Hi! I’m trying to migrate patterns I programmed into the Erica Synths Black Sequencer to my Octatrack mkII, and I can’t quite figure out how to replicate this one pattern. Basically, on the BS I had programmed a 5 step pattern with the notes of e-minor pentatonic, set the pattern length to 5, and then set the play mode to random. Throw in a bit of probability and you have some interesting background percussive texture stuff that’s always in key. On the OT, I tried doing something similar with the arp designer, and it’s great except that I can’t get it to play those notes randomly; no matter which arp settings I use, those notes from arp designer play sequentially. Using a random LFO on the track’s pitch will constrain it to the arp scale (e-minor in this case, since pentatonic isn’t offered), but it still plays notes outside of the pentatonic scale. Is there a way to do what I’m trying to do with the Octatrack MIDI sequencer? Thanks!
I think it stays in key if you random lfo transpose.
You could also just set the octatrack sequencer to five steps and have precise square LFOs to pitch so that it only jumps up to notes in the scale
You can program any scale with lfo 1 designer, Dest = note, HOLD mode, and modulate its speed buy another random lfo. 16 notes max.
You can add a random arp with octave range, playing the same root note (to keep the scale).
Thanks everyone for replying. @sezare56 's trick worked. I also manually randomized the scale within the LFO designer, since it still felt a bit “steppy” otherwise. Setting LFO depth to 100% makes it so that one LFO “step” == one semitone.
What do you mean ?
To randomize note orders, I was using a 2nd lfo on lfo designer speed, but now in order to save lfos I tend to set % Trig Conditions to change speed (fast multiply), that do the randomize job too.
Sorry for the late reply. All I meant by that was that instead of defining my scale in LFO designer linearly (1-3-4-5-7), I just pre-randomized them in LFO designer. Then I used the 2nd LFO to modulate the speed of the 1st LFO, and that did the trick. Without that, it would mostly sound good, but would occasionally just play an ascending pattern when the mod (random) LFO was hovering around zero. Good tip on the trig conditions, I’ll try that some time.