was wondering if anyone with some hands on Octatrack experience could let me know if this cool sampler could be used in an mpc kind of way for making sample based hiphop
eg whats it like for chopping samples? whats the sequencer like?, no quantize option? mute groups? any serious limitations/short comings?
ive only seen house electro etc vids on youtube all hip hop beat vids ive seen are really cheesy.
maybe this is cheesy for you but I post it anyway :D
I don't have much experience in making hip hop beats, but the sampling on the OT is good! And you can apply EQs and Filter very fast. Slicing is also fun! The only thing that you could miss are mute groups, but you can mute the tracks via the 16 trigs like the "track mute" mode on the mpc. Sadly I couldn't play with a mpc yet so I can't compare it very well:(
lol interesting video its weird seeing a video loop with a sample, i would like to know a bit more info though... the lack of mute groups is a worry though as i use them all the time, maybe they will add them as an update down the line. would like to hear something a little more complex on the machine with chops change ups etc.
Let's say, hypothetically or relatively, NOBODY uses it for hip hop....that, to me, would be the single biggest reason to use it for hip hop.
i do like that train of thought im all for unconventional tools.. but thats a lot of money to spend to possibly find out its not very suited to my needs or capable of doing what i need it to without being a long drawn out process, ive been through a few samplers in the past, that haven't worked out right for me so now im happy in a software phase (using geist, its really cool btw), but always get interested when a new hardware sampler comes out. one of my biggest regrets was selling my mpc 1000 with jjos, diddnt have the best sound but i dont care that was fun and filled with features.
CharlesEdward If you could make a hip-hop beat with your mouth and a lunch room table, what makes you think the octatrack isn't capable?
Yep, you could also make a drum loop banging on tupperware containers very capable but is it practical? does it sound good? Midi capable?
Just because something can be used doesn't mean it's a good tool for the job.
CharlesEdward If you could make a hip-hop beat with your mouth and a lunch room table, what makes you think the octatrack isn't capable?
Yep, you could also make a drum loop banging on tupperware containers very capable but is it practical? does it sound good? Midi capable?
Just because something can be used doesn't mean it's a good tool for the job.
You can control an external synth with it via MIDI.
It's 8 tracks but can be tricked into 16 which you can assign effects to all 16 AND mute all 16 as well..
You can slice manually or auto chop by slice # or transients.
It's a step sequencer...but there is amazing control over the parameters for each step.
I've heard it (don't own it)...It sounds thin, tbh. But....here's the thing. If you are going to compare this to something like the MPC "sound"...you must remember that there is no master compresser and EQ on by default with the octatrack like there is on the MPC. Getting the sound you want is going to be left to your own devices.
I mean, I don't know what kind of hip hop/music you want to make. But if Octatrack is being used for EDM, but more importantly, GLITCH....I think it's safe to say that the machine is probably overkill for most hip hop production...
I like constraining myself as it tends to bring more out...combined with unconventional tools. Whether you think this will expand your creativity or stagnate it is something only you can determine.
I think it's safe to say that the machine is probably overkill for most hip hop production...
I love trying out new stuff just to see if I like it, but this is the conclusion I come to every time I consider getting
Octatrack. And the fact that that when I watch a video of someone using it, there is so much button pushing going on. The results don't match the effort. I'll probably get one eventually just to see for myself.
I love trying out new stuff just to see if I like it, but this is the conclusion I come to every time I consider getting
Octatrack. And the fact that that when I watch a video of someone using it, there is so much button pushing going on. The results don't match the effort. I'll probably get one eventually just to see for myself.
Yea... I've seen the thing in action and heard it live. I think it's a neat unit. I didn't care too much how everything put into it sounded coming out...
Not to say that alone would be a deal breaker...but if I was looking for a standalone hardware unit...I'd still grab up a nice used 3k or 60ii for the money. Or even a 2500 if JJOS is needed.
i havent used it myself so take my info with a grain of salt.
but what i have heard is its very very different workflow than say an mpc, and i would assume also than geist, because geist drumpad thingi is essentially the same type of workflow as the mpc.
it looks like a fun little unit, but i dont think i would get one after i did some research on it (i make sample based hip hop as well, and currently use an mpc 1k with jjos2xl)
ill try and find my post on mpc forums about it tomorow and link it here.
i havent used it myself so take my info with a grain of salt.
but what i have heard is its very very different workflow than say an mpc, and i would assume also than geist, because geist drumpad thingi is essentially the same type of workflow as the mpc.
it looks like a fun little unit, but i dont think i would get one after i did some research on it (i make sample based hip hop as well, and currently use an mpc 1k with jjos2xl)
ill try and find my post on mpc forums about it tomorow and link it here.
If you like the MPC more than go with the MPC. As far as I tested the MPC only in a music store, it's very different to a OT. And if you make sampled based hip hop you probably want to hit the pads hard. The buttons on the OT aren't very good for playing :/ The OT is as someone here said more a sequencer than a mpc-type machine.
CharlesEdward If you could make a hip-hop beat with your mouth and a lunch room table, what makes you think the octatrack isn't capable?
Yep, you could also make a drum loop banging on tupperware containers very capable but is it practical? does it sound good? Midi capable?
Just because something can be used doesn't mean it's a good tool for the job.
Its not what you use but how you use it. I don't care what hardware sampler it is.
Loved the OT.Will get another asap.Its got something more than the genre.Its an atmosphere machine and potential vintage drumbox emulator.Not an MPC but so what.Just gotta twist you mind to use it.Take a year off
Thanks alot for the great feedback guys really appreciate it, I don't mind it being different to an mpc I just thought it's a good benchmark for a sampler to meet and build off
Thanx again
I've had one for a couple months now, as a veteran MPC user here is my take on it:
it's above and beyond a step sequencer in the line of the TR-x0x drum machines, this means arrangements are programmed through trigs rather then played live (there is a live record function but no quantize/velocity), sampling is also quite awkward, there is no threshold sampling or simple record button, you either must press combos to record or setup record trigs, so if you're heavy on sampling vinyl it's not so great but you can easily import samples through CF card. also the sequencer doesn't record note off events (only note on) this is kind of a major drag for midi note but also long samples. other limits are 8 mono-timbral tracks (7 if you use 8 as Master FX) and no velocity on either the pads or external trigger, the mute system is also kind of wack (mutes on audio level not sequencer so the tails get cut off) so basically i've found it very frustrating/limiting when attempting to use it in a MPC way, however if you do wrap your head around the way it works it's really quite powerful and you can come up with some pretty creative stuff using parameter locks on slices etc.. furthermore you've got "scenes" that fade into with the crossfader, this a unique feature and can really warp things up. it basically shines in the mangling department. the fx are pretty good. each track can have its own length, time signature and swing which is very cool. sample editing is really nice, auto-slicing is a breeze and you have good looping options there as well.. in the end it's a great machine despite it's quirkiness, i use it more for uptempo electronic stuff but you can definitely make some complex hip-hop with it, i still prefer the MP but really they're very different units..
I've had one for a couple months now, as a veteran MPC user here is my take on it:
it's above and beyond a step sequencer in the line of the TR-x0x drum machines, this means arrangements are programmed through trigs rather then played live (there is a live record function but no quantize/velocity), sampling is also quite awkward, there is no threshold sampling or simple record button, you either must press combos to record or setup record trigs, so if you're heavy on sampling vinyl it's not so great but you can easily import samples through CF card. also the sequencer doesn't record note off events (only note on) this is kind of a major drag for midi note but also long samples. other limits are 8 mono-timbral tracks (7 if you use 8 as Master FX) and no velocity on either the pads or external trigger, the mute system is also kind of wack (mutes on audio level not sequencer so the tails get cut off) so basically i've found it very frustrating/limiting when attempting to use it in a MPC way, however if you do wrap your head around the way it works it's really quite powerful and you can come up with some pretty creative stuff using parameter locks on slices etc.. furthermore you've got "scenes" that fade into with the crossfader, this a unique feature and can really warp things up. it basically shines in the mangling department. the fx are pretty good. each track can have its own length, time signature and swing which is very cool. sample editing is really nice, auto-slicing is a breeze and you have good looping options there as well.. in the end it's a great machine despite it's quirkiness, i use it more for uptempo electronic stuff but you can definitely make some complex hip-hop with it, i still prefer the MP but really they're very different units..
I actually got the OT to resample my gear including the above samplers, the trig sampling and looper are good for this purpose. once i got them in OT i can further chop them, re-arrange on the fly, add fx, layer etc..
I actually got the OT to resample my gear including the above samplers, the trig sampling and looper are good for this purpose. once i got them in OT i can further chop them, re-arrange on the fly, add fx, layer etc..
Wow, that sounds like an perfect symbiosis of classic old school gear and modern technology! You boost my GAS for an MPC!
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