why you SHOULDN'T buy an Octatrack 

I think you just gave elektron a roadmap for a new much better updated machine

Everything in this video is undeniably true, and yet watching it jsut makes me want to turn on my Octatrack and spend the rest of the evening messing with it.

Just over a minute in and i'm already writing this to thank you for saving me money! The way you explain ''if you have trouble visualising...'' yep, 100%. I wish more music tech reviews told it like you do here.

I had no idea that several of the effects degrade the signal when dry, but this solved some of the mysterious audio quality issues I’ve noticed. Thanks!

The manual requires previous experience with the machine, in order to understand it. TRUTH

Currently trying to save up some money and get a brand new OT Mk2. Things previously holding me back were the lack of polyphony and the fact that I have always found samples, or rather the process of sampling, uninspiring. But then I stopped thinking about the OT as a sampler in the traditional sense and realized it is an 8-track recorder, or rather 8 interlinked recorders, that you can mess around with. I also like the thought of recording stuff from my synths directly into the OT: no need to sit in front of a computer. Although I love Ableton Live and the flexibility of having a DAW and a bunch of plugins available, all that power also distracts me from actually CREATING things, because the possibilities are limitless and eventually I lose my vision into the ocean of choices. The OT encourages you to find a way to make it fit your needs - even though it is "authoritarian", as you put it. But I've grown to like that with the Rytm and the A4. I like limitations and trying to get around them - and hardware sets you hard limits.

Just finally got chance to get an mki last week. I can't be any happier :) loving it's editing, resampling, sequencer, filters and compression. Pretty straight forward for an already elektron user but I can already see how much deeper it can gets. So much fun and big sounding! Thanks for your guides and videos about elektron equipment, helps a lot!

"If you have a poor working memory and experiencing difficulties visualising and internalising abstract networks of functionality...." yep that's me! Thanks for giving words to what holds me back from such devices

100% legitimate arguments here. I wished the OT was more fluid. It is robotic, rigid and limiting. B U T ......the reason why I like the OT overall though is EXACTLY because of its limits. Reminds me of the early 1990s when I had a Fostex cassette 4-track recorder with a crappy Gemini 8-sec mixer sampler and an even shittier Alesis rack effects unit. How about ZERO visual reference - you had to put full trust in your auditory instincts. I had to make damn sure that all 4 tracks were optimized to creativity beyond mechanical capability and this has made me appreciate my beats from the 1990s even more. I had no sequencer, I had to tap in every drum, every sample. Oh and forget about a quiet line...all the auxiliary cables created a 60hz orchestra all by themselves. In the 1970's and 80's I made pause tapes - so that was an entirely different world of manual sampling and extending your favorite breakbeat parts!!! We had 2 boxes facing each other with NO RCA cables! Wore those play, rewind and pause buttons the hell out!1! So the OT just reminds me of a time when I worked with a limited palette of technology. Same for the OP-1, only 4 shitty, buzzy and noisy tracks and flattened overdubs carefully patterned out - but overall inspiring experimentation and creativity. I have made some of my best shit on an OP-1 and an OT because I was limited and had to push the envelope further. This made me accept a beat's "completion" because I could take it no further. With my MPC Live I want to add 12 effects to a sample and make a 4-layer snare drum!! Too many options. 24 exposures on a roll of film rendered the best, well though-out choices before you hit the shutter release button as opposed to infinite digital snapshots and filters on a 64 GB SD card. Too much variety. Renaissance masters painted with only 8 pigments, sometimes only 6. Sometimes limitation is good, too bad I didn't practice what I preach by limiting this long-ass post! Ha!

+1 on your wishlist for upgrades adding a stereowidth option at the AMP menu and a frequencyshifter in the FX. Personally i find the Octatrack very tedious to use but very rewarding when the pre-production is done. Keep the Octatrackvideos coming!

This is quite deep and really useful critique. Not so many people have so much patience to dig through all the menus and push the machine to those limitations. It's good that you mentioned nearly all of them . Thanks for sharing!

I sold my version one before V2 was announced. My main reason was menu-diving and frustration with my own personal memory. I tend to shift around a lot on gear, and the OT requires constant use to maintain muscle memory and a good mental map of all the multiple button-press features.

Thank you so much for this comprehensive and dense video. You just gave me some ideas to play with some parameters to alter the sound which to my ears often just sounded "not round" enough. (Compared to an MPC 1000 and especially an EPS).

I like the Octatrack MK 2 much and it is for me the best music device so far. But I think it is time to design and produce an Octatrack 2 (actual to today’s Technology) and not reduced cheap Model S or low priced music boxes or a MK 3.

OT with better MIDI, better architecture (like a beefed up DT instead), and Overbridge capability, higher resolution of parameters, as well as native 24-bit would be amazing

The OT, is a very challenging and frustrating to say the least. You really made many many great points about this egmatic machine

Max Marco- You are the glutton for punishment and I always enjoy your depth of understanding and explanations when it comes to the Elektron methodology. Keep up the great and helpful work for those who have the curiosity to approach the Octatrack.

Haha you almost convinced me to sell mine BUT. I have been through the learning pain and I really don't want to miss it's benefits any more, it does work well for the kind of live improvisation stuff I want to do. But you are right, it is very idiosyncratic. Not quite perfect but also uniquely unmatched and good enough. Indeed more IO would be awesome. My biggest gripe is about having to manually assign recorded samples after recording them. It would cool if you can copy/drop the eight recorded loops into a new pattern with one button press. That "Assign to Free Flex Slot" command should also select that slot for the current track. Instead I have to hunt it manually.

Have had mine for less than a month and enjoying it already. Its not nearly as hard as I thought it would be (lots of youtube videos help with the steep learning curve), but I've been using DAWs for 20 years and I have an MPC Live and I was going to get a cheap mk1 for live sets, but a cheap mk2 popped up, so I snatched that one cause of the 2 year warranty that came with it. As much as I like the OT, the points being made, are spot on. The MPC Live sounds better and that is not because of the FX and EQs and compressors and what not, I transferred the sample sample (16bit 44.1k) and played it back at the same peak level and the MPC Live just sounds better and I am talking blind test between me and my Mrs, both always selected the MPC DACs as the better sounding ones, in the blind test. And that is before we get to the OT effects which are decent...by 1998 standards. It is a digital box and its not transparent, at all. It has a sound...if you like that sound is up to you. Having said that, it is great to have on stage and its very easy to control and assign the basic stuff you'd use for a techno set, so unless it breaks on stage, I am happy. IF you want flexibility and are serious about finishing tracks, a DAW runs *circles* around the OT and MPC Live, combined. If you want a fun sampler to jam (I've been using samplers since the AKAI S1100) and mangle up stuff, without caring much about "hi-fi" sound, this is a good option.

A latch or "hold" switch is my number 1 request for Elektron gear in general, or even as a mode.This would be useful for the function button as well

Honestly I think I just had a flash back to your reaction about the *roland groove boxes. And fkn yes. Yes same. Even with ppl I respect pushing that product. Happy to have enough experience / general music knowledge to not be swooned by rgb TINY SCREEN. honestly I’m actually curious about how the *oled screen does in daylight. Most underrated video my guy but also niche price points my guy.

Great video. The Octratrack leaves so much to be desired but that is also why I love it LOL. All the pitfalls force you to pre-plan, improvise, go down side roads and focus on whats important I so so agree about the lack of a gain stage with the neighbor tracks though Neighbor tracks could have been so much more useful. They could have also let them be a way to get around the post effect mute thing that people always complain about, but they don't let you mute the sending track either.

Nice analysis! My biggest problem with the OT is what you mentioned about the MIDI tracks being so simple that you can't even record your own playing into it. Not to mention the fact that you're always locked into a pattern-oriented workflow. I wish it had linear sequencing tracks that would let you record for arbitrary amounts of time. I guess that could be mostly solved by simply allowing for patterns that are longer than 4 bars, like 128 bars or something. Then you could use that track-step-length-decoupling (or whatever you call it) feature to set a track to be really long in comparison to the other tracks.

Man, i was looking into sequence variable steps per channel or just have some way of recording midi triggers for the key-in and key-out (gateoff?) free of ticks per bpm /steps or grid type of time. also would love if i could record velocity in and out... The electronic instrumentalist stuff. Please advice me on this

I have a Analog Keys and love it to death, I bought it the day it was released. It too had a learning curve with the manual being a must. I’ve wanted a Octatrack forever, but when I was ready to buy the MK ii dropped and I decided to wait. Hope the MK III is a actual upgrade or they replace it with something better. I was pretty bummed when the MK ii came out with almost no improvements except cosmetic changes, I thought for sure they would have Overbridge for the MK ii!!!!! That’s why I don’t own one yet, simply the lack of effort on the MK ii. The whole MK ii line for that matter.... Great video 🥇

I am a fairly contented ARMkii and Digitone owner and have been waiting for a new OT 2nd Gen design before buying. I know the beauty of OT is DAWless, but I think a clever implementation of OverBridge could solve some problems at least for menu diving issues, although I’d still want a bigger, higher res screen with better workflow for my working memory issues when using it as a standalone instrument. I’m greedy that way too!

Man, I love your background music. Basically all your videos have some cool ambient music. You should release these, Max! Oh, and did I say what a superb video? I am enjoying mine OT, but it will take me 4 lifetimes to be half there where you are at with OT. But I don't care, I love it.

Thanks for the many tutorials. I'm going to pick up a second hand OT MK1 tomorrow. Can't wait! :)

That neighbor amp thing is SO true! It makes not sense to me at all and has tripped me up multiple times. Not to mention the departure from the Monomachine way of FX tracks where it is its own track freely assignable where you have the send play anywhere but have the fx be panned however along with its own track properties(including filter/amp/and track fx of its own) very sad. Another limitation that always prevents me from going wild with the OT is the limitation of 4 parts/kits per bank. In a machine so full of possibilities, I have to really narrow down which random assortment of configurations are THE parts/kits. Not usable across other banks

Thanks for this. does it do/handle stereo samples? more menu diving than the other eletkron boxes?

watching this in 2022. Does the MKII still not have scenes for midi tracks?

You just about said it all. I thought I just didn’t know what I was doing so im glad you brought up the points on the fx.....this is the first piece of gear I ever bought that truly intimidated me, and still gives me anxiety, but it’s helped me learn a lot about things. Not sure if it matters in the long run, because it’s suppose to be about making music, but at least it feels rewarding when you figure things out.

I was using octatrack for 2 years, quite extensively. I did read the manual and learned it to use to its fullest potential. After 2 years I sold it, angry and depressed, how limited and complicated this device is. It is still creative, but annoying, Your interview is honest. I like it.

I"m working with a Digitakt+Octa2+Digitone. You aren't wrong it is a beast to learn and isn't the best for production or for live performance. It is however unique in many of the things it can do and does them well. I mostly use them to accompany my Serato controller and find them useful for performing live remixes and some "brainstorming" original productions. I wouldn't tell someone not to buy one, but I think it's good that you have pointed out most of the flaws.

Sold the Octatrack after 4 years of heavy use and lots and lots of learning. Got an Akai Force now and couldn’t be happier. Never missed the OT since.. don’t get me wrong - I love being limited to challenge my creativity but working mostly with field recordings I found the OT unnecessary complicated and distracting where as the Force is way more spontaneous and allows me to focus more on actually making music..

You've covered most of my criticisms. I have sold mine but what I remember is (1) the person who wrote the manual index decided to omit any term that is in the Contents list so major topics simply don't appear in the index at all (2) when using it as a DJ there is no track time elapsed/remaining indication and no shuttle facility.

Thanks for preventing! B - ) Srsly: On an MPC channel, he mentions "sound quality" as an issue, saying it is less clean. What do you think?

I own and love the Octatrack, but this video is an EXCELLENT criticism of the device. It’s all the little things I wish would be different about it. That said, it’s still a one-of-a-kind device that is second to none when it comes to creative live sample manipulation.

How you feel about the new update? Tempo per pattern finally on the OT

Hi, sorry for my English. I use Octatrack MK1. When I play live looping, it always compresses or stretches the recorded loops. It always a hindrance. How to disable it? I tried all the settings, it doesn't help! Maybe I didn't quite understand the instructions. Tell me, if you know. Thanks for your videos!

How much more limited is the Digitakt in comparison to the octatrack? I really want one or the other but it’s hard to decide cause I don’t wanna regret settling for a digitakt when I’d be missing so many of the features of the octatrack.

Hi great video! You perfectly summed up the entire range of WTF moments I have been experiencing since I got mine 9 months ago. I believe you didn't mention that the OT can't record Direct-To-Disk. I does play back in streaming mode using static machines, but doesn't record in that mode. My Akai S5000 from 1998, (besides having 128 voices of polyphony and velcity layers, great time stretching, 32 parts multitimbral) records 26 minutes in RAM and unlimited size to disk (I have currently 23 hours of stereo 44.1 16 bit recording time left on the internal drive.) I ended up deciding to forget about the midi sequencer at all and got a Pyramid (which has its own limitations but we can expect at least another firmware update). I use the OT as a live looper, and for mangling live sound using scenes (but am bummed by the pickup machines and the automatic BPM adjustment which is too unpredictable to use in concert, and we cannot disable this functionality). So I only use the OT for scenes, and the sequencer for chopping up stuff. Not as a production center, which it is not its primary use, imho. It's more something like a construction set with lots of elements to choose from: use the ones you need, combine them perhaps (that's usually where the WTF journey starts), and don't force yourself to use all of them at once......

Respect. Hats of to the knowledge you deliver in all your vids. Yes, you do have your own style which might putt off a few . . but I am alwasys floored down with how you deliver and share THE “how to...” ...not talking about production, editing, script etc. Superb. If Elektron is looking on for anyone who knows and cares in community and users . . rather then wanna beees, you should be on their payroll already .... I would hire you in a minute. ...... now, I belive I will need a month to get to each of your comments. Q are you sripting your lines or are you talking off your head. Thanks

So much valuable information in here. Thanks marco! I always viewed OT as the best compact instrument for techno and ambient music. Especially for techno, that raw sound of OT and artifacts make it sound pretty underground.. and looks too of course (mk1) :) So the features I really would love to have in OT: 1. A setting that makes 8 midi tracks 8 audio tracks. Yes this would require more processing power but we are not always using all the RAM or the effects on all tracks. So sometimes having extra audio tracks just to play short samples would be great. 2. Grouping. Like in DAW. For grouping multiple tracks and then do FX only on those tracks. 3. No kill of reverb tail when muting track. 4. Sidechain parameter for compressor. Yeah, that's all :) I actually think these things can be done by simply a software update too.

Pre-reverb is to modelize the sound having to reach the reflecting surfaces and coming back. Spring and plate reverbs, are not subject to that delay, since they're basically an object, as opposed to a room, or environment. Therefore, having pre in spring and plate doesn't make sense.

my device is straight forward left hand side on my desk, I use it primarily for looking TV (sound of the dvbt receiver moves into AB and then opening project just for replaying my TV signal!!!) When I received that goal I was the luckiest alien on earth. I NEVER will sell my Mark One, everyday we look at each other and we find that we fit together as one. My next project will be: finding some white noise from my arturia microbrute, record that and try to make some sounds.(well you are a god, Sir, Respect!!!). And my third project will be a random slicing of a cool drum track from cubase or ableton drum loops, this will open some musical doors, all that because of your cool stuff. Thank you Sir.

I’m really interested in getting into the octatrck but just can’t afford it are there any other sequencers that have conditional triggering and live resampling

Another vid cementing you as the elektron "bad boy"! I appreciate how you walk the line of being one of the more interesting content creators using their products while coming across as an enemy

Interesting video. Thanks. I think I’ll stick with my MPC for now and wait for the Octatrack MK 3 to come out.

Congratulations! Great Video, one of the most informative gear reviews i´ve ever seen, definetely for the people who want to use this machine rather than juts owning it.

this is a great video man, and I agree with 99% what you stated here. I guess most of the OT limitations comes from limited processing power. Still it's one of the best and deepest machines out there, love mine.

Great vid! Love the idm style music in the background. Is that some of your music Max?

The other thing is not being able to trigger slices via midi and AFAIK only the single selected sample per track can be triggered. Not owning a digitakt, I recently saw that it supports locks for sample start/end and program changes, too bad that the octatrack does not have this. The Digitakt also stores mute states and tempi per pattern.

Thanks for being objective and not an obnoxious Elektron fan-boy.

What alternative would you recommend for a sampler that has many modulation capabilities like the Octatrack but lets you arrange your tracks with a separate sequencer or DAW?

Very informative. Excellent and honest advice which really helped me decide. I'm now buying an acoustic guitar.

Man where are you? Miss your vids and would like your take on the latest OS. I was hoping a stereowidth parameter would be added to the Amp and a frequencyshifter to the fx section but that'll be the day i guess. So how do you like the anniversary OS?

i’ve owned an mkii for a year and a month.. i read the manual over the course of a month and barely grasped my foothold. the first feature i really latched onto was the infinite re-trig of a sample, and then tweaking the start time at the same time as the re-trig time. Adjusting the scene crossfader to engage lofi options (whatever the upper right and lower right settings are to about 35 each) and then fading over.. while using a vocal sample creates some fun magic. the internal recording feature is great. after ive recorded samples off of youtube. and then i layer and do live tweaking. I record and create some new really weird and unique sample. normalizing seems to be a must because a lot of what i record isn’t loud enough to use consistently with all my other samples.. temporary major con.. when i do normalize a sample.. i can’t play it back without it being too loud for my monitors.. therefor id have to turn down my monitor volume output.. so i end up saving my sample.. and then id assign it to a track and then listen to it and it’s fine.. I havent figured out the problem i’m having with this. I havent cracked into anything midi with it. my Audio work is. Jam band with a buddy of mine and we call ourselves Lake Party there are some vids on my channel. as well as tracks on band camp.

Had mine for 2 years, but sold it, since I could not get used to the fact that if I didn't use it for a week I almost had to relearn the entire machine all over again. You have this feature inside there somewhere but you just forgot where they had put it, in their completely non user friendly menu layout. I loved the machine for what it could do but hated it with intense passion for it's lack of a simple user interface. These menus drove me of the walls. Replaced it for an mpc force in conjunction with an mpc x and never looked back since. Both those machines even when not having used them for a longer period feel like coming home to something you know. Everything is almost intuitive, something you couldn't say about elektron machines. I love to hate elektron machines but I can't because of what they can do, if you remember how to, but they are just not for me. I gave them 2 years of my life, but damnit, elektron why so counter intuitive.

Amazing studio man! ❤️

I wonder if you have or going to make an update on your vision on the octatrack given the updates to the device.

I’d say the Digitakt if you don’t mind it’s own limitations is a more direct and simpler approach to being a sample based instrument and sequencer than the Octatrack but it really comes down to what your expectations are and what you want to do. The whole DAW in a box title and desire of a lot of people seems out of place when considering Elektron as you should probably just go with some sort of tablet if that’s what you really want since the MPC Live is so expensive compared to a pc tablet that would give you a literal Daw in a box approach. And for that reason I’d say from my experience it’s best to explore your desired workflow as cheaply as possible and once you figure out what workflow approach is best for you dropping a grand or so on a so called ‘all in one’ machine can just be a headache and disappointment. So take your time, watch the big walk through video’s on what your considering before taking any major financial plunge as most times unless you happen to snag a piece at a killer price point you’ll just end up losing money in the process, though that is sometimes un-avoidable. When I was looking to get a higher quality sampler to move up to from a Volca Sample the Octatrack was to expensive for me and the Digitakt really looked like it would crush not just the volca but my beatstep pro. And it does! I prefer actual gear over software and I like touch screen apps at times but I really love having a dedicated piece of gear over that so having a hardware device is a part of my preferred method. It may not be yours and that’s up to you to decide what’s best for you at the end of the day is all that really matters. I usually have the most time to play oddly enough at my job. The Digitakt is smaller than the Octatrack so porting it with me is great. I’m a novice when it comes to composing my songs and I still haven’t even gotten to my imagined method of composing my ideas from my beatbox recordings to sample and slice them into the Digitakt. And replacing the sliced parts with samples but I know I can do it that way and it will be so awesome when I get my method into practice and get comfortable with the process. Yeah, the Octa and Digi have their gripes and weaknesses but there are plenty of options for consideration to those who can’t get past them. I’d say the Digitakt is a much cleaner and simpler machine so as to keep you from being so overwhelmed when it comes to the Octatrack’s menu system and additional options and approaches. For me the Digitakt is my favorite all in one instrument regardless of it’s flaws or limitations especially since I have yet to use it’s massive sequencing capabilities to create more IDM like compositions and I like that the only intimidating part to doing so is just my willingness to take the time to work over a track to do it rather than the ‘how to’ do it as it’s really flexible in the ‘how YOU want to do it’ freedom to approaching it by either live recording of parameter movements or per step micro editing to perfect your composition. I can chain the 16 sequences set at their max length and live record the whole thing one part at a time. If you can play more than one thing at a time you can do that too. So for me I don’t even create songs on a level that need 8 tracks let alone the 11 I can have at max using the midi tracks with my 3 synths so I’ll never run out of creative freedom even if or when I get my composing method mastered. There are plenty of newer and older options for anyone who prefers to do things differently than Elektron’s approach. But for me I love the thought provoking programming along with the clacky computer key style of the machine that it really helps me to go from my wild imagination to an organized and detail oriented approach that gives me a sense of transforming those IDM like chaotic ideas into an actual reality in a way that I obsessively enjoy losing myself in everytime. I still have a ways to go in getting comfortable with my method of approach but it’s so rewarding regardless of my snail like pace in getting to the greater depths of more full and complex compositions.

Not for the sunday musician, it took me years! I do have a question; I keep hearing these morph between a synth and human voice (start as synth ends with human ), how do you make that? is it a feature of high end synth costing fortune? I did try few morphing software but mitigated success. any tips? cool channel!

I had an OT mk1 for about 6 months. I was warned that it had a steep learning curve before buying one but I had previous experience with other Elektron boxes so I figured that it would be no problem. The OT wasn't as hard to learn as I expected probably due to knowing the Elektron way already, but that said, it is definitely the most difficult of all of their boxes. The manual helps but it is confusing and I think was written by someone on the autism spectrum. RU-vid tutorials are far more useful. I ended up selling the Octatrack because for some reason it never imprinted on me. I had to always reach for the manual to remind myself how to do something that I have already learned at one point. For me it is by far the least fun Elektron machine to use. It's fun to jam on once you've already put something together using scenes and doing some knob twiddling but actually putting it together is tedious and annoying. The Digitakt is so much more user friendly and intuitive even if it is more limited. The Octatrack has amazing potential and is nuts in the hands of someone who is an OT wizard but I'm just way too impatient and scatterbrained to benefit from it.

“I’m greedy like that.” I laughed myself into a tuberculosis fit!

Octatrack produces very quiet samples, even when driven into "red" in the inputs. That way I have difficulties to re-use the samples or loops elsewhere. I went over to record and slice with MPC1000 and then put it into the octatrack. If its not about time stretching or polyrhythm I tend to stay within the MPC :) Is there a way to record samples at a decent level with the octatrack? (Even the digitakt can do that - but that one lacks even the basic sample editing capabilities of the octatrack such as zoom). Great channel btw. - honest and profound statements from one who really uses the machines.

And i was so stoked to buy one...😢

The around 5ms latency using audio thru tracks seems like a limitation that will stop me from using monitoring/mixer with realtime FX on the octatrack...should be like 1-2ms.

Hey Max, is the MKII the same size? I dont like the larger sized boxes

The lack of inputs and outputs is by far my biggest gripe. An Octatrack with 8 in and outs would be so versatile. Or at the very least, an option to use the headphone out as a totally separate out.

The most annoying one for me (appart from the ones you've mentioned) is the inability to select a sample destination folder. That drives me insane. Say I have a breakbeat folder in my machine, I then sample a breakbeat from a record, I can't say "put this sample in that folder", it has to be by default in either the project folder or the audio pool. Great. And if I was to think "oh well, I'll just play with it for now and tidy up later when plugged to the laptop" => no no no no, because then the link would be broken for what I have created in the mean time :) OctaEdit would be the solution but I'll see what comes with V2 before investing. Other things that I'd like to see : - The ability to easily chose one of the 4 outputs for each tracks, instead of the studio mode+panning workaround. - A shortcut to activate or deactivate "quantize live rec" - Not retrig for midi tracks, other than with the arpegiator - Being able to play midi trigs in track mode (the same way you can play the audio tracks live by pressing 9 to 16, well this but with midi tracks, next to the audio ones. Maybe some of these already exists and I just never found them...

Ok, but what stuff would you recommend instead of Elektrons to drive at least 8 audio an 8 midi tracks? MPCs have many other issues. Maybe PolyEnd Play?

-pitch only on octave up and one octave down... no decent envelope section... I would love some kind of dynamic way to create parameter automation between 2 locks and so accurately control the parameters in the sequence.

Just what I was looking for. Thanks man!

Hey MAX, first person ive found mention Card Reader. ive bent mine, so now its out of order. IN NEED OF ADVICE FOR FIXING. as i do miss it from my workflow. great clip

This is brilliant!

Finally someone with the same reaction to Roland boxes as mine. Thanks :))))

My friend has an octatrack. It’s pretty fricken cool. But I’m happy with integrating my synths with my DAW so it seems a little redundant for my style of working.

Nice Vid. You obviously have a lot of knowledge and experience with the Octatrack (way more than me). Do you have any recommendations for alternatives that have stereo capabilities, FX, and a macro control(s) for performance type stuff? Are there any samplers / sample players that tick most of your boxes? Thanks.

As a Model:Samples owner, the Digitakt looks like too little of an upgrade to me. The Octatrack comes next, but I feel like it’s RAM limitations, outlandish storage format, lack of Overbridge and other useful USB integration are too much to justify the price. But most importantly, having never used one, I feel like it’s too complicated for what it offers, and doesn’t « earn » its complexity. If there is ever a Mk 3 and it’s just Overbridge and more RAM, I may still get it someday. However, I think a really fantastic news would be a new box with Octatrack functionality (and more!) taking cues from the Digi series in terms of clarity and ease of access. Anyway, thanks a lot for sharing those points that are great to know before whipping out so much money. The lack of CTRL ALL would really hurt my habits haha.

I literally have had dreams that Elektron just randomly drops a brand new Octatrack. I want a new model so badly, but alas, it's still the best sampler out there.

Hey ! Wondering what are your thoughts about the new and latest OS upgrade released recently by Elektron?

Thanks so much. You seem to have a room full of gear so you seem to know a few things. Is there a machine you think would pair with an octatrack to create a more rounded system for a dawless setup?

Money is what’s holding me back

In my opinion (pretty close to yours) ELEKTRON cheaped out on the MK2: - the CPU/DSP-power - cf-card-reader - small OLED - no industry standard battery power - proper pitching-algorithm (CPU/DSP?) and having to re-sample to get more than -12semis is sad af. - also so sad not being able just to loop some sample-area infinitely without any trigger (beside the first initiating one) interrupting - another wish would be to take a sample-area and say those are 1,2,3,4, etc. whatever bars and it sets the bpm accordingly or warps this sample-area to the already set BPM (like ableton live does) - simple and not enough LFOs ...and most of those things just to increase the profit margin, instead of giving us a true legend, but many people would even pay any price up to 3k for a truly uncompromising machine. I had the MK1 many years ago, but the cf-card-reader broke after using it a couple of times (I didn't switch cards or anything). It took them weeks to repair it and after that I could not trust it any more. The bad pitching/no non-trigger-based-looping and all the other compromises because of weak CPU/DSP made me sell it. It is so close to be legendary, yet so far. Maybe MK3 will be the real Octatrack?

Great video, you're right about the shortcomings. But.....I ain't ever selling my OT!

I feel like a basic DB meter in the Mixer page or on the Master channel would help a lot and would not be much to ask, just even a db number that updates a few frames a second would be great.

I have seen many amazing live performances done with the OT. It is great for those who don't want a computer on stage but still want lots of possibilities. I also think some people get it and it is not what they expected. I am happy with the Digitakt as the "brain" of my setup. I sometimes wish I had more lfo's per track or that I had scenes and a slider but I don't feel like spending the time or money to make the switch

Appreciate the honesty and depth of your analysis. When paying big bucks for the technology hes reviews are of great value. Kudos

I think it works great as a sampler and the midi sequencing is a bonus. But you are right when you start trying to squeeze the extra features out of it, it starts to get hairy. I love using it but always tell myself it is a sampler and midi sequencer. I really use as a sampler more then a drum machine or any other feature. It has some nice features I really like allot but feel if get a cirklon or a pyramid it be on the chopping block. Tough in allot ways.

As someone who has owned a monomachine and Machinedrum and grown to know them fairly well. How hard would you say it would be to learn the Octatrack from that position? Thanks for a great vid!!

I've never enjoyed working with the OT for studio work. The OT is best used as a DAW replacement for live use or jamming. It's right in the name: "Performance Sampler". When I need to do real studio work and intricate sample manipulation, I use Live. Then when it is time to perform I bounce stems into the OT for live manipulation.

someone knows if the newer Akai Force has similar features for live sample mangling?

This sums up why I keep trying to use the OT and end up using a DAW instead 99% of the time. DAWless is supposed to be fun and intuitive.

so what would be your best hardware sampler now?

it's a shame you dont post new videos man, really like your takes

brother you are jacked! this gives hope to my goal of balancing my tech-nerd cavedwelling secret lair of music production with BOOSTING UP my physique

hey man, is OT mk2 coming in September?

any leakage concerning OT mk3?

Superb video, fair and honest.