Elektron-Users

Sounds simpler to me!

I'm wondering what the looper machine is going to be like, is there anything in the manual about it?

This has me thinking about how recording should work, so I figure I'll make a list of steps as I'd like to see it working.

Press a track button and a record button to enter record mode - EG T5 and Record CD
- This sets Track 5 to use the Flex Machine set to Recorder 5 (by default, can be changed in Record Settings Page)
- This action brings up the Record Settings Page automatically and begins monitoring input

Record Settings Page would have the following parameters (press Track + Record to show)
Record Settings Page
Source Mode RLength
Trig Mtype Recorder

Source sets [AB, CD, T1-8, MainOut] as the input
Mode sets [X & Y, X+Y, X, Y] as the stereo input/summing mode (As is the AB,A,B,A+B now)
Rlength sets the number of bars to record for per trigger
Trig sets Recording trigger type [Oneshot, Gate, Threshold] - Pretty close to how it works now
Mtype - allows you to change the machine type [Flex, Static, Loopa, etc]
Recorder allows you to change the recorder slot [R1-R8] Default is to match the current track

Once all settings are good the Octatrack waits for a trigger
- either a step added to the sequencer [Trig Step]
- Or a press of the record button [Manual Record]

Once a trigger has occurred the Octatrack switches to the Record Page and records to the active recorder slot for RLength bars. Once the recording length has passed the Recorder flips from monitoring the input to playing back the recorded passage. At this stage any record steps would become playback steps.

The Record Page contains the functions below assigned to Encoders. Pressing the Encoder enters the edit view appropriate to the function. (Press Function + Record button to show)
Record Page
Redo Settings Save
Normalize Trim Slice

Redo clears the buffer and returns to monitoring the inputs and waiting for a trigger
Settings returns you to the Settings page
Save opens the naming dialog to save the sample
Normalize launches the normalize process
Trim opens the Sample Trim Editor
Slice opens the Sample Slice Editor

From any of these pages Exit will return you to Record Page.

I think this would simplify the process a lot and would allow one to redo samples quickly till you captured the source right. I'm thinking this is a little closer to the manual, but I think the manual seems to be skipping some of the automatic assignment stuff and the playback steps seem to be a bit more complex than this outline. I'm so excited by the concept of the Octatrack, I couldn't sleep last night knowing it was arriving today. I'd love to see it match our crazy expectations. Hope someone from Elektron might be reading this, Do you think I should I email this to them?

darenager wrote:
Here's what I think would be good, a quick sample mode, because the existing mode is very good for realtime trig sampling, but kind of annoying for simple stuff, so I propose 'SIMPLE SAMPLER' - Hold mixer button, press REC (transport button) up pops a window, with all the inputs and sources, release REC, the six knobs set the levels as required, and a input meter flashes along the bottom of the screen (or use the step LEDs!) the OT is in sampling standby mode pre-sampling 500ms so that when you press REC sampling begins and if you were not quick enough with the button the OT has your back. To stop sampling press REC again, now the file is in memory and the OT plays it back and asks if ok, press yes to go to trim screen or no to retry. The play and stop buttons can be used to start and stop the sequencer whilst sampling.


Just saw your recommendation after I posted my post above, I like what you have here too, Really good ideas! Hopefully they can mix and match and get sampling to be fast and elegant!

Yeah, the problem is the existing way is great for multiple automatic sampling, (and in a similar way to the UW ram machines) but if you just want to sample a bunch of stuff a simple and quick mode would be better. So I hope they will introduce some other ways of sampling, rather than replace what is already there.

What do you mean by "multiple automatic sampling"? I was messing around with multiple record triggers and it didn't seem to have much effect. Maybe my record length was too long. It didn't seem to me that the multiple triggers would be written to separate files, but to one file. Sounds like I might be missing something.

I think a big part of why I wanted to write out all the button steps is that when I first got the MD ages ago, it felt so simple. There was a lot of complexity you could get out of it, but it was all easy to access since it kinda has a "thin" user interface. That might sound bad but I mean thin as in light and fast as opposed to the Octatracks "deep" UI with lots of menus and layers and areas and settings, etc. I'm really hoping that the Octatrack OS can be simplified a little.

I mean recording from more than 1 source on the same track with different triggers sampling different inputs, so for example I could have 3 oscillators from my modular going into differnt inputs then on different steps take a sample from a different oscillator, and yes generally I set the length to a few steps typically, then lots of trigs, use track shift in realtime to change it up, pretty cool and a lot of fun.

Oh wow that sounds cool, I'll have to try that... Thanks!

Thanx ENDOSINE for detailed description.. Wow! And I kinda figured this out thanx to you guys but somehow this is still working only at times.. I might still need a voodoo doctor he he.. And for all the noobs out there - if this is your first machine ever and you've figured it out: you could be a rocket scientist!! BAM!

Another way to workin it could be ability in setting your own presets for recording like you do on pro camera equipment to save time.. IE if you use Flex machine with a bunch of settings, your recording settings etc - all of that could be saved as your custom preset and recalled with a basic combination of buttons like Function/Enter/Playback - Preset 1, Function/Enter/Amp - Preset 2 and etc.. So you don't lose the great complex options if you need them or have a simple set up if thats what you after..

djg5000 wrote:
Another way to workin it could be ability in setting your own presets for recording like you do on pro camera equipment to save time.. IE if you use Flex machine with a bunch of settings, your recording settings etc - all of that could be saved as your custom preset and recalled with a basic combination of buttons like Function/Enter/Playback - Preset 1, Function/Enter/Amp - Preset 2 and etc.. So you don't lose the great complex options if you need them or have a simple set up if thats what you after..

that would be a good solution to this long winded sampling process, without sacrificing options etc
maybe you/we/everyone should let elektron know this