Session 8

Session 08: Thru & Neighbor Machines

20 min|intermediate|technique

Session 08: Thru & Neighbor Machines

Objective: Use the Octatrack as a real-time effects processor for external gear. Set Track 1 = Thru to bring Input A/B through the FX engine. Set Track 2 = Neighbor to chain a second pair of effects on top. Hear your synth, guitar, or drum machine transformed.

If you only have 5 minutes

Plug audio into Input A/B. Set Track 1 = Thru, INAB = ON. Open FX1 = Echo Freeze Delay. Play your external gear. The OT is now a delay processor.

Warm-Up (2 min)

You've spent 7 sessions playing samples out of the OT. Now you're playing audio into the OT and back out — the box becomes a stereo effects rack. Plug headphones in and confirm you hear the OT's internal sound. Power your external instrument. We're about to bridge them.

Setup

Start from the LAB project. You need:

  • An external audio source (synth, drum machine, guitar through DI, mic, phone)
  • Cables from that source to Input A and Input B on the OT's rear panel
  • Monitors or headphones on the OT main outputs

Set the input gain: press [MIX], adjust GAIN A and GAIN B so the level meters bounce healthily without clipping when your source plays. Press [NO] to close the mixer.

Exercises

Exercise 1: Track 1 = Thru Machine (5 min)

Thru is the simplest: pass audio in, route it through the track's effects, send it to main out.

  1. Press [TRACK 1], then [FUNC] + [SRC] to open SRC SETUP
  2. Set MACH = THRU (turn knob A)
  3. Set INAB = ON — this routes Input A and B as the source for this track
  4. (Optional) Set INCD = OFF if you have separate gear on inputs C/D you don't want here
  5. Press [NO] to exit setup
  6. Press [SRC] — Source page now shows Thru parameters (no sample, just input routing)
  7. Play your external instrument. You should hear it through the OT's main output
DATA ENTRYTRACK PARAMSVOLUMEHP VOLLEVELOCTATRACKPTN A01 PART 1BPM 120.0Octatrack MKIIABCDEFPLAYSTOPRECTEMPOFUNCPROJPARTAEDMIXARRMIDISRCAMPLFOFX1FX2SCENE ASCENE BCROSSFADERREC1REC2REC3PTNBANKPAGEUPDOWNLEFTRIGHTYESNOT1T2T3T4T5T6T7T8CUETRIG 1TRIG 2TRIG 3TRIG 4TRIG 5TRIG 6TRIG 7TRIG 8TRIG 9TRIG 10TRIG 11TRIG 12TRIG 13TRIG 14TRIG 15TRIG 16

Exercise 2: Add Effects to the Thru Track (4 min)

Now the OT becomes the effects processor.

  1. With Track 1 still selected, press [FX1] to open the FX1 page
  2. Press [FUNC] + [FX1] to open FX1 SETUP — choose an effect. Try LO-FI COLLECTION (knob A cycles types)
  3. Press [NO] to exit setup
  4. On the FX1 page, turn knobs B-F to dial in the effect — bit reduction, sample rate reduction
  5. Play your external source — you should hear it lo-fi'd in real time
  6. Try other effects: 12/24DB MULTI MODE FILTER for filter sweeps, ECHO FREEZE DELAY for dub, GATEBOX PLATE REVERB for space

Exercise 3: Track 2 = Neighbor — Chain More Effects (5 min)

Each track has 2 effects (FX1 + FX2), so 1 Thru track gives you 2 effects. Neighbor lets you chain another track's worth of effects after.

  1. Press [TRACK 2], then [FUNC] + [SRC] to open SRC SETUP
  2. Set MACH = NEIGHBOR
  3. Press [NO] to exit. Track 2 is now picking up Track 1's output (Thru → its FX1/FX2 → into Track 2)
  4. On Track 2, press [FUNC] + [FX1] and assign another effect — try ECHO FREEZE DELAY
  5. Press [FUNC] + [FX2] and assign GATEBOX PLATE REVERB
  6. Play your external source. The signal is now: Input → Track 1 Thru → FX1 (lo-fi) → FX2 (any) → Track 2 Neighbor → FX1 (delay) → FX2 (reverb) → Main Out
  7. You just chained 4 effects on a single external signal. The OT is now a serious FX processor

Exercise 4: Mix Live Input with Internal Tracks (4 min)

Thru tracks aren't isolated — they share the OT's mixer with your sample tracks.

  1. Set Track 3 to Flex, load a drum loop, place trigs on 1, 5, 9, 13. Press [PLAY]
  2. Now play your external instrument with Tracks 1+2 routing it through the lo-fi → delay → reverb chain
  3. You hear: drum loop from Track 3 + your processed external signal — a full mix
  4. Use the Level knob (top-right) to balance: select Track 1 with [TRACK 1], set its level relative to the drum track
  5. Mute/unmute the external Thru with [FUNC] + [TRACK 1] to hear the difference

Exploration (if time allows)

  • Sample your external input via track recorder (Module 9 preview): with Thru routed, set up REC1 to capture Input A/B, press [TRACK 1] + [REC1] to record. Now you have your processed take as a sample
  • Try Track 1 = Thru on Input C/D (set INAB = OFF, INCD = ON) for a second simultaneous external source
  • Mute the Neighbor (Track 2) by unmuting/muting it — you can hear "with chain" vs. "without chain" comparisons

Output Checklist

  • I connected an external audio source to Input A/B
  • I set Track 1 = Thru with INAB = ON and heard external audio through the OT
  • I added at least one effect on the Thru track and heard it process the external source
  • I set Track 2 = Neighbor and chained 2 more effects on top
  • I mixed the live external signal with an internal sample-based track
  • I can describe the signal flow: Input → Thru → FX → Neighbor → FX → Main Out

Key Takeaways

  • Thru machine routes external Input A/B (or C/D) through a track — no sample needed
  • Neighbor machine picks up the previous track's output, letting you chain another 2 effects
  • This makes the OT an 8-track effects processor for your studio (you can have multiple Thru tracks for multiple external sources)
  • All the same FX1 + FX2 + LFO + scenes apply — your effects can be modulated, p-locked, and morphed via crossfader

Next Session Preview

Next: Pickup machines (Session 09 — already drafted). The OT becomes a live looper. Record a 4-bar phrase from your external source, loop it, overdub on top. Pickup is the OT's third superpower (after sequencing and effects processing).