Octatrack MKII Basic Project

Why It Matters

The Octatrack's "basic patch" is not a single sound -- it is a basic project: a clean, known starting state for the entire machine. Unlike a synthesizer where you zero out parameters, the OT's basic project is about having the right structure in place:

A clean project with no leftover samples, machines, or effects
Tracks assigned to useful default machines
A simple sample loaded so you can hear changes immediately
Input routing configured for your setup

This is your lab bench for every session. Start here, explore, and return here when lost. The Part reload function ([FUNC] + [CUE]) will snap you back to the last saved state.

Creating the Basic Project

Step 1: Create a New Set and Project

Power on with a formatted CF card inserted
Press [PROJ] to open the Project menu
Navigate to PROJECT > NEW and confirm with [YES]
Name it LEARN (or whatever you prefer)
The OT creates a clean project: all tracks empty, no samples loaded, no effects

Step 2: Load a Simple Sample

You need at least one sound to work with. The OT comes with demo content, or load your own.

Press [TRACK] key for Track 1 to select it
Press [SRC] (Track Parameter) to open the source page
You should see FLEX as the machine type (default). If not, press [FUNC] + [SRC] to enter SRC SETUP, set MACH to FLEX
Turn Data Entry knob A to open the Quick Assign menu
Navigate to a simple drum loop or one-shot sample from the Audio Pool
Select it with [YES] -- it is now assigned to Track 1's flex machine and added to the Flex sample slot list

Step 3: Basic Track Configuration

For a clean starting state, verify these settings on Track 1:

SRC (Source) Page:

Parameter	Value	Notes
MACH	FLEX	Flex machine for RAM playback
SLOT	(your sample)	The sample you just loaded

AMP (Amplifier) Page:

Parameter	Value	Notes
ATK	0	No attack fade
HLD	0	No hold
DEC	0	No decay
REL	127	Full release (sample plays to end)
VOL	0	Default pre-FX volume (bipolar, 0 = unity)
BAL	0	Centered panning

LFO Page:

Parameter	Value	Notes
SPD1/2/3	0	No LFO speed
DEP1/2/3	0	No LFO depth
DST1/2/3	NONE	No LFO destination

FX1 and FX2 Pages:

Parameter	Value	Notes
Effect	NONE	No effects loaded

Step 4: Place a Trigger and Test

Make sure you're on Track 1 (the track key should be lit)
Press [RECORD] to enter Grid Recording mode (the RECORD key lights up steady)
Press [TRIG 1] to place a trigger on step 1 -- the TRIG LED lights up
Press [PLAY] to start the pattern
You should hear your sample triggering on beat 1 of every bar
Press [RECORD] again to exit Grid Recording mode

Step 5: Configure Inputs (If Using External Gear)

If you plan to sample external instruments or use the OT as an effects processor:

Press [MIX] to open the Mixer page
Set GAIN A/B to an appropriate level for your input source (0 dB is unity)
Set GAIN C/D similarly if using the second input pair
Set DIR A/B to 0 (we don't want direct monitoring yet -- we'll route through tracks)
Press [NO] to close the Mixer

Step 6: Save the Part and Project

Press [FUNC] + [PART] to save the current Part (this is your base camp)
Press [FUNC] + [PROJ] to save the entire project

Quick Test

After setup, verify:

Pressing [PLAY] plays your sample on beat 1
Pressing [STOP] stops playback
Turning the Level knob changes Track 1's volume
[FUNC] + [CUE] reloads the Part (should sound identical -- nothing has changed yet)
All 8 track keys select different tracks (T2-T8 should be empty/silent)

The "Return Home" Gesture

Throughout all sessions, this is your safety net:

[FUNC] + [CUE] = Reload Part (undo all unsaved changes to machines, effects, scenes, volumes)

Think of it like Merlin's "base camp" metaphor: save your Part, experiment wildly, and hit [FUNC] + [CUE] to teleport home. This is the Octatrack equivalent of the Evolver's basic patch -- but instead of a set of parameter values, it is a saved project state.

Session Starting State

Every session in this curriculum will specify one of:

"Start from the basic project" -- Load the LEARN project, Track 1 with a simple sample, everything else clean
"Start from [specific session] output" -- Load a project state saved from a previous session
"Start from a new empty pattern" -- Within an existing project, navigate to an unused pattern

The basic project is always available as a reset point.

Session 03: Project Setup & File Management

Objective: Create your own Set and Project from scratch, organize samples on the CF card with a folder structure that scales, and load samples into the Flex slot list. Build the lab bench you'll use for every remaining session.

If you only have 5 minutes

Press [PROJ] → NEW → name it LEARN. That's your project. Now copy a folder of samples into the project's audio pool from your computer. You're set up for life.

Warm-Up (2 min)

From the previous session, the demo patterns are still in your head. Power on, press [PLAY] on any demo pattern, listen for 15 seconds, [STOP]. The point: those demos came from a project. We're about to make our own.

Setup

You need: the OT, a CF card formatted FAT32 (or the factory card you've been using), a card reader on your computer, and a folder of samples (drum hits, loops, one-shots — anything in .wav, 16 or 24-bit, 44.1 or 48 kHz). Connect monitors. Power on.

Exercises

Exercise 1: Create a Set (3 min)

A Set is the top-level container on the CF card. It holds the Audio Pool (samples shared across projects) and one or more Projects.

Press [PROJ] to open the Project menu
Navigate PROJECT > LOAD — note the existing sets (the factory set is probably called OCTASET or similar)
To make a new set, you need to do this from a computer (the OT can create projects but not sets directly):
- Eject the CF card and put it in your computer's reader
- In the card root, create a folder named LEARN — this is your set
- Inside LEARN, create a subfolder named AUDIO — this is the Audio Pool
- Eject and reinsert the card into the OT
Press [PROJ] > PROJECT > LOAD — you should now see LEARN as a set option

Exercise 2: Create a New Project Inside the Set (4 min)

With the LEARN set selected (or active), press [PROJ] → PROJECT → NEW
Name the project — call it LAB for our learning workspace. Use the arrow keys + [YES] to enter characters
Confirm with [YES]. The OT creates an empty project: 16 patterns × 4 banks = 64 empty patterns, no samples assigned, no machines configured
Press [FUNC] + [PROJ] to save. Get in the habit — save after every meaningful change
Press [PROJ] > PROJECT > LOAD to confirm LAB is selectable. Loading projects swaps the entire workspace

Exercise 3: Organize the CF Card from Your Computer (5 min)

A messy Audio Pool kills momentum. Build folders that match how you'll think.

Eject the CF card. On your computer, navigate to LEARN/AUDIO/
Create subfolders:
- drums/kicks
- drums/snares
- drums/hats
- drums/percussion
- loops/breaks
- loops/tops
- bass/
- synths/
- textures/
- vocal/
Drop your .wav files into the appropriate folders. Aim for 5-10 samples per folder to start — restraint, not abundance
Eject the card from your computer, reinsert into the OT, power on, [PROJ] > PROJECT > LOAD > LAB

Exercise 4: Load Samples into the Flex Slot List (6 min)

The Audio Pool is the shared library on the card. The Flex slot list is per-project — samples live in RAM ready to play.

Press [TRACK 1], then [SRC] to see the Source page
Make sure machine is FLEX (if not, [FUNC] + [SRC], set MACH to FLEX)
Turn Data Entry knob A clockwise — the SLOT field highlights. Press [YES] to open Quick Assign
Browse to AUDIO/drums/kicks/ — pick a kick. Press [YES]
The sample loads into Flex slot 1 and is assigned to Track 1
Now load slot 2: turn knob A to advance, press [YES], browse to a snare
Repeat for slots 3-8: hat, percussion, break loop, bass note, synth one-shot, texture
The Flex slot list now has 8 samples. They're available to ANY track that selects FLEX as its machine
Place a trigger: [RECORD], [TRIG 1], [PLAY] — your kick plays on beat 1

Exercise 5: Audio Pool vs. Project-Local — The One Distinction That Matters (3 min)

Press [FUNC] + [TRACK 1] while the SRC page is open to enter the SRC SETUP
Look at the SLOT TYPE: it's likely set to FLEX (which means RAM-loaded from the project's flex list)
The project-local flex list IS your project — those 8 samples are saved into LAB/
The Audio Pool is the source — same samples can feed many projects. The flex list is a snapshot of which Audio Pool samples this project pulled
If you delete a sample from the CF card later, projects that loaded it will show "MISSING SAMPLE" — keep the Audio Pool stable once projects depend on it
Press [FUNC] + [PROJ] to save the project with your loaded slots

Exploration (if time allows)

Press [PROJ] > PROJECT > SAVE AS to fork the project. Now you have LAB and LAB2 — try ideas in LAB2 without touching LAB
Browse to AUDIO/loops/breaks/ and load a long break loop into Flex slot 9. Trigger it. Hear how Flex handles a longer sample (RAM-fast, instant)
Look at the project file structure on your computer: LEARN/LAB/ contains project.work, project.strd, and a samples/ folder. The .work file is your in-progress state — never edit it manually

Output Checklist

I created a LEARN Set on the CF card
I created a LAB Project inside the Set
I organized samples into a folder hierarchy (drums/, loops/, bass/, etc.)
I loaded at least 8 samples into the Flex slot list
I saved the Project with [FUNC] + [PROJ]
I can articulate the difference between the Audio Pool and the project's Flex slot list

Key Takeaways

Set > Project > Pattern is the file hierarchy. Sets contain projects, projects contain patterns
The Audio Pool (AUDIO/ folder) is shared across projects on the same set. Build it once, reuse forever
The Flex slot list is per-project — it's the RAM cache of which Audio Pool samples this project uses
Save the project with [FUNC] + [PROJ] any time you load samples or change structural settings — auto-save is not a thing on the OT

Next Session Preview

Next: dive deeper into loading and assigning samples — Quick Assign vs. SRC Setup, the difference between Flex (RAM, 80 MB) and Static (streamed, up to 2 GB), and how to swap samples between tracks on the fly.