Solved: Octatrack as Multi FX Box for Mixer

Elektron Gear Octatrack
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Hello, i have an idea for a new setup for me. Soon i will get a mixer and it has 4 aux sends.

I would have individual channels for my sounds like kick, bass, leads, atmos, percs etc and could send them via aux send to the octatrack. The OT have 4 inputs, so i could do 4 aux sends fxs. I would like to use the sends for 1x reverb, 1x delay, 1x distortion (lofi page) and 1x comb filter.

So is it possible to get only the wet sounds from the octatrack, so i dont double my kick, when i will add distortion oder comb filter to it via the mixer?

Do you have any other suggestions for using a mixer with aux sends and octatrack as fx processor? The only examples i find are pedals to pair with octatrack, but the OT should do the job as pedal for my mixer :smiley:

Edit: The mixer i will get is the ZED 14 from Allen & Heath

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Yeah you could use OT like that if you wanted.
Would take some faffing around to set up a template. But then save it and youre good.

I have an A&H zed14. Beware, 2 of the aux sends are pre fader, 2 are post fader.

(You can also use the USB as an aux send/return, not relevant to OT, but maybe another option)

This may or may not affect things depending on what you’re doing.

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Okay how do i setup the OT?

My first thoughts would be using 4 Thru Tracks for individual inputs A, B, C and D and each one with one neighbor track. The neighbor tracks could be used for EQ, compression or weird sound shaping.

A would be my reverb. So here i know i have to use 127 MIX to get only the wet signal.

B would be my delay. I’ve readed that DIR 0 in delay page 2 and 127 send should be enough to get only the wet signal back.

But how i would do that with Comb Filter or other effects?

I think reverb and delay should be used by the 2 AUX sends post fader, so these effects only apply when the dry sound appears

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Where are sounds coming from?

Do you own the Octatrack already?

If not, I’d suggest there are better ways of doing that than an Octatrack!

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You could use the inserts on the mono channels or use the pre fader sends and keep the fader down, so you only hear the return signal.

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I do underground tekno, something like mental. For example like this one here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHDuHnbiZ1o

I have the Access Virus C, Syntakt and Octatrack.
Syntakt i would use for Noises/Atmos and here i only have 1x stereo out. On the Virus i have 1x Mono Bass, 1x Mono Kick, 1x Mono lead, 1x mono acid and 1x stereo atmo/pads.

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On the OT when you’re not in studio mode, you can just turn off the tracks and adjust the wet with CUE levels.

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Can you explain this a bit more please or do you have a example configuration?

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You could do something like this: Dedicate two tracks to insert fx on OT inputs A and B (use the channel inserts on your mixer to get audio into the OT and back with one cable, or simply go into the OT first and then into your mixer) or for stereo material, use the pre fader sends and keep the faders down. Turn up the return channel only. This lets you get audio into the OT and you’d only hear what’s coming back like you want for insert effects.

You could use neighbour tracks for more effects, maybe OT tracks 1+2 (2=neighbour) are for input A and OT tracks 3+4 are for input B.

Dedicate wo tracks for send fx using input pair CD with 100% wet delay or reverb. Again, you could use neighbour tracks.

If you use the cue outs for insert fx and main outs for send fx, you could use T8 as master track and add some compression and EQ to your delays and/or reverb.

Or use one track as a looper track that let’s you freely capture, play back and mangle with fx whatever you send into OT.

Then save that as a part and you can always copy/paste it onto other patterns.
Or you could just plug into whatever you need for the track that your working on… Doesn’t have to be a template with a fixed routing that you always use.

Sequenced and modulated effects can sound amazing and OT can certainly do what you want.

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Experiment and see what works for you.

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There are many effects that you can get cheap pedals to do just EFX for. OT is better for sample playback and DYNAMIC Effects that you can sequence. The OT reverb isn’t great, distortion isn’t great, and for me, those efx are set it and forget it efx. Where something like a delay or filter is a dynamic efx that you can use the incredible OT sequencer to play with…

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I bought an Ottobit pedal because I’m not a fan of the OT’s sample/bitrate reduction.
The Ottobit has no mix knob, so I use a cue track to feed a THRU track (with the CD inputs and the crossfader as mix knob.
PS. Cue mutes track option is left unchecked in the personalize menu.

  • On Scene A, the volume of the cue track is set to 127, while the volume of the THRU track is set to 0.
  • On Scene B, the volume of the cue track is set to 0, while the volume of the THRU track is set to 127.

This works well, but I still haven’t found a way to get a delay/reverb tail when there’s a delay in the THRU CD track and the crossfader moves back to the A scene.

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Use AMP VOL (pre fx) instead of XLVL (post fx) for your scenes.

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Many thanks ! Works great.
Scene A : Level of the cued track set to 127; Volume of the THRU/FX track set to -63.
Scene B : Level of the cued track set to 0; Volume of the THRU/FX track set to 0

Leaves an FX tail.

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OMG thank you so much for your input all. I will test it out as soon my mixer arrives.

Good there are many options to do things i want to!

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