Vast volume differences between tracks on Octatrack going into a mixer

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

I picked up a Yamaha MG10 mixer today for an upcoming live electronic set, and my levels are good for my Digitakt and Minilogue, but my Octatrack (which will play 5 ambient tracks as interludes between full songs I dial up on Digitakt) doesn’t seem to be cooperating. So, just to test it out, I ran a completely unrelated song from the Octatrack into my MG10 with headphones plugged into the mixer.

There are only 3 tracks on this song. Track 1 is an ambient, fuzzed out loop, while Tracks 3 and 6 are percussion tracks.

Tracks 3 and 6 sound fine, but Track 1 is at an unbelievably low volume.

I had to crank the gain, but I see this as just a temporary troubleshooting solution and not at all how I want to deal with this issue, especially with the upcoming gig. The reason being that I’m going to record the 5 ambient loops into a project (one loop per track), and I need these tracks to be at a relatively consistent volume, and not all distorted from too much gain. I only want to trigger these loops and not have to worry about volume levels, because I’m going to need to really focus on what I’m dialing up on the Digitakt and Minilogue, and maybe one other piece of gear.

Does anyone have any idea what’s going on with the Octatrack?

#2

Volume with headphones may differ, because there is a default mix between MAIN and CUE (Mixer > Level button if you want MAIN only).

There are many reasons to explain a low volume.
Check track LEVEL, VOL, FX settings, Scenes plocks, plocks…

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#3

Volume with headphones may differ, because there is a default mix between MAIN and CUE (Mixer > Level button if you want MAIN only).

I’m not an expert at mixers, monitors versus headphones, etc, so this is a bit over my head. Doubly so because I’m also incredibly new to the Octatrack. Can you explain?

The Octatrack song has no p-locks, scenes or anything. Track level for Track 1 is high, and just as high as Tracks 3 and 6. The Octatrack volume knob is way down, as turning it up doesn’t seem to do anything. What FX settings could drop the volume on Track 1?

#4

I talking about OT Mixer settings.
Press OT Mixer button, turn Level in order to have MAIN only for OT headphones.

There’s nothing wrong with Octatrack.
I’m talking about Amp page VOL. Check it.
Maybe your sample is low. You can set GAIN in AUDIO EDITOR ATTRIBUTES.

I won’t list FX parameters ! :smile:
Check them, set them to None in the type list to be sure if you want.

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#5

Im new to Elektron gear but i ran into the same problem with my OP-1. It was the FX interfering with the master settings causing the problem as mentioned. I had to disable the FX on final recording to get all tracks at same output.

#6

I’ve got the headphones plugged into my Yamaha MG10 mixer, not my Octatrack.

That said, when I write tracks on my Octatrack, I plug my headphones directly into it, and there are never any volume problems.

So this is why I’m confused. I don’t understand how the volume could be fine when I’ve got my headphones in my OT (for all tracks), and then Track 1 is low when I’m listening to my OT on headphones plugged into my Yamaha MG10 mixer. Just Track 1. Not tracks 3 and 6.

If anyone has some idea of what’s going on, let me know.

#7

Well, if I have to remove the FX on my ambient loops that I intend to trigger for my live set, then they won’t be ambient loops. Removing the FX defeats the purpose. But it also doesn’t explain why I can hear perfectly fine with my headphones directly plugged into my OT, and then just Track 1 is incredibly low when I listen to my OT through my mixer.

#8

Hmmm…

If you create a new project and load the same sample to multiple tracks they should all play at the exact same volume… Maybe try that just to make sure your OT is behaving correctly…

Could it just be the ambient sample is dramatically lower in volume to begin with?

There’s a lot of gain/volume parameters in the OT, if they’ve been modified this could definitely happen, or if the other tracks have gain boosting effects, or if somehow the settings of the fx on the ambient track are reducing volume. Like sezre56 said check in the audio editor attributes settings the gain of the 3 samples and see that they’re set the same, perhaps if you have a DAW available compare the ambient sample with the other samples and see if they are the same volume, perhaps you could normalize the ambient sample. If you don’t have a DAW then you can look at the waveforms in the audio editor and compare their vertical height…

It’s certainly nothing I’ve ever experienced with the OT, I never have any of the gains boosted on anything, I only lower them, except the default +12 gain boost in the attributes that is applied to samples being captured from the OT’s inputs…

What effects are you using on the ambient track?

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#9

That’s exactly why I talked about Ot’s Mixer page Headphones settings (MAIN<>CUE).

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#10

I’ll look at the audio editor this afternoon. I’m completely baffled. It’s stressing me out as I rehearse for this live set. It would be one thing if I were an expert at this stuff, but I’m not.

Did you see the part where I mention that the the volume is absolutely fine when I have my headphones plugged directly into the OT?

#11

Ahhhh… Okay. I’ll dive into that this afternoon and report back.

#12

Check what sezares been saying, maybe it’s all backwords and the main/cue balance is somehow boosting track 1 when the phones are plugged in direct to OT…

Make sure headphone balance is in the center, and make sure all of your tracks are routed to mains and not cued… Are you in normal or studio mode?

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#13

I’m in whatever mode it’s in out of the box. I’ve had the thing for just over a month. I’m an absolute novice at the OT. I know how to sample, I know how to sequence, and warp the samples. But other than that, I have no idea about all of the other stuff that is second nature to you guys.

#14

We’ve learned, it took time !
I’d set OT’s Headphones Mixer setting to 100% MAIN if you plug only MAIN.

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#15

Make sure all the tracks are solid lights, if any of them are flashing they are cued, press cue+track button to uncue them…

Just to be safe, when you go to the mixer to put phone mix at center, drop the master cue output all the way down to -64 for now, until you have a reason to use cue…

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#16

Apparently you don’t need CUE for the moment, but as @Open_Mike said, it can change headphones listening.
(This make me thing I should use Studio Mode all the time).

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#17

I try to help people now matter what level they are at, we’ll just keep going back and forth until your sorted.
The OT loves to confuse you in the first months, it’s like it’s thing. It slowly backs off the longer you have it… :smile:

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#18

You have to find a workflow suiting your needs…or should I say Octatrack’s needs ? :thinking: :smile:

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#19

It must have been crazy in the early days Mike. So many questions but who to ask?

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#20

I appreciate the help, guys. It’s been a stressful week (I’m a writer when it comes to work); so, for me, this OT frustration has been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

I’ll check out my OT in a few hours, and try to do what you guys are suggesting.

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