Q#1) What is the Oktakontrol?
A#1) The Oktakontrol is an invention of AG-KW Technik, it is a hyperspace ultrasonic overflow generator which enables you to travel through space and time beyond infinity.
Really?
No, it basically is a conventional midi controller box which is customized to the Elektron Octatrack where “customized” means that it has the same width & height as the Octatrack and that it is delivered pre-programmed in a way that you can connect, power up and instantly use it with the Octatrack.
Q#2) What are the internals of the Oktakontrol?
A#2) A mixture of pure gold and excerpts of anti-matter.
Really?
No, it is composed of two printed circuit boards, the mainboard and the supplyboard, which are developed and hand-soldered by ourselves. The manufacturing (printing, etching, drilling, plating) of the boards is done on a professional standard by www.Eurocircuits.com in Central Europe.
The supplyboard consists of the components for power-supply, the connections and the basic control. The basic control itself is mainly designed around an 8-bit/32KB flash microcontroller ATMEL ATmega 328 and based on Arduino.
The mainboard consists of the components for the “user-interface” like the 60mm travel faders, the buttons and the LEDs. The faders and buttons are good quality ALPS components, they feel good and do a reliable job – for example the buttons are specified (by ALPS) for 10,000,000 cycles. Really? Yes.
All parts are ROHS-compliant and lead-free soldered (btw. lead-free soldering sucks).
Q#3) What are the externals of the Oktakontrol?
A#3) Big boobs and booty.
Really?
No, the case is made of sheetmetal and wood. The top, the bottom and the sides are powder-coated steel with a silkscreen printed labeling, the front and rear is treated oak. All knobs are made of plastic, they have a good dimensioned size and a nice tactile feel.
All parts are ROHS-compliant and lead-free soldered (btw. lead-free soldering sucks).
Q#4) What are the connections of the Oktakontrol?
A#4) The Oktakontrol can only be connected to anything by a special adapter which can be bought from our shop for only 300 Euros.
Really?
No, we are not Apple. The connections of the Oktakontrol (OK) are the MIDI-OUT, MIDI-IN, MIDI-THRU, MIDI-AUX, USB and the power supply socket.
MIDI-IN/OUT/THRU – these sockets, sometimes also called “the MIDI-Trio”, comply to the MIDI-standard. You probably know them from a lot of devices, i.e. the same configuration is found on Elektrons Octatrack (OT).
MIDI-OUT gives out all generated MIDI-controller change values merged together with any MIDI-messages received on the MIDI-IN. The basic function of the OK is achieved by connecting OK MIDI-OUT to the MIDI-IN of the OT.
At MIDI-IN you can connect a MIDI-OUT of any other MIDI-compliant device. Also you can receive a feedback from the OT via the OK MIDI-IN, that means if connected respectively you can trigger a MIDI send request which is sent from OK to OT and OT responds with its actual setting (i.e. the state of the mutes), then the OK captures this setting.
MIDI-THRU forwards any signal received on MIDI-IN without modification.
MIDI-AUX Initially is an additional MIDI-THRU. Furthermore it is configurable via a jumper-setting internally (on the supply pcb) to act as an additional MIDI-IN or MIDI-OUT. Note: The function to act as additional IN or OUT is yet not fully developed (therefore the firmware has to be modified / scheduled by AG-KW for April 2014) – but if it works as planned, this gives you the possibility to have the MIDI feedback function while the MIDI-IN is still free for other external devices.
USB – this Mini B USB socket serves as a programming port for updating the firmware.
At the Power supply socket you connect a standard wall-wart type AC/DC converter with an output of 9V DC and a center-positive 2.1mm barrel connector.
… to be continued.
I bought a second hand 8ktakontrol and I was looking for the manual but the download page no longer exists. You can have it thanks
Hi There,
I have oktakontrol working well, and the feedback function works well, so the faders are picking up the values from the OT.
I have a question, how can I sync the OT with external clock if
OT midi out -> OK Midi in
OT midi in -> OK midi out
Hello,
I just got my OK. Really happy with it so far. But I would like the default page 1 setting to control the volume parameter instead of the amp parameter. I’m guessing I’m probably not the first to want this. So by any chance do you already have a version of the firmware setup to do this that you could email me? Also do you have an estimated date as to when the OK editing software will be complete?
Hej,
of course … I just sent you the modified firmware per mail.
Marcel
Hi,
I’ve purchased a oktakontrol recently, and like it, but..
When i switch banks on my octatrack, some faders are passing sound, even though the fader is down. I have to move the fader up’n down for activation again. And some aren’t giving sound, like they should when fader is down.
Did i miss some sort of setting somewhere, or is it not possible to switch banks without this happening?
Greetz Mark
Hej Mark,
good to read you like the OK! 🙂
Yes, when you are switching banks all settings from this bank come instantly effective – so the amp volumes. Unfortunately we have no influence on this, because this how the Octatrack (OT) works.
What we integrated is, the „feedback“-function (picking up parameters from the OT where they actually are at) – but this won’t help you much with your request (if you need info about that, see Q4 above or our user manual or ask here again 🙂 ).
Brgds,
Bruce
Thanks Bruce, i’ve got it figured out now. They all start muted, just remember what banks i’ve used in a set, and i can’t go wrong. Did i mention that i’ve gotten seriously hooked on the OK? It makes the OT even more of a stagemonster..