First post so hi elektronauts!
this thread is kind of silly, but I would appreciate some advice because i am GASsing really bad here. I am new in music-making, however I plan to dive deep into it,
mostly want to make hypnotic techno, kind of deep, maybe a bit acid and trancey, using polymetrics and playing it live
in the same vein as guys like donato dozzy https://soundcloud.com/ja-ring/sets/donato-dozzy-labyrinth-2008
I have an analog drum machine (vermona DRM1 mkIII) that I want to sequence and sample
I have tried a Beat Step Pro, and a MPC1000, which are both good, but with many limitations, the thing is, the vermona cannot save parameters so if tweaking knobs I find a sweet kick for example I want to be able to sample it, the MPC cannot do it live, and BSP cannot sample at all
does the OT sequencer work good for live techno? can I lay hi-hats on the go for example?
more generally do you think that the octa mkII suits my needs? it is kind of over budget but of course I can work as a delivery boy for one month and then I will love the OT even more
thanks!
Yes. But be prepared to learn how to use it properly to get the best from it, watch all the tutorial videos before spending any money though, to make sure that it will work the way you want.
Iām a big fan of the Octatrack but it does require commitment to get the best from it, then it will be your best friend.
you are right, I should look at tutorials instead of looking at every single demo on youtube and getting frustrated because no one is making the exact music that I want to hear from the octatrack
I am willing to study the machine inside out, it is either that or watching hours of Ableton tutorials, and I would rather keep the screen away:)
Even after watching videos, I couldnāt imagine OTās possibilities. After I received it I needed a week to realise how deep it was. I didnāt know Elektron before.
Not immediate at all, especially the audio tracks / recorders part. Midi tracks are quite easy to use.
Its not a question of Does the Octatrack suit your own needs? More a question of Do you suit the Octatracks needs?
the one word of advice is not to get frustrated at first. OT can do so many things that when I got it I got overwhelmed trying to learn all of its functions at the same time. It fits different kinds of setups and workflows so you kind of have to make the OT yours and how it will work for you, and thats in my opinion the hardest part.
oh that sounds defying in a good way
that sounds even more defying, I donāt want to disappoint the octatrack!
Haha! Word.
I saw this video where the guy said that he had a hard time being creative with the octatrack because there were no virtual limitations so he got lost in the abyss of possibilities. But then i guess that also means if you have a very specific idea of an abstract sound in your head you can work your way until you get it out of the OT, am i right?
I call the OT the ārabbit holeā, itās as deep as you want it to be. It is very complex but that is only a downside if you donāt RTFM and commit to learning the machine. If you do, you will love the OT and she will love you back 
I make techno with mine, itās perfectly suited for that type of music. And for a lot of other genres as well, I bet. 
Id say that there are certainly limitations but its also very versatile. The thing about the OT at least for me, is that it tends to have those āhappy accidentsā that I would never be able to do in other samplers. Basically when I go into the OT I know what I want it to do but at the same time it will do it its own way.
no, not rly
OT is a beast. If youre really new to the Elektron World you better start with the Digitakt. It should serve well for what you want and is much easier to learn. Plus: You can get used to the Elektron DNA first and learn all the necessary things on the Sequencer / Workflow Side of things.
Then, when you feel comfortable and at home with the Digitakt, you can grab the OT. You will still be overwhelmed by its sheer endless possibilities - but at least you already know important things about the Elektron Workflow due to your time with the Digitakt. Makes the start with the God of Hardware Samplers (that is the OT 
) much easier i think.
why not? because of itās complexity?
you have some of my favorite videos with the gear, thanks for the advice, I also have an eye the digitakt but I thought that If the OT is so hard to learn I might as well start now and make a long term inversionā¦ Digitakt is more affordable and everyone says itās fun
having used both samplers, would you say there is any difference between their sound?
what he said
Some say the DT sounds better, not to me. The reverb, compressor and delay on the DT are different from those on the OT, I like both, I think the filter on the OT is far better than the DT, not that the DT filter is bad, but the OT filter is excellent. (IMHO)
Sampling on the OT is a bit hit and miss for some users due to the inadequate monitoring, the DT has a much better input monitor but no adjustment of input level on the machine itself, which the OT does have.
I was also going to suggest to get the DT first, but since you already have experience of sampling on the mpc I donāt think the OT will give you much trouble. Truth be told both of them are excellent machines with some overlap, but they are sufficiently different to warrant owning both as I, and many others do.
In a nutshell Iād say the DT us a bit more immediate and a lot less flexible than the OT, but it is still very capable, the OT has more fx, has stereo samples, and the reverb and delay are slightly darker sounding than the DTs.
OT Midi Sequencer is great for sequencing drum modules, Ableton Drum Racks, etc.
I believe it is the only Elektron sequencer that offers MIDI retrig (kind of a ratcheting style sequencing effect). Per track scale/length, MIDI LFOs with custom LFO shape/design. These things make it a beast. And then there are trig conditions/fills.
Plus it will sample your DRM1 MKIII in stereo. Put the DRM1 pan knobs to good use.
It works for Surgeon, AnD, Paul Birken, Speedy J, etc, so yea I would say so.
You can lay hats, tweak them, re-tweak, re-lay, twist, mangle, do as you wish.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bag6jd-hhob
It is capable of doing the things you need it to do. I think the MKII is definitely the way to go for a new OT user, as the learning curve is more of a hill than a cliff (MK1).