The cleanest possible signal path in the OT?

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

I don’t want to start a new war over OT sound quality. I love this machine to death.

But I did notice that the stereo A B in from my modular gets coloured quite a bit when monitoring through the OT. The stereo field sounds less ‘wide’ and the higher frequencies sound less bright compared to monitoring directly from my modular with HD-600 headphones.

So i wondered: what is the cleanest method/path to monitor incoming sound? Most of the time I use a thru machine and leave the fx untouched. But I do want to keep the option open to use fx-chains on the incoming sound.

#2

Filter and Lofi can change the sound quite a bit, IIRC EQs as well. Modulation fx to some extend, but delay and reverb less so.

I always monitor through OT and just try to make it sound good, without comparing to the raw sound.

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#3

Also turn off time stretch.

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#4

Even when just monitoring a signal? Do I need to free up the fx blocks as well? (as in: choose no fx)

#5

That is certainly something to consider

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#6

DIR, no master track (DIR goes thru master track).

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#7

So no thru machines, just crank up DIR in the mixer and no master on 8. Check.

#8

Yeah, I want to use filters and other fx, no point in comparing with the raw sound, it has to sound good coming from the OT.

Yes, DIR is cleanest, but no fx…

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#9

And they add more delay compared to DIR.

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#10

Appart from master track fx if used…

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#11

Still possible to record that incoming sound? (by setting rec source to main?)

#12

Yes. Or rec directly the inputs.

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#13

Thanks guys, gonna tinker with those tips in the coming days.

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#14

Also check your levels properly.
Noise Gate can be used as meter. You can set it a -12db.

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#15

Am I correct that inputs should always be set to “max volume”, and the thru track level at max?

#16

If you’re using a thru, the most neutral settings I’ve found are:

  • SRC page: AB/CD -> init setting of 0. Cranking this up can cause clipping, it adds gain.

  • Thru Amp page: VOL @ maximum (+64 iirc). This stops the safety attenuation that the OT sound engine imparts on the source. Max is unity from what I understand.

  • Track level: LVL Maximum @ 127. Stops the 3db attenuation of the default 108 track level.

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#17

Additionally, if you’ve got a master track, I’d set that to 127 as well, else the -3db will be applied there, as mentioned by others! If you’re looking for most neutral, I’d maybe remove the master track as well, as that’ll be doing some additional digital mixing I’d think.

Also, if you’re monitoring directly on the OT headphones, I’d slide the mixer MAIN/CUE mix to just MAIN if you’re not using the CUE. I don’t know how big an effect it has, but I’m sure it did something to the sound quality in the high end. This setting doesn’t affect you if you’re taking the main outs to a mix desk/audio interface etc, so I’ve not used it in a while and may be speaking shite… however, I thought it was worth mentioning :).

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#18

I was so NOT a bitrate matters person. (Seemed far more efficient to just not worry about it) But after using the OT 6 years I switched to always going 24.

I had phrases from a Novation Circuit that just weren’t sounding as good in the OT. I had to listen closely and A/B it a lot. When I could finally pick out the detail that was lost I tried switching from 16 to 24 and that detail came back.

I don’t worry about the theory of why or why not it would matter I just set those two settings to 24 on each new project

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