Hello everyone, I would like to hear your thoughts on the future of the classic Octatrack. With the release of Overbridge 1.15.0, some users are now incorporating DAW based setups. So I’d like to know how does the Octatrack play a part in the future?
BTW, i’m a long time DAW user and i’m quite new to the Elektrons as i’ve been using them 2 months ago. My setup is pretty much centered around Overbridge (I have AR,A4, AH). I’ve also got the Octatrack but sometimes I think I have no use for it…
OT ain’t being replaced by my DAW. No way.
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OT, AR, A4 replaced my desire to work in a DAW.
Took quite a few months but I finally let go, no turning back.
I pretty much use the OT as an FX/Mixer for the other 2 boxes.
I’ve invested countless hours in Scenes and FX, perf modes, etc.
All of them hook up seamlessly, and I never EVER deal with CPU overloads or any of the complexity and frustration of a DAW.
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I decided a few months back that OB is the way I want to go in future. I’m happier ITB and don’t miss my OT. If Elektron released an OB enabled OT (a Mk II perhaps) then that would turn my head and I’d likely jump on board. I’d even be happy with some Elektron inspired hybrid midi controller thing (think Spark or Maschine) with some sort of sampling focus.
It’d be nice to have the option though. Plenty are happy OTB and get on great with the OT but for me, I can’t be arsed with the hassle working OTB brings. Horses for courses!
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Yeah…I get really bored working ITB. OT has been brilliant for me.
After a good night, the Future of the Ot is DAWN.
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Overbridge or no overbridge, using a DAW to write music just doesn’t do it for me anymore. Hence the OT.
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Im with you guys. Whatever the OTs shortcomings are compared to a DAW, it doesn’t require a mouse to use, and that makes all the world to me.
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I appreciate your guys’ answers. It makes me want to start working on the Octatrack again. But I was wondering, how do you all record your tracks without using a DAW? Or do you just jam out? Also, if you do use the Octatrack with a DAW, what roll does it play in your setup?
My OT is both an input into Ableton as an instrument through the qu-pac, and it’s also a send from Ableton. This way I can do all the OT business to my computer sounds and get it all back in the computer right away, too, so I can do computer business to my OT sounds.
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The heat is a nice way to bring the OT into the OB world but an OT upgrade (or small add-on box) would be ideal IMO to give it true OB capabilities. I don’t want to buy a new OB-compatible OT per se but would love tighter integration if at all possible.
I’m sure Elektron will bring OB integration with the new iteration of the the OT. I mean, it does already stream 8 tracks in and out. It’s only a matter of time. I don’t see that being for awhile, though. There isn’t a game in town comes to close to the OT imo (though they are creeping (hi MPC Live)). So they have time.
Imagine realtime sampling your VST-over-usb mangling. It’ll be their next crowning achievement: OTB! (oops, copyright) OBT!
For now I just record the stereo outs in a DAW. I’ll get around to a more serious setup (4 outs in studio mode; receive from computer) eventually.
I’m working on an album for an OT centered hardware set right now. Basically I am doing all the work twice. Most the writing takes place in Ableton, then things get exported to OT. I can’t really say I find the OT more inspiring to create with. Everything takes twice as long if I put it together in the OT, so I write in Ableton. Not to mention the convenience of changing clips around in Ableton and trying new arrangements on the fly.
For sample transfer I use only USB. Call me paranoid, but I don’t convert audio back and forth for no good reason.
Now if the OT had proper DAW integration, aka “Overbridge”, that would be nifty, and it would save me a lot of work. The MPCs at least have digital outs since about 15 years, so it’s not like this is some cutting edge technology.
Dead in the water…Abandon by elektron a long long time ago, even tho they put out minor bug fixes but that was just so they could say NOT abandoned for 2 years.
Its a great machine but I barely use it, I’d rather use a daw IF I wanted to record that way.