Review: Octatrack at year 8 - Is it still worth it?

#2

Yes, every penny.

#3

I think this forum is tracking my internet usage. This morning, I had the thought to keep selling gear to fund an OT (mk2), and now I see this thread / video?! I’m freakin’ out mannnn. Still, thanks for sharing. I’m a big fan of loopop, so I’m looking forward to this one.

#4

If I hadn’t bought one last spring, I would be buying one now. What a great video. He is so good at explaining and showing conceptually how things are working. I learned a bunch!

#5

Good video yes. Not only the basics. He really covers many thing that makes the OT stand out so much

#6

I’ve already said it too many times, but loopop is by far my favorite YouTube gear dude, followed probably by Knobs. Cuckoo is also really good at tutorials

#7

Classic box + best box youtuber = good vid. Should be obligatory for all the future “Should I OT?” posts. Love the OT.

Minor quibble: I think it should be noted that there is only one instance of reverb in the DX boxes vs possible 8 in the OT. But whatever.

#8

Yep! Not to mention you can loop whatever effects you like through the Cue

#9

What the review completely lacks, is to mention the power of the rather modular combination of Midi Arp and Midi Lfos. There are barely any videos that show these features.

#10

There were a bunch of things he doesnt cover that I use all the time, but then there were things he did cover that I was all “WUT!!!” I think the thing to remember is that these guys have learned the box the same way we have, by mucking about. And their mucking inherently leads them down different avenues of … muck?

That is why I watch every single video I can on the OT because everyone approaches their kit differently and builds up good workflows for them. Which could equal new and interesting workflows for me!

So what I’m saying is you should do a video! :slight_smile:

#11

I know :wink:
I have to figure out how to proper film and proper talk

Edit: As I earlier mentioned, I think it’s a very well done video on the OT

#12

It doesn’t matter how old it gets, it will be worth it.

#13

OT is a long time keeper, and this review shows why, and scratching just the surface :wink:

#14

What a great video! I torture myself regularly about wether to get an OT or not. The learning curve thing puts me off as I don’t have bags of spare time but the whole vibe and potential draws me in. I often say one day I will and learn this thing , other days it’s just by a toraiz sp16 and have fun. In the meantime a combo of Ableton and Maschine mk3 gets the music done. Just had a total GAS for a cheap mk1 OT to just try the damn thing! Aargh …

#15

that’s the spirit

#16

the learning curve thing scared me at first as well, but i really think anyone can use it. you can put into/get out as much as you want… can keep it simple as a multi effects box, a central mixer for multiple inputs, a complex sampling/mangling tool, a way to arrange tracks without a daw, etc etc. and that’s not even touching the midi side! anyone on the fence, I would total recommend to just jump in!

#18

STILL nothing out there quite like it. Wild

#20

Agreed! I’m still somewhat new to the OT, but discovering (somewhat by accident), how much crazy stuff is possible when using the OT as a midi sequencer was a real eye opener

#21

Sequencing something with the midi sequencer and feeding the audio back into the inputs is like completing an OT circuit. You have step by step control of the source and then step by step control again on the audio side of the envelopes, fx, and whatnot, not to mention track recorders and sampling tricks…

MIDI tracks/Thru tracks/Recorder tracks/Flex+buffer track all the same grid so you know stepX on your midi track is stepX on your Thru and/or Recorder track and Flex+buffer track. Unless of course you make them different track lengths, which opens yet another of the many OT wormholes… :smiley:

#22

It really is my favorite hardware box. Can’t think of anything I’d trade it for. The only things loopop thought was possibly ‘catching up’ with the OT was the MPC Live/X and the Deluge. They seem awesome, but at this point I wouldn’t trade my OT for one.

Sequencing midi stuff, sampling said stuff, all in real time while the sequencer is running is something I’m just cracking into, yet I’m pretty obsessed with it at the moment.

#23

Octatrack is a timeless enigma… :wink: