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Replicate Octatrack with Drambo and OP-Z? Talk me out of a purchase!
I’m tempted to grab an Octatrack again, for sampling/looping/sample-chopping duties.
I had one for a year or so, sold it and replaced it with a Digitakt, which is much more immediate. I tried to do too much with the Octatrack, but now I know my way around Elektrons, and have a focussed idea of what I want to do.
On the Digitakt I miss live sampling, looping (guitar), audio recording, and playing sample slices. Plus scenes of course.
But it occurs to me that I could do much of this without spending any money, using Drambo and the OP-Z I already own. The thing is, I strongly prefer hitting buttons to tapping a screen (but maybe not enough to drop a grand on an Octatrack)
Any suggestions for ways to use these two together to replicate my Octatrack needs? The barrier seems to be the OP-Z’s poor sampling features, and also to limits of using its midi sequencer with Drambo (limited step components). Also, live-looping.
Comments
My advice?
Get yourself a midi controller or two
that has pads and encoders and
wait until the next update for dRambo.
Yeah.
Seriously.
I can wait. I've heard rumblings about Drambo 1.5. Any hints?
Resistance is futile. Just buy Octatrack. Everything else is just compromise :-D
No, seriously - i have just Digitone and Digitakt (and Model Samples is on the way already lol), but watched trillions of Octatrack videos, tutorials, reviews - i feel like i know that device already to the last bit, and i'm 100% convicted i purchase Octa this or next year, immediately after i will have some free money for it (for example when Bitcoin rises to $100k lol)
I don't think Drambo can replace Octa. With all respect to Drambo, it has some similiriaties like step trigs, but that's where it ends.
Elektron gear is irreplacible with anything else. What i love on Octa, and why i want to purchase it, is that you can use it like you want. Do you want use it as traditional sampler/groovebox ? No problem. Do you want to use it as super advanced looper ? No problem. Do you want to use it as performance mixer/effector for other gear ? This + sheer amount of control (i mean physical control - knobs, buttons, and allmighty fader), input and outputs makes it totally unique.
Yes. I'm Elektron fanboy, totally admitting that, i'm deeply in love with Octa, it's just matter of time it lands on my desk :-D
Cool.
The rumblings maybe playing things down a little.
I'm thinking I may need to get another controller myself it's that serious.
Very interested in this. Following.
I wish there was a specific hardware controller for Drambo. But the modular nature of Drambo makes it sort of impossible I guess.
One reason I like standalone boxes (or single apps like Gadget/BM3) is that they require little setup.
Whenever I try to do anything that uses more than one app, or an app connected to a hardware box. I end up troubleshooting connections, and all that jazz.
I also know that the Octatrack can be a bit of a pain to get things set up, but this time I have a better idea of what I want to do with it, so I can set and forget, to a large extent.
Then again, Drambo is a single app, and that's why I'm thinking about this. I do love the Elektron sequencer though.
Certainly not. If you really want an Octatrack, get one.
The thing it that some people love the Octa and some hate it. It's such a personal decision that everyone has to find out for themselves.
I personally got frustrated with all the menu diving when going deeper, which somewhat defeated the idea of a hardware box for me. That's why the Digitakt is so popular!
Look at the Octa power users and how they often use their boxes live: Most of the time I see them loading live sets that they have prepared at home, having invested a lot of time for preparation until firing off their creations and jammin live has become a straightforward experience.
But that can be done with Drambo just as well, except you have much more flexibility in both creating tracks as well as processing audio and using MIDI control.
@mistercharlie
It would be very helpful for sure if you think about your exact dream setup and functionality first and then plan and realize it in Drambo.
It's in the works and it's going to be a massive update, naturally requiring a lot of time until everything works smoothly.
I see no reason to wait for it though, the sampling/looping/sample-chopping duties you've mentioned are all available already.
Drambo is more than having the elektron trinity in one App. You could host Auv3 on stand-alone.
Try to come up with a template that will function like the octatrack. find a controller to set up. It could always be great as a compact companion for when you eventually (or not) get the octatrack.
One thing I’m missing on Drambo is a program change per pattern change same as in octatrack.
Just buy the Octatrack. You only live once.
We're all going to die from COVID or the Taliban or something. Just buy it. In fact, buy 2! You won't regret it... :-)
For me it’s not only about hardware vs software but also all instances of Turnado I’d have to give up if I went hardware. 😂
Every time I think about hardware I hit the wall of needing to buy 4 KP3s and the wire mess resulting from that decision.
Also give up Samplr?
No way!
Impaktor?
I don’t think so!
I also have my moments of doubt but the choice is getting clearer every day.
I currently use Circuit tracks and launch control XL to control Drambo. Figuring out led behaviour for visual feedback on XL thanks to @rs2000.
@dendy It will always be a compromise unless you’re willing to put your time into shaping your set up. Even if you don’t spend time connecting software apps, you will need to spend this time learning somebody else’s workflow and menu dive to prep.
Let’s face it, making decent electronic music is complex and requires a lot of prep time, whether software or hardware. Its way harder than learning to play a single acoustic instrument like a guitar and because of this also so much less immediate.
I don't have a heap of experience with the Octatrack as I ran out of patience pretty quick with that but...
I love Drambo standalone and it just seems to get better each day I use it after I put the time in to know it well. Hard to find a controller that fits well with it but I use the Korg Padkontrol. 8 pads for the tracks and 8 for pattern selection.
If you liked Octatrack and you miss it, just buy it.
I am a big fan of Drambo and I even control it with a controller and try to control as much as possible without touching the screen... But believe me, it's a lot of effort to achieve some meaningful integration and it will never be as convenient as with dedicated hardware, even if compared with inconvenient menu-digging on Octatrack.
Also, not sure why Gravitas tease you for 1.5, since I am on beta too, but not aware of any new feature that would (significantly) improve MIDI controller integration. There are some plans for the future, but unfortunately not even started yet.
And for the sampling: While Drambos sampling capabilities are nice, there are still many missing things, especially if you mention live looping, sample chopping and MIDI controller integration: Transient detection is very poor (missing an option for threshold level), basically none of the sample-editing actions are MIDI-mappable and there is no time stretching (there is a very clever patch that simulates it, but the resulting sound is quite artificial, you'd be better using some AU for that), just to mention some gaps...
Drambo is definitely awesome and you can't get wrong by buying it and giving it some time. But I am afraid you may be disappointed if you'd expect a substitute for Octatrack. It has a lot of potential and one day it may be worth considering as an alternative for Octatrack, but currently Drambo is Drambo with it's own strengths, if you expect it to cover strengths of Octatrack, it's not there, at least not today.
Is anyone using Drambo together with the OP-Z? @rs2000 You have an OP-Z, right?
DAMMIT. I had replies in the Drambo forum that made it sound like making a full hardware experience with controllers was quite a ways away. I've been using that idea to stave off the Elektron siren, but based on those replies I... I've been veeery bad.
Let's just say I maximized the Elektron summer sale...
Oh, I just saw @skrat's more reserved reply which reinforces what was posted over on the Drambo forum. Winning?
No, my most used hardware atm is a Korg Wavestate, an Electribe MX and a Digitakt, in that order.
I'm only using them synced with Drambo for beta testing and capturing audio though, other than that, it's very much a Drambo or hardware thing:
I'm usually recording spontaneous jams from the hardware into Drambo and continue there.
Imagine, first I was super excited about the SX (the sampler version) until I had the chance to try both. It's the synthesis algorithms and the dedicated knobs for sound tweaking though that are so much fun
OK I can’t hold back the nay-say Electribe MX synths (and related Korg VA) sound plastic and Octatrack workflow I could not be doing with.
On a more positive front just purchased Drambo and seems like it will work well as a drum sampler and more.
Just do it already 😜 and enjoy Drambo 1.5 even more with the OctaTrack 💕
1.5 is not officially out yet...
Duh. I’m future proofing his decision making process 😎
But seriously. If you really want the OT, get it.
However, the PolyEnd Tracker is also quite nice as is the MPC One and Maschine+.
The OT is a Classic of the groove boxes. It’s workflow is unique, it’s sequencing prowess is really great…but the audio components are really dated—over 10 years old so you’ll be relying on external effects a bunch with it imho.
Here's a master at work with it and an iPad:
I think you missed the objective. But I approve.
... and now I have another channel to follow.
Here’s looking forward to these Drambo updates!
Until then though, I still have plenty to learn with the current version.
Slow down and really think about it. If youre gonna use it more than your digi (with all of the OT modern limitations like no usb midi/audio, debatable effect quality, etc), sure .... get it. Theres only one way to find out if its gonna work for you, and its not like you'll take loss if you decide to flip it.
Electron users look at elektron products almost like pokemon cards and "gotta catch em all". Those posts in "Your Setups" on that other site of just a table full of electron boxes and nothing else are yawn-worthy to me.
Personally not a fan of the OT, or the later elektron stuff, but it will be a cold cold day in hell when give up my silver boxes.
I’ve just watched several of the ‘this groovebox vs that groovebox’ themed YT videos. MPC one, Maschine, OT, Roland stuff and similar and I can safely say that my current setup blows them out of the water. Of course you’ll catch me with the ‘does it do XY and Z’ question to which I’d be obliged to answer no, but it does the rest of the alphabet pretty well: audio and midi looping, sampling and mangling inc. granular. fm, subtractive, wave table synthesis in all combinations and flavours, modal resonators etc, etc…top it with wild effects from Turnado and lush vocal reverbs and similar.
All of this battery powered and portable.
Of course I’m subjective but when it comes to the variety of sounds that can be produced and mangled live using it is quite scary. It is so scary that I’d be very unwise to state that I’m the most qualified person to operate it. 🤣
Did I mention it is paired with Circuit Tracks as a controller? I should have because that offers features such as scales and things like one button chord programming on the fly which is super lush to use with arps etc. Circuit is also super suited for this as it sends midi in all sorts of modes including fx sends so press and hold on fx button and turn the knob and you have delay on the corresponding track. The same with track volume and pans in mixer mode and of course the big dual filter knob is put on Drambo’s morph fader duties.
I appreciate these kinds of threads for their reality check value. I’m guilty of craving the Deluge personally. My YT recommended section is nothing but the Deluge since quite some time and everyday I’m trying to convince myself that it is superior to using the tools which are already at my disposal. Although I don’t really like to admit that before myself I agree with supadom that an iPad coupled with great apps and controllers simply delivers more. Or else, has potential to deliver more. We’re trying to enclose ourselves in these standalone boxes because it seems easier to accept the boundaries of a given workflow instead of making an effort to develop a solution that can be personalised. In my case, thinking about the gear and planning takes more time than making music.
I’d consider myself to be a long term octatrack power user, I know the thing inside out. I’m on the beta and I am just scratching the surface off Drambo. I can tell you that paired with an interface it surpasses the octatrack and in my opinion is the only thing that even comes close. Drambo is insane. Save your money. Everyone should buy an Octatrack and sell it at some point, it’s practically a rite of passage. But trust me man, there is nothing it can really do that Drambo can’t beat it at realistically.
Can you imagine if they remade the octatrack with an internal virtual polyphonic modular synth, a range of plugins from eventide, fabfilter, sugarbytes, official moog emulations and a 12.9 inch screen, 64gb of internal memory with optional storage upgrades and usb interface compatibility? that is scratching the surface of what Drambo is (I’m assuming it’s not your first app in the collection)
Sometimes it’s good to try and take a step back and realise what you’ve got. It’s super easy to always look for something else, we’re all guilty of it. But even if you buy a host of other fancy apps to accompany it you’re looking at an additional £100 on an iPad you already own. Dive into it, it’s mind blowing
There is nothing greater than the Drambo...except the next version of the Drambo
Imo, if you’re going into this as an ex-user, knowing exactly what are you trying to achieve, get another OT.
No controller, existing or future controller support or any feature will satisfy expectations.
iPad is great and Drambo is awesome, but a dedicated box is completely different.
Look all the users desperately trying to integrate their apps into their production style? It’s been like that for nearly 10years, and before that the same went down (and is still going) on desktop... software + controller does not = hardware experience.
Utilising each tool to its strength can save a lot of time and headache.