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 18: LFO Designer & Advanced Modulation

Objective: Use the LFO Designer to draw your own 16-step custom LFO waveshape. Assign it to sample START to scrub through audio. Assign it to volume for custom tremolo. Combine LFO Designer with p-locks for deeply evolving textures.

If you only have 5 minutes

Open LFO setup. Set WAVE1 = DESIGNER. Press the designer key — 16 vertical bars on screen. Adjust each bar's height. Assign to SAMPLE START. The LFO now scrubs the sample in your custom shape.

Warm-Up (2 min)

In Session 17, you used 8 preset LFO shapes. Now you'll draw your own. Press [PLAY] on your current pattern. Picture: a custom 16-step shape going up-down-up-down in a pattern only you designed, applied to sample start position. The sample scrubs in a way no preset wave can produce. That's where we're heading.

Setup

Start from the LAB project. You need:

Track 1: a longer sample loaded as Flex (try a 4-bar synth pad or texture, 5-10 seconds long)
A trig placed on step 1 with a long-held note
Track 2: a melodic sample with note trigs (for the tremolo exercise)

Exercises

Exercise 1: Open the LFO Designer (4 min)

The Designer is a 16-step custom waveshape editor.

Press [TRACK 1], then [FUNC] + [LFO] to open LFO SETUP
Find WAVE1 parameter — turn knob to DESIGNER. There are typically two designer slots (DESIGNER 1 and DESIGNER 2 or similar)
Press [NO] to exit setup
Now access the Designer itself: it's typically [FUNC] + [WAVE] or accessed via the LFO designer page (firmware-dependent — check the manual or screen prompts)
The screen shows 16 vertical bars representing 16 steps of the custom waveform
Use [TRIG 1] through [TRIG 16] to select which step to edit
Turn a Data Entry knob to set that step's height (-64 to +64, or 0-127 — depends on firmware)

Exercise 2: Draw a Custom Shape (5 min)

Build a shape that no preset can produce.

With Designer open, draw an uneven ramp:
- Steps 1-4: low-to-high ramp (0, 30, 60, 90)
- Steps 5-8: hold high (100, 100, 100, 100)
- Steps 9-12: rapid descent (90, 60, 30, 0)
- Steps 13-16: low jitter (-30, -10, -40, -20)
Set this Designer as WAVE1 for Track 1
Set DEST1 = SRC START (the sample start position parameter)
DEPTH1 = +60, SPEED1 = 16 (one cycle per bar)
Press [PLAY] with the long-held note on step 1
The sample's playback position scrubs through the custom shape — instead of playing linearly, it follows your drawn pattern. Sounds like granular resampling or tape splice manipulation

Exercise 3: Custom Tremolo via Volume (5 min)

Apply the LFO Designer to volume for non-uniform tremolo patterns.

Press [TRACK 2] (melodic). Open LFO setup
Set WAVE2 = DESIGNER (or use a second designer slot)
Draw a stuttering shape:
- Steps 1, 5, 9, 13: high (+50)
- All others: low (-50)
DEST2 = AMP VOL, DEPTH2 = +40, SPEED2 = 16, MODE2 = TRIG
Press [PLAY]. The melodic sample plays in stuttering 4-on-the-floor accents — tremolo at 16th-note resolution but only on certain steps
Adjust the shape live — make the tremolo asymmetric, off-beat, irregular. Each shape change is a new groove

Exercise 4: P-Lock the LFO Itself (5 min)

P-locking LFO parameters per step turns one LFO into many.

With LFO1 active on Track 1 (modulating SRC START), let it play
Hold [TRIG 5]. P-lock the LFO1 SPEED to 8 (twice as fast)
Hold [TRIG 9]. P-lock LFO1 DEPTH to +90 (deeper)
Hold [TRIG 13]. P-lock LFO1 DEST to FX1 FREQ (target changes — modulates filter instead of sample start)
Press [PLAY]. The LFO behaves differently on each locked step:
- Step 1-4: normal scrub
- Step 5-8: faster scrub
- Step 9-12: deeper scrub
- Step 13-16: filter wobble instead
The implication: the LFO is itself a sequenced parameter. Patterns within patterns

Exercise 5: Stack Designer + Preset LFOs for Compound Motion (4 min)

LFO1 = Designer (custom rhythmic shape). LFO2 = SINE (smooth bed). LFO3 = RANDOM (chaos sprinkle).

On Track 1's LFO page:
- LFO1: DESIGNER, DEST = SRC START, DEPTH = 60, SPEED = 16
- LFO2: SINE, DEST = FX1 FREQ, DEPTH = 40, SPEED = 4 (slow filter sweep)
- LFO3: RANDOM, DEST = AMP BAL, DEPTH = 30, SPEED = 8, MODE = HOLD (jittery panning)
Press [PLAY]. The single track now has:
- Custom-shaped sample scrubbing
- Slow filter sweep underneath
- Random panning jitter on top
Three layers of modulation, all independent, all running in parallel. The track is alive
Save: [FUNC] + [PROJ]

Exploration (if time allows)

Use Designer with MODE = ONE and DEST = AMP VOL for a custom envelope per trig — bypass the AMP envelope's limitations
Draw a "ramp + tail" shape (steady climb then quick drop) and apply to FX2 MIX for swelling delay washes
Combine multiple Designer LFOs across different tracks to make a coordinated rhythmic gesture (e.g., all three drum tracks scrubbing samples in synchronized custom patterns)

Output Checklist

I drew a custom 16-step shape in the LFO Designer
I assigned the custom LFO to SAMPLE START and heard the sample scrub
I drew a different shape for AMP VOL and built custom tremolo
I p-locked at least one LFO parameter (SPEED, DEPTH, or DEST) per step
I stacked Designer + preset LFOs on the same track for compound modulation
I saved the project

Key Takeaways

LFO Designer = custom 16-step waveshape — you draw it, the OT loops it as an LFO
Apply Designer to SAMPLE START for granular-style scrubbing; to VOLUME for custom tremolo; to FILTER FREQ for irregular filter motion
P-lock LFO parameters (SPEED, DEPTH, DEST) per step — the LFO itself becomes a sequenced parameter
Stack Designer LFOs with preset LFOs for compound, multi-layer modulation that no single LFO could produce

Next Session Preview

Next: Module 7 — Scenes & Crossfader. The crossfader is the OT's primary performance tool. Build Scene A and Scene B, morph between them with the slider, stack scenes for smooth progressions. Performance time.