Octatrack Tips & Tricks (OT Tips)

Expert Sleepers FH-2 – has only 2 CV inputs, as MIDI -> CV is its primary function, but it does the other way around well, too. Thinking of getting a Kenton Pro CV to MIDI box to supplement, as I already have a way of merging MIDI.

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Thanks!

Just used the Octatracks noise gate for the first time since I got it 6 years ago.
Bloody brilliant. Better than the one I have in ableton. So I dont need to record into the computer, I can just use the OT to gate the hum of the SH101.

Fuck yeah for the Octatrack, its just so bloody useful!

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Hi, what is this noise gate ???
edit : so you use the noise gate just to remove sh101 noise ?

The OT has noise gates on its AB and CD audio inputs.

You can configure them in the PROJECT > CONTROL > INPUT menu.

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Thank you !

As explained by @PeterHanes.

Yes, my SH101 runs very noisy when controlled via midi, no idea why. Using the noise gate helps me achieve a sound I am happy with.

Would work with any noisey bit of gear though, like old mixers, MS20s, old reverbs etc.

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Ground loop?

Only makes a noise with midi in connected. (Connecting midi out makes no difference) so I dunno?

Cool, I will try with my old alesis midiverb1 :slight_smile:

Thank you

Do you have a different piece of gear you can connect to the MIDI input? See if that makes the noise go away.

Get your hands on a multimeter if you don’t have one and check your cables and make sure pin 2 (the middle one) isn’t connected to the metal barrel on the plug. It shouldn’t be but some manufacturers do it anyway, and if it is you could easily have a ground loop. Also if you’re comfortable opening up the 101, make sure that the pin 2 and jack shield on the MIDI input jack aren’t connected to anything.

It sounds to me like one way or another noise is probably getting into your audio signal from the MIDI retrofit through ground (either from a loop or from something happening in other gear). MIDI only requires the cable shields to be connected on the output jack, but it’s possible that pin 2 is connected to ground on the 101 input, either because the retrofit has pin 2 grounded or because the connector shield is grounded and the cable shield (which should only be connected to pin 2 in the cable) is connected to the plug shield.

Just guessing, but making sure none of the pins on the input jack are connected to ground (with the cable disconnected) is the first thing I would check.

Some general info here:
https://www.midi.org/specifications-old/item/midi-din-electrical-specification

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Yeah I got plenty, ive also got a multi meter, and totally happy to open up the 101 as Im the novice that fitted the CPU and midi stuff.
Thanks for the help! Very useful, I will get on to that. Cheers.

I’m just guessing, but it seems to me that if noise is getting into your audio path from the MIDI connection it has to be coming in on ground.

If pin 2 or the connector barrel/shield are wired to ground on the input then in theory at least you should be safe to disconnect them. Only pins 4 and 5 (the ones between the outer pins and the middle pin) need to be connected on the input.

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Cool one I’ve been using:

Make two MIDI tracks going out to the same synth/external device. on track 1 fill up your lfos with whatever CCs you want to control. Put a sequence on track 2, track 1 optional if none of the lfos are trig-dependent.

Now when you play your sequence, the lfos will be affecting the sound until you mute track 1, effectively holding the parameters where the lfos were when you hit mute.

This makes for sort of a controlled randomization of your tone. You can stack multiple MIDI tracks to add more lfos and the more randomization when muting.

You can get a feel for where the lfos are going and mute it at a time to set the vibe of the next part. Or you can button mash mute, it’s your world!

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Here’s one that’s made resampling really easy for me. In every part I use, I use track 8 as a flex with a one-shot recording trig on the first step.

I keep it as a record-anything track, which cuts out the futzing when something sounds great, and I want to capture it. I can easily arm the record trig, and (if needed) adjust the rlen and input source.

I have the rec set to ONE2, so it’s also easy to grab something manually.

Because track 8 is always set like this, I never have to worry about whether I might be overwriting a track. It even works if you are using T8 for something else, as you can record to the T8 record buffer while the track does its thing.

Finally, I have a scene that fades out the live input (via DIR) on T8, and fades in the recording. Handy.

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Yep, even with T8 in Master track mode. Caveats, you can’t preview the recording 8 buffer in that mode.

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Pretty cool way to get a live waveform view of the master out (IIRC Func + Bank still opens the audio editor even with T8 master).
Use scenes to tweak stuff while watching how it effects the audio.

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Yes if you set T8 to a FLEX, recording 8 slot assigned, before changing to Master track mode.

Quicker without settings : RECAB or REC 1 + Bank, which opens track’s recording buffer.

For waveform view I place a rec trig each 2 steps, with 1 zoom level increment (apparently corresponding to +12db). Usefull if you want -12 db security headroom.

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Solving a very particular issue:

If you have a track filled with multiple p locks on a parameter and would like to keep the p locks while turning the ‘whole thing’ up or down, use a square LFO with a “half” trig type, or design an LFO with all steps either 0 or 127. Changing your LFO depth will do the thing.

This comes in handy when using polysynths. Lower notes tend to come out quieter for me so I’ll live record those on one track and use this method to either boost the velocity of those or reduce the velocity of the separate track with higher notes.

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Hi, hope it’s OK to ask for advice here? Recently got an OT mkii and to learn it I exported a song from my DAW as 8 bar loops.

So I’m trying to play the song but kind of ran out of tracks with trigs on step 1 bar 1 getting filled. I learned the trig timing nudge trick but still ran out.

I’m currently working on a version using slots, hoping that will help.

I will try and export loops at 4 bars next time to avoid having to rearm one shot trigs.

So I’m asking for advice on the best way to play a song using many 4 bar (or 8 bar) loops?

I’m guessing the answer is to slice very long loops but I’m not very comfortable finding slice points.

Any advice greatly appreciated, I want to save myself as much learning time as I can.