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Elektron-Users Elektron Forum Elektron Gear using the octatrack for live backing tracks (1 viewing)
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TOPIC: using the octatrack for live backing tracks
#117478
Goomba
Posts: 3
using the octatrack for live backing tracks 13 Years, 1 Month ago
i am a singer/songwriter. i write songs like movie scores with lyrics and i usually make my tracks in logic or live. i had the notion of performing live without a computer. i just got the octatrack last week. have been trying to suss out how best to use it for backing tracks being remixed live.

i've bounced out selected stems from finished tracks and i'm trying to figure out how to get the octatrack to play those full songs in their entirety without looping them at 16, 32, 64, etc. while still having the ability to mess with other tracks that loop regularly.

what i want is for one set of stereo tracks to play "one shot" style from beginning to end.
while simultaneously having other tracks with parameter locks, fx, etc. that can be manipulated live on the fly and loop to the beat against the backing tracks.

first, is this possible? if so, could someone give me insight into how best to organize this?

much obliged for any assistance anyone might be able to provide. i want to make youtube videos of this and will gladly get the word
tngregory
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#117492
Game & Watch
Posts: 2845
0
Re:using the octatrack for live backing tracks 13 Years, 1 Month ago
You can set long samples to play by turning loop off, then just trigger them manually.
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#117518
Goomba
Posts: 15
Re:using the octatrack for live backing tracks 13 Years, 1 Month ago
From what I understand Octatrack at its current stage of development is not quite appropriate for backing purposes. Nice to hear that there is a way how to trigger/play long samples manually at least, but unlooped recording of audio stream longer than 16 seconds is not possible anyway, as well as midi synced (from external source) playback of audio (what is both really important for backing track purposes if you plan to play/overdub arpeggriated performances over your recorded audio material) and most likely won't be possible anytime soon. I asked this to Elektron support and got no replay. So I made conclusion that Octatrack is not intended as backing player/recorder. Its purpose is for chopping and rearranging parts of audio loops. Probably question "I play in a band and sometimes we need backing tracks. Can the Octatrack help us?" in OT FAQ page looks somewhat misleading at the moment.
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#117521
Chain Chomp
Posts: 346
MDUW/MD/MONO
SURROGATES on DVD now!
Re:using the octatrack for live backing tracks 13 Years, 1 Month ago
the easiest way to get everything in sync is to use grid recording mode. with the longer song length samples, i'd put a trig on step 1 of that track and after it gets triggered by the sequencer, i'd take it off so it won't retrig the next time the sequencer comes around.

the loops with all the plocks would get triggered similarly. you can use mutes to bring tracks in and out.

All of this can be automated with the Arranger.
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#117523
Chain Chomp
Posts: 458
Re:using the octatrack for live backing tracks 13 Years, 1 Month ago
I'm triggering longer samples using a trig in recording mode, and using the possibility to have different running lengths to set up, for example:

track 1 has a loop of 32 bars, I set the track length to 64, with speed 1/8x -> 32 bars
track 2 has a loop of 8 bars, I set the track length to 64, with speed 1/2x

and the rest has loops of 2 bars or 1 bar, depending on the stuff.

To record 8 bars, I do the following:

I record on :
- recorder 7 (track 7 plays back the sampled stuff, is 8 bars long, and set the recording trigger on first step, so that it recording the first 4 bars),
- recorder 8 (track 8 is main playback, so I set track length of 8 bars there, and trigger the recording on the start of the 5 bars, and records the last 4 bars),

I play back on track 7, using a FLEX lock on the first step for Recorder 7, and FLEX lock on first step of 5 bar, playing back Recorder 8.

All a bit crazy, I know, but it works. Hopefully there'll be an easier way for this later.

One thing that I'm annoyed with those longer tracks is that switching patterns makes you wait 8 bars, I'd like to have a way to setup the pattern changing immediately or something like that.
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#117524
Chain Chomp
Posts: 458
Re:using the octatrack for live backing tracks 13 Years, 1 Month ago
Btw, if the explanation above is too complicated, I can draw a quick diagram to explain more carefully.
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#117525
Re:using the octatrack for live backing tracks 13 Years, 1 Month ago
daswesen wrote:

One thing that I'm annoyed with those longer tracks is that switching patterns makes you wait 8 bars, I'd like to have a way to setup the pattern changing immediately or something like that.


Same here too!

It is great to have option to make other tracks longer shorter whatever but it would be super duper if we had the option to switch patterns without finishing the master length.
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#117541
Goomba
Posts: 29
Re:using the octatrack for live backing tracks 13 Years, 1 Month ago
data-line wrote:
daswesen wrote:

One thing that I'm annoyed with those longer tracks is that switching patterns makes you wait 8 bars, I'd like to have a way to setup the pattern changing immediately or something like that.


Same here too!

It is great to have option to make other tracks longer shorter whatever but it would be super duper if we had the option to switch patterns without finishing the master length.


YES!
+1
realtime pattern changing (even with a smidgen of 1/16th or 1/4 note quantization) would fit thee OT lovely.
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#117558
Goomba
Posts: 16
MD + MM
Re:using the octatrack for live backing tracks 13 Years, 1 Month ago
mcniplz wrote:
+1
realtime pattern changing (even with a smidgen of 1/16th or 1/4 note quantization) would fit thee OT lovely.

I'd like to see it on all of the Elektron gear. You actually can set it as an option in the MIDI triggers on the MD. Its in the Control Map, they call it TRIG and the choices are GATE, STRT, or QUE. But the only way you can use it is with an external MIDI trigger.
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#117570
Goomba
Posts: 29
Re:using the octatrack for live backing tracks 13 Years, 1 Month ago
bob3k wrote:
mcniplz wrote:
+1
realtime pattern changing (even with a smidgen of 1/16th or 1/4 note quantization) would fit thee OT lovely.

I'd like to see it on all of the Elektron gear. You actually can set it as an option in the MIDI triggers on the MD. Its in the Control Map, they call it TRIG and the choices are GATE, STRT, or QUE. But the only way you can use it is with an external MIDI trigger.



interesting...thanks for inspiring me to download the manual for thee MD.
Its giving me a general idea on what might p0tentally be available when
future OS is implemented on thee OT.

thread got hijacked a bit,
if not completely inverted.
from
how to handle loooooong samples,
reversed to
how quickly can one change patterns.


to bring it back, what brettweldele & daswesen stated is how i would go about it.
trig on the one.
drop the scale as low as it can go,
and if you need more time turn the trig off so it wont trigger again when the pattern repeats,
and before the samples over, turn the trig back on.

its the best way i"ve been able to pull it off
and i don't see any implementation in future OS that will improve on it.
but it certainly gets the job done.


respect goes to daswesen for sharing that bit of recording trickery,
i'm going to give that a try.
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