Elektron announced today that it is now shipping the Octatrack MKII.
The Elektron Octatrack MKII is an eight-track performance sampler and sequencer. The updated Octatrack features new back-lit buttons, paired with hi-res encoders and a contactless crossfader. The ultra crisp OLED screen and an increased count of dedicated buttons also contribute to the improved MKII user experience.
Here’s a video intro to the updated Octatrack:
Features:
- 8 stereo audio tracks
- 8 dedicated MIDI tracks
- Instant stereo sampling
- Real time sample time-stretch & pitch-shift
- 2 × insert FX per audio track
- 3 × LFO per track
- Live friendly Elektron sequencer
- Individual track lengths and tempo multiplier
- Parameter locks and trig conditions
- Contactless performance crossfader
- Crisp 128 × 64 OLED screen
- Hi-res encoders
- Durable back-lit buttons
- CompactFlash card storage up to 64 GB
- 1 × ¼? headphones output
- 2 × ¼? impedance balanced main output
- 2 × ¼? impedance balanced cue output
- 4 × ¼? balanced external input
- 1 × USB 2.0 High Speed port
- MIDI IN/OUT/THRU ports
- Fully compatible with Octatrack MKI projects/data
Pricing and Availability
The Octatrack MKII is available now for $1399/€1449.
At least, could’ve upgraded CompactFlash to SD Card.
For real… this just seems like a repackaged MK1
That would actually be a downgrade, half of the samples available are streamed from the CF card which has a faster transfer rate than SD
Now, Please show the A4 mk2 so, that I can decide which one to buy.
a4 mk1
Its a shed load cheaper and you get free overbridge
What the hell does MK stand for? Much Kooler? More Kites? And when did this whole, “we have a new product cause we added 2 to the title” thing begin?
The price drop on the old A4 is pretty good. The new MK2’s dont really bring much to the table. The Analog Rytm has sampling capability, probably just like the digitakt, mono inputs. The octatrack looks exactly the same on the inside, changes mostly cosmetic and a few streamlined bits to help the workflow. The only thing that would have made the octatrack even better would have been overbridge. They said the octatrack would never have overbridge, but you’d think if they made a new version, it may. So its kind of odd that they didnt make that a requirement since all of their other new products have it. Definitely looks like the old OT with a paintjob.
I own a Rhodes MkII, so it started at least in the mid-70’s.
Mark II.
Go, Speed Racer, Goooo!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_(designation)
MK = mark. It’s just a designation like calling it version 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_(designation)
Only real difference with the new Octatrack is they include a couple extra buttons to get rid of some button combos and speed things up. Beyond that, as you said, it’s purely a cosmetic update. It’s always been my understanding that the developers behind the OT left Elektron a year or so after it’s release. I imagine they’re hesitant to do anything major because of that.
I made a decision recently just to work ITB for now. I’ve come to accept that and I’m quite happy with that life choice but boy does the OT tickle my fancy. Again (for like the 3rd time). Conditional trigs in this thing will open it up even further.
Would’ve loved Overbridge on it but thinking about it, the OT should be about getting me away from the computer rather than anything else. Maybe I’ll pick one up eventually.
Octatrack? It’s ok. But, why elektron don’t make a machine named “overbridge”,
which can overbridge a4 and ar and that can make pattern more than 4 bars?
Both the A4 and the Rytm can make patterns longer than 4 bars using the Chain function.
What happened to this once amazing company… seems they’ve fallen into darkness.
They ran out of ideas.
They have an interesting history as far as I know. Elektron was founded in 1998, the result of a mandatory college project that showed commercial potential. They started with 3 great products: SidStation, Monomachine, and Machinedrum. Just 9 years later in 2007 co-founder and CEO Daniel Hansson died in a car accident. He was the inspiration behind the SidStation and really got the ball rolling on the company. After a couple of touchy years Jonas Hillman came in with capital and began acting as CEO, and that’s how it’s been for the past 10 years. It seems like after Hansson the products became “safer”. A4 using the same sequencer and layout as previous boxes, releasing a distortion unit, now cosmetic changes for MK2’s, etc.
Did the midisequencer get conditional trigs too?
Pretty cool that this feature made it to the old Octatrack too.
The fact that it still uses compact flash screams of paint job. No real development here.
Ya, they have filled in al the gaps. Analog Synth, Analog Drum Machine, 2 samplers, Audio Processing, Digital Synth and Digital Drums. Maybe a Multi-FX box with p-lock capabilities and a sequencer. Then what else would you make? Granular synth? More poly? A mono-synth? The same stuff other companies have been reproducing for years! Korg Krome to Korg Kronos? A4 to A5 to Fast and Furious 37?
I do not understand the small number of outs on a sampling machine? Eight should be a standard, as Akai have provided pretty much since the s 950. Really lost on me a high speak machine on paper but with no outputs to speak off.
they should have made the digitakt with stereo sampling
should have given it more than 1gig of sample space
should have made it battery powered
should have given it a sample chopshop which along with it’s other current features would have been amazing….
too much pride going on in development and fanboism these days…. devs looking more like politicians who claim they rep the people but don’t serve the people.
same reason teenage engineering won’t put a sample slicer inside the op-1…. cause it’s not the tE: way…. F. all that, give the people the tools, move units , make money, and let everybody be happy…. and let all the fools who put pride at the forefront of their musical identity finally learn that if they don’t like a certain feature don’t worry your cool friends won’t leave you cause you don’t have to use it…. just don’t use it and let everybody else who wants to use it use it FFS!
Shoulda coulda woulda. Make music, go create, don’t procrastinate.
two albums out this year, hardly relevant to this thread.
Oh, I was trying to augment on what you were saying… I agree with your sentiments!
Trig Conditions for mkI as well? Finally!
ELEKTRON UPDATES A SEVEN YEAR OLD MACHINE. PASSESE ALL UPDATES TO THE FIRST . OPENLY SAYS IT A NEW PAINT JOB A FEW EXTRA BUTTONSS. YET THE OCTOTRACK IS STILL SO RELIVANT IN THE WORLD OF ELCTRONIC MUSIC HAS IT REALY BEEN SURPASSED? korg coud only hope ti be as relevant, i’m usining the ot 1 now and cant wait for the updates this has been and stil is a wonderful creatve machine its almost like a paint brush on canvas. call me what u will, ‘im sue u will , but i actually have had the ot for 3 years and stil cant find the bottom thank u elektron, no other company updATES THERE PRODUCT 7 YEArs after release…
When they have a translate the key that door had once gone to someday have unlocked might then try to had to see the missed trying having said that might be the way it will once be. WHAT????
Geez. Someone really had a point to make. Thanks for that, I guess.