How to record MIDI into octatrack?

[Schnork]

@Clancy

can be summarised as - very much step-based

In case it hasn’t been said already in this thread: Sure, might get tricky with off the grid notes and/or swing and could require to go over the recorded material and do some corrections, but OT´s resolution (microtiming) is 1/384th of a step, so not that bad for a step sequencer.

If you set global quantization to off:

You can quantize notes from the trig edit menu (IIRC you can hit yes six times until notes are fully quantized):

If your DAW or another sequencer is synced well with OT, you can record midi on the fly. It works pretty well and simple on-the-grid material wouldn’t need any corrections.

[Clancy]

@Schnork

1/384th of a step,

Thinking more about the CCs etc. & how they get stepped

Even with single notes - you can’t record two consecutive within a step.

Only records chords if the notes all land together and then they have to all end together…

Yes it is okay for a step sequencer - I guess that’s what I wanted to say - remember it’s a step sequencer

Only records to one channel/track at a time

Other limitations…

[Clancy]

Like you have to set all CCs you want to record in advance

[Clancy]

Decide - turn swing off at source and reapply on the OT, or let OT record the microtiming but then lose swing control after that…

…Those sorts of things. I do it from time to time but it feels more like I’m porting MIDi to a whole new system rather than recording per se

@Schnork

It works pretty well and simple on-the-grid material wouldn’t need any corrections.

Can confirm - with most sources I’ve sent midi from I set as them as the midi clock source, not the OT. Then the quantised notes get recorded right on the grid first go. Often okay the other way round too

[sezare56]

@Schnork

OT´s resolution (microtiming) is 1/384th of a step,

It is 1/24th of a step actually.
It is counted like this on newer Elektrons since Analog Four.
96 PPQ (Pulse Per Quarter) with x1 scale.

[Schnork]

@Clancy Agree. Depending on what you´re trying to record, it can feel like “porting to a whole new system”.

@sezare56

It is 1/24th of a step actually.
It is counted like this on newer Elektrons since Analog Four.
96 PPQ (Pulse Per Quarter) with x1 scale.

1/24th, really? Interesting… the manual states the microtiming resolution as 1/384 steps, but I´ll take your word.

[sezare56]

@Schnork

the manual states the microtiming resolution as 1/384 steps

Indeed. I think it is wrong : max value is +/- 23/384.

24/384 corresponds to a step.

384 (16x24) corresponds to 16 steps.

[Schnork]

@sezare56

max value is +/- 23/384.

Ah yeah, only 23 steps on the micro timing grid in both directions (+1 for non micro timed step), but wouldn’t the resolution then equal 1/47th (23*2+1=47)?

Nevermind, my math is probably off like usual.

[sezare56]

@Schnork

(23*2+1=47)

For me this corresponds to 2 steps.

[Clancy]

@sezare56

For me this corresponds to 2 steps.

Yep. The microtiming scale spans almost from the step before and up to almost the one after, not half a step in each direction

[Schnork]

Haha, yeah, noticed that later, too^^

[lwpweb]

if i record midi with an external keyboard this way into octatrack my recorded midi trigs on octatrack are ok but they are all flashing (blinking). What does the blinking midi trigs tell me?

[Microtribe]

@lwpweb

What does the blinking midi trigs tell me?

Hold one down and scroll through the midi pages, you’ll see which parameters have been locked during recording. Probably velocity.

[lwpweb]

all parameters are ‘white’ but i can change the values.

[dhoinjo]

Hello everyone, been a while since I’ve been here, but I’ve stumbled upon a problem. I want to transfer some Midi tracks from my Analog Four to my Octatrack.
The Analog Four is sending midi notes, I can see that by the little dots on the OT’s screen to indicate it receives midi. I can’t get the OT to record those notes. I have been going for over an hour and nothing works. Tried all settings on the audio note in menu, all channels are corresponding. (On A4 all midi notes are set to track channel, not global channel). I can’t even get the OT to record notes that I play on the A4’s keyboard. I can see them coming in, but they don’t record. (I am using live record)
Is there something I could be overlooking? “Audio note in” is on, Midi tracks are set to channels 1-4, the channels the A4 is sending on, midi note is enabled in the ANalog Four etc. etc. Nothing Happens.
Anybody have a clue what is wrong here?

[stonecoldgroove]

If your Octatrack is on default channels, 1-4 isn’t working because the audio track MIDI channels are blocking channels 1-8.

Clearly explained in the manual, I suspect this is one thing you haven’t actually tried:

Change the A4 MIDI Channels to 13-16, and match the OT MIDI Channels and try again.

I’m pretty sure Live record will work if you do that.

[dhoinjo]

Yes, that was it. Found it in the manual just after I posted. Thanks!

[sezare56]