An Appreciation - The Octatrack Audio Editor

Currently I’m using some other samplers in my setup, and coming from the Octatrack audio editor in which I’m very familiar, none of them come close to the functionality and ease of use for editing audio.

I’d say the only exception is the OP-1, even though it lacks a lot of the Octatrack functionality at least is fairly direct and simple to use.

On other gear things like setting start and end points are nowhere near as precise or efficient, and viewing and zooming often isn’t satisfactorily implemented.

None handle slices as well as the Octatrack, and don’t have all the other things like fades, cut/paste sections, silence section, rotate start position and so on. I think I’d have to say that outside of a computer, the audio editor in the Octatrack is unsurpassed, at least on the other samplers I have used, which is quite a few.

The Toraiz SP16 slice mode is a total pain to use compared to the OT, it has a very nice screen and decent zoom level on both horizontal and vertical axis, but trying to get non clicking slices on a 4 bar bass loop has taken me probably 20 minutes, which on the Octatrack would take less than a minute or two.

I’d be interested to hear how things like the MPC live and MC-707 are in this regard, not that I’m considering getting either of them, but they are both samplers that I’d expect to be fairly comprehensive at editing audio (as I expected the SP16 to be), is this the case or not?

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Yep, really efficient. Limited to Flex machines, and theorically with 8m28s max (max 16 bits recording time, corresponding to max RAM I guess). Theorically twice longer for imported mono files.

I miss a quantized selection function, like snapping end to bars, half / double / shift selection…
You need to calculate the exact number of samples to be really precise.

Useful fonctions like Trim (select start / end) > apply Slice Grid to that selection.
Mix Channels > Substract can be used as center canceller, karaoke heaven! :smile:
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Also really great for doing things like micro fades to kill clicks, surprising that a lot of other hardware samplers don’t have this.

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1010 Blackbox editing features are pretty nice.
I prefer it to the OT in that regard. Auto slice, easy ReSlice, granular, and so on. Some touch screen pinching and scrolling using your fingers if you like, but very intuitive.

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Tweaking volumes of individual slices while they’re in use in context and then being able to save the whole chain under a new name is great. Wish for smaller dB increments on the gain though.

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Yeah the Blackbox looks pretty interesting.

Guys, I have two quick questions about the editor:

  • is it possible to keep only, say, the left channel of a stereo sample?

  • is there an undo function I’ve missed somewhere?

Yes to the first.

No to the second. Just save before editing.

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In a post morphagene world, you’d wonder what the elves in elektron’s santa cave are cooking up when it comes to what to do about samples

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I didn’t find it.
You can use MIX CHANNELS > ADD CH L+R to make a sample mono, but I didn’t find a simple way to keep L or R only. (Possible with Spacializer FX)

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Yeah, I found how to subtract one channel from the other, but not how to keep just one side.

@sezare56 how would you do it with the spacializer?

Yup, I stand corrected, I got mixed up - pun not intended, with the mix samples options in the audio editor. :smile:

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Substract cancels what’s centered.

With Spatializer, hard pan L or R, and activate MS in FX SETUP > mono only
Interesting use : mix 2 samples on 1 track.

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Btw I tried differently : copy the selection, set PASTE mode to MIX 0db, invert channel R, paste to cancel R.
Didn’t work.
Surprising they didn’t implemented that…

I could have sworn it was possible, ha memory is a funny thing.

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I also thought it was possible with AED!
I checked how by curiosity. Not sure if I would have bet a lot of money! :smile:

Could patch the L out into the input and sample from one channel pretty easily too

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I’d rather use internal sampling : hard pan L or R, record with SRC3. AED > MIX CHANNELS > ADD CH L+R

Unfortunately you can’t make mono files with OT! Stereo only meme needed. :thinking:

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So @darenager was right, it’s possible with the AED but I couldn’t find a simpler way than that :

  • Load your sample in 2 slots

  • Slot 1 > - 3db

  • Slot 1 > - 3db again

  • Slot 1 > Fn + Copy

  • Slot 2 > - 3db

  • Slot 2 > - 3db again

  • Slot 2 > Invert Channel R*

  • Slot2 > Change Paste Mode > MIX 0db

  • Slot 2 > Fn + Paste

  • Slot 2 > Mix Channel > Add CH L+R**
    :crazy_face::exploding_head::partying_face:

Basically you paste a sample to itself with an *inverted channel, cancelled by phase opposition. You keep only left channel, and **make it mono. Add - 3db twice for each slot to avoid clipping after pasting.

It didn’t work properly with MIX - 6db, nor with only 1 slot. Apparently the copied selection is also affected if you do an action after in the same slot…:thinking:
If someone can find a simpler way, I’m interested in!

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Haha thanks for diving in and finding this solution. :smile:

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