Elektron Octatrack User Manual
FCC compliance statement
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference
will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment o and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit dierent from that to which the receiver is
connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
European Union regulation compliance statement
This product has been tested to comply with the Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EC and the
Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 2004/108/EC. The product meets the requirements of RoHS 2
Directive 2011/65/EU.
This symbol indicates that your product must be disposed of properly according to local laws
and regulations.
The included switched-mode power supply is CEC Level V compliant.
The device contains a non rechargable lithium perchlorate battery cell that may need to be recycled
separately depending on local environmental laws. If the battery needs replacing, please contact Elektron or a local professional technician for servicing.
Legal disclaimer
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a
commitment by Elektron. Elektron assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. Elektron may also make improvements and/or changes in the products and programs described
in this document at any time without notice. In no event shall Elektron be liable for any special, indirect,
or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits,
whether in an action of contract, negligence, or other action, arising out of or in connection with the use
or performance of this information.
IMPORTANT SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS
Please read these instructions carefully and adhere to the operating advice.
1. Do not use this unit near water.
2. Never use aggressive cleaners on the casing or on the LCD screen. Remove dust, dirt and fingerprints
with a soft, dry and non-abrasive cloth. More persistent dirt can be removed with a slightly damp cloth
using only water. Disconnect all cables while doing this. Only reconnect them when the product is
safely dry.
3. To avoid scratches or damage, never use sharp objects near the casing or the LCD screen. Avoid
applying any pressure to the screen itself.
4. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure you place the unit on a stable surface before use. If you mount the unit in a rack, be sure to tighten all four screws in the rack mount holes.
5. Connect the unit to an easily accessible electrical outlet close to the unit.
6. When transporting the unit, use accessories recommended by the manufacturer or the original box and
padding.
7. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or any other equipment
(including amplifiers) producing heat.
8. Do not put the PL-2 Protective Cover (Elektron accessory) on the unit while the unit is powered on.
9. Make sure there is sucient air circulation in the room where the unit is kept.
10. This product, by itself or in combination with amplifiers, headphones or speakers, is capable of producing sound levels that may cause permanent hearing loss. Do not operate at a high volume level or at a
level that is uncomfortable.
11. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles,
and the point where they exit from the unit.
12. Use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
13. Unplug this unit during lightning storms or when it is not used for long periods of time.
14. Refer all servicing to qualified service technicians. Servicing is required when the unit has been
damaged in any way, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the unit, the unit has been
exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of fire, electrical shock or product damage:
• Do not expose the unit to rain, moisture, dripping or splashing and also avoid placing objects filled with
liquid, such as vases, on the unit.
• Do not expose the unit to direct sunlight, nor use it in ambient temperatures exceeding 40°C as this can
lead to malfunction.
• Do not open the casing. There are no user repairable or adjustable parts inside. Leave service and re-
pairs to trained service technicians only.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE POWER ADAPTER ELEKTRON PSU-2
• The adapter is not safety grounded and may only be used indoors.
• To ensure good ventilation for the adapter, do not place it in tight spaces. To prevent risk of electric
shock and fire because of overheating, ensure that curtains and other objects do not prevent adapter
ventilation.
• Do not expose the power adapter to direct sunlight, nor use it in ambient temperatures exceeding 40°C.
• Connect the adapter to an easily accessible electrical outlet close to the unit.
• The adapter is in standby mode when the power cord is connected. The primary circuit is always active
when the cord is connected to the power outlet. Pull out the cord to completely disconnect the adapter.
• In the EU, only use CE approved power cords.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION ...............................................................10
1.1 CONVENTIONS IN THIS MANUAL ............................................................ 10
2. THE BACKGROUND OF THE OCTATRACK ...................................... 11
2.1 SUGGESTED APPLICATIONS OF THE OCTATRACK ...........................................11
2.1.1 LOOPER DEVICE ...........................................................................11
2.1.2 RADICAL SOUND PROCESSOR ............................................................11
2.1.3 BACKING TRACK MACHINE ................................................................11
2.1.4 LIVE SETUP HUB ...........................................................................11
2.1.5 REMIX TOOL ...............................................................................11
2.1.6 EFFECTS UNIT EXTRAORDINAIRE ..........................................................11
3. PANEL LAYOUT AND CONNECTORS ...........................................12
3.1 FRONT PANEL ............................................................................. 12
3.2 REAR CONNECTORS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.3 OCTATRACK ACCESSORIES ............................................................... 14
3.3.1 RACK MOUNT KIT .........................................................................14
3.3.2 CARRYING BAG AND PROTECTIVE LID ...................................................14
3.4 THE COMPACT FLASH CARD READER ..................................................... 14
3.4.1 COMPACT FLASH CARD SPECIFICATIONS ................................................15
3.5 CONNECTING THE UNIT ................................................................... 15
3.6 CARE INSTRUCTIONS ..................................................................... 15
4. OVERVIEW OF THE OCTATRACK STRUCTURE .................................16
4.1 SETS ...................................................................................... 16
4.2 AUDIO POOL .............................................................................. 16
4.3 PROJECTS ................................................................................ 16
4.4 FLEX AND STATIC SAMPLE SLOT LISTS .................................................... 17
4.5 BANKS .................................................................................... 17
4.6 PATTERNS ................................................................................ 17
4.7 PARTS ..................................................................................... 17
4.8 SCENES ................................................................................... 17
4.9 ARRANGEMENTS .......................................................................... 17
4.10 TRACKS .................................................................................. 17
4.11 MACHINES ................................................................................ 17
4.12 HOW INFORMATION IS HANDLED ......................................................... 18
5. THE USER INTERFACE ........................................................19
5.1 MENUS AND WINDOWS .................................................................... 19
5.2 PARAMETER EDITING .....................................................................20
5.2.1 QUICK PARAMETER EDITING .............................................................20
5.2.2 PARAMETER VALUE SKIP .................................................................20
5.3 QUICK SCROLLING ........................................................................20
5.4 COPY, CLEAR AND PASTE .................................................................20
5.5 THE NAMING MENU ........................................................................20
5.5.1 POP-UP MENU NAMING ...................................................................20
6. QUICK START ................................................................ 22
6.1 DEMO MODE ...............................................................................22
6.1.1 PLAYING THE DEMO PATTERNS ...........................................................22
6.1.2 ADJUSTING PARAMETERS ................................................................22
6.1.3 EXPERIMENTING WITH SCENES ..........................................................22
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6.1.4 RECORDING A PATTERN USING GRID RECORDING ........................................22
6.1.5 RECORDING A PATTERN USING LIVE RECORDING ........................................22
6.1.6 PARAMETER LOCKS ......................................................................23
6.2 MOUNTING A SET AND LOADING A PROJECT ..............................................23
6.2.1 MOUNTING A SET ........................................................................23
6.2.2 LOADING A PROJECT ....................................................................24
6.3 LOADING SAMPLES .......................................................................24
6.3.1 ASSIGNING A MACHINE TO A TRACK .....................................................24
6.3.2 ASSIGNING A SAMPLE TO A MACHINE ...................................................25
7. SETS ......................................................................... 26
7.1 CREATING AND MOUNTING A SET ..........................................................26
7.2 AUDIO POOL ............................................................................... 27
7.2.1 ADDING CONTENT TO THE AUDIO POOL ..................................................27
7.2.2 AUDIO FILE COMPATIBILITY ..............................................................27
8. PROJECTS ................................................................... 28
8.1 PROJECTS AND RAM MEMORY .............................................................28
8.2 LOADING AND CREATING A PROJECT ......................................................28
8.3 LOADING SAMPLES TO THE SAMPLE SLOTS ...............................................29
8.3.1 LOADING FROM THE QUICK ASSIGN MENU ...............................................29
8.3.2 LOADING FROM THE PLAYBACK SETUP MENU ...........................................30
8.3.3 FILE BROWSER ..........................................................................30
8.4 THE PROJECT MENU ...................................................................... 31
8.4.1 PROJECT .................................................................................31
8.5 SYSTEM ...................................................................................32
8.5.1 USB DISK MODE .........................................................................32
8.5.2 OS UPGRADE ............................................................................33
8.5.3 DATE/TIME ..............................................................................33
8.5.4 PERSONALIZE ...........................................................................33
8.5.5 CARD TOOLS ............................................................................34
8.5.6 STATUS ..................................................................................35
8.6 CONTROL .................................................................................35
8.6.1 AUDIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
8.6.2 INPUT ....................................................................................36
8.6.3 SEQUENCER .............................................................................36
8.6.4 MIDI SEQUENCER .......................................................................37
8.6.5 MEMORY .................................................................................37
8.6.6 METRONOME ............................................................................39
8.7 MIDI .......................................................................................39
8.7.1 CONTROL ................................................................................39
8.7.2 SYNC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
8.7.3 CHANNELS ............................................................................... 41
8.7.4 TURBO STATUS ..........................................................................41
8.8 MIXER MENU ..............................................................................42
8.9 TEMPO MENU .............................................................................43
8.9.1 TAP TEMPO ...............................................................................43
8.9.2 PATTERN TEMPO NUDGE ................................................................43
8.9.3 SAMPLE TEMPO NUDGE .................................................................43
9. TRACK RECORDERS AND PICKUP MACHINES ................................44
9.1 RECORDING EDIT AND SETUP MENUS ......................................................44
9.1.1 RECORDING EDIT MENU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
9.1.2 RECORDING SETUP 1 MENU ..............................................................45
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9.1.3 RECORDING SETUP 2 MENU ..............................................................46
9.2 TRACK RECORDER SAMPLING METHODS ..................................................47
9.2.1 MANUAL SAMPLING ......................................................................47
9.2.2 RECORDER TRIG SAMPLING .............................................................48
9.2.3 PLAYBACK OF CAPTURED RECORDER SAMPLES ........................................48
9.3 PICKUP MACHINE SAMPLING ..............................................................49
9.3.1 MASTER AND SLAVE PICKUP MACHINES ..................................................49
9.3.2 CONTROLLING THE PICKUP MACHINES ..................................................50
9.3.2 SEQUENCER TO PICKUP SYNC ...........................................................50
10. BANKS, PARTS AND SCENES ................................................ 52
10.1 BANKS ....................................................................................52
10.2 PARTS ....................................................................................52
10.2.1 PART QUICK SELECT ....................................................................52
10.2.2 PARTS EDIT .............................................................................53
10.2.3 PART RELOAD ...........................................................................53
10.3 SCENES ..................................................................................53
10.3.1 ASSIGNING AND ADJUSTING SCENES ...................................................53
10.3.2 SCENE VOLUME LOCKING ..............................................................54
10.3.3 SCENE MUTE ...........................................................................54
10.3.4 SCENE COPY ...........................................................................54
10.3.5 SCENE CLEAR ..........................................................................54
11. TRACKS ..................................................................... 55
11.1 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FLEX AND STATIC MACHINES ................................55
11.2 ASSIGNING MACHINES TO TRACKS .......................................................55
11.2.1 ASSIGNING MACHINES IN THE QUICK ASSIGN MENU .....................................55
11.2.2 ASSIGNING MACHINES IN THE PLAYBACK SETUP MENU .................................56
11.3 ASSIGNING FLEX AND STATIC SAMPLES TO MACHINES ...................................56
11.3.1 ASSIGNING SAMPLES IN THE QUICK ASSIGN MENU ......................................56
11.3.2 ASSIGNING SAMPLES IN THE PLAYBACK SETUP MENU ..................................56
11.4 TRACK PARAMETER PAGES ...............................................................57
11.4.1 TRACK MAIN LEVEL ......................................................................57
11.4.2 TRACK CUE LEVEL ......................................................................57
11.4.3 PLAYBACK MAIN .........................................................................57
11.4.4 PLAYBACK SETUP .......................................................................57
11.4.5 AMP MAIN ...............................................................................58
11.4.6 AMP SETUP ..............................................................................58
11.4.7 LFO MAIN ................................................................................59
11.4.8 LFO SETUP ..............................................................................60
11.4.9 LFO DESIGNER ..........................................................................61
11.4.10 EFFECT 1 AND EFFECT 2 ................................................................61
11.5 DIRECT TRACK MUTING ...................................................................62
11.6 MAIN AND CUE OUTPUTS ROUTING .......................................................62
11.6.1 MAIN OUTPUT ROUTING ..................................................................63
11.6.2 CUE OUTPUT ROUTING ..................................................................63
11.6.3 PARAMETERS AFFECTING MAIN AND CUE LEVELS ......................................63
12. PATTERNS ..................................................................64
12.1 TRIG LED INDICATIONS ....................................................................64
12.2 BASIC PATTERN OPERATIONS ............................................................64
12.2.1 SELECTING A PATTERN ..................................................................64
12.2.2 PATTERN CONTROL .....................................................................64
12.2.3 PATTERN CHAINING .....................................................................65
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12.3 RECORDING MODES ......................................................................65
12.3.1 GRID RECORDING MODE ................................................................65
12.3.2 LIVE RECORDING MODE ................................................................65
12.4 TRIG TYPES ..............................................................................66
12.4.1 SAMPLE TRIGS ..........................................................................66
12.4.2 TRIGLESS LOCKS .......................................................................66
12.4.3 TRIGLESS TRIGS ........................................................................66
12.4.4 ONE SHOT TRIGS .......................................................................66
12.4.5 SWING TRIGS ...........................................................................67
12.4.6 SLIDE TRIGS ............................................................................67
12.4.7 RECORDER TRIGS .......................................................................67
12.5 PARAMETER LOCKS ......................................................................67
12.6 SAMPLE LOCKS ..........................................................................67
12.7 TRIG MODES ..............................................................................68
12.7.1 TRACK ...................................................................................68
12.7.2 CHROMATIC .............................................................................68
12.7.3 SLOTS ...................................................................................69
12.7.4 SLICES ..................................................................................69
12.7.5 QUICK MUTE ............................................................................69
12.7.6 DELAY CONTROL ........................................................................69
12.8 SEQUENCER COPY, PASTE AND CLEAR OPERATIONS .....................................70
12.8.1 PATTERN COPY ..........................................................................70
12.8.2 PATTERN CLEAR ........................................................................70
12.8.3 TRACK COPY ...........................................................................70
12.8.4 TRACK CLEAR ..........................................................................71
12.8.5 TRACK PAGE COPY ..................................................................... 71
12.8.6 TRACK PAGE CLEAR ....................................................................71
12.8.7 TRACK PARAMETER PAGE COPY ........................................................71
12.8.8 TRACK PARAMETER PAGE CLEAR ....................................................... 71
12.8.9 TRIG COPY .............................................................................. 71
12.8.10 TRIG LOCK CLEAR .....................................................................72
12.9 TRACK TRIG EDIT MENU ..................................................................72
12.9.1 TRIGS ....................................................................................72
12.9.2 SLIDE ...................................................................................72
12.9.3 SWING ..................................................................................73
12.9.4 RECORDER TRIGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
12.10 PATTERN SETTINGS MENU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
12.10.1 PATTERN ................................................................................74
12.11 MICRO TIMING ...........................................................................75
12.12 CONDITIONAL LOCKS ....................................................................76
12.13 FILL MODE ...............................................................................76
12.14 SCALE SETUP ...........................................................................77
12.14.1 NORMAL ................................................................................77
12.14.2 PER TRACK .............................................................................77
13. THE AUDIO EDITOR ......................................................... 79
13.1 ACCESSING THE AUDIO EDITOR ...........................................................79
13.1.1 ACCESS FROM THE QUICK ASSIGN MENU ................................................79
13.1.2 ACCESS FROM THE PLAYBACK SETUP MENU ............................................79
13.1.3 ACCESS FROM TRACKS AND TRACK RECORDERS .......................................79
13.2 AUDIO EDITOR FUNCTIONALITY ..........................................................79
13.2.1 TRIM .....................................................................................79
13.2.2 SLICE ...................................................................................80
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13.2.3 EDIT ....................................................................................81
13.2.4 ATTRIBUTES ............................................................................83
13.2.5 FILE .....................................................................................85
14. THE ARRANGER ............................................................. 86
14.1 THE ARRANGER MENU ....................................................................86
14.1.1 EDIT ......................................................................................86
14.1.2 RENAME .................................................................................88
14.1.3 CHANGE .................................................................................88
14.1.4 CHAIN ...................................................................................88
14.1.5 CLEAR ...................................................................................88
14.1.6 SAVE ....................................................................................88
14.1.7 RELOAD .................................................................................88
15. THE MIDI SEQUENCER ...................................................... 89
15.1 ACCESSING THE MIDI SEQUENCER ........................................................89
15.2 HOW MIDI IS ROUTED .....................................................................89
15.3 MIDI MODE LIVE RECORDING AND PARAMETER LOCKING .................................90
15.4 MIDI TRACK PARAMETER PAGES .........................................................90
15.4.1 NOTE MAIN ..............................................................................90
15.4.2 NOTE SETUP ............................................................................91
15.4.3 ARPEGGIATOR MAIN ....................................................................91
15.4.4 ARPEGGIATOR SETUP ...................................................................92
15.4.5 MIDI LFO MAIN ..........................................................................92
15.4.6 MIDI LFO SETUP .........................................................................92
15.4.7 CTRL 1 MAIN .............................................................................93
15.4.8 CTRL 1 SETUP ...........................................................................93
15.4.9 CTRL 2 MAIN ............................................................................93
15.4.10 CTRL 2 SETUP ..........................................................................94
16. OCTATRACK SETUP EXAMPLES ............................................. 95
16.1 OCTATRACK AS A PERFORMANCE HUB ...................................................95
16.1.1 DIR METHOD .............................................................................95
16.1.2 THRU MACHINES METHOD ..............................................................96
16.2 OCTATRACK WITH EXTERNAL EFFECTS ..................................................97
16.3 OCTATRACK PROCESSING LIVE INSTRUMENTS ...........................................98
16.4 OCTATRACK AS A DJ MIXER AND SAMPLER ...............................................99
16.4.1 DJ MIXING USING THE DIR METHOD .....................................................99
16.4.2 DJ MIXING USING THE THRU METHOD .................................................100
16.5 OCTATRACK AS A MIDI CONTROL CENTER ............................................... 101
16.5.1 MIDI CONTROL USING CC DIRECT CONNECT AND THE AUTO CHANNEL ................101
17. OCTATRACK TUTORIALS ...................................................103
17.1 TRACK RECORDER SAMPLING ............................................................103
17.1.1 MANUAL SAMPLING .....................................................................103
17.1.2 SAMPLING USING RECORDER TRIGS ....................................................103
17.1.3 PLAYBACK OF CAPTURED RECORDER SAMPLES .......................................104
17.1.4 PICKUP MACHINE SAMPLING ............................................................104
17.1.5 CONTROLLING THE PICK UP MACHINES WITH A MIDI FOOT CONTROLLER ..............105
17.2 LOOP REMIXING .........................................................................106
17.2.1 LOOP REMIXING USING SLICES .........................................................106
17.2.2 LOOP REMIXING USING THE CROSSFADER .............................................107
17.3 PREPARING LOOPS AND SAMPLES .......................................................108
17.4 THE OCTATRACK AS A DJ DECK .........................................................109
17.5 THE OCTATRACK AS AN EFFECTS PROCESSOR .......................................... 110
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18. EARLY STARTUP MENU ...................................................... 111
18.1 TEST MODE ...............................................................................111
18.2 EMPTY RESET ............................................................................111
18.3 MIDI UPGRADE ...........................................................................111
18.4 SEND UPGRADE ..........................................................................111
19. SUMMARY OF BUTTON COMBINATIONS .....................................113
. TECHNICAL INFORMATION .................................................115
. CREDITS AND CONTACT INFORMATION .....................................115
APPENDIX A: MACHINE REFERENCE ............................................116
A.1 THRU MACHINE ........................................................................... 116
A.2 FLEX MACHINE ............................................................................117
A.3 STATIC MACHINE ......................................................................... 118
A.4 NEIGHBOR MACHINE ..................................................................... 119
A.5 PICKUP MACHINE ........................................................................120
APPENDIX B: EFFECTS REFERENCE ............................................121
B.1 NONE ......................................................................................121
B.2 12/24DB MULTI MODE FILTER ............................................................. 122
B.3 2-BAND PARAMETRIC EQ .................................................................123
B.4 DJ STYLE KILL EQ ........................................................................124
B.5 2-10 STAGE PHASER ......................................................................125
B.6 FLANGER ................................................................................126
B.7 2-10 TAP CHORUS ........................................................................ 127
B.8 SPATIALIZER .............................................................................128
B.9 COMB FILTER ............................................................................129
B.10 DYNAMIX COMPRESSOR ................................................................130
B.11 LO-FI COLLECTION ....................................................................... 131
B.12 ECHO FREEZE DELAY .................................................................... 132
B.13 GATEBOX PLATE REVERB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
B.14 SPRING REVERB .........................................................................134
B.15 DARK REVERB ...........................................................................135
APPENDIX C: MIDI CONTROL REFERENCE ..................................... 136
C.1 NOTE MAPPING ...........................................................................136
C.2 CTRL CHANGE MAPPINGS ................................................................ 137
C.3 MIDI MODE CTRL CHANGE MAPPINGS ....................................................138
INDEX ......................................................................... 140
9
1. INTRODUCTION
1. INTRODUCTION
Thank you for choosing the Octatrack DPS-1. The Octatrack is a dynamic performance sampler ideal for
real-time sampling, remixing and audio manipulation. It features the improved Elektron step sequencer which
makes it easy to bend and process samples in new and unique ways. To make the most of the machine, we
would recommend you to carefully read this manual. Tutorial videos, found on the Elektron website, are also
available. They cover the basics of the Octatrack and are a great complement to this document.
1.1 CONVENTIONS IN THIS MANUAL
We have used the following conventions throughout the manual:
Key names are written in upper case, bold style and bracketed letters. For instance, the key labeled “Func-
tion” on the main panel is called [FUNCTION].
Menu names are written in upper case letters. The PLAYBACK SETUP menu is an example of that.
Parameter names and certain menu options where settings can be made or actions performed are written
in bold, upper case letters. For example, HEADPHONES MIX.
Upper case letters are used for parameter setting alternatives, for example, ONE, and certain menu set-
tings, like EXTERNAL.
Messages visible on the screen are written in upper case letters with quotation marks. Like this, “CHOOSE
BANK”
Knobs are written in upper case, bold, italic letters. For instance, the knob “Level” is called LEVEL.
LED indicators like the record LED are written like this: <RECORD>.
The following symbols are used throughout the manual:
Important information that you should pay attention to.
A tip that will make it easier for you to interact with the Octatrack.
This symbol is not used, but it shows a nice shrimp.
Octatrack DPS-1 User’s Manual. This manual is copyright © 2018 Elektron Music Machines MAV AB. All reproduction,
digital or printed, without written authorization is strictly prohibited. The information in this manual may change without
notice. Elektron’s product names, logotypes, titles, words or phrases may be registered and protected by Swedish and
international law. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
This manual for Octatrack DPS-1, OS version 1.30B, was last updated June 14, 2018.
10
2. THE BACKGROUND OF THE OCTATRACK
2. THE BACKGROUND OF THE OCTATRACK
The first relatively aordable samplers were released in the 1980’s and made a huge impact on the music
scene of that time. Sonic elements, taken from completely new sources, could suddenly form a vital part of
a composition. This resulted in the birth and evolution of several genres, for example hip hop. The concept
of the sampler has since then branched o in several directions. Software based samplers are today capable of handling enormously large, multi-sampled, sample libraries. Hardware samplers aren’t really suited for
those tasks. Instead, they come to their best when conceived as dedicated devices focusing on new and
radical approaches to sampling.
When we developed the Machinedrum UW, one of the goals was to allow for a creative use of samples.
Once the machine was released it became apparent that especially the RAM machines, which made it possible to record sounds in real-time and instantly play them back, were utilized in ways we originally couldn’t
even imagine. Users around the world used them to incorporate live sampled shortwave radio sounds in
their compositions, make instant remixes of 12” records and to more or less conceive new genres of music.
It was obvious that the RAM machine concept harbored a tremendous potential. This was the starting point
of the Octatrack. We wanted to create a machine that would regard recorded material not as inflexible
sounds, but rather as something highly malleable. This is one of the reasons why the Octatrack exists. The
other one is because of the stage. The laptop computer has quickly established itself as a common instrument in live setups. It is a powerful and highly customizable tool, however, the multi functionality is at the
same time a disadvantage. When it comes to audio related tasks a laptop is still a jack of all trades but master of none. The Octatrack on the other hand is designed to be a streamlined, reliable and straightforward
machine allowing live performers to really add something extra to their sets. It can act as a backing track
machine, a second turntable, a source of experimental soundscapes or simply as an instrument encouraging improvisation and fun.
These two reasons converge and form the ultimate raison d’être of the Octatrack: its capability to re-establish sampling as an art form. We hope it will be a trusty companion during your musical endeavours.
2.1 SUGGESTED APPLICATIONS OF THE OCTATRACK
The flexibility of the Octatrack makes it a very powerful device suited to a wide range of tasks. Here a few
of them are presented.
2.1.1 LOOPER DEVICE
The Octatrack is ideal for DJ’s and live performers. You will be able to quickly sample a turntable or other
sound sources present on the stage and instantly play back and aect the recorded loop. Add prerecorded loops and sounds to samples captured in real-time to take your performance to a completely
new level. The real-time timestretch will make sure everything stays in sync.
2.1.2 RADICAL SOUND PROCESSOR
The combined power of the sampling engine, the sequencer and the FX blocks makes the Octatrack a
very powerful audio mangler. This functionality is great when working in the studio and wanting to obtain
unique sounds and textures.
2.1.3 BACKING TRACK MACHINE
Each of the eight stereo tracks can stream gigabyte-large samples. Despite the large size of the samples they can still be subject to timestretch. Change the tempo of the Octatrack and the backing track
samples can be timestretched accordingly. On top of this you can treat the samples with the Octatrack
eects and sequencer tricks.
2.1.4 LIVE SETUP HUB
The two input pairs combined with the extensive audio routing possibilities allow the Octatrack to
function as a mixer. Connect for example a Machinedrum and a Monomachine to the inputs and enjoy a
complete live setup with extreme possibilities.
2.1.5 REMIX TOOL
It is easy to change the pitch of dierent sections of a vocal sample without changing the overall tempo
of the sample. Chopping up and rearranging samples and loops is extremely simple thanks to features
like the LFO designer and slice points. The Octatrack lets you break down audio content and restructure
it in new and interesting ways.
2.1.6 EFFECTS UNIT EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chained FX blocks paired with automated real time sampling can warble and twist incoming audio in
ways previously unachievable by a single machine. Two chains, each with 8 simultaneous eects, can be
active at the same time.
11
3. PANEL LAYOUT AND CONNECTORS
26
2
16 17 20 21 22 23 24 25 2318 19
3 4 45 6 87
3. PANEL LAYOUT AND CONNECTORS
1
10
11
12
13
14
15
9
3.1 FRONT PANEL
The Octatrack front panel. For a more comprehensive list of key combinations, please see “19. SUMMARY
OF BUTTON COMBINATIONS” on page 113.
1. HEADPHONES VOLUME CONTROL sets the volume for the stereo headphones jack.
2. [AUDIO RECORD] buttons are used for real-time sampling through the external inputs. There is one
[AUDIO RECORD] button per audio input pair.
3. The <AUDIO RECORD> LEDs indicate the strength of the signal received on the external inputs. When
in the RECORD SETUP menu these LEDs also indicate the source selection for recorder trigs.
4. [TRACK] buttons. Press a [TRACK] button to move the focus to the corresponding track. Pressing a
[TRACK] button + an [AUDIO RECORD] button will record audio to the recorder of the selected track.
[FUNCTION] + [TRACK] will mute the selected track. [CUE] + [TRACK] will cue the selected track. The
<TRACK> LEDs indicate which track is active as well as the mute and cue status of the tracks.
5. The LCD graphical interface.
6. <CARD STATUS> LED, indicating the activity of the Compact Flash card.
7. LEVEL sets the overall volume level of the active track. [FUNCTION] + LEVEL controls the main output
volume.
8. [TEMPO] key. Brings up the TEMPO menu. The current tempo is always indicated by the flashing speed
of the <TEMPO> LED. Tapping the BPM is done by holding [FUNCTION] and then repeatedly tapping
[TEMPO].
9. DATA ENTRY knobs. Used to set parameter values. Press the knob when turning to change values in
larger increments.
10. [MIXER] opens up a menu where settings for the in- and outputs can be made. Tracks can also be muted and solo:ed here. Pressing [FUNCTION] + [MIXER] opens the PROJECT menu.
11. [MIDI] activates the MIDI editiing mode. A lit <MIDI> LED indicates the MIDI editing mode is active. When
in the RECORD SETUP menu this LED indicates both the signal strength of the internal sample source
and the internal source selection for recorder trigs. [FUNCTION] + [MIDI] opens the PARTS menu.
When a Pickup machine is used, the button combination performs a number of commands.
12. [FUNCTION] key. Press and hold it for accessing the secondary function of another key. Secondary
functions are often printed in red text on the panel.
13. Pressing [CUE] + a [TRACK] key will cue the track. The audio of the track will then be routed to the cue
outputs. [FUNCTION] + [CUE] will reload the parameter settings of the selected part.
12
3. PANEL LAYOUT AND CONNECTORS
14. Pressing [PATTERN] + a [TRIG] key selects the active pattern within a bank. The ARRANGER menu is
opened by pressing [FUNCTION] + [PATTERN].
15. [BANK] + a [TRIG] key selects the active bank. Pressing [FUNCTION] + [BANK] opens various context
based menus.
16. [ENTER/YES] key. Used for entering sub-menus and for confirming choices.
17. [EXIT/NO] key. Used for exiting an active menu and for deselecting options.
18. The [ARROW] keys. Used for menu navigation. They are called [UP], [DOWN], [LEFT] and [RIGHT].
Pressing [LEFT]/[RIGHT] while no particular menu is open will temporarily nudge the BPM up or down.
19. [TRACK PARAMETER] keys switches between the TRACK PARAMETER pages of the active track.
Pressing [FUNCTION] + a [TRACK PARAMETER] key or quickly double pressing a [TRACK PARAME-
TER] key will open the SETUP menu of the selected TRACK PARAMETER page. In MIDI SEQUENCER
mode the TRACK PARAMETER pages reflect the MIDI functionality of the tracks.
20. [REC] key. Toggles GRID RECORDING mode on/o. Starts LIVE RECORDING mode if held while
pressing [PLAY]. In GRID RECORDING mode, the <RECORD> LED gives a steady light, while in LIVE
RECORDING mode it flashes. Pressing [FUNCTION] + [REC] performs a copy command.
21. [PLAY] key. Starts playback of a pattern or arrangement. Pressing [PLAY] a second time pauses play-
back. [FUNCTION] + [PLAY] performs a clear command.
22. [STOP] key. Stops the playback of a pattern or arrangement. [FUNCTION] + [STOP] performs a paste
command.
Copy, clear and paste functions are available in many menus. The implementation is described in “SEQUENCER COPY, PASTE AND CLEAR OPERATIONS” on page 84.
23. [SCENE A]/[SCENE B] + [TRIG] assigns one of 16 scenes to the A and B scene slots.[SCENE A]/
[SCENE B] + a DATA ENTRY knob will assign the chosen parameter value to the scene. [FUNCTION] +
[SCENE A]/[SCENE B] mutes the scene.
24. The crossfader interpolates between the parameter values of scene A and scene B.
25. [TRIG] keys 1 to 16. They have many uses, for example trigging either the machine of a track or a com-
plete track. Also used for placing trigs while in GRID RECORDING mode. When pressed in combination
with the [PATTERN], [BANK] and [SCENE] buttons they select patterns, banks and scenes. Above
each [TRIG] key a <TRIG> LED indicates the position of placed trigs.
26. [PATTERN PAGE] selects the active pattern page when GRID RECORDING mode is active. Above the
[PATTERN PAGE] key four <PATTERN PAGE> LEDs are found. They are used for indicating the pattern page currently being played or edited. If for example 64 steps, or four pattern pages, are used in a
pattern, all four LEDs will be lit. For scale lengths up to 16 steps, the <1:4> LED will stay lit and pressing
[PATTERN PAGE] will have no eect. [FUNCTION] + [PATTERN PAGE] opens the SCALE SETUP menu
where track length and time signature settings are made.
13
3. PANEL LAYOUT AND CONNECTORS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
3.2 REAR CONNECTORS
1. Power on/o switch.
2. 6V DC power in.
3. Hi Speed USB 2.0 connection.
4. Compact Flash card reader.
5. MIDI Thru.
6. MIDI Out.
7. MIDI In.
8. Input C/D.
9. Input A/B.
10. Cue out L/R.
11. Main out L/R.
12. Headphones output.
Caution! Use only the bundled Elektron PSU-2 power supply with your Octatrack. It can,
using an appropriate power cord, be used all over the globe without the need of voltage
converters. Using the wrong type of adapter may damage your unit. Damage caused by
the use of incorrect power supply is not covered by warranty.
3.3 OCTATRACK ACCESSORIES
3.3.1 RACK MOUNT KIT
The Octatrack can be rack mounted in a standard 19” rack, using the Octatrack rack mount kit which
can be ordered separately. When rack mounted, the Octatrack occupies four standard height units plus
additional space, usually about 1 HE, which is needed to accommodate cables plugged into the unit.
When assembling the rack mount kit, make sure that you have a Philips screwdriver of the right size. Use
the included M3x6mm size screws to secure the rack mount consoles on each side of the Octatrack.
Make sure all screws are fastened for secure operation of the unit.
3.3.2 CARRYING BAG AND PROTECTIVE LID
The carrying bag accommodates one Octatrack. The protective plastic lid is put on top of the Octatrack
panel and protects the crossfader and the knobs. The protective lid is by default included with the bag.
3.4 THE COMPACT FLASH CARD READER
The <CARD STATUS> LED lights up when a Compact Flash card is inserted. A blinking bright green LED
light means the card is being read, a red LED light means the card is being written to. Sometimes data cannot be written until [STOP] is pressed. The <CARD STATUS> LED will then remain yellow until so happens.
Eject the Compact Flash card by pressing the button located to the right of the reader. After being pressed
the button will protrude a few millimeters. Press it again to eject the Compact Flash card.
14
3. PANEL LAYOUT AND CONNECTORS
3.4.1 COMPACT FLASH CARD SPECIFICATIONS
Cards supporting UDMA and at least 133x (~20MB/s) for both reads and writes are compatible with the
Octatrack. Cards must be FAT16 or FAT32 formatted, preferably FAT32. Up to 64 GB Compact Flash
cards are supported.
Never remove the card while data is being read or written to the it. Doing so might corrupt
files and data. Only when the <CARD STATUS> LED emits a dimmed green and steady light
the card might be removed.
3.5 CONNECTING THE UNIT
Before you start connecting the Octatrack to other units, make sure all units are switched o.
1. Plug the supplied DC adapter to a power outlet and connect the small plug to the 6 V DC connector of
the Octatrack unit.
2. Connect the main out L/R from the Octatrack to your mixer or amplifier.
3. If MIDI control is desired, connect MIDI OUT from the Octatrack to the MIDI IN of the device you wish to
send data to. Connect the MIDI IN of the Octatrack to the MIDI OUT of the device you wish to receive
data from. The MIDI THRU port “echoes” the data arriving at the MIDI IN port, so it can be used for chaining MIDI units together.
4. Switch on all units.
The USB connection may inject computer noise in the outputs of the Octatrack. Should this
occur, use balanced cables or use a battery operated computer. Do not remove the safety
grounding of your computer. It is there to protect against electric shocks.
3.6 CARE INSTRUCTIONS
To ensure many years of trouble free operation, please follow the advice below:
• Never use any aggressive cleaners on the casing or the LCD overlay. Remove dust, dirt and fingerprints
with a soft dry cloth. More persistent dirt can be removed with a slightly damp cloth using only water.
• To avoid scratches or damage, never use sharp objects near the display. Also avoid applying any pres-
sure to the display itself.
• When transporting the Octatrack, use the box and padding the unit originally shipped with or the Elektron
Carry Bag ECC-2.
• Make sure you place the unit on a stable surface before use. If you mount the unit in a rack, be sure to
tighten all four screws in the rack mount holes.
• The memory used for storing patterns and parts is powered by a battery inside the unit. It will hold data
at least 6 years before needing replacement. If the battery needs replacement, the “BATTERY LOW”
message will appear in the display. Contact Elektron support or your nearest repair center.
• Use the power switch to turn o the machine when it is not in use.
15
4. OVERVIEW OF THE OCTATRACK STRUCTURE
4. OVERVIEW OF THE OCTATRACK STRUCTURE
The Octatrack is organized in a hierarchical way. The image below outlines the data structure of the Octatrack.
4.1 SETS
A set is the top level structure of the Octatrack. It can contain a near unlimited amount of projects plus one
audio pool. The amount of samples in the audio pool as well as the amount of projects are limited only by
the size of the Compact Flash card. The samples in the audio pool are available to all projects of the set.
Sets are saved on the Compact Flash card. Since a set can contain many projects, some users might find
that one set is all they need. For more information, please see “7. SETS” on page 26.
4.2 AUDIO POOL
Each set contains one audio pool which is stored on the Compact Flash card. The audio pool contains the
samples that can be loaded to the Flex and Static sample slot lists of the projects of a set. For more information, please see “7.2.1 ADDING CONTENT TO THE AUDIO POOL” on page 27.
4.3 PROJECTS
For the Octatrack to work as intended, a set needs to be mounted and a project needs to be loaded. A
project contains 16 banks, 8 arrangements, 8 track recorders and their recorder buers, 128 sample slots
dedicated to Flex machines, 128 slots dedicated to Static machines, various project specific settings and
the BPM setting for all the patterns of the project. A project can therefore be regarded as a collection of
compositions.
The samples used to fill the Flex and Static sample slots are fetched from the audio pool of the set. The
samples used by a project can also be collected and saved in the project folder. The command COLLECT
SAMPLES are used for this and makes a project more or less self contained. For more information, please
see “8. PROJECTS” on page 28. For the sake of sample organization it is recommended to only store
samples in the audio pool.
16
4. OVERVIEW OF THE OCTATRACK STRUCTURE
4.4 FLEX AND STATIC SAMPLE SLOT LISTS
For samples to be available to Flex and Static machines they first need to be loaded from the audio pool
to the Flex or Static sample slot lists. When samples are present in these lists they can be assigned to,
and thus processed by, Flex and Static machines assigned to the audio tracks of a pattern. Read how to
load audio pool samples to the sample slot lists in the section “8.3 LOADING SAMPLES TO THE SAMPLE
SLOTS” on page 29.. Read how to assign samples to a machine in the section “11.3 ASSIGNING FLEX
AND STATIC SAMPLES TO MACHINES” on page 56.
4.5 BANKS
Each project hosts 16 banks and each bank hosts 16 patterns and 4 parts. This makes a bank suited for
hosting a complete composition as the available patterns and parts allow a large number of song variations.
Switching between banks is seamless, meaning playback won’t be halted or audio cut o. For more information, please see “10.1 BANKS” on page 52.
4.6 PATTERNS
For each bank 16 patterns are available, meaning 256 patterns are always at hand. A pattern consists of
sequencer data like trigs, parameter locks, track lengths and time signatures for the eight audio tracks and
the eight MIDI tracks. For more information, please see “12. PATTERNS” on page 64.
4.7 PARTS
4 parts are available to each bank. A part contains machine assignments and their associated samples,
track parameter settings, FX assignments as well as 16 scenes. A pattern is always linked to a part. Changing parts will let the new part be controlled by the active pattern. For more information, please see “4.7
PARTS” on page 17.
4.8 SCENES
Scenes are assigned to the scene A and scene B slots. They decide which parameters the crossfader will
aect. For more information, please see “4.8 SCENES” on page 17.
4.9 ARRANGEMENTS
Each project contains eight arrangements. They are used to structure the playback of patterns. An arrangement is a great way to form a long sequence out of several patterns. For more information, please see “14.
THE ARRANGER” on page 86.
4.10 TRACKS
An Octatrack pattern handles eight audio tracks and eight MIDI tracks. Each audio track can host a machine. With the exception of Neighbor machines, any machine type can be assigned to any of the eight
audio tracks. For more information, please see “4.10 TRACKS” on page 17.
4.11 MACHINES
Machines are assigned to the eight audio tracks. Each machine fills a dierent purpose. Read more about
the various machine types in “APPENDIX A: MACHINE REFERENCE” on page 116. How machines are
assigned to tracks is covered in “11.2 ASSIGNING MACHINES TO TRACKS” on page 55.
Flex machines process samples. They oer instant control over samples since Flex samples are loaded to
the RAM memory of the Octatrack. The samples available to Flex machines are located in the Flex sample
slot list, which can host 128 Flex samples.
Static machines process samples. The samples available to Static machines are located in the Static
sample slot list, which can host 128 Static samples streamed from the Compact Flash card. A single Static
sample can be as big as 2 gigabytes.
Thru machines are used to listen to the inputs of the Octatrack. They can be used to aect incoming audio
with filtering and eects.
Neighbor machines listen to the output of the preceding track. They can be used to build powerful eects
chains.
Pickup machines are ideal when wanting to use the Octatrack as a looper device.
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4. OVERVIEW OF THE OCTATRACK STRUCTURE
4.12 HOW INFORMATION IS HANDLED
When working within a project there is no need to save as all changes are automatically cached on card.
Changes made to a project will be remembered even after the machine has been switched o. The only
time an operation needs to be carried out is before removing the Compact Flash card. The project should
then be synced to the card. For more information about this operation, please see page 30.
There exists a SAVE command for projects though. Once you are content with a project it is wise to save
it. If you continue your work with the project, but are not satisfied with the results, you can then bring back
the project to the previously saved state by performing a project RELOAD command. For more information,
please see “8.4.1 PROJECT” on page 31.
Never turn o the Octatrack while the <CARD STATUS> LED is blinking. It indicates data is
being written to the Compact Flash card and disrupting this process may corrupt data. Only
when the <CARD STATUS> LED emits a dimmed green and steady light the Octatrack might
be switched o.
18
5. THE USER INTERFACE
5. THE USER INTERFACE
The center of Octatrack editing is the LCD display. The main interface screen is shown below:
1. Track icons showing the machine assignments and status of the tracks. The active track is highlighted.
Track assignments are abbreviated. “F” = Flex machine, “S” = Static machine, “T” = Thru machine, “N”
= Neighbor machine, “P” = Pickup machine, “M” = Master track. Beneath the track assignment symbols
the status of the track is shown. A play symbol means the sample of the track is playing, a stop symbol
means the track is not playing, a plus sign means the track recorder or the Pickup machine of the track is
recording. For Pickup machines, more track icons exist. For a complete list, see “9.3 PICKUP MACHINE
SAMPLING” on page 49. If the Octatrack MIDI mode is active, the icons will show the MIDI channels
the tracks send data to.
2. The current tempo displayed with one decimal.
3. Four boxes showing the playback position. Each box represents a downbeat.
4. The playback/recording status shown by the standard “record”, “play”, “pause” and “stop” symbols; , ,
, and .
5. Level bar showing the overall volume level of the machine of the active track.
6. Up to six track parameters. They show what the DATA ENTRY knobs control and also indicate the cur-
rent parameter values. When two parameters belong to each other in some way, they will have a small
“clip” between them as shown below:
7. Assigned scenes and the current position of the crossfader.
8. Graphics indicating which TRIG mode that is currently active.
9. Info about which TRACK PARAMETER page is active.
10. Info box where the name of the active part and the name of the sample assigned to the machine of the
track is shown.
11. The currently active pattern.
5.1 MENUS AND WINDOWS
When a menu or window is opened the function of certain buttons and/or knobs will change. When a window has functions mapped to certain interface controls, icons representing these controls will be visible in
the opened window. The icons are:
The [ARROW] buttons The [FUNCTION] key
The [TRIG] keys The LEVEL knob
All windows can be closed using the [EXIT/NO] key.
Buttons or knobs not used by an active menu retain their original function. For example,
the TEMPO menu makes use of the LEVEL knob, but you can still use the DATA ENTRY
knobs to control the parameters of the track in focus.
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5. THE USER INTERFACE
5.2 PARAMETER EDITING
The DATA ENTRY knobs are used to change the value of the track parameters. The physical location of
the knobs on the front panel correspond to the layout of the parameters on the screen. Turn DATA ENTRY
knob A to adjust the upper left parameter, turn DATA ENTRY knob B to adjust the the middle parameter of
the upper row and so on. If one of the slots in the parameter grid is blank, the corresponding DATA ENTRY
knob fills no function in that particular menu.
5.2.1 QUICK PARAMETER EDITING
If the DATA ENTRY knob is pressed down while being turned parameters will be adjusted in increments
of 7. This makes it much quicker to sweep through a whole parameter range.
5.2.2 PARAMETER VALUE SKIP
Keeping [FUNCTION] pressed while turning a parameter will make the parameter values jump to relevant
positions. For parameters ranging from 0 to 127 either 0 or 127 will be selected. For parameters ranging
from -64 to 63 the values will jump between -64, 0 and +64. Other alternatives exist as well, the value
of the Echo Freeze Delay TIME parameter will for example be doubled for each increment. This is useful
when using the eect as a repeater.
5.3 QUICK SCROLLING
In menus containing lists, like the file browser or the sample slot lists, quick scrolling is available. Press
[FUNCTION] + the [UP] or [DOWN] arrow keys to move the cursor one menu page at a time.
When previewing sounds in the sample slot lists or in the file browser, the quick scroll feature
will be temporarily disabled for as long as [FUNCTION] is pressed.
5.4 COPY, CLEAR AND PASTE
Copy, clear and paste commands are available in a lot of contexts. A copy operation is performed by
pressing [FUNCTION] + [REC]. A paste operation is performed by pressing [FUNCTION] + [STOP]. A clear
operation is performed by pressing [FUNCTION] + [PLAY]. Paste and clear operations can be undone by
repeating the button press combination. See the dierent sections in the manual for more information about
where these commands are available.
5.5 THE NAMING MENU
The naming procedure is identical for the various naming menus that exist.
The [LEFT] and [RIGHT] arrow keys are used to navigate between the letters. Turning the LEVEL knob or
pressing the [UP] or [DOWN] arrow keys select the letter. Press [FUNCTION] + [EXIT/NO] to quickly erase
characters. Another method of erasing characters is to press [CUE] + [EXIT/NO]. The dierence compared
to using the [FUNCTION] + [EXIT/NO] method is that the naming pop-up menu will not appear.
20
5.5.1 POP-UP MENU NAMING
While in a NAMING menu it is possible to open a pop up-menu displaying all available letters, symbols
and digits. Entering names in the pop up-menu is often a considerably faster naming method. When a
NAMING menu is open, press the [FUNCTION] key to access the pop up-menu.
5. THE USER INTERFACE
While keeping [FUNCTION] pressed use the [ARROW] keys to navigate to the character you want to
insert. Once there, release [FUNCTION] to insert the character.
When naming projects, sets and samples there are two extended pop-up menu pages of characters to
choose from. Scroll between the pages by moving the cursor upwards or downwards until the other page
is reached.
The number of characters to choose from is slightly more limited when naming parts and arrangements.
Only one page of characters exists for these pop-up menus.
Copy, paste and clear commands are available in the naming menus. If you instead of
pressing [FUNCTION] press [CUE] when performing the commands, the pop-up menu
won’t open.
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6. QUICK START
6. QUICK START
This quick start will guide you through some of the basic operations to allow you to start using the Octatrack right away. First connect it as described in section “3.5 CONNECTING THE UNIT” on page 15.
6.1 DEMO MODE
While in this mode the Octatrack will be able to play back a set of 16 demo patterns without needing to
have a Compact Flash card inserted. Demo mode is a great way to get acquainted with the basics of the
Octatrack. Note that you can not save any changes made to the sounds or patterns while in demo mode.
1. Make sure no Compact Flash card is inserted. Switch on the Octatrack while keeping the [ENTER/YES]
button pressed. The LCD screen will state that demo mode is being entered.
6.1.1 PLAYING THE DEMO PATTERNS
In demo mode 16 demo patterns, ranging from A01 to A16, are available.
1. Press [PLAY] to listen to pattern A01.
2. Select pattern A02, which is the second demo pattern, by pressing [PATTERN] + [TRIG] key 2. Pat-
tern A03 is selected by pressing [PATTERN] + [TRIG] key 3 and so on.
3. Mute tracks by pressing [FUNCTION] + the [TRACK] key of the track you want to mute. Unmute by
repeating the procedure.
6.1.2 ADJUSTING PARAMETERS
Each track contains five TRACK PARAMETER pages. Here you find the parameters that aecting the
sample of the track. The buttons used to open the pages are located directly below the LCD screen.
1. Make sure the pattern is still playing.
2. Press the [TRACK] key of the track whose sample you wish to aect.
3. To change the pitch of the sample, press the [PLAYBACK] key. The PLAYBACK page will open. The
parameter labeled PTCH changes the pitch of the sample. Turn DATA ENTRY knob A to change the
parameter value.
4. Try out the rest of the TRACK PARAMETER menu parameters to experiment with the sound shaping
possibilities.
5. To reload the parameter settings to their original state, press [FUNCTION] + [CUE].
6.1.3 EXPERIMENTING WITH SCENES
Scenes contain locked parameters. The crossfader is used to morph between the locked scene parameters. Scenes are covered in the section ”4.8 SCENES” on page 17.
1. Select any demo pattern. Set the crossfader to its rightmost position. This will fully activate the scene
assigned to scene slot B.
2. Hold [SCENE B] and press a [TRIG] key to assing a new scene to the scene slot. The already as-
signed scene is indicated by a red <TRIG> LED. Experiment with assigning dierent scenes to the
scene slot and listen to how the sound of the pattern changes.
6.1.4 RECORDING A PATTERN USING GRID RECORDING
Use GRID RECORDING mode to input sample trigs to the sequencer. Sample trigs trig the machines and
samples of the tracks. In depth information about this mode is found in section “12.3.1 GRID RECORDING
MODE” on page 65.
1. Press the [REC] key to enter GRID RECORDING mode. The <REC> LED will light up, indicating the
mode is now active.
2. Select the track to which you want to input sample trigs by pressing the relevant [TRACK] button.
3. Press a [TRIG] key to enter a sample trig. Press the same [TRIG] key again to remove the sample
trig. If the pattern contains more than 16 steps, use the [PATTERN PAGE] key to switch between the
pattern pages.
4. To edit other tracks, change the active track by pressing the other [TRACK] buttons.
6.1.5 RECORDING A PATTERN USING LIVE RECORDING
The LIVE RECORDING mode allows you to record sample trigs and parameter changes while the sequencer is running. In depth information about this mode is found in section”12.3.2 LIVE RECORDING
MODE” on page 65.
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6. QUICK START
1. To enter this mode, hold [REC] and then press [PLAY]. The <RECORD> LED starts to blink, indicating
LIVE RECORDING mode is activated, and the sequencer starts to play.
2. You can now record sample trigs manually by pressing the last 8 [TRIG] keys. Pressing [TRIG] key 9
will add a sample trig to track 1, [TRIG] key 10 adds a sample trig to track 2 and so on. You will be able
to hear all recorded sample trigs the next time the pattern starts over.
6.1.6 PARAMETER LOCKS
A parameter lock allows individual parameter values for a trig. It is one of the most important Octatrack
features. For more information, please see “12.5 PARAMETER LOCKS” on page 67.
1. When in GRID RECORDING mode, hold a [TRIG] key and then tweak a parameter. The LCD screen
graphics of the adjusted parameter will become inverted to indicate that the sample trig now is locked
to the value you have set. The <TRIG> LED above the sample trig will flash to indicate that a parameter is locked for that step.
2. To remove all locks for a sample trig, press the [TRIG] key of the locked trig twice. You can also
remove single locks. Hold the [TRIG] key while clicking the DATA ENTRY knob corresponding to
the locked parameter to do so. The inverted graphics will disappear and the parameter lock is now
removed.
6.2 MOUNTING A SET AND LOADING A PROJECT
A set needs to be mounted for the Octatrack to be able to load projects and populate the Flex and Static
sample slot lists with samples. The Compact Flash card that came shipped with your Octatrack contains a
set called “PRESETS”. This set contains a project also named “PRESETS”.
If you are using an empty Compact Flash card a set needs to be created and mounted before you can start
processing samples. For more information, please see “7. SETS” on page 26.
6.2.1 MOUNTING A SET
1. Turn on the Octatrack. Make sure you have a Compact Flash card inserted. If you are using a new
Compact Flash card an information window stating “NO SET IS MOUNTED! PLEASE MOUNT ONE.”
may appear. Press [ENTER/YES] and the menu where sets are mounted and created will automatically be opened. Otherwise, proceed to step 2.
2. Press [FUNCTION] + [MIXER] to open the PROJECT menu. Select PROJECT and press [ENTER/
YES] or the [RIGHT] arrow key. Scroll down the list and select CHANGE, located in the SET section.
3. Press [ENTER/YES] to open the menu where sets are mounted and created. If you are not working
within an existing project a window asking “NOT WITHIN A PROJECT. CHANGES MADE WILL BE
DISCARDED. CONTINUE?” will appear. Press [ENTER/YES] to proceed with the mounting of the
set. Note that any changes you have made will be discarded. If you want to save the changes to a
new project, use the SAVE TO NEW command found in the PROJECT menu. Pressing [EXIT/NO] will
cancel the set mounting operation.
4. If you are using the Compact Flash card that came with the unit, select “PRESETS” and press [EN-
TER/YES]. If you are using an empty Compact Flash card a set needs to be created. Select <CREATE
NEW SET> and press [ENTER/YES]. Name the set by using the [ARROW] keys and when done press
[ENTER/YES]. Select the set in the list and press [ENTER/YES]. A set has now been mounted.
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6. QUICK START
6.2.2 LOADING A PROJECT
After a set has been mounted a project should be loaded. The Compact Flash card that came shipped
with the unit contains one project, named “PRESETS”. This project contains 16 demo patterns. If an
empty Compact Flash is used the newly created set will not contain any projects and a project should
therefore be created. For more information, please see “8. PROJECTS” on page 28.
1. Press [FUNCTION] + [MIXER] to open the PROJECT menu. Select PROJECT and press [ENTER/
YES] or the [RIGHT] arrow key. Select CHANGE, located in the PROJECT section.
2. Press [ENTER/YES] to open the menu.
After a set has been mounted the menu where projects are loaded is automatically
opened.
3. If the bundled Compact Flash card is inserted, and the set called “PRESETS” has been mounted,
select the project “PRESETS” and press [ENTER/YES]. The project will be loaded. If a new Compact
Flash is used select <CREATE NEW PROJECT> and press [ENTER/YES]. Name the project and
press [ENTER/YES]. The newly created project will be loaded.
6.3 LOADING SAMPLES
When a set has been mounted, and a project preferably has been loaded, the samples in the audio pool of
the set can be processed by the Flex and Static machines. To do so a Flex or Static machine needs to be
assigned to a track and samples need to be loaded to the Flex or Static sample slot lists. Note that if the
audio pool of the mounted set doesn’t contain any samples it first needs to be filled with content. For more
information, please see “4.2 AUDIO POOL” on page 16.
Two main methods of assigning machines and samples exist. This quick start guide covers the one where
the PLAYBACK SETUP menu is used. The other method, using the QUICK ASSIGN menu, is covered in sections “11.2.1 ASSIGNING MACHINES IN THE QUICK ASSIGN MENU” on page 55. and”11.3.1 ASSIGNING
SAMPLES IN THE QUICK ASSIGN MENU” on page 56.
6.3.1 ASSIGNING A MACHINE TO A TRACK
1. Select the first track by pressing [TRACK] key 1.
2. Enter the PLAYBACK SETUP menu by pressing [FUNCTION] and [PLAYBACK]. From here the ma-
chine list needs to be accessed. If a sample slot list was opened move to the machine list by pressing
the [LEFT] arrow key.
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6. QUICK START
3. Select the machine you want to assign from the list of machines. Press [ENTER/YES] to assign it to
the track. Note that only Flex and Static machines can play samples. Press the [RIGHT] arrow button
to enter the sample slot list for the assigned machine.
6.3.2 ASSIGNING A SAMPLE TO A MACHINE
1. Make sure a set with an audio pool containing samples is mounted. The audio pool belonging to the
“PRESETS” set found on the bundled Compact Flash card is full of samples. A project should preferably have been loaded as well.
2. Select a track containing a Flex or Static machine by pressing the relevant [TRACK] key.
3. Enter the PLAYBACK SETUP menu by pressing [FUNCTION] and [PLAYBACK]. The sample slot list
will be opened. If the machine list is opened, press the [RIGHT] arrow key to enter the sample slot list.
The sample currently assigned to the machine is indicated by inverted graphics.
4. If samples already are present in the sample slot list, select a sample and press [ENTER/YES] to
assign it to the machine.
5. To load a new sample from the audio pool to an empty sample slot, select the sample slot and press
[ENTER/YES]. The file browser listing the content of the audio pool will be opened. If a sample slot
already contains a sample, press the [RIGHT] arrow key to access the audio pool without assigning
the selected sample slot to the machine.
6. Navigate in the audio pool by using the [UP] and [DOWN] arrow keys. Subfolders in the audio pool are
marked with a “(D)”, which is short for directory. Open subfolders by pressing the [RIGHT] arrow key
or [ENTER/YES]. Press the [LEFT] arrow keys to move back one step in the folder hierarchy. Localize
the sample that should be loaded to the sample slot. Press [ENTER/YES] to load the sample to the
sample slot list.
Press [FUNCTION] + [ENTER/YES] to preview samples from the main outputs. Press
[CUE] + [ENTER/YES] to preview from the cue outputs.
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7. SETS
7. SETS
A set is the top layer of the Octatrack hierarchy. Sets are completely self contained. Sets contain:
• An amount of projects only limited by the size of the Compact Flash card.
• An audio pool, where the samples shared by the projects of the set are stored.
A set needs to be mounted in order for the Octatrack to be able to load a project belonging to the set. A
mounted set and a loaded project is required for the Octatrack to work as intended. For more information,
please see “8. PROJECTS” on page 28.
When booting, the Octatrack automatically mounts the previously mounted set and loads the previous project, but sometimes that might not be possible, for instance when a freshly formatted Compact Flash card
has been inserted or when switching cards to a card containing other sets. Sets then have to be manually
mounted.
If Compact Flash cards are changed a window stating “WRONG COMPACT FLASH CARD INSERTED.
CONTINUE?” will appear. This is a prompt indicating a new Compact Flash card has been inserted. Press
[ENTER/YES] to continue. If you decide to proceed a window stating “NO SET IS MOUNTED! PLEASE
MOUNT ONE.” will appear. Pressing [ENTER/YES] will automatically open the menu where sets can be
created and mounted. If the inserted card contains sets, mount one of them. If the card doesn’t contain any
sets, create and mount one.
If the Octatrack boots with a set, but no project is active, a window stating “YOU ARE NOT WORKING IN
ANY PROJECT. USE THE SAVE AS NEW COMMAND TO KEEP ANY CHANGES!” will appear. Press [EN-
TER/YES] to make the prompt disappear. Since no project is active, any changes made while in this state
will be discarded when mounting another set or loading another project. Use the SAVE TO NEW command
found in the PROJECT menu to save any changes to a new project. Otherwise, just create or load a new
project.
Back up your sets to a computer. Should you lose your Compact Flash card it is easy to
transfer the sets from the computer to a new card.
Sets are stored as folders in the root directory of the Compact Flash card. This can be seen
when for example connecting the Octatrack to a computer via USB and browsing the content
of the Compact Flash card with the computer. Read more on how to connect the Octatrack
to a computer in the section “8.5 SYSTEM” on page 32.
7.1 CREATING AND MOUNTING A SET
Sets are created and mounted in the PROJECT menu.
1. Press [FUNCTION] + [MIXER] to open this menu. Select PROJECT and press the right [ARROW] key or
[ENTER/YES] to access the sub-menu options. Then select CHANGE, located in the SET section.
2. Press [ENTER/YES]. The active project will automatically be synced to the Compact Flash card, storing
all settings and assignments, before the menu where sets are changed is opened.
If no project is active a prompt asking “NOT WITHIN A PROJECT. CHANGES MADE WILL
BE DISCARDED. CONTINUE?” will appear. Press [ENTER/YES] to continue with the
change sets procedure. Note that this will discard any settings and assignments already
made. If you don’t want to lose any information, press [EXIT/NO] to cancel the operation.
Then save all settings to a new project by using the SAVE TO NEW command before
Once CHANGE has been selected and [ENTER/YES] been pressed a list of available sets stored on the
Compact Flash card will appear.
changing sets.
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3. The currently active set is indicated by inverted graphics. To mount another set, select one from the list
of sets found in the menu. Mount it by pressing [ENTER/YES]. Once the set has been mounted, the
menu where projects are loaded and created will automatically be opened.
4. Create a new set by selecting <CREATE NEW SET> and pressing [ENTER/YES]. A naming menu will
appear where the new set can be named.
After a set has been mounted a project should preferably be loaded or, if the set doesn’t contain any projects, created and then loaded.
7.2 AUDIO POOL
All the samples of a set are collected in the audio pool. These samples are used to fill the Flex and Static
sample slots of the projects of the set. When a set is created, an audio pool is automatically created as well.
The content of an audio pool is exclusive to a set. If you want to use the same sample in two sets, the sample needs to be copied to both audio pools.
7. SETS
7.2.1 ADDING CONTENT TO THE AUDIO POOL
To add content to the audio pool the Octatrack should preferably be connected to a computer.
1. Connect the Octatrack to a computer using a USB cable.
2. Open the PROJECT menu, select SYSTEM and then USB DISK MODE. Press [ENTER/YES] to make
the Compact Flash card appear as a mass storage device in the computer. Read more about the USB
DISK MODE in the section “8.5 SYSTEM” on page 32.
3. Using the computer, locate the set folder whose audio pool you want to add audio content to. Inside
the set folder a folder called AUDIO is located. This is the audio pool of the set. All audio material in
this folder will be accessible by the projects of the set.
4. To add content to the audio pool of the set, simply drag and drop audio files or folders containing
audio files to the AUDIO folder. When done the Octatrack should be unmounted from the computer.
When loading samples to the Flex and Static sample slots, the file browser of the Octatrack is used to browse the Compact Flash card. For more information, please see “8.3.3
FILE BROWSER” on page 30.
After opening a set folder, the AUDIO folder and the saved projects of the set are visible.
Although audio files can be placed in the project folders it is for convenience sake recommended to put audio files only in the AUDIO folder.
Folders and sub-folders in the audio pool should contain a maximum of 1024 files or
sub-folders.
7.2.2 AUDIO FILE COMPATIBILITY
Both Flex and Static machines can handle 16 or 24 bit/44.1 kHz wav/ai files, either in mono or stereo.
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8. PROJECTS
8. PROJECTS
Each set can contain an amount of projects only limited by the size of the Compact Flash card. A project
contains:
• 16 banks.
• 8 arrangements.
• 128 Flex sample slots and their associated Flex samples.
• 128 Static sample slots and their associated Static samples.
• 8 track recorders and their recorder buers.
• A BPM setting controlling the tempo of the patterns.
• PROJECT menu settings.
Projects can be regarded as a collection of compositions. A project could for example contain your whole
live set or a certain amount of songs you are working on. One project at a time can be loaded. For the Octatrack to work as intended, a project should always be active, i.e. loaded.
All changes made to an active project are automatically cached on card. This means you can work on a
project, switch o the Octatrack, switch it on and start working exactly from where you left o. It is possible
to save a project by performing a project SAV E command though. This is only necessary if you want to be
able to revert the project to a specific state. In general, performing a project SAV E command is recommended once you are content with a project. This way you can keep on experimenting with the project, but,
if needed, always go back to the saved state by performing a RELOAD command. Read more how about
how to save and reload a project in section “8.4.1 PROJECT” on page 31.
When not working within a project, for example after mounting a set containing no projects, it is still possible to assign machines, eects and make parameter and pattern settings. The Octatrack will remember the
settings of the active bank even after being switched o, but will discard them if a new set is mounted or
another project is loaded. Should you want to save the changes as a new project, use the SAVE TO NEW
command, found in the PROJECT menu. If the Octatrack boot and sense that no project is active a prompt
appears saying “YOU ARE NOT WORKING IN ANY PROJECT. USE THE SAVE AS NEW COMMAND TO
KEEP ANY CHANGES!”
Before ejecting the Compact Flash card the active project should always be synced to the
card, by using the SYNC TO CARD operation. Otherwise changes will be lost. For more information, please see “8.4.1 PROJECT” on page 31.
8.1 PROJECTS AND RAM MEMORY
The total amount of RAM memory available to a project is 85,5 MB. This memory is shared between the
track recorders and the samples loaded to the Flex sample slots. By default the Flex sample slots can be
filled with 64 MB of samples while the reserved track recorder memory ensures that each track recorder
always can sample 2.7 MB of stereo audio. But you can change the allocation of reserved track recorder
memory and Flex RAM memory. Track recorder memory can be increased at the cost Flex RAM memory. The opposite also applies, meaning Flex RAM memory can be increased at the cost of track recorder
memory. The track recorders can also use Flex RAM when sampling. Read more on how to allocate RAM
memory in section “8.6.5 MEMORY” on page 37.
8.2 LOADING AND CREATING A PROJECT
Before loading a project, a set needs to be mounted. Read more about how to create and mount sets in
section “7.1 CREATING AND MOUNTING A SET” on page 26.
1. Projects are loaded in the PROJECT menu. Press [FUNCTION] + [MIXER] to open this menu. Select
PROJECT and press the right [ARROW] key or [ENTER/YES] to access the sub-menu options. Then
select CHANGE, located in the PROJECT section.
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8. PROJECTS
2. Press [ENTER/YES] to open a list of the projects available to the set. Below the header of the menu the
name of the active set is visible. The currently active project is indicated by inverted graphics.
3. To load a new project, select one from the list and load it by pressing [ENTER/YES]. The currently active
project will automatically be synced to card, meaning all settings and assignments will be saved to the
card, before the new project is loaded.
4. Create a new, empty, project by selecting <CREATE EMPTY PROJECT> and pressing [ENTER/YES].
A naming menu will appear where the new project can be named.
It is possible to rename and delete projects while in the CHANGE menu. Press [FUNCTION] +
[BANK] to open a menu where rename and delete options are present.
8.3 LOADING SAMPLES TO THE SAMPLE SLOTS
For the Flex and Static machines to be able to play back audio, samples need to be loaded to the Flex and
Static sample slots lists of the project. Samples loaded to the 128 Flex sample slots are called Flex samples. They are only available to Flex machines. Samples loaded to the 128 Static sample slots are called
Static samples. They are only available to Static machines. The samples in the sample slot lists are accessible by all Flex and Static machines of the project. Read more how to assign the samples of the sample slot
lists to Flex and Static machines in section “11.3 ASSIGNING FLEX AND STATIC SAMPLES TO MACHINES”
on page 56.
To load samples to the sample slots the audio pool must contain samples. Read more about how to fill the
audio pool with content in the section “4.2 AUDIO POOL” on page 16.
8.3.1 LOADING FROM THE QUICK ASSIGN MENU
1. The quickest method to load samples to the sample slots is to quickly double press a [TRACK] button.
The QUICK ASSIGN menu for that track will appear. The Flex sample slot list will be displayed if the
active track contained a Flex machine. The Static sample slot list will be displayed if the active track
contained a Static machine. If the track contained any other machine type the machine list will appear.
If so, open the Flex sample slot list by moving the cursor to FLEX and press the [RIGHT] arrow key.
Open the Static sample slot list by moving the cursor to STATIC and pressing the [RIGHT] arrow key.
2. Select an empty sample slot position and press [ENTER/YES]. The file browser, covered in the
section “FILE BROWSER” on page 28, will be opened. It reflects the content of the audio pool of the
mounted set.
3. Locate the sample you wish to load and press [ENTER/YES]. Both the Flex and Static sample slot
lists can be entered and samples loaded without the machine of the track being changed.
If you want to replace a sample already loaded to a sample slot position, but don’t want to assign the
sample to the Flex or Static machine of the track, press the [RIGHT] arrow key to open the file browser.
It is possible to load samples to the recorder buers, just as if they were Flex sample slots. The recorder
buers, which contain any audio captured by the track recorders, are found in the Flex sample slot list,
located above Flex sample slot position 1. The length of the sample is restricted by the reserved memory
of the buer. If the loaded sample is longer than allowed by the buer it will be truncated. Mono samples
will also be converted to stereo.
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8. PROJECTS
8.3.2 LOADING FROM THE PLAYBACK SETUP MENU
The PLAYBACK SETUP menu can also be used when loading samples to sample slots.
1. Press [FUNCTION] + [PLAYBACK] to open the PLAYBACK SETUP menu and access the Flex and
It is possible to copy, paste and clear sample slots while in the QUICK ASSIGN menu.
Copying a sample slot will copy all its attributes, slices and trim settings.
Select a sample in the Flex/Static sample slot list and press [FUNCTION] + [BANK] to edit
it in the audio editor.
Selecting a sample in the Flex or Static sample slot list and pressing [FUNCTION] +
[LEFT]/[RIGHT] will load the next or previous sample from the directory the original sample resided in.
At the top of the Flex sample slot list the amount of RAM memory available to the project
is shown. If Flex samples are present in the list their BPM and size in MB are also displayed.
Samples can be previewed in the sample slot lists. Select a sample and press [FUNCTION]
+ [ENTER/YES] to do so. This will preview the sample from the main outputs. Press [CUE]
+ [ENTER/YES] to preview from the cue outputs. When previewing the quick scroll feature
will be temporarily disabled for as long as [FUNCTION] is pressed.
A blinking star next to a file name indicates the sample has been edited in the EDIT menu
found in the audio editor, but not yet been saved.
Static sample slot lists. If the machine list appears, select the machine type whose sample list you
want to access and press the [RIGHT] arrow key.
2. Load a sample by selecting a sample slot and pressing [ENTER/YES]. The file browser reflecting the
content of the audio pool of the active set will be opened. Locate the sample you wish to load and
press [ENTER/YES] to load it.
If you want to replace a sample already loaded to a sample slot position, but don’t want to assign the
sample to the Flex or Static machine of the track, press the [RIGHT] arrow key to open the file browser.
Select a sample in the Flex/Static sample slot list and press [FUNCTION] + [BANK] to edit
it in the audio editor.
Selecting a sample in the PLAYBACK SETUP sample list and pressing [FUNCTION] +
[LEFT]/[RIGHT] will load the next or previous sample from the directory the original sample resided in.
Samples can be previewed in the sample slot lists. Select a sample and press [FUNCTION]
+ [ENTER/YES] to do so. This will preview the sample from the main outputs. Press [CUE]
+ [ENTER/YES] to preview from the cue outputs. When previewing the quick scroll feature
will be temporarily disabled for as long as [FUNCTION] is pressed.
8.3.3 FILE BROWSER
The file browser is used when locating samples that should be loaded to the Flex and Static sample
slots. It is a representation of the audio pool of the set.
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