The sonic potential of the device is staggering. In addition to its obvious basic functionality as a drum sampler and sequencer, the range of real-time processing options on offer make the Octatrack much more than a sample playback machine. Tempo-synced retriggering, sample start point manipulation, slicing, LFOs, parameter locks (similar to those found on the Monomachine and Machinedrum) plus a range of good quality effects (compression, EQs, filters, reverb and delay, among others) make this a very versatile instrument. And it really should be considered an instrument.
It’s a device which encourages creativity in all sorts of ways, from sampling your own sounds (an idea which ironically seems to have fallen by the wayside over recent years thanks to the dominance of software ‘sampler’ plugins which don’t actually allow users to sample) to chopping up, mangling and re-arranging loops using hands-on techniques. This isn’t just a device which allows you to realise the ideas in your head; it’s a device which helps you discover completely new sounds.
Perhaps the idea which excites us most about the Octatrack is its potential for live use. We’ve already seen the Octatrack popping up in live rigs and we think we’ll see it a lot more in the future. The inclusion of cue outputs and user-friendly tempo syncing features make this a very interesting tool for live performers – a tool without the potential instability of software alternatives.
Conclusion
The Octatrack represents a truly original and unique approach to hardware sampling. Not only does it re-emphasise the creative potential of sampling your own sounds, but it offers a radically updated and more advanced feature set than any existing hardware sampler.
Elektron’s commitment to updating the Octatrack’s machines and adding features with additional firmware updates will play a major part in determining the long-term success of the unit. Based on the company’s past record, we’re confident that users will receive significant support for the lifetime of the product.
Our only major gripe is that it’s hard to understand why Elektron chose to equip the Octatrack with just two main outputs and two cue outputs. It’s a decision which effectively means you’re forced to carry out all of your processing within the unit, rather than offering the option of routing individual samples to dedicated outputs. There doesn’t appear to be any provision for future upgrades, meaning you’ll have to go through the tedious process of bouncing out individual pairs of stereo channels if you want the freedom to process sounds independently further down the line. Many great hardware samplers of the past have left the factory with just a single pair of stereo outputs, but they’ve usually future-proofed themselves with slots for expansion boards and individual outputs. We can’t understand why a sampler in 2012 wouldn’t offer the same.
However, despite this one major failing, we can’t help loving the Octatrack for what it represents – a very contemporary, highly flexible approach to sampling, to creativity in the studio and to live performance.
The comparison with Ableton Live is obvious, but probably justified. Where Ableton’s loop-based software approach revolutionised the DAW world, introducing features which catered to the needs of producers making sample-focussed music, the Octatrack offers a similar approach in hardware. It may not be quite so simple as ‘Ableton in a box’, but in the same way that Live genuinely changed the way numerous producers and DJs worked, we think the Octatrack will go down in history as a watershed moment in the history of sampling.
The Verdict
Price: $1490
Purchase: Electron Octatrack DPS-1
The Final Word
A truly revolutionary addition to the world of sampling – software or hardware.
10.13 AM
I had this for about 6 months and absolutely hated it, the interface its terribly unintuitive and over complex, samplign is a chore and the way samples map to patterns is non standard for elektron machines. In the end I sold mine and used the money to help pay for a DSI Tempest drum machine.
For far less money you can get a brand new 4th gen iPad with 128gb of memory and a copy of the amazing “samplr” app which is so intuitive it truly is the best sampling experience Ive ever had on any device.
02.50 PM
Aiki, I too felt like you did when I got my Octatrack… I felt like I would never get anything done and it felt very complicated to use, however after putting 40 hours on it I started feeling more comfortable with it. You just have to give it time, with great power comes great responsibility.
I always knew this machine would give me sonic leverage, that is why I decided to give it time, because quite frankly it has so much power within that it takes a long time to master. All that said, I still don’t know how to use 50% of the features, just give me 1 more year with it and I will be a master of the Octatrack, or at least I hope so.
How’s your Tempest experience? I’ve heard mixed reviews.
08.18 AM
The Tempest is the single best bit of hardware I’ve ever owned (and Ive owned a lot), The sound may not be for everyone (definitely not a “pre-sets” or “sound a like machine”) but personally love it. Also the real time sound manipulation on this box is INCREDIBLE. I love it.
02.29 PM
@ Aiki
m8, i see you all over teh internets – youtube, forums, now here – bashing the elektron gear. are you paid to do that?
02.00 PM
Akai needs something intuitive, like Garage Band. He’s into iPads and apps, because Octatrack is just beyond him. That’s great. Nice review, btw.
08.05 PM
Well, i think Tempest is less intuitive than Octatrack. I have the Tempest since an year and I don’t feel very confortabme with. Unless it’s great to play live but very hard to menage its sound with a menue that is a real pain. It’s also another type of gear. I just try the Octatrack in a shop and i was blowed away by its sound! i will buy that ant honestely i thing is far better than a software. I’m talking about having a tool to perform live : every movement has its sence and you can put the energy you want once you know it. I just try that for half an hour in a shop and i get so fast familiar with it. The Tempest tokes me 2 entire days to start making something and my girlfriend hated me for that.
01.18 PM
I have a elektron machinedrum from 2008. when I first tryed the Octatrack at my local shop I find it very easy to use.
09.27 PM
I also owned an Octatrack for about a year. The learning curve was vertical and I never got to grips with it, I switched back to an MPC in the end and enjoyed it much more. There is undoubted power in the Elektron gear but it all has avery specific workflow which might not be for everyone. The one thing that is most annoying about the octatrack though is the stereo out rather than individual outs, I have no idea what they were thinking there.