Petition: Fix default track sample PER PATTERN

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi there!
I’ve got an octatrack and the fact that it has default track samples globally, instead of a default sample per track (like all the other elektron machines have a kit with sounds linked to the pattern) really is a big showstopper for me.

Furthermore (I might have this wrong) but when you set a track to thru instead of flex , this again is globally and not limited to the pattern where you need it.
I dont use my external gear in every pattern.

So, who’s with me?

Dear Elektron!

please update the octatrack OS, in order to have the ability to set both a default sample and the type of machine (static, flex, thru…) on a pattern level instead of globally. It would increade the usability of the octatrack for many of us!

reply if you agree :wink:

.R

#2

If I’m understanding here, you want preset kits of samples? Personally not a feature I would use. For example, my library has hundreds of snares - I’d choose one as the default?

#3

Hi RobbieNerve,

In fact, is funny but the very rare and abstract “PARTS” come in handy for what you are describing…If you set track one to thru, you will have a thru machine in track one, for all 16 patterns in Bank A…

But you have 4 Parts per Bank, which means you can have up to 4 different configurations/variations of those machines, Effects, samples used etc…

I hope it helps!

#4

I’d prefer to have 16 parts per bank (1 part for 1 pattern) instead of 4 (similar to kits in other elektron gear). It would be possible to use different samples in every pattern without using sample-locks.

#5

Although I have never been able to work Parts into my workflow (I use parts as the equivalent to the MD’s -Classic), 16 makes so much more sense to me than 4.

#6

Unfortunately I don’t know what is the MD’s -Classic…
I wonder why guys from elektron decided that 4 parts per bank will be enough. May be OT was designed to be used in one specific workflow? E.g. I usually have 6-7 parts in my songs and while programming each song in OT I am able to use only 4 OT’s parts (because 1 part can “store” one pack of samples and it is always linked to pattern). Other song’s parts I have to create under already used OT’s parts using sample-locks. :frowning: It doesn’t look like good device’s architecture. 16 parts/kits per bank would be much more clear solution.

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#7

I feel when elektron conceived the OT there intention was to make a box to tie together the other two boxes of that time. The OT excels as a performance mixer/loop player. it falls short as a sample workstation ala the mpc. It can do it, just not as good. I must agree with RobbieNerve! I would like each pattern to be independent of each other but the OT was not built that way.

#8

At first I thought it would be a huge obstacle, not being able to have track sounds relative to patterns rather than parts/banks… but what I’m starting to do is reserve a couple of tracks for common elements (i don’t want the same kick throughout all the patterns, so say I just p-lock a different kick to that track for the next pattern, even when the track sound is the same)

This is more work yes, but compared to the A4 kits/patterns I actually prefer working this way with samples, forces you to organize your workflow really tightly which is key to live performance imo anyways

#9

I can work with the samples p’locking and all. what kills me though is the filter settings the amp and all parameters staying the same from one pattern to the next.

#10

yeah, you can use scenes + parts similarly to kits. it’s not 100% the same, there are some downsides.

an upshot to scenes compared to the kit implementation on other machines is that you can morph between them without additional setup.

the other advantage i find parts + scenes have over kits is that in live use they are generally more flexible and seamless. i can duplicate a part and change things up while a song is playing, lock parameters to scenes, change machines and it doesn’t sound like im working and auditioning machines to build a kit up. in some ways parts make up for not being able to copy patterns ahead of pattern changes. you can get a lot of milage out of bouncing around between parts and changing machines, trigs, effects, up incrementally.

also, you have twice(?) as many banks as on the machinedrum, monomachine and analog4. so even if you only used 4 patterns with unique parts per bank you still have 64.

a trick i like to do is keep different trig data in different pattern lengths so that parts don’t even have to share the same trigs. ill swap/shuffle/resize what steps are active in a pattern depending on the part. it’d be nice if you could shuffle all your trigs forward or backward in pages instead of one step at a time though.

i do think there are a fair number of things elektron could do to make scenes and parts more friendly and easier to manage. kits are easier to keep track of and reuse for sure - but i think parts and scenes could have the same type of system. :slight_smile:

#11

I never understood why Elektron did this?

Especially considering sync issues with MD/MM, and not providing this on the A4/AR…

#12

It took a bit of work getting my head into but I find that If I have one bank per song or mix then with sample locks and 4 parts I’m not too limited. It takes a bit of work to set up and get right but then through all that work I’ve gotten my head right into the project…the fact you can arrange between banks is cool too. I think it’s these limitations Elektron units have that force creativity

#13

I never understood why Elektron did this?

Especially considering sync issues with MD/MM, and not providing this on the A4/AR…
[/quote]
yeah makes you wonder. :slight_smile: i mean, elektron is pretty thoughtful with design (we might not like the decision, but i don’t think it’s arbitrary :thinking: ) so maybe it relates to planned functionality? although im not sure what. :dizzy_face: or maybe they thought 32 unique settings just wasn’t enough.

i’ve never really done the straight 1:1 pattern syncing between devices. do they just stop following along in the 9th + bank and stay where they are?

I could see that being useful. but you can set the program change with the part, which gets cool - and confusing. :slight_smile: it seems to depend on the MIDI channels used in the part. i wonder what happens if i change the program change + midi channels and reload the part… i should make that my project today to get my head around midi and parts.

#14

i agree - not just sample settings but indeed also effect settings, in an ideal world a pattern should have everything that’s now divided between parts, scenes and patterns.
why not?
would be so handy. just like the A4 - switch pattern, switch kit.

#15

4 parts are not enough :wink:

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#16

Okay some of you have posted a couple of workarounds, like combining parts and scenes or use only the first pattern in a bank.

They might help but still are workarounds.
How hard can it be that in each pattern will be added some information
which sample pool slot is linked to each track.
Shouldnt be too much of a problem I’d think :wink:
If you replace a sample in the pool, yes, it will affect each pattern and track it is used in, but that’s the same with the current implementation.

I’m wondering what elektron thinks about this…

.R

#17

Man, I´d love to have 16 parts of course :slight_smile: , as someone said, if there are 4 must be some sort of DSP limitation, 16 Parts would make a lot more of sense but also means 256 scenes, they are not just kits of samples.

Would love to see this increased, but I never runed out of Parts as I never play more than 16 banks in one set… It all depends in the approach each user decides to take I supose…

Let´s hope there is a good amount of requests adressed for next update!

#18

Personally speaking, I dont mind the 4 parts - its a useful addition. If I ever need to, say change the effects and I’ve already used the 4 parts, I would simply copy the part to a new bank and have 4 more part options. I use the octatrack to write individual tracks, so I have more than enough banks etc…

One thing id like to see in terms of my work flow is some sort of linkage between the parts meaning you could choose certain voices that retain their changed state between parts. For example if I am tweaking my sounds during a recording and say I have the exact same bassline in part 1 and 2, but other samples that help with the transition and flow of the song… when I do live tweaking to this bassline, then switch parts it reverts back to the saved state, personally not a fan of that

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#19

So the advantage of the 4 parts rather than to sacrifice the 16 different patterns having only 1 pattern per part as default, it is to have the possibility to change that slot sample(without altering the trigs configuration?) and the freedom to assign or change the effects of that track? I am trying to solve this.

Also, when You assign a different slot per TRIG in the same track by pressing FUNC + moving LEVEL knob, can you like have the option to edit each “slot per trig” in AED edit page?

#20

2 levels structure. You can change the sequence keeping sounds, change the sounds keeping the sequence, both.

Parts. You can consider parts as a kit (with sounds and fx settings to sum up). If you change the part, you can change these parameters, keeping your pattern sequence.
It can also be useful to reload a saved part after tweaking many parameters.

Patterns. These parameters can also be plocked holding trigs, including samples. A plock with a different sample is called a sample lock.

In a song, I’d rather use sample locks, if other parameters don’t change. For drastics changes (machines, fx type) you need a part change.

If you change song, it’s better to change part.
Only 4 parts in bank (I’d want 16), so some people organize their parts like this :
Patter 1-4 > Part 1
Pattern 5-8 > Part 2
Etc

You can edit any sample slot with Func + Bank, double tap a Flex or a Static track to access sample slots.

Read the manual, practice. Merlin’s guide is oftenly recommended especially to understand parts.

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