I’m convinced the Octatrack is what many electronic musicians secretly need. The more you use it, the more capable you realize it is. It is my favorite piece of equipment and absolutely the center of my music making. I would describe it like « what it feels like to play a recording studio like an instrument ». I love love love love it.
That’s a great analogy tbh. I’m surprised it hasn’t really been challenged or duplicated by any other company (or elektron themselves). It has a great amount of little details that elevate it above very similar sequencers/samplers, imo!
I was thinking about that with the OT and the Tempest, which also has its own niche that no one seems to capture, or the Deluge which plenty of companies are trying to appropriate. I think it comes down to the engineers that design these things are much more creatively magickal than we give them credit for. The original OT team is dead/split up and as many Elektron insiders have mentioned when responding to why overbridge isn’t added to the OT is that they don’t know how to redesign it because those guys are gone.
@@patfinn2697 I agree. I feel like a lot of it comes down to « lateral thinking », pulling as much ability as possible from something « not that powerful ». Giving the OT 16 sequencers, 8 stereo tracks, 64 parts and 256 patterns and 8 arrangements and everything completely ridiculous it does… in 2010! I feel like it must take some serious « outside the box thinking » without which such an instrument never could have seen the light of day.
I've cash for one machine and don't know which Elektron to buy. Want random euclidean music. Can you help. Seen this and the Elektron rhythm mk2 on marketplace. 😢😂? Which one or is there the digitakt
I'm beginning to really like the "absurdly good" mark of approval! I'm also liking that I know what all the Elektron-y things you're saying actually mean now! It's like I've got the Elektron Babelfish in my ear now.
From what I saw in your track 2 percussion work, I feel like you would truly enjoy a Novation launchpad pro mk3. With its 64 pads you can very easily create a 64 sound sample chain with octachainer, and play them all on the launchpad. It’s a pretty sick setup. of course you can design other launchpad pages to control your many OT parameters. I control all my mutes, arm one shot trigs, send to cue etc. It’s essential for me and my OT. But really on the mega 64 sound sample chains, it’s goes beast mode. Load 4 tracks with those, and you got all the drums you need. I do it with chords basses and and vocals too.
I am really enjoying this. Dug out my OT again this week but sadly some of the potentiometers are slowly failing. It’s a old boy. Will have to buy some parts and restore it. I’m really enjoying this beat, as always! And having an Octatrack as the studio hub just works incredible well.
@@SlowHaste yeah I do! Something with the headphone Jack is also quite broken. It needs some love and I should probably write the good folks at Elektron about it. I’m no stranger to fixing electronics.
i am gravitating with the beatstep and a synth and a groovebox which gives me sort of sampling a fraction of speed- and pitchcontrol into my mental workflow to connect into some menues of more complicaters. In terms of what we are using accordingly to what might not be readily set into parameters;-)
I've had my OT for about five years now. Absolutely hated it for the first year. Started warming up to it after the first year of studying the manual and internet posts every time I turned it on. And now five years later I still swear I'm going to sell it half the time I use it. It is VERY deep and capable but nothing is intuitive, there's tons of menu diving, everything follows Elektron's unique/weird terminology and approach so any knowledge you've learned from other gear almost never applies (which often ends up forcing you to open the manual yet again ...and kills inspiration). But the WORST thing is that the manual is so terribly done it's very little help, which is incredibly frustrating when you've spent so much $$$ on a device that is so esoteric. I'd bet that they would(ve) sell/sold far more units had they provided a manual that helped people wrap their heads around what the intention behind some of the features are, and explain how to make things work together. It has some incredible moments for sure, but I will never buy another piece of gear that demands so much study and programming just to make it work!
I love it; but it's a love hate relationship. On my 3rd rn. Many great moments sampling VST's with scene's ready to alter that sound. But due to me not having hardware synths RN I always use it with Ableton open and I end up missing Overbridge a lot; mixing on the OT is very hard for me. In Ableton the toolset is vast and easier for me... Of course an unfair comparison but in terms of use they are the same for me personally; A hub.
Good perspective! I do agree I probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much if I didn’t have other hardware to use it with, so I understand where you’re coming from
Yes, there are many ways to sample with it - I would look up “pick up machines” to learn more about the looping functionality. I don’t personally use this, but a lot of folks do!
These new Octatrack videos are just killing me. Elektron has to get rid of all the unsold units / overstock it seems - cue in all the TH-cam content creators. Octatrack is rather infamously also one of the most returned gear at music stores.
That’s a great question and one I’d love to be able to answer! I’ve yet to get my hands on the deluge, but it’s on my short list right with the Syntakt
Some do, I’m sure it depends on the context - I’ve never multi-tracked for demoing purposes, especially since you wouldn’t be able to do so in a live context. I’ve also used it for overdubs and tracking into a DAW
I don’t know if I’d go quite that far - it’s a GREAT instrument but it has a very steep learning curve. Years of use and I still put mine up for months out of frustration, or accidentally delete a project I’m trying to save, trample an existing sample with a new one, etc. IMO it takes about as long to build fluency with this as it does guitar.
I’m convinced the Octatrack is what many electronic musicians secretly need. The more you use it, the more capable you realize it is. It is my favorite piece of equipment and absolutely the center of my music making. I would describe it like « what it feels like to play a recording studio like an instrument ». I love love love love it.
That’s a great analogy tbh. I’m surprised it hasn’t really been challenged or duplicated by any other company (or elektron themselves). It has a great amount of little details that elevate it above very similar sequencers/samplers, imo!
I was thinking about that with the OT and the Tempest, which also has its own niche that no one seems to capture, or the Deluge which plenty of companies are trying to appropriate. I think it comes down to the engineers that design these things are much more creatively magickal than we give them credit for. The original OT team is dead/split up and as many Elektron insiders have mentioned when responding to why overbridge isn’t added to the OT is that they don’t know how to redesign it because those guys are gone.
@@patfinn2697 I agree. I feel like a lot of it comes down to « lateral thinking », pulling as much ability as possible from something « not that powerful ». Giving the OT 16 sequencers, 8 stereo tracks, 64 parts and 256 patterns and 8 arrangements and everything completely ridiculous it does… in 2010! I feel like it must take some serious « outside the box thinking » without which such an instrument never could have seen the light of day.
I've cash for one machine and don't know which Elektron to buy. Want random euclidean music. Can you help. Seen this and the Elektron rhythm mk2 on marketplace. 😢😂? Which one or is there the digitakt
Octatrack is on my list. By eyeing it for a few months. Phenomenal instrument just needs time to master.
It really does, and I’m still far from it. There are so many ways to use it which is the best thing about it!
Wow Daniel. This is amazing. Some wonderful content from you recently ❤
Thanks Mark!! Haven’t been messing around with the Octatrack much since summer, but when I want to destroy some samples it’s the first place I go
“An idea hub” is a good way to describe it!
Thanks!! It really is where I go when I have a bunch of random disconnected musical thoughts
I'm beginning to really like the "absurdly good" mark of approval! I'm also liking that I know what all the Elektron-y things you're saying actually mean now! It's like I've got the Elektron Babelfish in my ear now.
How are you always coming in with a good reference!?
From what I saw in your track 2 percussion work, I feel like you would truly enjoy a Novation launchpad pro mk3. With its 64 pads you can very easily create a 64 sound sample chain with octachainer, and play them all on the launchpad. It’s a pretty sick setup.
of course you can design other launchpad pages to control your many OT parameters. I control all my mutes, arm one shot trigs, send to cue etc. It’s essential for me and my OT. But really on the mega 64 sound sample chains, it’s goes beast mode. Load 4 tracks with those, and you got all the drums you need. I do it with chords basses and and vocals too.
Your tunes never disappoint ❤
:))))
You did it again, time to get my octatrack from the dusty shelve!
Mission accomplished!
Another beauty.
Thanks!
In a world where future versions of things sometimes suck really bad, it seems that the "old" Octatrack is still far ahead of the latest offerings.
Totally agree! I especially love being blown away by people jamming on the mki
How ever many years later and the OT is still a completely unique instrument on the market
That's a very cool beat
Thanks!! Gotta keep working on it and make it into a full song now
The best studio Brain is yours 🤣🤣😂🙌🏻
Hahaha you’re too kind!
the DN sample has some Aphex Twin flavour
You’re certainly not wrong!!
I am really enjoying this. Dug out my OT again this week but sadly some of the potentiometers are slowly failing. It’s a old boy. Will have to buy some parts and restore it.
I’m really enjoying this beat, as always! And having an Octatrack as the studio hub just works incredible well.
Bust it out! It’s like the modular of the elektron boxes, you never know what’s gonna happen when you boot it up. You have the mki, right?
@@SlowHaste yeah I do! Something with the headphone Jack is also quite broken. It needs some love and I should probably write the good folks at Elektron about it. I’m no stranger to fixing electronics.
i am gravitating with the beatstep and a synth and a groovebox which gives me sort of sampling a fraction of speed- and pitchcontrol into my mental workflow to connect into some menues of more complicaters. In terms of what we are using accordingly to what might not be readily set into parameters;-)
This beat is sick
Thanks!
I've had my OT for about five years now. Absolutely hated it for the first year. Started warming up to it after the first year of studying the manual and internet posts every time I turned it on. And now five years later I still swear I'm going to sell it half the time I use it.
It is VERY deep and capable but nothing is intuitive, there's tons of menu diving, everything follows Elektron's unique/weird terminology and approach so any knowledge you've learned from other gear almost never applies (which often ends up forcing you to open the manual yet again ...and kills inspiration).
But the WORST thing is that the manual is so terribly done it's very little help, which is incredibly frustrating when you've spent so much $$$ on a device that is so esoteric. I'd bet that they would(ve) sell/sold far more units had they provided a manual that helped people wrap their heads around what the intention behind some of the features are, and explain how to make things work together.
It has some incredible moments for sure, but I will never buy another piece of gear that demands so much study and programming just to make it work!
I learn it very fast, in the first day I make great beats 👍🏼 you don’t need to know manual inside out
I sent my Tr8S into AB and my MC707 into CD with 707 as master clock. Works out pretty slick.
i have a few other things integrated, but that's the core of my setup, decided to jettison mixer and let OT do that.
I love it; but it's a love hate relationship. On my 3rd rn. Many great moments sampling VST's with scene's ready to alter that sound. But due to me not having hardware synths RN I always use it with Ableton open and I end up missing Overbridge a lot; mixing on the OT is very hard for me. In Ableton the toolset is vast and easier for me... Of course an unfair comparison but in terms of use they are the same for me personally; A hub.
Good perspective! I do agree I probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much if I didn’t have other hardware to use it with, so I understand where you’re coming from
Is it easy to sample from external gear and loop quickly ?
Yes, there are many ways to sample with it - I would look up “pick up machines” to learn more about the looping functionality. I don’t personally use this, but a lot of folks do!
These new Octatrack videos are just killing me. Elektron has to get rid of all the unsold units / overstock it seems - cue in all the TH-cam content creators. Octatrack is rather infamously also one of the most returned gear at music stores.
I’ve been making Octatrack content for about a year now! Bought it last winter with my own money :)
How does it compare to the deluge?
That’s a great question and one I’d love to be able to answer! I’ve yet to get my hands on the deluge, but it’s on my short list right with the Syntakt
84.6 BPM is TRIGGING my OCD brain 😅
Hahahah I force myself to do things like that as exposure therapy
do people just record the out of the octatrack and give up on the very idea of multitrack recording?
Some do, I’m sure it depends on the context - I’ve never multi-tracked for demoing purposes, especially since you wouldn’t be able to do so in a live context. I’ve also used it for overdubs and tracking into a DAW
If I watch someone tweaking a machine and I don´t get what he is doing, then the machine is nothing for me.
Meh
I have to take the bait. What part of the video or topic is this in response to?
@@Two-Eyed_Boy The 'music' that he makes with the instrument
Your “comment” is meh af
This machine has no weaknesses…
…eeexcept the price, I’m broke rn 🥲
Ain’t that always the harsh truth 🥹
I don’t know if I’d go quite that far - it’s a GREAT instrument but it has a very steep learning curve. Years of use and I still put mine up for months out of frustration, or accidentally delete a project I’m trying to save, trample an existing sample with a new one, etc. IMO it takes about as long to build fluency with this as it does guitar.