Anybody find success with an MPC - Octatrack Combo yet?

Anybody make a steady flow of hip hop on the Octatrack yet? Even with an MPC in tandem? I've seen a few vids on YT but, looking for somthing a little more RRish, Jadakissish, or Mobb Deepish,...even HellFireish (he's putting in work on that REN).

I'm a rebel without a cause, and I seek to take the road less traveled so I've been looking at the Octatrack for hip hop. I like to dabble in DUBSTEP and House, even yoga music, but I primarily make hip hop. I know the REN/Studio is a no brainer but I'd like to stay away from software if possible durring the creation phase (that's not true but just go with it) and I'm pretty much covered on that end with BPM, Mach 5 & Logic. I've seen my iMac become troubled when trying to handle plugins, sequencing, effects and recording all at the same time (poor bussing on my part most likely). Moreover, I'd like a portable solution that does not require a laptop but still plays well with my home studio. I still have my eye on the 5000, 2500, and 1000. But if I could get at least a good sample of some decent hip hop made on the Octatrack I'd cough up the bucks (since its really no more expensive than the REN). Even if you used an MPC as well, that's cheating, but I'd still be interested to hear it.

I just don't want to make the same mistake I made ~11 years ago with the RS700... That was a disaster...

Even though neither one of these are "hip hop" or what ever... they still might be of some use to you.

I know that "Almost Always Drifting" is 100% OctaTrack. I think the other one is 100% OP-1 ("Smooth & Nameless"), but could be kissed with some OT twidlings.
Sorry to not really be able to help you out but I have heard quite a few hippin' and hoppin' beats come from the OctaTrack.
Over at elektron-users.com people post their music so it might be worth a shot to use their forum's search function and dig some up. I know for a fact I've heard some there before. I just tried checking around SoundCloud and was having a hard time coming up with anything but I was also not wanting to listen to a bunch of sh*tty house music so I didn't really click around too much. You will probably have better luck!

NOW, that being said, I've had TWO OctaTracks in my days and it was one of the finest samplers/electronic instruments I've ever laid my dirty lil' hands on. I've thought long & hard about making that my next and last piece of my non-acoustic setup. You can make hip hop beats on a drum machine so there is absolutely NO way you can't on the OT. Seriously, there is no verbalizing how bad ass the machine actually is but once you play on one... you will fully understand (or run away defeated by it's amount of buttons lulz).

If you have the bones for the OctaTrack and you're not hurting yourself... head over to elektron-users.com and find one second-hand. All the dudes there are pretty on point about keeping their gear up, in fact, it's one of the only places I trust buying second-hand from. OTs pop up there often.

Peace out mang!

Medearis thanks for the response. I'm going to head over to the EU forum and check that out. You are correct the OCTA track should do everything another drum machine can do. That's pretty much what my logic tells me ,but I always have a fear in the back of my mind about betting against the MPC. It's going to end up being pretty much one or the other for the next 10 years I don't think I'll use both. Especially since I already have a Fantom, BPM, and DAW software. The 5000/2500 with XL would be my MPC alternative.

Good Idea! I found a bunch of stuff!

This is just one of them -

Twardowski - A Soundtrack To Growing Up EP
http://uknowme.bandcamp.com/album/twardowski-a-soundtrack-to-growing-up-ep

His post on EU says it was all created with the Octatrack.

Amazing results!

you'd better check the manual, the octa has some limitations.

I wanted cop one some time ago but what stopped me from buy one was:

1 - just one L+R main output

2 - Just 8 tracks (7 tracks+a master track)

3 - Every track is monophonic, so essentially you got 8 note polyphony.


Anyway its an awesome machine with probably the best sampling feauture/mangling and a superb midi sequencer.

I guess an mpc 1000 with jjos an an octatrak must be kind of portable sampling and sequencing heaven!

andreat668 thanks for the reply. Very true. I've been looking into those issues and determining weather they would effect me adversely.

"1 - just one L+R main output"
This is somewhat of a pain if I mix a song in logic and decide to drop every track out by itself. Currently I only drop 1 stereo track at a time with my Fantom, just mute everything and play it out. I never use mono tracks. I only have 4 trs/xlr IN ports on my V-Studio anyway. And I think the OT can run audio through the CUE outs as well.


"2 - Just 8 tracks (7 tracks+a master track)"
"3 - Every track is monophonic, so essentially you got 8 note polyphony."
Yeah I dug into these a little too. There are 8 audio tracks and 8 midi tracks that can be used simultaneously for a total of 16 tracks...at least that's the info I got from the forum. Only asked because I had not seen it explicitly stated that way in the manual. The 8th track as a master is optional but cool imo. The OT would not be my only sound source...i'd also use the Fantom and Mach Five via midi and probably run their signal back into the OT for effects. They will have plenty of polyphony to go around for those 8 midi tracks. The midi machines can support 4 note chords. so 4 notes can be transmitted simultaneously from the OT the play back is controlled by the external device.

I'm still on the fence and I won't be buying anything for at least 6 months. Just my luck I'll finally get the OT and Akai will drop a new standalone MPC. Either way I'll just be pontificating about this stuff for a long while before I pull any triggers.

I had a mpc 1k and octatrack but I sold my 1k to glewfactory off these forums. I used the octatrack with a motif xs and the analog 4. I used the mpc to sequencer long pads and stuff like that over 4 bars because the ot can only go 4 bars. I sold the motif and the mpc though, it was over kill after I incorporated ableton push into my set up. Gteat sampler, super deep but there's a steep learning curve.

Oct is great for live improv, I love it

I've had two OctaTracks. Working on getting one for me to keep right now.
I will say that the eight track "limitation" seems like a limitation before you start playing with it but it really is limitless once you get down to it.

You can use sample chains in the OT that really opens it up. Having 32 different kick drums, for instance, chained into one long sample. You can parameter lock each trigger you place to be a different slice, triggering each different kick drum. This sample chaining really opens up a BUNCH of new territory for sampler-mayhem.

It's really cool. If you guys are curious, check out on some threads on Elektron-Users (the forums are going through a transitional period right now so please bare with it).


Peace!