Octatrack Button-fu : Beat Repeat

From the Octatrack manual (and this really great page):

The Echo Freeze Delay in the Octatrack can function as a repeater. This is how you do it. On the Delay Setup page, make sure SYNC is set to 1, LOCK to 1 and PASS to 0. On the Delay Main page, set TIME to 16, FB to 127, VOL to 127 and SEND to any value between 2 and 127. As soon as you set SEND to 1 the repeater effect will be activated. Experiment by setting TIME and FB to various values.

So, how does one apply this to do a basic beat-repeat?

The easiest and most obvious approach is when using the master track mode on track 8.   In this mode, you can use beat repeat on the overall mix for a 90's-y stut-stut-stut-stut-stutter effect.

The setup for track 8 master with delay stutter

• To set track 8 as a master track:
1.  [FUNCTION]+[MIXER] to get to the project menu.
2. Select CONTROL, then AUDIO, press [YES]
3. In the Track 8 section, check the MASTER checkbox by pressing [YES]
•  To set up the delay on track 8:
1. Press [T8] to select track 8.
2. Press [EFFECT 2] twice to bring up the setup menu.
3. Select DELAY on the left.   Set SYNC and LOCK to 1, PASS to 0.
4. Press [EFFECT 2] once to exit the setup page and go back to the main effect page.
5. Set TIME=32, FB=127, VOL=127, BASE=0, WDTH=127, SEND=2
   Setting SEND to 2 is important! 

Load some samples into a few other tracks and set up a pattern to play them.   Press [PLAY].  Now we're ready for some Octatrack Button-fu.

DELAY CTRL button fu

•  Put the trig buttons in to delay-control mode using [FUNCTION]+[down arrow] until DELAY CTRL is displayed.
• The last 8 trig LEDs will be green.
• On the last few beats of a pattern, press and hold the rightmost trig button [P T8].   You'll hear beat-repeat!
• Some of the first 8 trig LEDs will be yellow while you hold down [P T8].
• With [P T8] held down, press some of the trigs with yellow LEDs.   This will change the repeat rate.
• bap bap bap bap, babababa, brdrdrdrdrdrdrddrrr!
• You can decrease the delay time by pressing trigs towards the left (you can't slow it down once you've sped up)
• You can press [P T8] and one of the left 8 buttons simultaneously to freeze and set the delay time.
• With Track 8 selected, and the Effect 2 page showing, hold down the [P T8] and raise the BASE gradually.   This can make a nice transition into another pattern:
• Select the next pattern early (queue it up).
• During the last 4 beats of the previous pattern, press [P T8] and increase BASE.
• On the downbeat of the next pattern, release [P T8].
• Return BASE to 0.  

Moar

• Setting TAPE=1 in the setup page can be interesting.
• Set up delays on other tracks too.   You can press more than one of the rightmost trigs to activate freeze.
• Width and base values can be changed to get dub-y, degrading repeats.