Pattern Scale - Setting the length for each track?

aeoner · 2014-08-16T16:19:51.000Z

Hello!

So, it´s my first week with the Octatrack and with the help of this amazing forum I´m doing a lot of progress (started studying/using the OT as a drum machine). However, I´m having some trouble with polyrhytms.

I managed to change the scale of each track, but I can´t let them play with variable lengths!

So, for exemple, my kick is 16/16, one hi-hat is 16/16 and the other hi-hat is 20/32. However, I can´t manage to play the additional 4 steps without changing the Master Length to 20. But if I do so, I get a “step void” of the kick and the first hi-hat, which changes the dynamic of the beat not because of the second hi-hat, but because those drums samples with the full 20-step be completed.

So, it´s possible to make just one track do - in this example - the 20-steps and the other ones stay at 16 or the only option that I have is to change the Master Length?

Thanks!

mkdsl · 2014-08-16T17:11:31.000Z

if you are after truly polyrhithmic polyrhythms (could not resist typing this), your best bet is either to find the common denominator and set the master length to it, or set it to inf. at other values, the pattern resets as soon as it reaches the master step length, and the groove is reset to the start, regardless of the position in the tracks.

right now, if you set the master length at 20, and have something (i.e. kick track) set to 16 steps, it will play for a bar, restart, play the first four steps, and then restart again.
if you put a snare on every upbeat, and kick on a downbeat, you’d get the pattern of dum - tsch - dum - tsch - (reset here on 16, track length) - dum (reset at 20, master length) - dum - tsch - dum - tsch - dum - dum - tsch and so on…

filosofem · 2014-08-16T20:37:42.000Z

Sounds like you need to set the Pattern Scale Mode to Per Track in the Pattern Settings Menu - Function + Bank whilst not in Grid Recording mode.

Hades_of_Spades · 2014-08-16T23:02:01.000Z

So because your master is 20 steps your kick will have to fill in the blanks with those 4 spare steps as it is only 16. If you make your kick 32 steps, and master 32 steps you will get the effect you desire (but you’ll have to fill in the extra kicks in your pattern).
The hat still being 20/32 will loop once it finishes it’s 20 steps and you will get an interesting poly-rhythm.

Whatever pattern length is shorter than the master will loop once it’s length is reached. At the moment your kick is the shorter pattern, so the “void” occurs, where the 4 extra steps are played and it goes out of sync. The hat is staying in sync because it’s matching the master length.

So to re-iterate.
Set kick and master to 32 steps. Fill in steps you want.
Set hat to 20.

Voila!

EDIT: I’m stupid. You could also just change the master length to 32 and not change the length of your kick to 32 at all. Problem totally solved!

rikrak · 2014-08-17T10:43:10.000Z

""aeoner"":

Hello!

So, it´s my first week with the Octatrack and with the help of this amazing forum I´m doing a lot of progress (started studying/using the OT as a drum machine). However, I´m having some trouble with polyrhytms.

I managed to change the scale of each track, but I can´t let them play with variable lengths!

So, for exemple, my kick is 16/16, one hi-hat is 16/16 and the other hi-hat is 20/32. However, I can´t manage to play the additional 4 steps without changing the Master Length to 20. But if I do so, I get a “step void” of the kick and the first hi-hat, which changes the dynamic of the beat not because of the second hi-hat, but because those drums samples with the full 20-step be completed.

So, it´s possible to make just one track do - in this example - the 20-steps and the other ones stay at 16 or the only option that I have is to change the Master Length?

Thanks!

Either set Master to INF (turn encoder left, past 1 step) or set it to, in this case, 80 steps (80 being the lowest multiple of both 16 and 20.)

Hades_of_Spades · 2014-08-17T11:45:28.000Z

""rikrak"":

[quote=“aeoner”]Hello!

So, it´s my first week with the Octatrack and with the help of this amazing forum I´m doing a lot of progress (started studying/using the OT as a drum machine). However, I´m having some trouble with polyrhytms.

I managed to change the scale of each track, but I can´t let them play with variable lengths!

So, for exemple, my kick is 16/16, one hi-hat is 16/16 and the other hi-hat is 20/32. However, I can´t manage to play the additional 4 steps without changing the Master Length to 20. But if I do so, I get a “step void” of the kick and the first hi-hat, which changes the dynamic of the beat not because of the second hi-hat, but because those drums samples with the full 20-step be completed.

So, it´s possible to make just one track do - in this example - the 20-steps and the other ones stay at 16 or the only option that I have is to change the Master Length?

Thanks!

Either set Master to INF (turn encoder left, past 1 step) or set it to, in this case, 80 steps (80 being the lowest multiple of both 16 and 20.)[/quote]
This is the best answer ^
I never thought of that!

no_camo · 2020-12-29T21:55:42.633Z

anyone know why when I set a kick track to 15/16 and have a note on the first step - im getting like a double sample sound and only for that first step?

the master is set to 16/16.

it sounds like a retrig, but this pattern is clean as can be.

no_camo · 2020-12-29T21:59:03.521Z

im seeing if I set the master to 15/16 - the retrig step goes away. anyway to keep my master pattern at 16/16 and one track at 15/16 without the stutter step?

Microtribe · 2020-12-29T22:04:33.930Z

The master sequencer is exactly that. The master.

So if you have shorter step lengths on other tracks the master will still reset all tracks to 1 when it cycles. In your case, after 16 steps.

To avoid this, and maintain your poly meter, either set the master to a multiple of the meter, or set it to INF.

Then in pattern chain settings, choose the desired length so you can chain your patterns. (If you dont, you cant chain patterns with and INF master seq length.)

Schnork · 2020-12-30T00:04:10.116Z

Here’s a handy master length calculator:
https://novinyl.net/octatrack.php?u

rockinpete · 2022-11-19T20:36:18.221Z

Function + PTN for Pattern Settings on the MKII