Are there any benefits fron sampling into the Octatrack via either method. Im thinking that the CF card isnt necessary if your working just in a studio.
Not sure this makes sense… for a sample to even be trigged, it has to be in the slot list, which is tied to Pool> CF Card. Unless you are working just the Rec Buffers? (audio)
I am finding sampling and working within the OTs to be much more efficient than I thought and importing less from computer. It’s all there, and I assume was designed as such.
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Projects and stuff are stored on the CF card. Without the card it‘s demo mode only which gets old rather quickly.
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So theres little benefit from just recording direct from the computer. I was just wondering. Thanks.
By recording audio from the computer to the OT’s inputs a sample will undergo a D/A from the interface and then an A/D from the OT. If you just drag samples onto the cf card they will not go through these two extra conversions and will remain higher fidelity…
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Cheers Mike. I was seeing that but didnt know it would affect the fidelity so much. Good to know.
For same reasons it is better to record OT mixes internally. 
All depends what you want to do with it.
I sample often straight in, extra conversion or lower fidelity does not really matter to me that much. It’s quick and just gets the thing going while the idea is still fresh without overthinking too much the bits and bytes of best practice.
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What interface do you use?
I have a few choices but nothing high end.
Zoom H5
Focusrite 18i20 with ADA8200
Avid Fasttrack c400
Apogee Duet mk1
But also just headphones or line out or mic preamp (ART) … from mixers, ipad, tv, cassette,… .
I just try every way I can imagine at the moment I bring pieces together. Definitely need a patchbay soonish though 
Cool. Thinking of getting the Zoom H6 or Focusrite. Whats your take on this?
For me it is more than sufficient, I don’t publish anything. I don’t “play live” for an audience bigger than my wife and kid. I don’t even sync my gear all the time.
I don’t listen that much to what I actually record for the matter, so there is no point of having “the best” interface at this point.
I guess if I would want to publish, I would send my stems and/or raw recordings to a mix/mastering student or semi-pro, to get it done.
I want to experiment and create, seeking perfection is the death of my free floating creativity.
Everybody is luckily different; MMV for all of us.
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I hear you buddy! I often get stifled by perfectionism. Adequate for me is often enough.
If only it were possible to just multitrack 8 tracks to 8 recorders simultaneously…
It is possible, but max recording length for 8 recorders is around 1m3s, without Flex samples in RAM.
With Arranger, you can record several times and save all recordings each time.
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Really? I need to figure that out then. I’d love to bypass those A/Ds.
I record everything in OT since I have it, I already recorded 1 bar x 8 multitracks several times, but not longer. I think using MEMORY CONFIG > Reserve Length just 1s longer can be helpfull to stop recording.
Hmm for some reason I thought you had to assigned a flex machine to a track to record. I rarely use the onboard recorders but this is exactly how I would want to use them. Time to dig into the manual again…
Recorders are linked to Pickups only.
A track recorder with other machines or master track is independent.
They are not concerned by scale multiplier, but their track length is the same as the audio track.
You need a Flex machine to play a recording, but you don’t need it to record.
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That’s really interesting. I’m going to try to set this up. So you just record a a sequence, save to CF, repeat?