my question is, how some of you are getting along (or overcome with tricks) the limited capability of the OT for polyphony and pitch-transpose. I am aware, that the OT has a unique approach to sampling, nevertheless I hit sometimes a wall, if I just try to “play” samples from a keyboard. There are traditional samplers from the old days that did pitch-shifting several octaves up and down, but the OT is limited to, what is it, one octave?
The same with polyphony: I just cannot play my samples from the keyboard creating chords or other polyphonic structures.
So do I just have to live with it? How are you dealing with it?
In another forum someone suggested either to use a traditional sampler like AKAI S6000 for these applications or go with software-samplers. But hey, the OT is a performance-monster! I do not want to use other old sampler-hardware that is probably “noisy” in my studio space because of cooling fans or harddisk-clicking. And I do not want to use the OT to sequence software from my computer either.
So, what should I do? What do you do?
There does not seem to be much complain about these limitations by users. So is it just, that there is some smart workaround I just do not know about? Or is it not needed to use polyphony or higher octaves, maybe because your style of composition does not need it?
Or is it the elefant in the room - everyone sees it, but nobody speaks about it, because “that’s just the way it is” and whining about it is uncool and does not help?
Please, fellows, enlighten me!
Yeah, there are some limitations in the OT. As well as old samplers and/or computers got their (in some way compared to the OT).
I´ve been thinking about using several tracks with same sample type to fake polyphony. Will probably need some external MIDI routing/merging of channels (not any problem for me), to be able to trig them all via keyboard. Regarding pitch shifters small range, it is somewhat true. But it also depends on which octave you are at in the first place. Perhaps, using several samples (same “sound”) but different octaves? An workaround yes, but do any other old sampler really acheive all the octave ranges in realtime? My guess is that there´s quite some pre-processing first to reach the full pitch shifter range?
I guess, the same pre-processing can be done within the OT. Use first track with the sample in + pitch shifter +12. Record that into second track (=save as new sample). Take the new sample and repeat the same process once again if necessary…
Thanks for the hint, miketheman. …Just to say, … I guess an “old” sampler like the Yamaha A3000 (late 90’s) had octave range from C2 to C8 with 64-voice polyphony (realtime). I do not want to say the OT should do the same, just question myself how to deal with the OT restrictions in this area.
Regarding the re-sampling approach to overcome the pitch-limit: I think it is a solution, that is not a good option for live-peformance, but maybe it can be done smart with a proper pattern-preparation?
External midi-routing to use more than one channel seems fine. But I would need an extra box for this, right? Could it be done with an OS-update in the future? Like internal re-routing or channel-splitting for midi?
In my case I do work with field-recordings as samples for the OT, say “frogs” for example. I can build a pattern to make the frogs sing (with different pitch on different tracks). But I do not know how to do polyphonic frog-chords with the keyboard. And to go stellar with the frogs, I would need more octaves, turn them into a high-pitched choir of frog-nuns from outer-space!!! I can build a pattern to produce it, with prepared resampling of pitch or additional fx like comb filter or flanger I think I could get a similar sound. But again this is possible only with lots of preparation, and very hard (it seems) to do live in a performance.
So this is what it is about in the end: doing a live frog-performance that can go crazy .
Probably no help whatsoever but on a different thread concerning fx/pedals there’s mention of using an Eventide Pitchfactor fx pedal to create a faux/quasi polyphony with OT samples. Of course it’s an external option & you’d have to use it across all sounds from the chosen outputs but it’s an idea at least.
I use an MPC1000 with JJ OS2XL with my Octatrack exactly because it does multiple octaves pitch shifting (but without time stretching) and has 32 voice polyphony. I am not a big fan of the MPC interface, so I use my OT for must stuff, and then just add in the MPC when I need multiple octave pitch shifting or polyphonic stuff.
I also have a Pitchfactor, and it’s great for making immidate polyphony from the Octatrack, but of course it has a lot of limitations because it’s a pitch shifting effect machine, but a really great one!
Won’t really help with playing real-time (without a little setup beforehand) but I use 2-4 tracks at different pitches to make a chord and resample, then you can play one-finger chords. Not a perfect solution tone-wise, admittedly.
As for polyphony, well, the OT just wasn’t designed like that, it was designed to play 8 monophonic audio tracks and done, no getting around it w/ out more of what I described or what’s already been said.
Hm, so from what is said it seems there is no easy workaround.
A while ago I experimented with the build-chords-with-pitches-using-several-tracks. Maybe I should try it again and practice with it until I find a workflow for me that fits.
I understand that the OT is not designed to be a “traditional” sampler. However, I like to dream of something like a polymode, similar to the Monomachine: the active track gets 8-voice-polyphony! That would be great!
Or something like a new machine, a pitchmachine, that gives you 4, 6, or even 8 octaves - playable via keyboard.
But if it doesn’t fit the concept of the OT, I guess it will never happen.
I haven’t tried a midipal, but it is discussed in the analog four section as an external device that brings some “polymode” to the A4 - guess it would also work with the OT.
But a “polymachine”/polymode for the OT would be even better!
Yeah, that midipal will probably work with OT. I haven´t tried to setup something similar with my NMG2 Engine, but will when time permits.
Aside that, I´m quite stoked of the possibilities that NMG2 gives with its MIDI automation module if combined with for example the OT. Can´t say that I really grasp it in full, but the comment in manual surely brings some ideas:
“MIDI automation means to let the G2 and another MIDI instrument control each other.”
That’s exactly what I’m gonna do when I get my OT, but it still won’t solve the 2-octave range limitation.
It’s probably the biggest OT turnoff for me and I simply don’t understand why it hasn’t been fixed with an OS update. It won’t stop me from buying an OT when I get my tax return money in a few weeks though, but it is a major annoyance, having to resample stuff just to get different octaves.
Absence of a dynamic poly machine, the 2 octave limit and no recording of Note-off in sequencer all combined to make me look elsewhere for most of the melodic kind of stuff I do in OT projects. Either sequencing external gear on OT midi tracks or just sync and sample in to OT. Way better/easier/quicker, for me anyway…
As I have said many times, the OT may technically be a sampler but it is not a chromatic one, it’s better to think of it as an 8 track digital tape recorder. I sometimes use it chromatically for very simple things like basslines but if traditional musical concepts like key and polyphony are top priorities for you then you are going to encounter a lot of frustration.
If you love the OT but you need the power of a regular sampler then I echo people’s suggestions to add an MPC or some traditional-style sampler from Kurzweil or Emu or Yamaha (all of which are available very cheaply on the used market nowadays) and use the MIDI channels on the OT to sequence up to 32 voices of polyphony on the other device while using the OT for looping, dynamic resampling, and whatnot.
A friend asked me this on Muffs as we were discussing samplers:
“Can you get traditional sample libraries for the Octatrack? For instance, if you wanted a high quality piano, can you get a piano library, load it into the Octatrack, then play it using a midi controller keyboard?”
Sorry I see this post is 6 years old, please move to appropriate thread if possible. Thanks.
The OT is not designed to replay multi-sampled instrument libraries polyphonically; it’s primarily designed for manipulating stereo tracks or to be a drum machine or for live looping. See the “suggested applications” listed near the start of the manual.
It was designed and released after old-fashioned multi-sampling hardware samplers had been overtaken by software samplers. It is the wrong instrument for your application.
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