I have the 4 Elektron boxes and have around £130 to spend on something.
What would be more benficial, a midi controller or outboard effects?
Thinking along the lines of a Novation Zero or Kaoss pad.
Kaoss Pad is nice- but playing in sequences with keys is better if you don’t already have that option. But, if you aren’t going to use it, in the long run (I never use my MIDI keys with the A4…) get a good FX pedal. The problem with the KP3 is that it’s more of a super Lo-Fi sampler that requires you to run audio through it for it to do much- most of the FX are useless if you aren’t running your whole set up through it. I’ve also had the problem where if it’s a send from and back into the OT (and not a mixer), it makes it so the OT is muted unless you’re triggering the effect on the pad. I mostly just use the delays, the looper, and the filter stuff for transitions- but you have enough to worry about with 4 Elektron boxes.
You need a more passive FX box that midi syncs and can be controlled from the direct CC controls of the Octatrack. I’d go with a Eventide Space Echo or some kind of reverb or distortion depending on what kind of music you make.
Thanks for your comments.
I have a couple of synths which cover my need for keys (not much of a keyboard player).
So you suggest going for FX rather that a midi controller. I’ll check out the Space Echo. I was only thinking Kaoss pad for easy switching between effects and easy hands on control with the pad.
Any other suggestions, FX or midi are welcome.
Check out the outboard pedal thread, I recently posted a demo of the cathedral pedal in there (I wont spam it here) and there are lots of other pedal suggestion in there too.
You just have too big of a chain and it takes too much of your attention to get much out of the KP3. Even then it’s a nightmare to record sometimes and it’s really meant for small setups/DJing/or focused work with it as a looper/sampler for transitions.
Also, as a proud and happy owner of an OTO Biscuit, I suggest you wait a month to see what the new OTO Machines FX box will be. It’s only 250 euro or so (compared to 450-500 for the Biscuit) and will surely be another must have.
I’ll check out the pedal thread, and demo, later this evening. Cheers.
I bought a Kaoss Pad 3 shortly after getting my OT but sold it a few months later.
It was a fun bit of kit but it was way too noisy compared to the rest of my setup. I don’t know whether I had a dodgy one or whether I was being fussy but it seemed to put out a constant low level hiss.
Either way, sold it and bought an MPD32 and I’ve got much more mileage out of that than the KP3.
Do you have a patchbay? 
The eventide space is amazing. I love using a midi track on OT set to 1/8th scale to live record insane automation. You can Plock some very very intense transistions. Any of the eventide stuff is great.
The Eventide Space looks good but too much for my budget at the moment.
Just to add a counter opinion, I use and LOVE the KP3 ,
I use it to process my ESX electribe but I could see it working equally as well in an oT setting.
I love the motion record feature for adding small undulations and glitches to my patterns, to me it is definatley a “less is more” machine, but some of the sounds I have made through it, I can’t seem tofind elsewhere.
Just my 2ps
A second hand KP3 or Quad are in my budget.
Interestingly no one has yet suggested the midi controller route.
not sure if this is something you would be interested in…
You’re running 4 sequencers: a MIDI controller isn’t a top priority since Elektrons are a one or two button presses+knob per function.
The KP3 does have its place in a 4 Elektron Box workflow- I just think it take more effort and concentration away from your actual instruments than it gives you back in sound richness and/or character.
I was thinking more Novation Zero, ie, lots of buttons, sliders, knobs.
I have been thinking this evening about another approach. I have an old laptop and am thinking of using that as a midi controller. I could use Bomes to customize midi messages to my needs. It would be easy to create track mutes, solos, or whatever.
Sounds like you’d be better off with a mixer. Like this (the one I have and love):
Probably most trying thing you could with your set up is to try to do it without a mixer.
You could also get one of slightly lower quality that has built in FX. Some of the budget mixers have some decent reverbs. Two birds with one stone- control over your volume and track mutes plus some basic FX.
At the moment they run in to a rack mount mixer, although I do have an old small Soundcraft mixer tucked away somewhere I could get out.
Using midi commands from Bomes for example, I could mutes all tracks of all machines and just solo one track with just one press of a key.
I don’t see that being quite that useful considering you’ll be punching in your next sequences and possibly a new project while you are soloing one track. The Octatrack IS a MIDI controller, and a good one, for the other boxes.
Just watch the vids of all the “masters” with 4 Elektrons- not a keyboard in sight and the only MIDI controller I saw was a DIY thing that emulated the “joystick” modulation thing from the Monomachine keyboard edition.
But to each his own: if that’s the way you see it all working for you then go for it!
just for the sake of it: the DIY thing that emulates the ‘joystick’ on the MnM is actually a MIDI controller which integrates nicely with the MnM and gives it some extra features. the controller is getting a face lift at the moment but the old version is still available if anyone is interested. more info here