Wait for new Octatrack or plunge?

I have done a search here and elsewhere for this question, and there are some related threads, but now is now, and curious about peoples thoughts today on this.

I bought an A4MK2 a few weeks ago, and I love it so much, I want to add another Elektron box to my setup. I’ve looked at the RYTM, which is cool, but I don’t want a drum machine. I have a Beatstep Pro for pads, and can hook it up to other gear from drum sounds. I really like the complexity and depth and variability of what you can do with the Octatrack (and am thinking of using it to replace my MPC One or use both, not sure–yes, read that long and helpful thread already).

My biggest problem with the OT is its age, and the fact that it looks like Elektron will not be doing much to update it. I have legacy gear that I still use, but it wasn’t legacy gear when I bought it. Thoughts?

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PS, please don’t be mad at me if you think this topic has been covered ad nauseam.

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I think that the OT will remain one of the most unique samplers made. I think of it like the Machinedrum…in that after being discontinued, nothing else has really come close. I say pick up a new OT while you can.

Whatever Elektron does next (and we would REALLY like to know!!), the OT will be its own things that can’t be replicated.

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People still buy mpc 60s man I dunno :man_shrugging:t2:

If you like it buy it. If it doesn’t do something you want then don’t. We can’t assume we’re gonna get every feature request in every piece of kit. That’s a really unfortunate turn of recent years. Support for things is awesome but the culture of buying things on a “what if” is setting up bad expectations.

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I bought another one brand new 2 weeks ago. Didn’t think for a second that having 2 MK2 Octatracks was in anyway a risk.

It’s a great machine that does everything I need and more. The existence of a new version of the machine won’t remove it’s capabilities that I currently enjoy.

There are always new things in the pipeline. That applies to pretty much anything we purchase. Not sure I’d buy anything if I paused for tomorrow.

Maybe a little off topic this … people would give much to play a Stradivarious only once in their live … and AFAIK flutes have been invented about 30 thouseand years in the past … anybody asking about age?

IMO … if an instrument is okay technically, it’s only about us and how we use and love it. If an OT seems to be your thing, give it a try :wink:

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…a4 can do most amazing drum sounds…
…and the answer to ur question is now the same as all yesterdays answers combined…

no real next truu new octatrack in sight…and absolutely no signs or reasons for that about to change in any near future…

to many good reasons why they still sell new facelift only versions of the exact same old thing…ot, as it is, remains a unique and timeless peace of gear…it’s as outdated as future proofed…so if u wanna go next step and sample all ur lucky dips from ur a4 and whatever else, pick any ot…they’re all the same, end of all days…

Always the same when it comes up. Get an OT if it does what you want now - without updates or new versions (both of which probably won’t happen). If not, don’t get OT :slight_smile:

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There is such robust community support for the OT, i doubt it will fade before something more spectacular, intricate, and brain consuming had an opportunity to fulfill the same overlapping niches.

Background: OT mkI user, 5 or 6 years now, hated it for most of that time while it sat in a box often. Now might consider a second one because: workflow finally hit the sweetspot and: woof

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Haven’t read through the comments so this might have been covered…

BUUUUT, since most of the people which developed the Octatrack is gone from Elektron and the alleged nightmare which is the code of the Octatrack. Paired with the departure of Elektrons most prolific product specialist due to Elektron taking product road maps which he did I not agree with…

I think that we won’t probably see another Octatrack for a very long time, if we ever will…

So I say take the plunge and bath in the splendor which is the eight track wonder.

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Such a nightmare that they put out a huge update with new features only a few months ago.

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Just get one. They’re ace.

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I have a BeatStep Pro, an A4, an Octatrack, an MPC Live 2, and more… so I know the units you are using and thinking about…

The Rytm mk2 would be my advice, esp if you have the MPC (which covers most of the Octatrack).
If I lost all my Elektron gear tonight I would be reordering the A4 and AR on Monday morning (maybe with a Digitone too).

You might think you have the Rytm covered by the BeatStep Pro, trust me, you don’t…it is another level completely.

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Struggling with the same question for a year. My OT is arriving today, so that should solidify Elektron announcing the OT mk3 on Monday

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Chances are there will be at least a year of hardware issues and at least 18 months of OS bug fixes, so rest assured your unit will be still the best choice for a few more years.

Note: Im unsure if this is really cynicism as it seems this is documentably the current nature of hardware releases (edit to add: not just Elektron) these days. I adjust my purchases accordingly, and yet still buy hardware “too soon”.

If something were to happen to mine I’d buy a new one in the morning. There’s still nothing like it.

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Octatrack is eternal.

I think once production stops the price will go up as seen with MD and MnM.

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The video games maker Valve released Half Life to critical acclaim, and followed it by the even better Half Life 2, then two smaller updates of Half Life 2 (episode one and episode two), then stopped focusing on making their own video games to develop a digital distribution platform (Steam) that makes them tons of money.

The hardware instruments maker Elektron released Octatrack to critical acclaim, and followed it by the even better OT mk2, then two smaller updates of mk2 (anniversary edition and black edition), then stopped focusing on their own hardware instruments to develop a digital distribution platform (the rumoured SaaS model) that makes them tons of money.

So what I’m saying is, Half Life Octatrack 3 confirmed!

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Thank you for your perspective, especially considering you have a lot of the same stuff I do. I am less concerned about what is covered by my various instruments than I am about how I feel about using them. Not wanting to sidetrack this thread back to another long in-depth thread about MPC versus Octave track, but I have had the MPC one now for over six months, and find myself not feeling excited when I sit down to use it, ever. On the other hand, I am thrilled to be sitting down and using the A4 And I don’t think that’s just because the A4 is the newer machine. Even when I first purchased the MPC one, once I understood how I wanted to use it, it was OK, but as others have pointed out, it still feels like a DAW in a box. That is not what I want. I already have logic in a very powerful Mac pro.

I have looked very hard at the RYTM, and I’m still considering that as a second or third purchase. However, I am not really interested in a drum machine, and much more interested in manipulating sound in the way that the Octa track seems more capable of doing with a lot more options than the RYTM.