pattern 1 you will the verse loop but it will be silent on Pattern 2.

Now just do the same thing with Track 3 and 4 but reverse the Filter parameter so it is closed on Pattern 1 and open on Pattern 2. Done!

Since this doesn’t rely on parts the transition is smooth like butter<3 You could probably do something similar with a single Flex machine but I personally like the Pick-Up workflow. And you also get 2 extra FX slots for more scenes craziness!

3 Likes
#29

I don´t want to interrupt the thread, so I´ll just put this in the off topic tags.
Here are two articles about this topic, some manufacturers even already changed the terms to something else.
.

off topic

https://cdm.link/2020/06/lets-dump-master-slave-terms/

https://cdm.link/2020/06/start-making-sense-just-use-in-and-out-for-midi-clock-if-in-doubt/

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#30

I bet this happens with PU machines because of how part changes between patterns are implemented. On normal tracks the part is updated on a per track basis when a trig occurs on the track. If there are no trigs and you have audio still playing from the previous pattern, that track will not change part on pattern change.

Since PU tracks can’t have trigs it is my guess that for some reason they switch instantly when OT “cues” the change.

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#31

There is a setting ‘start silent’ in the pattern settings which controls if a track should continue to sound when a pattern is changed that is linked to a different part
If ‘start silent’ is set to yes, sound on that track will stop immediately when a pattern is changed that is linked to another part, if set to no, the track will continue to play until a trig occurs.

I always have start silent set no no, so I don’t know if there are issues with start silent.

Apparently though, OT should be capable of doing both.

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#32

I know of start silent, I don’t think it makes a difference in this regard.

I made a pattern with a looping static machine and another pattern with another part that had a PU machine on the same track. Seems switching into or from that pattern with the PU machine will change that track ahead of time. Also… when going back to the static machine pattern the trigs don’t play the sample until I manually switch to the part it’s supposed to be in anyway…

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