Separate track patterns. Is it possible?

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi !
Is there a way to select a different patterns for each track or miditrack individually?
For example - Octatrack is sequencing external synths. T1 - drums, T2 - pad, T3 - bassline and so on… I want to change only bassline sequence to a new one without copying other tracks to a new pattern. How can I do this?

If it’s not possible, can you, guys, recommend any workarounds?

Sometimes it gets very tiresome if you have to copy each track to new pattern, just because you want to try out a different bassline, especially when you are jamming with some and you are in sync.

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#2

Select Track.
Press [Rec] (led lit);
Press [Function] + [Rec] *(Copy Track);
Change Pattern
Press [Function] + [Stop] *(Paste Track);

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#3

or, if you just want to change the bass - make sure Rec LED is UNLIT -

function Rec to copy PATTERN
function Stop to paste PATTERN

Then delete the bassline - insert new bassline tuneage via trig buttons.

So yeah, it’s not possible to have tracks 1-7 on pattern A1, track 8 on pattern A2, playing at the same time.

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#4

This exact limitation really struck me recently. Been trying to get to something like you describe with a resampling / looping approach. Also think plays free may help. Im not there yet

#5

“Play free” tracks may help a bit retrieving kind of ableton live functionality,

But it only works with sample loops and not for one-shots sequenced tracks…

#6

Okay so I just tried another workaround. It’s semi satisfactory.

Not got midi set up right now so just using audio but in theory should be same.

Set the scale mode to ‘per track’

Set the bassline track scale to 64/64 but master to 0016

All other tracks to 16/16

Consider the first page of your bass track to be the ‘active’ loop, the next 3 pages each have your variations.

Copy and paste from your 3 variations (pages 2-4) into page 1 as required. The bassline pattern changes while the rest ofthe tracks stay as they were

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#7

It is not possible to just switch one pattern.

But you don’t have to copy every track on its own…?
you can actually copy whole patterns with all trigs for all tracks -

  • Hold down [Function] and then [Copy] (EDIT: when rec is off)
  • Select next pattern ( A2 ) and press [Paste]
#8

interesting thing you got there!

It’s a “destructive” process, so don’t forget NOT to save the project after the live set, but you just demonstrated there’s a LOT more stuff to do with the OT than it seems, even when you think you know it deep!!

It won’t work if the 2 patterns you’re chaining use different parts though, or it could also give interesting results…

great idea!

#9

dont you just hold function & copy to copy a pattern? no monkey grips?!

the ot copies just the active TRACK if youre on grid rec mode & the whole PATTERN with all trigs all tracks if not in grid record mode

#10

you are totally right – i forgot that you do not have to hold pattern :smile:

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#11

I do that with mute unmute - ok it eats up a track.

Example: I have bassline on track 4 midi - i created a variant baseline on track 5 midi - sending on the same channel.
Now i can mute /unmute the variant midi sequence, without changing the pattern.
Its limited with only 8 midi tracks available - but may work if you dont sequence so much external gear.

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#13

Bumping this sick tip! Setting master to 0016 is far less limiting now that we have x:y trig conditions in the OT, so this is a great way to have (my preference) an original 16-step pattern for each track (saved to the 4th bar) that you can paste back to the 1st bar, along with 2 other 16-step variations you can work on while the seq is running and before pasting (similar to the trick on the new TR8S). Major limitation unblocked :heart_eyes:

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#14

In general I rarely find myself using more than 16 steps in a pattern since trig conditions showed up, if only because it’s so nice to have all of your trigs visible without having to page through, and since lately I’ve been mostly processing and live-sampling external sources I don’t tend to need a lot of trigs at any one time anyway.

#15

sadly, seems that all trig conditions * except * the x:y kind (which are most useful for evolving 16-step patterns, to me) work when you set master length to 0016. makes sense, I suppose – it’s not counting bars outside the master length – but kinda a shame

#16

workaround : set master length to 128+ but use the arranger to loop your pattern with an arranger-defined length of 16. this way you can still use x:y TRC and grab per-track variations from the bars that aren’t playing due to the arranger-defined step limit. this is also a good incentive to keep the arranger on and get more comfortable with using it for composition :slight_smile:

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