User Manual

12. PATTERNS
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12. PATTERNS
The sequencer of the Octatrack MKII is incredibly powerful and plays an extremely important role in pro-
cessing sounds and samples.
The sequencer stores information in patterns. Patterns consist of information about how the eight audio
tracks and eight MIDI tracks should be played back. All adjustments made to patterns are automatically
saved. If you wish to alter a pattern but keep the initial sample trig placements you will have to copy the pat-
tern to a new location and then use the copied pattern as the basis for the new pattern. A pattern contains:
• Sample trigs for the eight audio tracks.
• Note trigs for the eight MIDI tracks.
• Track recorder trigs for the eight track recorders.
• Trigless trigs for the eight audio tracks and the eight MIDI tracks.
• Swing trigs for the eight audio tracks and the eight MIDI tracks.
• Slide trigs for the eight audio tracks.
• One shot trigs for the eight audio tracks.
• Information about which pattern is linked to a part.
• Parameter locks.
• Conditional locks
• Sample locks.
• Length and time signature of the tracks.
12.1 TRIG INDICATIONS
Depending on if the [RECORD] key is lit or not, the [TRIG] keys will display dierent information when the
sequencer is playing.
If the [RECORD] key is unlit the eight rightmost [TRIG] keys will indicate sample trigs being activated by
the sequencer. [TRIG] key 9 acts as an indicator for track 1, [TRIG] key 10 acts as an indicator for track 2
and so on.
If the [RECORD] key is lit the various trigs of the active track will be shown.
12.2 BASIC PATTERN OPERATIONS
The Octatrack MKII can switch between patterns without any audible lag. This, plus the ability to chain
patterns, are handy features when for example making live improvisations.
12.2.1 SELECTING A PATTERN
Each project hosts 16 banks each containing 16 patterns. Banks and patterns are selected using the
[BANK] and [PTN] keys in combination with the 16 [TRIG] keys.
Press [BANK] and then press [TRIG 9–16] to select a bank. Then press [TRIG 1–16] to select a pattern.
Press [PTN] and then press [TRIG 1–16] to select a new pattern in the current bank. When you press
[BANK] or [PTN] you must choose a bank or pattern within four seconds for the change to take eect.
A message on the screen indicates the four-second timeout. Press [NO] to exit pattern or bank select.
Green [TRIG] keys indicate pattern positions that contain data. A red [TRIG] key indicates the current
active pattern. Empty patterns [TRIG] keys are unlit.
12.2.2 PATTERN CONTROL
Pressing [PLAY] will start the playback of a pattern. Pressing [STOP] will stop the playback of all tracks,
except tracks containing Thru machines. The sound will be cut o, but eects like the Echo Freeze
Delay will continue to be audible until the delay repeats have faded out. Press [STOP] + [STOP] to stop
playback of all tracks, kill the Echo Freeze Delay and send out an all notes o MIDI command on all MIDI
tracks. After a pattern has been stopped, pressing [PLAY] will make the pattern start playing from the
beginning.
If you press [PLAY] when a pattern is playing, the playback will be paused. Press [PLAY] again to
resume the playback.
12.2.3 PATTERN CHAINING
You can use pattern chaining to loop a sequence of patterns. It is only possible to chain patterns located
in the same bank, and a chain can not contain the same pattern twice. Chain patterns by pressing and