Setting up for not-synced live looping of guitar and synth

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Greetings, I want to set up the OT to play back loops that I record live in as unsynced a way as possible. The process will involved playing into a Chase Bliss Blooper and then manually sampling that into the OT using the rec buttons (no recording trigs). Right now, I’m thinking:

Guitar or synth–>Amp–>h9–>Blooper–>OT input A
OT output CD in studio mode–>Ventris–>InputCD
Output–>Amp return

T1: Pickup machine (for overdubbing, etc). Input A. Set to One2, tiny fades, Max length, some extra RAM from tracks 5 and 8.

T2-4: Flex Machines, track “plays free” so I can sample into the track and trigger it at whatever time I want. Regular track recorders. Input A or CD, depending on what I want to do.

T5: Thru machine for Ventris (inputs CD&D, outs CD in studio mode will go to Ventris)

T6-7 saved for later

T8 Master with filter and comp.

The idea is that I control the sync with my hands, rather than locking to a clock. Sort of the opposite of techno.

What other settings should I enable to do this so that T2-4 aren’t synced to one another? Ideally, I’d like time stretch on so I can mess with pitch and playback rate independently.

What am I missing?

TIA.

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#2

How do you want to control recordings?

With a foot controller able to send 2 notes, you can start to play a recording directly after ending it.

One 2 rec mode

Footswitch A : recording start (Note 60)
Footswitch B : recording stop (Note 60) and play recording with Flex (Note 84)

elektron-octatrack-2270628
elektron-octatrack-2270628596×842 135 KB

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#3

I’ll be doing it by hand. The Blooper has a foot switch. I’ll be dubbing off the Blooper, rather than playing into the OT directly.

#4

Hard to play recording directly after recording by hand but you can trigger recordings with trigs 9-16. Plays Free if you want to sequence some parameters, but it would fit recording length easily (if free, not quantized).

#5
#6

Yes, a bit stressfull. I prefer midi way! :wink:
Works with midi loopback and Midi Plays Free

#7

Thanks. Just to triple check: there no way to use multiple pickup machines and NOT have it sync. Right?

PS — instant playback after recording isn’t a huge deal for me.

#8

Sorry, one other question.

One thing I’ve tried is a pickup machine on track recorder 1, playing into a flex machine on track 2 that listens to recorder slot 1.

What I can’t figure out is this: obviously, if I replace what’s in the pickup machine, the flex machine changes too.

Is there a way to keep the flex machine going, essentially, to save the sample as something other than track recorder 1, while the sample plays back in real time?

Obviously, I can save the sample to my pool, then load it in a new flex or static slot, but that would interrupt playback, and that’s quite a few button presses in the middle of a jam or performance. . .

Another option would be to have track 3 (and recorder 3) listen to the output of track 2 and hit record on that to keep the sound going when I want it. The only hitch here is if the original sound relies on the overdub function of the pickup machine on recorder 1 for a seamless sound, I won’t be able to do that on track / recorder 3, so the sound will change.

The possibilities are endless! But basically, if I could have a group of not-synced pickup machines, (this part of) my life would be complete.

#9

And NOT changing tempo! :angry:
I still can’t believe slaved Pickups change tempo. I also don’t understand why master Pickup changes tempo with QREC set if you don’t record power of 2 multiples of QREC length (1,2,4,8,16…). If you record 3 times or 5 times QREC length, it’s fucked up. Same with slaved Pickups.

So unfinished. OT could be the ultimate looper. Works properly with defined length.

I changed my mind about Pickups since I realized I can swap to a Flex seemlessly after overdub (defined recording length).

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#10

Not sure to understand. With T2 you can record, play T1, and save T1.
AFAIK you need to resample if you don’t want to cut audio while saving a recording.
Or use huge Delay while saving!

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#11

Okay, so I would resample into a 3rd track. Then the 2nd has the flex machine of the pickup machine in the 1st. Simple! (Lol.)

Yes, on the change tempo thing, too. Soooooo close.

#12

You don’t need 3 tracks! What about swapping Pickup (overdub) to a Flex? Worked for me recently.

#13

What I like about the pickup machines is the possibility for decay. So you keep overdubbing a loop and slowly the original sound disappears. So I definitely want to keep that. It’s part of how I do transitions.

#14

Possible with Flex and 2 recorders. Btw overdub is possible with 1 Flex, but it can be clicky. I prefer Pickups behavor for seemless loops.
Overdub with decay with Flex :

Destructive looping with Octatrack - #45 by sezare56

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