I usually use the OT along with a MD and two mono synths, so the first 3 tracks are devoted to thru machines. Leaving me with Tracks 4, 5, 6 & 7 for samples coming from within the OT and track 8 being used as a master track. I’m using an MD sps-1 mk1 so I don’t have the option to upload samples into it, all my drum sounds come from the MD’s native machines.
I’ve decided I wanted to play around with some 909 samples on the OT. So now the first 4 tracks are completely devoted to my drums, T1 for kick T2 for toms T3 for hats T4 for claps snares ect and I’ve reduced my thru machines to just one. Leaving me with only 2 tracks for Samples other than the drums. Does anyone else use there OT like a drum machine with there drums divided in this way? Can anyone recommend a more efficient way of doing this which will leave me with more tracks devoted to extra sounds? Please help.
Use a mixer for the external gear instead of the OT’s inputs.
If you use the OT for external synths anyway but don’t need the OT’s FX, you can use the OT Mixer page to mix the inputs to the main signal without wasting tracks.
Use sample locking to get several different drum sounds on a single track.
I used the OT as a drum machine for the first 6 months I owned it, due to not owning anything else that could do drums well. They tend to eat up tracks quickly no matter what you do.
Yeah I suppose I could loose one of the tracks I’m using for drums and maybe cram the claps and snares in with the rest of the percussive elements. Can’t really loose the master track though. Also don’t really want to compromise the effects on the external gear.
Pretty expensive option though and it’s hard to imagine a setup that would absolutely require 2 OT’s. instead of an OT and a different unit.
I’d rather buy a drum machine in addition, there are many that are great and cost less than even a 2nd hand OT (Aira for example). Or the Nord Drum 2, it looks like a really nice OT sidekick, you could sequence it with the OT in real time, use it for sampling drum hits and loops etc.
Agreed. Get an Aira if you want 909 sounds. They sound pretty amazing and work well with the OT. I’m kind of into that combo right now. You can sequence the Aira from the OT and really get into it. Love it.
I also went the 2 octatrack route - obviously no setup “requires” 2, but I love the flexibility.
After buying my first Octa, I sold my machinedrum for another and use the second exclusively as a drum machine.
Having 2 Octa’s has also allowed me to completely move away from using the computer to sequence due to all of the sequencing capabilities. It would be hard to imagine going back…
to address the OP’s questions, barfunkel’s recommendation to use sample locks is definitely a convenient way to free up voices, but unless you have a specific reason for the the thru machines, I’d mix your synths through your mixer unless you desperately need either the filters or to use scenes. If its just for fx - buy an external fx units (decent used ones can be had cheap (e.g. A3, DP4, Eventide pedals). You likely won’t get the separation you desire having everything go through one box.
I was being slightly facetious, but when a second OT presented itself for $700 shipped, I picked it up and as matic said - the added flexibility really helps.
Cons - expensive option, need to synchronize use of 2 devices.
Pros - 8 outputs, 8 inputs, can use Pickup machines separately from Flex/static without worrying about tempo/sync issues, let’s you experiment without worrying about losing or corrupting a cool track/sample/arrangement, less worries about using Track 8 as master, etc.
I sold some other gear and picked up a TR-8 to use. I agree that the TR-8+OT is a great combo. Although, the TR-8 does only have 4 outs and you have to assign the drums to outputs on power-up if you want separate processing. You can find TR-8’s used for around $400 in the US, so that’s a great value for the money.
Thanks for your suggestions guys, but I think I’d sooner get a MD UW than tr-8. Or the new RTYM. At this moment my sps1 mk1 pretty much does the trick but you just cant use drum samples. I already have kits that someone in the MD section made which are and 808 clone and it sounds really accurate, very fun to work this way, but the 909 ones dont work because they sample the cymbals.
Oldgearguy - curious, do you ever get sync or drop-out issues on the TR-8? I could just be high (I live in Seattle) but every once in a while when syncing the TR-8 to the OT, the kick drops out on the downbeat. Curious.
When I sequence the drums from the OT I don’t get this problem. When making the pattern on the TR-8 and midi clocking it to the OT, drop outs…interesting
I use the OT like a drum machine, tried a lot of different routings/setups/whatever out and came up with the conclusion that 4 tracks are not enough
That’s my default setup now:
track 1: kick
track 2: snare
track 3: toms
track 4: hihats
track 5: percussions, weird lfo to slices stuff etc
track 6: free (melodic samples, thru machines, flex recorder playback etc)
track 7: vocal samples (maybe 2 samples set up as on track 8)
track 8: ride and crash cymbal with a new special trick I found out: ona-shot track. trigging track 8 triggers the crash cymbal, trigging a sample on track 8 triggers the ride cymbal. this requires that you p-lock a crash sample on the first trig of the track.
Regarding the need to have several tracks for other (non-drum) duties:
Use a different part! I do that as follows in my current setup (again, there are thousands of different approaches…): the track recorder of track 1 records the main outs. on part 4, which I have on the last 4 patterns of each bank, the setup described above is replaced by track 1: flex recorder 1 (playing the whole drum pattern instead of just the kick), tracks 2-8 doing something else, other flex machines, melodic samples, whatever. This combined with regularly jumping between patterns does the job for me. as a sidenote, you can use patterns almost like scenes (one playing the drum pattern as recorded, one twisting some slices, one highpass-filtered, one with lots of fx etc. for quick fills).
Cheers and have fun!
EDIT: btw, you can get great results with the OT triggering sounds on the MD, or other drum machines, via MIDI.
Agreed the 4 outs isn’t enough… Really really wish it was 2 stereo in and 3 stereo outs…
Forgot to say in my original post that I sometimes trigger drum from my emu ultra… Lots of old school samplers available for cheap that can be your pseudo drum machine.
Could always find a second hand MKII UW. It will take the sysex dumps from the MKI as far as I know so you won’t risk losing anything. If you have money for the RYTM then I think that would be a good step in the right direction since you already have an MD.
track 1: kick and also any other drum sound per trig
track 2: snare also any other drum sound per trig
track 3: what ever other drum +also any other drum sound per trig
track 4:thru external a4 or whatever
track 5:rec extenral
track 6:static
track 7: static
track 8:static
mastertrack is a waste of track for me as i prefer to program for each track his own effect and then to contrall all together with slider so its like a master track without using a track for it
its way way enough i cant see how u need another ot somtimes i feel i dont need the a4
that the ot is enough less is more
I mentioned syncing up 2 devices as a con because you need to keep track of assigned MIDI channels, extra cabling, whether the device is receiving MIDI/tempo/sync commands or running free, etc. A dedicated drum machine (for example) can simply be set to receive MIDI clock/start/stop and you’re done. The OT has an extensive MIDI configuration possible, so you need to pay more attention. You also have the issue that the OT likes to be/needs to be the master clock in some situations, so having 2 OTs means that one of them can’t be the master.
As far as dropouts when synced – interesting. I have not heard that as of yet, but then again, I’ll typically be running my TR-8 synced to the Cirklon and sampling it into the OT. So I’ll run it for a couple bars and then mangle those in the OT. I have some unexpected time available later this weekend, so I’ll run that combo while I’m repairing my PPG EVU.
Could it be that the OT is sending other MIDI info that the TR-8 is interpreting as a mute or volume drop or something?
Roland's cute idea to have the Aira series go viral and let users discover most of the info is very frustrating in situations like this. Give me a real manual with real info on MIDI, configuration, etc. I'm not some young kid with 100 hours a week to burn experimenting with the box. I have 1-2 hours a day maximum to do anything/everything associated with music/studio configuration/repairs, etc.
Dual Octatracks don’t play very nicely together. At least they could play a lot nicer with some better thought processes, some midi filtering, and a bit better development.
Certainly there could be some improvements, I personally don’t have any issues with my slaved octatrack, at least the way I use it (which is simply 1 octatrack slaved to the another - which acts as the master for my entire system). Only syncing issue I have ever had with the octatrack was at another studio where the octa would drop the first beat of a looped sequence when slaved to protools and looping say 8 bars. I don’t work with computers (outside of recording audio) - so I don’t have these problems in my studio.
I haven’t noticed any other discrepancies, but will admit that the master/slave menu options should have saved globally - i find that annoying.
I think my two biggest bug bears with it are lack of Midi for Parts Send/Receive; and lack of [Func] + Mute for mutliple tracks not sending cc’s.
Really though, with some better thought out processes, they (Elektron) could get all their boxes talking a lot nicer to each other / a lot more streamlined interface.
And agree on the Project / Global settings. Things like that should be optional, like tempo being master, or pattern dependent…
I’ve decided to do all my drums (in this particular pattern group) on just two channels. T1: kick :T2: everything else. this leaves room for Two external pieces of gear in my setup and 3 tracks for anything else I want.
I don’t mind working within limitations, and with the OT I haven’t found very many, which has led me at times to think that the OT was kind of counter productive in a way since it was so similar to working with a DAW.
I really like having the master channel because of the compressor. I’ve reduced my entire live p.a. set up to what my OT could accommodate through it’s audio inputs. So I go directly from my OT to the house mixer, it just saves space. Having the compressor on there really helps keep my external gear present in the mix when the volume coming from these machines can change through out my set.
