Hey guys I jump in to give a lil contribute (hopefully) which may help someone.
I had the Octatrack mk2 for like almost 2 years, and before that mk1 as well.
Let me say my favourite samplers of all time are the octatrack (which I sold) and the S 3000 (which I still have).
I am not probably a genius, but after few months I learned the Octa quite well, it makes sense from a music technology point of view, something is extremely slow to achieve, something else quite fast I would say.
It is the box of paradigm, you have to find your way through the machine and balance out your workflow.
I loved the form factor like the machine-drum/mono-machine, but for me the only stuff I could not adapt or find a workaround was the lacking of IO.
I could not get away with the fact that what you make into the octatrack stays in the octatrack, unless you track your music in 2 different "sessions" which IMHO ruins completely the vibe/worflow.
Elektron should have included a dedicated output for each tracks (8) so we could track out stuff as it was intended, this for me was the real deal breaker because I would ended up just recording L+R which is something I would not do even in the 90'.
So long story short I sold the Octa and I bought a second hand Akai Force for 700€ and I could be happier honestly.
Also I get rid of that fetichism I had towards the octatrack, I learn that machines are just stupid machine, it is the brain behind which matters, most.
A big kiss to all the fags and the butt-hurt ladies
