Octatrack Tutorial #1 - CUCKOO

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My first Octatrack Tutorial is made with the newcomers in mind. It's a deep machine, with a LOT of possibilities. It can be overwhelming before you get into it. Perhaps this little video can help you get started? :)
Cheers for watching, and for all the support!
Hit me up with comments below.
CUCKOO

[@gfunkk]

(Parenthesis mean important details that are sandwiched within other subjects) 0:00 // Introduction 2:17 // Starting a New Project 3:42 // Setting up an Input for Sampling (Playback Menu, Flex Machines) 6:33 // Sampling to a Track (Mixer) 9:20 // Track Editing Functions 11:55 // Sequencing/Grid Mode (Scale Setup, Copy & Paste Bars@ 21:47) 14:22 // Slicing, Pay Attention. (Zero-Crossing, Play Mode Menu, Metronome Functions) 22:27 // Effects (Filter, Delay) 27:36 // Vocal Sampling and Slicing 31:23 // More Effects (Pitch) 31:49 // Scenes 36:46 // Recording Settings (Track Length, Quantize Settings) 38:25 // More Effects (Dark Reverb) 39:14 // More Scenes (Effects Across Multiple Tracks, LFO Page, Vibrato) 42:04 // Setting Up the Master Track (Effects on Master Track) 44:57 // Master Track Delay (Delay CTRL, Rolls) 50:18 // Saving Samples 55:45 // Outro

[@korberd]

"Saving Samples" has to be after 50 minutes xD nice structure - love this tutorial :)

[@ubiquitousreverser]

Thanks for putting this together!

[@blueworm99]

@true cuckcoo You should pin this

[@mechlo]

"Add a slice here? Yeah. Do it." I fucking love your vids, man. I picked up an Octatrack and this vid (among many others) allowed me to make a basic beat day 1. Thanks!

[@truecuckoo]

That's great! This is why I keep doing it. The Octatrack isn't all that welcoming on day one without a little introduction. I'm glad I could help.

[@mechlo]

I look forward to future Octatrack vids!

[@rish8917]

THanks to this 10 year old video I am no longer afraid of the octatrack after 3 days of possession, thank you!!

[@truecuckoo]

Sick! Glad you found it! ❤️

[@CHURF]

have the same moment over here right now 😂

[@_fig.8]

nearly an hour filled with, "oh, that's where that is!" and "so, that how that's done!" gratitude for this one cuckoo, you've earned it.

[@IElrekkaI]

bob ross of gear reviews

[@DennisMHenderson]

@@user-we4rs1be7u hei was thinki mommi

[@HelicopterRidesForCommunists]

Best comment on his channel, 8 years running

[@wega4105]

Who is bob ross !? A channel? Be a pal telle me mate

[@kojiaudio4472]

Hi Cuckoo! Just picked up MKII today and found this video to be extremely useful! Thank you very much for your effort into making these!

[@truecuckoo]

Thanks a lot mate!

[@disc9096]

Who else turned off the Octatrack half way through the video to do some other stuff and came to realize later that all samples are gone? Nice of you to explain it at the end of the video tho ^^. So started from scratch again, and didn't need your video anymore, because you explained it so well. Means it's a good video :)).

[@CartoonCityKid]

Came back to this again. I love the thumbnail pic 😎🤙🏻 I remember thinking, "Why am I watching this video about this difficult, expensive thing I'll never own" then I got one 😂

[@johncitizen8828]

And is it **that** hard to learn? (coming from a Digitakt)

[@CartoonCityKid]

​@johncitizen8828 I haven't tried any of the 'takt boxes but with something like the octatrack manual by Synthdawg, it should be quite smooth. The official manual isn't good. To better describe my experience...it's not difficult to learn, but it can be difficult to find the information you need to learn it. Get one! And get Synthdawg's manual, it's only a couple dollars

[@fabfaborganasm]

After 15mn of this vid, I had a break of 2 weeks messing around with the OT. Then I started the vid again. Thank you MONSIEUR Cuckoo. Hope Elektron paid you for such a helpful tutorial...

[@fredrikw1447]

That voice kit made me really smile

[@shachar87l]

Got stuck after 5 years of octaplaying, came back to the beginning, got unstuck- thank you coco

[@truecuckoo]

That's great to hear! Keep playing it, and hopefully you'll find a workflow that suits you.

[@jerfjuraf]

You know I have watched about 100 videos on the Octatrack, but none of them gave me any idea about the workflow and what its like to play one. Your video just convinced me to sell some things to buy one. Thanks man!

[@truecuckoo]

Jurfin That's great to hear!! This is exactly how I felt when the Octatrack was introduced. I was like... wtf? How do you play this thing? So I thought I'd do my part and show at least what it is, and how to get started :)

[@jerfjuraf]

cuckoomusic I really appreciate it man! You did a great job and I am really looking forward to the next one! Now I just need to find someone to buy all of my crap ^__^

[@iswiu2bl]

Even after six years since you posted this up, I found your tutorial more practical than others!

[@PaulVonZeppelin]

Quarantine is the perfect time to finally figure out how to use my octatrack!

[@truecuckoo]

Do it! 🤣

[@Christoph3000]

Seriously, I appreciate you & your videos so much. The Elektron isnt exactly 'user-friendly', but your vivid walk-thrus are exactly what I need to get past the daunting learning curve of this machine. Thank you!

[@truecuckoo]

+Subliminal Detroit Hey mate, I'm so glad to hear that! This is precisely why I keep doing this!

[@Christoph3000]

Sincerely, you made a world of difference!

[@MarcS4R]

i just bought a used octatrack ,watching your tutorials. very helpful indeed man.

[@MidnightMusicClub]

I bought an Octatrack about 2yrs ago and fumbled with it for a month or two before I decided I hated it and sold it off. Had this video been available then, I would have probably never sold it. Excellent work, friend. Really nice job of breaking down the basics and actually showing the keystrokes and menu options during operation. Thank you! New Octratrack on the way!

[@truecuckoo]

Thanks mate! I was wondering for years what it was too. In the end I just had to gamble and get one, and learn on my own. I want to spare people the hesitation and struggling first steps. So it makes me feel like my work is truly meaningful hearing your story.

[@thegreatsiberianitch]

This tutorial is great. Simple, step by step. No big "tricks" and all that. I rn have an octatrack mkii that just came in and I was set on returning it but I think I'll go along with you on this one and see how I feel after a day or two. It just seems like such a task to have fun with it. I'm spoiled by my syntakt i think.

[@MoonlightFireShow]

man I had this machine 3 months stopped getting dust until I saw you're video. finally somebody that can explain an idiot what he wants to hear xD

[@truecuckoo]

Thanks mate! Yeah it's a machine that takes a little learning. I'm glad I caught you in time ;-)

[@hajimmie]

This is a very good tutorial! Not the typical textbook, this is so hands-on. Thanks for sharing.

[@SuperMegaWoofer3000]

This video is awesome. The beatbox recording was AWESOME. This has convinced me to buy an Octatrack :)

[@heatherperkins9737]

Makes an intimidating machine look fun! Also love the creativity that goes into your tutorials, it is way more helpful than videos where someone just pushes buttons really fast to generate and play a generic track. This video is more like the way I work, and both demystifies and humanizes this somewhat foreboding piece of gear! Thank you.

[@truecuckoo]

+heather perkins thank you so much Heather! I'm glad you find it helpful. When I was new to the Octatrack, I would have needed a video like this myself! :)

[@Taskuvesku]

Interesting, KZbin suggested this video today... 31.3.2023. I've been following you about couple of years, but never watched over 4 years old videos of yours. I think these old ones are nicely done too! :D

[@truecuckoo]

Thanks Wez! I appreciate hearing that 🙏🏼 It’s one of my top viewed videos, I think.

[@davidbrown8600]

I ordered my Octatrack MK2 tonight! I'm so happy. I've been reading the manual, watching tutorials, and FJAAK videos for the last month. I'm ready for it!

[@JupiterRexMusic]

Thanks again!! Between your tutorial and the Merlin document I'm really starting to unlock my Octatrack and I absolutely love this instrument!!! It is so godamn powerful!! Those folks over at Elektron really are engineering sorcerers.

[@TuckerVento]

I've been using my OT for several months now and found this video very enjoyable, even helpful! your calm (and very mildly confused) voice does a lot to calm my own confusion and insecurities with this beast

[@basverhage]

Thank you for your time and effort of making these outstanding tutorials, Cuckoo. Your playful attitude towards this daunting machine is a real pleasure to watch.

[@slavoherman1734]

Mr. Cuckoo, you've been very helpful. Thanks a million for this tutorial, it made me finally get comfortable with creating my own samples instead of using samplebanks.

[@AvianBreak]

This is still the very best tutorial out there! Just got an Octatrack, and this is + Merlin’s guide are all you need to feel comfortable with such a powerful machine.

[@caballotecaballo188]

many thanks you cuckoo. is incredible how much intuitive and how much funnier is the op-1 in comparison with the OT . im prety sure that a space shuttle onboard computer from nasa is easier than OT

[@not-hank-s]

Ha, I just got an Octatrack and was having a bit of a hard time getting up and going so searched out tutorials. Have watched your videos before, so picked this one, and now I remember watching the whole thing years ago when I didn't even own the machine!

[@jeremyfox7599]

Cuckoo is a legend! Superb content everytime!

[@DisposableFrequencies]

seriously needed some help..was drowning with the octatrack to begin with, but as per usual, you gave a nice clean and concise explanation of all the steps involved, helped me out enormously, now trying to learn a new thing each time i use it..so far so good. keep up the great work.

[@Advadva]

If I saw this few weeks ago, when I started with OT, I woud be super glad. A good one, thanks!

[@emnigmamachine]

I've been using an electribe ESX-1 for years now and this looks right up that alley. Time to start saving I guess.

[@VinceVega303]

this was the best tutorial on the internet for the octatrack.. thanks mate.

[@MattKeenanMusic]

This is good timing! I'm picking up an Octatrack later today. Thanks for making this video!

[@snoopyoverthehills]

still valid in 2021

[@DirtboxJams]

i only watched the first 3 minutes so far and i already find your tutorial amazing! thumbs up!

[@KW-zs7zv]

best octatrack tutorial even in year 2020 !! WOW

[@simonliubinas6152]

Thanks for the video Mr Cuckoo! Just got an octatrack a few days ago and this video was an excellent place to start! Nice one.

[@artom6575]

Cuckoo, you are so great teacher, thank you so much!

[@truecuckoo]

Thank you so much, mate! I am so happy seeing my older videos still being relevant and useful to this day! 🙏🏼

[@justbighills.6135]

These help a lot man! Just bought mine for my upcoming live shows, still lots of figuring out to do :D

[@Artek604]

Just got my Mk1 (looks & feels brand new, yay!) This is gonna be very useful, along with the User Manual :)

[@schepler2]

This was an excellent tutorial, and I learned a lot. My problem with the OT is that it's so much harder to get basic tracks down than using a synth and drum machine. I could lay all of that down in minutes with the A4 and AR. Of course, I can't mangle the sound, but I'm really not into that anyway. Having said all that, I own the OT and hope to become a more proficient user. Cheers, Cuckoo!

[@truecuckoo]

It takes a while to get used to. And it's not a tape recorder, so yeah, there's a lot of choices to take into account. But in my next tutorial I'll be going more rockn'roll, and trying to tame the Pickup machines. They're much faster in many ways, and different. More like loop pedals.

[@thebudge333]

cuckoomusic Can't wait for the next demo. Thanks!

[@tomesmusic]

great vid, perfect explanation of the basics - great for new users. thanks cuckoo!

[@huhabab]

Having my OT for 6 weeks now (I wish I had more time to play around with it) and somehow I always went the hard route to record something by placing record-triggers, QRec and preroll will make sampling so much easier. And the most important thing I learned: I really need to learn how to beatbox ;) Great video, as always!

[@flap80]

Hey Cuckoo, thank you very much for this! Without you, nobody would get it!

[@truecuckoo]

+Philipp Grütering thanks Philipp! Glad you're finding it helpful. :)

[@tzed2509]

Great tutorial, really lets us get an idea of the workflow and functionality of the machine. Thanks!

[@Genshi]

As with many of your videos, a Charming, Informative and Entertaining tutorial. Thanks for this! Nicely done as always! I've been looking for something like the Octatrack for my live performances and this helps me to make the right decision.

[@truecuckoo]

Cool! Thanks! Yeah this is just a starting point. But it covers a lot of the basics. I'll make another video of the looping machines called "pickup machines". They can be used with more immediate results. Maybe next month I'll have time for that:

[@nickvanthomme3280]

cuckoo your videos are the best i learned so much from this! thank you

[@VolcaRock]

Thank you very much for that great tutorial! After watching your first octatrack (with piano&vocals) I also bought one and I am still happy! For me its the most versatile sampler with the plus of amazing midi sequencer and tLooper on the market!

[@spenceb25]

Thanks cuckoo! Your tutorials have been super helpful for getting started on this machine :) The manual is a little dense but you have made it easy to dive straight in! u rock dood

[@unsaame9505]

I watched most of your videos before getting the OT and it really helped getting started in no time! I'm still a bit confused about the fact that a change of pattern does affect all tracks, though... But I've only just scratched the surface; it's only been a day!Anyway, many thanks for your help, dedication and useful advice! Looking forward to new videos on the subject!

[@viDUBla]

Thank you Cuckoo. Sure wish I got to see you and Dataline more than 10mins when you 2 played at the club in LA. I learned a few things here I hadn't know even tho I have had the OT for over 2 years!!!

[@djgonche]

Excellent tutorial... very clear and I think you filled the void which people needed to hear. Its not a case of whether I will buy and Octatrack,... its more when. Thank you the tutorial. I also rate all of your videos so much good vibes and creativeness. All the best dude

[@truecuckoo]

Andy Gardner Thank you so much Andy! I've been wondering myself about the Octatrack, ever since it came out. I'm glad you find it useful :)

[@djgonche]

cuckoomusic It was awesome and I enjoyed watching it :) Look forward to more tutorials - My final comments are I will be buying one when I have some cash. Also you mentioned highfive is this some sort of donation scheme... I'd happily donate to bring on some more tutorials as everyone has to get paid. Anyway all good stuff. All the best and its inspiring stuff so keep doing what you do... much respect :)

[@Radar23]

Classic B-Box mashing .. nice Tube! thx

[@OlehSobolev]

You helped me more that official manual. Got everything in just one hour. Thanks a lot man

[@dillipphunbar7924]

love the beatbox sounds...nice machine

[@kingpishful]

Thank you. I've been having problems.setting up recording and then the saving part. It went on the shelf. Think this has clearled lots up for me.

[@caeserdog3844]

this is great. thanks for doing this, it was well worth the time to watch. there are some great nuggets here. please keep them coming.

[@DNS89kanalas]

respect cuckoo, i dont own any of these machines but it was really interesting to watch. Keep up the good work, youtube needs people like you

[@Aesprii]

Excellent video Cuckoo! :) Can't wait for #2!

[@bigkingsha]

I caved and got an OT. I was making all kinds of stuff on it within a few hours. In my opinion, the Machinedrum UW+'s workflow was more of a challenge to learn than the OT. now I got my eyes on that A4....either that or a half-year wait on a Cirklon. To be able to load entire 20-minute songs and trim them down without zero loading time was the deal maker for me. That pickup machine was just the mutts nuts.

[@ADrowning]

Finally getting a grasp on the menus and layout of the A4 and RYTM. Would really like to sample record live guitar using the octatrack but it hurt my head trying to follow those menus. Think I would need personal lessons to wrap my head around it. Will focus more time around there other machines before moving on I think.

[@pigeonfarmboy]

Thanks for breaking my "wall" with this machine. This really helped me.

[@truecuckoo]

You're welcome, mate! This is why I do these videos.. To help people like you get going. Knowing it helped you is incredibly valuable for me! Thanks!

[@truecuckoo]

theforsbergshow Hello there. Don't worry about your English. It's perfect! Some people even think that I'm French! Ha ha. About the Octatrack.. I think anyone can learn to use it. There's a lot of stuff you can do on it. To become one with it I think it's a help if you're not afraid of technical stuff. If you're great at remembering computer shortcuts it's probably also helpful. If you wanna be fast and fluent like ***** you need to practice a lot and make it your instrument, and remember all shortcuts. Computer musicians will certainly appreciate the huge Compact Flash card possibilities. Just move huge collections of samples and loops over, and you've got a great starting point. I almost don't use samples at all, so for me I'm basing all my experiences on recording. I'm still learning. Is it a good first sampler? Only you can decide that. I've heard about really great musicians that move from more traditional samplers to Octatrack to experience the unique musical depth of the Octatrack. There might be a steep learning curve for beginners, and this is why I made this video. To introduce it.. The worst thing is probably that even though you find it in a store - nobody in the store can show you how it works... I always recommend people to try it before they buy it. But with this.. it might be difficult, because it's so dependant on external sound sources, or sample libraries.

[@Logicfray]

theforsbergshow Did you ever get one Forsbergshow?

[@squareraver]

Great tutorial with lots of good info!! You are very funny and the track to! I laughed alot. :)

[@rhudson3290]

Thank god I found this video - saves me a ton of time. New subscriber.

[@chauffeurCA]

wild stuff. thank you for an awesome tutorial... will be watching again.

[@ambitsmusic]

wow, What a learning curve, but I've got time and will tame this beast!

[@City2x]

Thanks Cuckoo! Your tutorials are a massive time saver!

[@truecuckoo]

+TijucaWeirdo 👍

[@deanesamuelporter9369]

cuckoomusic dear mr cuckoo what interfacing are you using. It’s sounds very nice and clean. Thank you in advance for reply

[@rohanwallis1659]

Hey big thanks for this video ... I am a visual learner and this got me started with my Octo way quicker than the .pdf manual ... sincere thanks and best wishes ..

[@RickyTinez]

Quick question, is there a 'Kit' to the octatrack similar to how each pattern on the RYTM can have seperate kits? is there a way to have patterns change samples on the octa without P-locking samples?

[@truecuckoo]

+Enrique Martinez there are two things that are somewhat similar to kits. Banks and Parts. A bank is a whole setup of machines, effect settings, 16 scene settings, 16 patterns, all the samples associated to each track, and 4 Parts. There are 16 Banks. I see a Bank as a Song. A Part is a variation within a Bank, that contains instant changes of: the samples associated to each track, 16 scenes, track settings. While changing Bank will move to a different pattern stored in that Bank - changing Parts will stay in the same pattern, just play it with a different variation of settings.

[@RickyTinez]

amazing! thanks for the quick reply Cuckoo

[@TherapyHiccup]

i wish this video existed a year ago when i got mine :P for me, the first 6 days were pretty rough with this machine. now though, so glorious and vital. GREAT VIDEO! :D

[@canispeaktodave]

Amazing video! If you could have only one compliment gadget for the op-1 what would it be?

[@proberaum5010]

Very nice! I watched a lot of tutorials before decide to buy an op-1 … now i do this for the octatrack … and your video is the one that seems to confince me :) i love the op-1 and hope the octatrack will be the perfekt partner …thanks!

[@gijsl]

Great tutorial, a nice relaxed pace and a friendly atmosphere.

[@jeffbughouse]

Great introductory video for the Octatrack! Love your vibe and approach to these deep machines. This kickstarted my use of my Octatrack. I look forward to more vids. I contributed to Patreon and thank you!

[@truecuckoo]

Thank you so much Jeff! You're really helping me out! I'll try keeping up! :)

[@smalltimore]

Thank you so much. I can't wait to watch the rest of the series.

[@TimH123]

I think it’s great that you put the effort in to making such a helpful tutorial. I also think it underlines that it takes an experienced user 30+ minutes to lay down the beginnings of a sampled kick and baseline on this thing. Contrast with speed of workflow on Maschine (see Accurate Beats), Ableton, MPC live (again, AB), even AR+A4 (£!!) it’s just nuts. I sold my OT as it was OTT! Respect to your skills and knowledge though, as always.

[@LocaliLLocano]

A lot of good stuff mate. I just got the OT and am trying to master each skill in phases. I love my MPCs but the octatrack is a whole new way of working with loops and slices

[@wolfgangschaltung]

Really nice and instructive flow of explanations, easy to follow, thanks much!

[@marcosuarez2823]

very grateful for your videos cuckoo, they got me jamming in minutes! Thank you very much and keep up the great work

[@rougenavarre]

Thank you Cuckoo, it is a really good and helpful tutorial, very clear, as were the two others for the Analog Rytm. Can't wait for the forthcoming, this machine is sooo deep ! ;-)

[@SuperCD93]

Hi Cuckoo, really loved the tutorial, especially the use of slicing. Looking forward to more. I gave you a high five btw!

[@truecuckoo]

Conor Drinane Thanks a billion Conor! Every penny counts! Great to know it's helpful!

[@m32dave]

Fantastic video, supreme talent, so clear and well paced. Thank you.

[@tomlindenmuth6381]

Is there a master soundpool that you can select sounds from? I Was able to export the sounds from one project to another, but I couldn't select which ones I wanted and had export them all. Seems like there must be a more efficient way. If there isn't a master soundpool, then is it possible to select just the sounds that I want from different projects to form a new project?

[@BusinessDuck69]

Hey Cuckoo, great video. I have a question I thought you may be able to answer. I've noticed that the mutes on the Octatrack Mk2 (and Mk1) function a bit differently than I was expecting. They cut the audio completely, not allowing the sample to finish playing or allowing the fx tails to play out. I was wondering what methods you use to get around this? I am used to using mutes as a way to bring tracks in and out on my other machines and while its still possible to do on the Octatrack I find it a bit more difficult. Thanks!

[@etiennelautem3870]

Thank you very much for your tuto's! I try to use this machine.. not easy but with you it's less difficult. I wish ask you some questions about stretching when i sample loop. i don't anderstand why my loop stretch some times when i loop something... and how i can do for not..thanks a lot even if you don't answer

[@PLATES-ux4qr]

Excellent tutorial, thank you for taking the time to do this.

[@ma_cosa_ne_so9176]

super useful video! got my MK2 yesterday and Im digging it

[@shelovesdisco2153]

Hi Cuckoo, thanks for these videos, I actually use them as a sort of Octatrack course, this is so much easier to follow than the user manual! I would like to ask you something rather specific about the octatrack; I would like to know if it's possible to play samples like one would play the keyboard ? I know it's possible using chromatic mode, but the downside of this method is ofcourse the lack of overlapping and the impossibility of playing more than one note at the time. Do you think it's possible to actually play the samples using a midi controller and a small (midi or usb) keyboard using the midi channels?

[@pazhonda1821]

thanks for this video, it's helping me alot. a part 2 would be great.

[@TheHotFalafel]

Is everything quantized? Can you somehow record freehand slack beats?

[@thebudge333]

I've just recently bought an OT and am of course confused but not giving up on it that's for sure. Just settling in to watch this tutorial. I have faith \m/

[@grandmasterjo1]

Merry Christmas 🎄 and hope the New-year brings in more tutorials and the best videos. Thank you for all your hard work to give us the best teachings. 🎄

[@iveno_]

Great tutorial I have the Mk2 and could not find a slow moving tutorial which I could follow since I am a beginner. BUT this was already usefull! I have a Rc505 I might want to replace it with the OT, but so far this things is sooo complex thank to you that I was able to record a few clips even thou not sure yet how to recall them and play them "all together" it's my second day with it!

[@leadpipejustice9253]

Got alot out of this tutorial, nice clear explanation of functions. Keep goin man!

[@FF-om3os]

Your tutorials are the bests, it’s really really helps, good work

[@sonicultura]

Can't wait for episode 2!!