And yet, this legendary machine still sells today, remains much loved, and is utterly unique.
The Octatrack is hard to describe.
you might use it as a guitar looper pedal, or just as a mixer for other gear.
Elektron
And its this profusion of possibilities that lead to the first Octatrack myth: that its hard to learn.
“The OT is equally versatile and idiosyncratic.
But this is only true if youve never used a step sequencer before.
Lifewire / Charlie Sorrel
In a way, the Octatrackislike a general purpose computer.
Watch some of those videos mentioned by Hans_Olo, and youll see it being played like a musical instrument.
“Though arguably what also makes it so complex for new users too.”
Lifewire / Charlie Sorrel
What Does It Do?
Take a look at the picture above.
That row of 16 buttons represent the 16 sixteenth notes in a bar of 4/4 music.
Elektron
Or you’re able to slice up a sample, and play those slices with these keys.
Or use the trigs to add effects to each individual step, all depending on the mode youre in.
Then, look to the right, and you see a DJ-style crossfader.
The results, like everything on the Octatrack, can be either subtle or wild.
And thats just the beginning.
Showing Its Age
In a way, the Octatrack is the George Clooney of grooveboxes.
Its getting on a bit, and showing its age, but it still looks great.
Its reverb effect is rough but still charming, and it stores your work on a CF card.
Yes, a Compact Flash card.
But with age comes experience.
Aging, flawed, tricky to get along with, but utterly worth it.
Heres to another 10 years, Octatrack.
