I've had an Octatrack for about 7 years. Like many others, I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love the long sample playback mangling and ability to use short samples to turn it into a zero latency 8 voice drum machine. I hate the UI and the workflow drives me crazy ![:nut:]( "nuts")
So, I've been combing modulargrid and this forum for replacement options for the small number of jobs I rely on the octatrack for, which are:
1) Playback of long samples (the longest I've ever used is about 30 minutes)
2) Ability to change the pitch during long sample playback
3) Ability to change the direction of the pitch during sample playback gradually from forward to reverse and back
4) Assigning drum samples to the 8 tracks and triggering them like a drum machine
I currently use a Befaco VCMC to convert CV signals into MIDI signals sent to the Octatrack and I'm able to make the above tasks work including CV/midi control over pitch, pan and many other mangling features, but I'm looking at Eurorack options which can handle the above plus:
5) Loading and triggering an individual mellotron sample in at least 4 voice polyphonic mode thereby controlling chords by a sequencer (Erica Black Sequencer in my case).
The reasons I can't accomplish #5 with the octatrack?
First, the octatrack is not polyphonic (it can output 8 separate voices/samples, but an individual voice is not polyphonic) so I can't load a single mellotron sample and trigger it with multiple note #'s to play a chord.
Second I can load mellotron samples, but can only change their pitch over a 2 octave range triggering them only with midi note #'s 72-96 (a documented octatrack implementation in the manual). I can use the VCMC to limit the CV-to-midi note range to only trigger #72 -> #96, but then the note CV's output in the Erica Black Sequencer are no longer a 1 to 1 ratio and don't match up:
C0 = note #72
C#0 = note #72
D0 = note #72
D#0 = note #73...etc...
At first I though it was a stable ratio and a minor 3rd incremented the note # by 1 (C0=72, D#0=73, F#0=74, A0=75, C1=76, D#1=77 etc) in which case I'd just setup a special quantize in the Erica that only used C,D#,F#,A...but the ratio's weren't exact and quickly fell apart.
So...any suggestions for a Eurorack sampler that can handle my 5 requirements replacing my octatrack and introducing mellotron samples into my modular? I've done extensive research and so far only the Assimil8or and Bitbox seem to possibly fit the bill, but I could be missing other options.
Thanks!
So, I've been combing modulargrid and this forum for replacement options for the small number of jobs I rely on the octatrack for, which are:
1) Playback of long samples (the longest I've ever used is about 30 minutes)
2) Ability to change the pitch during long sample playback
3) Ability to change the direction of the pitch during sample playback gradually from forward to reverse and back
4) Assigning drum samples to the 8 tracks and triggering them like a drum machine
I currently use a Befaco VCMC to convert CV signals into MIDI signals sent to the Octatrack and I'm able to make the above tasks work including CV/midi control over pitch, pan and many other mangling features, but I'm looking at Eurorack options which can handle the above plus:
5) Loading and triggering an individual mellotron sample in at least 4 voice polyphonic mode thereby controlling chords by a sequencer (Erica Black Sequencer in my case).
The reasons I can't accomplish #5 with the octatrack?
First, the octatrack is not polyphonic (it can output 8 separate voices/samples, but an individual voice is not polyphonic) so I can't load a single mellotron sample and trigger it with multiple note #'s to play a chord.
Second I can load mellotron samples, but can only change their pitch over a 2 octave range triggering them only with midi note #'s 72-96 (a documented octatrack implementation in the manual). I can use the VCMC to limit the CV-to-midi note range to only trigger #72 -> #96, but then the note CV's output in the Erica Black Sequencer are no longer a 1 to 1 ratio and don't match up:
C0 = note #72
C#0 = note #72
D0 = note #72
D#0 = note #73...etc...
At first I though it was a stable ratio and a minor 3rd incremented the note # by 1 (C0=72, D#0=73, F#0=74, A0=75, C1=76, D#1=77 etc) in which case I'd just setup a special quantize in the Erica that only used C,D#,F#,A...but the ratio's weren't exact and quickly fell apart.
So...any suggestions for a Eurorack sampler that can handle my 5 requirements replacing my octatrack and introducing mellotron samples into my modular? I've done extensive research and so far only the Assimil8or and Bitbox seem to possibly fit the bill, but I could be missing other options.
Thanks!
Statistics: Posted by WytchCrypt — Sun Feb 16, 2025 2:26 pm — Replies 11 — Views 313