What a machine

subq · 2013-12-16T07:58:51.000Z

Now that I’ve had my new OT for a few days, I have to say, it’s one heck of a machine.

It seems very organic to me, I can take a single sample (even just a simple wave form) and create a myriad of different sounds/tracks that culminate into something complete and musical.

In fact, I think much of what I’ve read about it being confusing and difficult is actually just a consequence of having so many different options. Obviously, it’s going to take a little while to learn an interface that has access to such diversity in sound manipulation. It can seem complex because what you can do with it can be complex.

At any rate, if you have any interest in it and you are on the fence, I would recommend you at least give it a shot, spend a little time learning the UI and it is quite rewarding (at least for me)…I realize it won’t be for everyone

I do wish I had more than 8 tracks to work with though.

J_C_Selector · 2013-12-16T08:19:52.000Z

Yes, my thoughts exactly too.

SB-SIX · 2013-12-16T10:00:53.000Z

I was scared for the octatrack for a long time, and held off my purchase because of that. I seriously don’t understand what people find so complex about it, it’s quite logically layed out imho.
Yes there are some hidden features here and there but the bulk is just right in front of you.
I had many more machines which were almost undoable for me, like an fb01, sp404, etc, but had no probs with the OT

bryantalbot · 2013-12-16T13:19:58.000Z

THE coolest, MOST fun machine I’ve ever owned.
I’m in my fifties. The Octatrack gets the Lifetime Prize.

jones79 · 2013-12-16T14:04:00.000Z

I cant wait to get one. I recently purchased a Cheetah MS6 and am drooling at the thought of feeding that through the Octatracks effects and resampling it etc.

And the price drop in the UK makes it a no brainer - £945!

bambrose · 2013-12-16T14:06:49.000Z

Definitely a game changer for me.

MarkMosher · 2013-12-16T15:38:19.000Z

I jumped in on Octatrack last spring. As is mentioned here it is deep and has a learning curve - but if you stick with it and work with it a little ever week or day - you’ll find everything makes a lot of sense. It’s kind of like learning all the shortcuts in a desktop app like a spredsheet. Once you do you can really fly.

Re. “I do wish I had more than 8 tracks to work with though” - I find 8 is plenty if you start to use layers. Each of the 4 Parts (which I think of as layers) is like a separate Octatrack. Each layer can have completely different track assignments and you can switch on-the-fly or you can assign layers to patterns so when you switch patterns you also switch layers.

For example you Part 1 could look like this:

[ol]
[li]Flex (recording buffer 1) - Filter - Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[li]Flex (recording buffer 2) - Filter - Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[li]Flex (recording buffer 3) - Filter - Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[li]Flex (recording buffer 4) - Filter - Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[li]Static (kick drum)- Filter - Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[li]Pickup Machine - Chorus - Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[li]Pickup Machine - Comb Filter - Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[li]Master - Lo-FI - Dark Reverb[/li]
[/ol]

Part 2
[ol]
[li]Flex (recording buffer 1) - Lo-Fi- Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[li]Flex (recording buffer 2) - Lo-Fi - Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[li]Flex (recording buffer 3) - Chorus - Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[li]Flex (recording buffer 4) - Comb Filter - Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[li]Static (kick drum)- Filter - Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[li]Static (kick drum)- Filter - Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[li]Static (kick drum)- LoFi - Spriung Reverb[/li]
[li]Master - Filter - Echo Freeze Delay[/li]
[/ol]

Parts are a really time save in live performance because your one switch away from swapping effects rather than lots of button presses to browse and load an effect to swap it on-the-fly.

I also put this mindmap together to help guide me through the videos from one page. http://www.mindmeister.com/310663045/elektron-octatrack-video-tutorial-index

subq · 2013-12-16T16:30:38.000Z

""MarkMosher"":

I also put this mindmap together to help guide me through the videos from one page. Elektron Octatrack Video Tutorial Index by Modula... | MindMeister Mind map

^^ very nice!

on the layers… I haven’t gotten that far in knowing my way around yet, however, I have seen people (and in the manual) using patterns/parts and chaining things…it would have been a lot easier for me (or call it lazy wishing) if I just had more than 8 tracks

MarkMosher · 2013-12-16T16:41:02.000Z

[quote=““subq””]

MarkMosher:

I also put this mindmap together to help guide me through the videos from one page. Elektron Octatrack Video Tutorial Index by Modula... | MindMeister Mind map

^^ very nice!

on the layers… I haven’t gotten that far in knowing my way around yet, however, I have seen people (and in the manual) using patterns/parts and chaining things…it would have been a lot easier for me (or call it lazy wishing) if I just had more than 8 tracks ;)[/quote]
You could get 2 Octatracks ;^)

subq · 2013-12-16T16:48:49.000Z

I’m surprised the forum doesn’t have a pinned FAQ at the top…there are a couple things that I wasn’t totally clear on and the manual did not help…I found them on elektron-users forum but from what I can tell that forum is pretty much dead now.

sabo · 2013-12-16T17:16:31.000Z

mark-by ‘layers’ do you mean parts?

KrisM · 2013-12-16T17:51:58.000Z

""subq"":

I’m surprised the forum doesn’t have a pinned FAQ at the top…there are a couple things that I wasn’t totally clear on and the manual did not help…I found them on elektron-users forum but from what I can tell that forum is pretty much dead now.

It is dead. No more posting, just an archive of knowledge.

GovernorSilver · 2013-12-16T18:17:46.000Z

Thanks for the mind map, Mark! And yes, I too would like to know what you mean by layers.

I am a relative noob to the Octatrack myself - started using it seriously just this fall, with the goal of replicating some of Anders Bergdahl’s looping tricks. I’ve made good progress there, but there’s so much more to learn. I don’t think prospective owners should consider this as a negative - another way to look at it is, it will be a long time before you get bored from running out of tricks to do with this machine.

StinkyBeat · 2013-12-16T18:55:06.000Z

""KrisM"":

[quote=“subq”]I’m surprised the forum doesn’t have a pinned FAQ at the top…there are a couple things that I wasn’t totally clear on and the manual did not help…I found them on elektron-users forum but from what I can tell that forum is pretty much dead now.

It is dead. No more posting, just an archive of knowledge.[/quote]
With a bad search function; so, you really have to dig for it.

MarkMosher · 2013-12-16T19:10:37.000Z

""sabo"":

mark-by ‘layers’ do you mean parts?

Oh shit, yes, “Parts” is what I meant to say. I’ll go back and edit. I think of them as layers so I started substituting the word - lol. It’s like 4 instances of Octatrack that you can invoke manually or as part of a pattern.

subq · 2013-12-16T20:02:26.000Z

""StinkyBeat"":

[quote=“KrisM”][quote=“subq”]I’m surprised the forum doesn’t have a pinned FAQ at the top…there are a couple things that I wasn’t totally clear on and the manual did not help…I found them on elektron-users forum but from what I can tell that forum is pretty much dead now.

It is dead. No more posting, just an archive of knowledge.[/quote]
With a bad search function; so, you really have to dig for it.[/quote]
exactly… there was a beautiful explanation of trigless trigs/trigless locks there, but you have to find it…search engine wasn’t picking it up

dubathonic · 2013-12-16T20:07:49.000Z

""MarkMosher"":

[quote=“sabo”]mark-by ‘layers’ do you mean parts?

Oh shit, yes, “Parts” is what I meant to say. I’ll go back and edit. I think of them as layers so I started substituting the word - lol. It’s like 4 instances of Octatrack that you can invoke manually or as part of a pattern. [/quote]
@MarkMosher - yeah, I thought for a long moment I’d blanked on some amazing new feature

Anyway, cool way of reimagining parts and how they can be used. I think I get what you mean in your previous post now, but if you can add any more details it might give a lot of users a refreshing perspective.

subq · 2013-12-16T20:39:50.000Z

my plan for parts is having some unadulterated through machines and then parts with my modifications…very basic I know but it’s a new machine (to me)…I imagine I will find all sorts of uses for them past that

AikiGhost · 2013-12-16T20:58:50.000Z

It took me 6 months to decide I didn’t like it. I guess that says something about its depth (positive point) but also its complexity (minus point). In the end I decided it wasn’t the sampling machine for me.

subq · 2013-12-17T03:47:23.000Z

""AikiGhost"":

It took me 6 months to decide I didn’t like it. I guess that says something about its depth (positive point) but also its complexity (minus point). In the end I decided it wasn’t the sampling machine for me.

that seems like plenty of time to figure if you will like it or not

it’s nice that they hold their value (from what I can tell) so people can always sell them if they don’t want them