Retro-looper question

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Before I commit to upgrade a decade old product :slight_smile:

I want to be able to constantly record a 4 bar loop but mute playback until I take some action, at which point the buffer will stop recording and whatever is in the buffer will playback and loop. Like a looper, but you hit the loop button after you play not before.

1- I assume the octa can do this, right? Set up a (non one shot) record trig, set up a playback trig, mute the playback track. Then the “action” is turn off the record trig and unmute the playback. Is that about right?

2- is there an easy way to do this live in the moment instead of having to take multiple actions? Even if with an external midi controller?

3- can the action’s impact be quantized (eg take the action at any point in the 64 step loop and the impact will occur on the next step 1)? Can it be unquantized (ie if take the action on step 4, it will stop recording on step 4 and the buffer will still contain the audio from the last pass’s steps 5-64?)

4- is the same possible with the midi tracks?

Thanks so much!!

#2

Simple to do with a pattern change.
Pattern 1 records constantly, pattern 2 plays.

2 - Program Change to change pattern

3 - Above method is quantized.
Unquantized, seems more difficult to record 4 bars constantly and playback just after. It would mean that record would begin be 4 bars before playback constantly. I don’t think it’s possible.

4 - different with midi tracks. No midi message to start live recording. Have to press rec + play to start live recording, press rec or play to stop recording.

1 Like
#3

Pretty sure you could utilise a pickup machine method too, which might have some advantages/disadvantages depending on what you want to do.

1 Like
#4

Maybe with Pickup Replace mode, a defined RLEN. Doesn’t seem convenient.

1 Like
#5

Yeah it’ll have some downsides but it might be preferable if you didn’t want to change pattern to hear the loop for whatever reason. It’s not something I’ve tried much yet.

#6

Thank you both so much

If I’m understanding correctly, the pattern change seems pretty elegant especially with a program change message.

I guess if I wanted to do this on more than one track, it would get more complicated but still work? (eg pattern 1 records track 1, pattern 2 plays back track 1 and records track 2, pattern 3 plays back tracks 1 and 2 and records track 3, etc)

I’ll read up and think about the pickup machine idea … I’m not too familiar with that

Thx

#7

Pattern method works with 8 tracks. Have the advantage to have undo if you go back to the pattern concerned by the track you want to record again.

I didn’t experimented much Pickup Replace mode, seems risky and not convenient to me, as you have to press an audio rec button twice to go to replace mode…

Warning : OT isn’t great as a regular looper. Can be clicky. But it can do more. Can’t be simple. :content:

1 Like
#8

:slight_smile: thanks!

1 Like