Elektron-Users

It has been intriguing for follow the Otactrack-discussion what is taking place at various forums. Most of the discussion is either about detailed functions or people wanting a good demo out of it. There really havent been a lot of talk about Octatrack-concept in general - except that it has been summarized to be a 'Ableton-in-a-Box'. I was suprised that also the latest CDM-article about Octatrack was guilty of this. Usually they at try open up space for different interpretations, so I was a bit suprised.

Octatrack can be used to pitch-shift/time-stretch loops, where this comparison has originally started, I guess. I'm not a spokesperson for Elektron, but I can see how much this kind of label or stamp can mislead people how are interested to find about what is so interesting about Elektron gear. Is it, because they are nice reproductions of a software, with limits of course, as anyone using the ableton-analogy will most certainly remind (which in turn reveals that is only about software-hardware fight)? I'd rather see Octatrack as 'a sampler reborn as an instrument'.

I'm sure this will stir up some discussion.

well, for what it's worth, I think Live is a sampler reborn as an instrument as well. while I think they have some similar features i think there is a lot more to it. However I think the people making the comparison are using it as a compliment.

The Ableton in a box tag is something I hope gets dropped pretty quickly, because it is not accurate at all, sure there are a few areas of overlap, but the OT is both much less and much more than that in different ways, so if people buy one believing it is a replacement then they are going to be in for a surprise or two IMHO.

Maybe I'm showing my age here, but 20 or so years ago 1mb of ram in a sampler was considered a luxury, people made great records with this, nowadays I think if you can't make decent tracks on something like the MD or OT, well maybe its not the tools that are the problem.

I find it kind of funny people on forums demanding to be 'convinced' or impressed by the Octatrack, like anything else it only does what you make it do. It seems like some people are always waiting for the next great thing that will make a difference to their music.

I think these type of people - and some of them have owned Elektron products in the past - will, if they get one, sell it shortly after. Because they are the same people who say the MD is cold etc.

EDIT - This sounds a bit like a rant, but I don't mean it to.

This is sort of off topic but the tag line, "sampling just became an art form" really bugs me. I get it's not meant to be taken as serious as I'm taking it but I feel it's a sort of slap in the face to a couple of decades of amazing music. Sampling has been an art form for some time.

I know it's stupid to be bothered by it but I just really wanted to voice the sentiment that I think that's a really dumb line.

darenager wrote:


I find it kind of funny people on forums demanding to be 'convinced' or impressed by the Octatrack, like anything else it only does what you make it do. It seems like some people are always waiting for the next great thing that will make a difference to their music.

I think these type of people - and some of them have owned Elektron products in the past - will, if they get one, sell it shortly after. Because they are the same people who say the MD is cold etc.

EDIT - This sounds a bit like a rant, but I don't mean it to.

Ha, I was one of the "nay-sayers" on muffwiggler. My only "complaint" is that I expected more of a sonic signature / vibe coming from the OT - like instantly recognisable, similar to the Machinedrum - which to me oozes the electron vibe. that was all.

But I can understand all of you who are annoyed by the endless discussion with people not knowing what they are talking about

yeah, i'm not crazy about the Ableton comparisons either. Its just misleading to people that might assume it does the same thing. It doesn't.

Its a very focused device. It definitely does many things Ableton either doesn't do or doesn't do well which excites me to no end. realtime time stretch/reverse manipulation on the fly. yes. In ableton, neither of these things are automatable and limited in functionality.

P-locking automation is a breeze. How tedious is it to draw clip automation in Live. I say, very.

if someone just wants to play loops in time, there are other much less expensive options. if one wants to bend/warp sound easily like a swiss army sampler then this is the ticket.

Couple of thoughts I wanted to add:

Ableton-in-a-box is clearly a visualization that can used as comliment or either a disdain. Depends of the individual, how he want to use it.

As a notion it shares a certain logic/analogy with other similar notions. Here are couple of them: 'Virus is just a sofware synth with hardware dongle', 'X synth is just a computer driving its program' etc. What is similar here, is the urge to reduction and illusion that one has come to some sort of hard basis via this methodology. This is where I think the progressive thinking of masses start to bend into areas of stupidity. This sort of reductions will delete everything holistic knowledge and experience around the subject/gear and claim that it has come some sort 'lucid conclusion'. This thread is here to testify there is also other sort of, and maybe more holistic, thinking within the forums.

darenager wrote:
I find it kind of funny people on forums demanding to be 'convinced' or impressed by the Octatrack, like anything else it only does what you make it do. It seems like some people are always waiting for the next great thing that will make a difference to their music.
Very good observation and you've worded exactly right: People are demanding to be 'convinced'.

neuromodulator wrote:
This is sort of off topic but the tag line, "sampling just became an art form" really bugs me. I get it's not meant to be taken as serious as I'm taking it but I feel it's a sort of slap in the face to a couple of decades of amazing music. Sampling has been an art form for some time.

You're right! It should be: "sampling just became an art form, again!"

Or maybe "sample mangling just became a performance art" ... Doesn't have as good a ring to it as the other quote ...