So I just got my octatrack

tapedeck wrote:it is totally different than an mpc

there are things you can do on an mpc that are pretty backwards on an octa and then things you can do on an octa that is like holy sh*t i been wanting to do that on the mpc for ages.
but basically no comparison - i think they complement each other beautifully they are so different.

no doubt the power under the hood though - and yes you have to hit buttons to access it ;]

Sure there's power, but it isn't terrible different or amazing for the price I found. This was the time I started in Ableton as well.

i think the biggest misconception to clear up here is that the mpc is a drum machine and the octa is anything but.

when i think of it like a spruced-up sampling turntable, i appreciate it more for what it does.

to use it as a sequencing drum machine sounds like a pain - so i went machinedrum.

mpc = best sequencer ever

so octa is like op1

konc3pt wrote:so octa is like op1

i've never used an op1 - but no i still think that is more of a synthesizer - build your tracks from the ground up in the machine type deal.

the octa generally needs large chunks of audio already made from something else.

i'd venture to say it's more like a hyper advanced loop pedal than an mpc - but maybe rob could shed light on that.
and one part of that is you can use it in real time or pre-load it with it loops made elsewhere.

**** off

Op-1 is miles better, I love that device shame the slicing sucks on it but beatmaker 2 and op-1 at the moment are my weapons of choice. Still want my old 2500 back sometime though.

thanks for the quick break down/comparison...i aint tryna start another gear war. seems like op1 n octa r both versatile pieces of gear. I been hearing about octa here n there n was wondering what the hype is about...I'm somewhat more familiar with op1 n it's definitely something I could use, not at it's current price tag tho.


speaking about 2500's there's dude on local craigslist tryna unload minty one with boxex, manuals n plastics on screen for 600 couple weeks back I seen moded 2500 with blue screen and blue lights on button LEDs for 700-800.

2500 got mad cheap! .... thinking abourt scooping up another one and putting it away in the closet for the software apocalypse

konc3pt wrote:thanks for the quick break down/comparison...i aint tryna start another gear war

i feel ya on that

they all three do seem very different.

now if it had a mpc logo on it........

I didn't even see that this thread was still going lol. I've owned the octatrack for a little over a week and I love it. Once you know what you're doing its not hard at all to program it. The button pushin really isn't that much actually. I could load up drums and a sample and have a beat sliced up and playing faster than I did with my 1k or my 2500

It's not just step sequencing, you can do it live too just like you do on a mpc. i dont like doing it with the buttons so im buying a mpd26 to go along woth It. The effects are amazing and I love that you can process audio guts coming in. I use my motif and I've gotten some pretty sweet sounds from it.

Sampling is pretty easy actually and you can use it as a live looper too. I'm calling sweet water this week and ordering a machinedrum and a analog 4 to go along with it. The OT is awesome for controlling other gear via midi.

I have a gig at a electronic festival June 1st and I'm going to use the machinedrum, octatrack and analog 4 to do a live pa set, should be interesting.


IMO opinion the octatrack is badass, you get back what you put into it. It's not an mpc.......I had to learn to think different and not try to use it like an mpc. It's a different workflow

thanks for the review, youtubed more videos octa and machinedrum look like fun to jam with. although it sort of felt like best use for these machines is in electronic music

...outta curiosity were you using jjxl with your 1k, or 2500 ?

konc3pt wrote:thanks for the review, youtubed more videos octa and machinedrum look like fun to jam with. although it sort of felt like best use for these machines is in electronic music

...outta curiosity were you using jjxl with your 1k, or 2500 ?

I had my first mpc 1k and my 2500 before jjos came out. My 2nd mpc I used it but not alot because I was using ableton alot. I've been thinking about getting a 1kto compliment the OT. But that's down the road.

You're right on the whole electronic music with elektron products but I've made hip hop music on the octatrack that was sample based. The machinedrum has a sound engine that emulates the TR808. So you could use that for hip hop and run the outs into the octatrack for filtering and effects.