Just got the Octa (first post here), and here are a few things that I was surprised I couldn’t do. The thing can just do so much, I guess I just want it to do it all! These are a few issues that I’m having.
First off, normal mutes mute the audio stream for a track. Is there a way to quickly “mute MIDI notes” so that trig releases and effect tails are not abruptly cut off when performing?
Secondly, I have a pattern where the final snare needs to be a different sample, and be sent to reverb, during the fill. To me, this would mean a sample lock and parameter lock, but only when FILL is held. Is that possible? There is already a “normal” snare on this same trig, I want it to change just for the fill.
If not, I have a possible feature request. In the Track Trig Edit menu, add one to edit the “fill trigs” of the sequence. This way, fills can even replace existing trigs with new ones, instead of only adding or subtracting trigs. Make sense? Maybe this would half the number of sequences in a bank or project because it’s basically a fast switch between two sequences at that point, but maybe this could be a project setting (“Pattern Fill Type” perhaps?).
(I just realized, this could solve my first problem somewhat. if the “fill sequence” was empty. An “empty” fill = mute all tracks, but effects tails preserved).
On the topic of effects, all reverbs should have the option to be mix or send style. If there is a way to achieve send-style effect with the spring reverb for instance, please let me know!
A bit less pipe-dreamy, it would be nice to have the Digi-style visualized envelope editing (and options for envelopes to be lin log or exp), and useful parameter values for things like compressor attack / release / ratio / threshold, reverb time, etc. I get that the point is to use your ears, but in a live setting this would be invaluable for quick tweax. At least in the manual, it would be nice to note where, for instance, common compressor ratios occur on the 0-127 scale of the Octa.
My feeling is that 1.40 will be the last major update to the OT firmware, so let me know if there are workarounds for these issues. I will be hard at work finding my own!
edit: grammar