Octatrack MKII Unveiled

So much speculation about a possible Octatrack 2 when the Digitakt was announced. When the Digitakt finally arrived there was even more speculation. Today, Elektron announced the new Octatrack MKII. It’s not quite what everyone was hoping for in terms of a totally revamped and improved Octatrack 2 but it is, in fact, a bit of a spruce up from the original OG model (MKI).

The important distinction here is that it is specifically called the Octatrack MKII. It is NOT referred to as the Octatrack 2. The importance lies in the fact that the MKII has an updated OLED screen, a new color, digitakt like backlit buttons, improved cross fader and a few additional dedicated buttons. All that said, it is pretty much the same beloved Octatrack inside for the most part.

I know many of us hoped for some new bells and whistles plus Overbridge compatibility but no dice this time around. I think it’s important to remember that Overbridge was oroginally brought to market for use with the Elektron Analog boxes (Analog Four, Analog Keys, Analog Rytm and eventually Analog Heat and even Digitakt at some point). All of those were designed from the ground up with Overbridge use in mind. These are all post Octatrack products. So, it makes sense to me that Octactrack would likely have to be redesigned from the ground up to be compatible with Overbridge. That’s likely where tings would have to go in order to get to the Overbridge Octatrack synergy that we so long for.

So until then there is this freshly refreshed Octatrack for those who’ve had it on their list of desired gears.

And on that note…

Swedish musical instrument company Elektron today announced Octatrack MKII, the successor to the highly influential performance sampler Octatrack

Octatrack MKII is an eight track performance sampler and sequencer, designed for both live performers and studio producers. Thanks to its clever combination of internal tracks, MIDI tracks and in- and outputs, it is perfect as the centre piece in any rig. The sample engine, which features time-stretch and pitch-shift in real time, is capable of radically transforming and reshaping samples in an instant.

The new high quality back-lit buttons, paired with the hi-res encoders and the professional contactless crossfader, ensure operational reliability in the most demanding environments. The ultra crisp OLED screen and an increased count of dedicated buttons, each with a distinct purpose, contribute to the improved MKII user experience.

“Octatrack MKII will fulfil the needs of anybody who really wants to experiment with samples. And the tactile feel and visual feedback of the new buttons is such an aid when being on stage or improvising in the studio. Octatrack MKII is an outstanding live performance tool”, says Jonas Hillman, CEO of Elektron.