Hi and thanks for octachainer, I knew this tool but was hoping for something that doesn’t “cut” my workflow.
And actually this is all about workflow. I love the octatrack. However I sometimes feel that I need another interface for what I want to achieve. In this case I had some frustration when it comes to changing a pattern live. It is not possible, for instance, to create a new pattern or edit an existing one without playing it. For this purpose I use different tracks that I mute/unmute when needed, but it uses more tracks.
I like trig conditions, but I always feel that I miss some visual feedback in order to know what is happening in my set.
When things get bigger, or when you switch projects very often, it may be hard to remember which lfo is assigned to which parameter, where are my trig conditions, etc.
I discovered Orca last week, and I was really amazed to see how quickly I can create complex rhythms and modify a lot of parameters in a second, without digging any menus. It is also a better way to consider your project as a system, with a lot of interlinked parts.
I can have at the same time a step, Euclidian or other strange sequencer with different time signatures. I can also mute/unmute some parts very quickly, or even copy some logical blocks that I store in a single txt file, and use it in several projects.
This is the kind of flexibility and fluency I was looking for. The good thing with the octatrack is that it is a very versatile instrument that can be used in many ways. But I like to keep things separate. For instance, I like to use the lfo of the octa to control some fx/plugins on ableton or on my Axoloti.
So now I would be happy to use it to manage my samples, mix my external gear, and apply fx with lfos.