The Elektron Octatrack functions as a central sequencer and sampler hub in a hardware live set

In a hardware-centric live set, one device often acts as the hub that carries both the sequencing and the sample playback, while the other machines contribute sounds. In this FACT Against the Clock episode, Barker gives that role to the Elektron Octatrack: he describes it as ‘doing a lot of sequencing work and sampling’ at the centre of a rig that also includes a Digitone, a Faderfox controller, a Nordrum, a Beatstep Pro and an Arturia Keystep. Assigning one machine the dual job of sequencer-plus-sampler is what lets a dawless set stay coherent and playable without a laptop: the hub keeps time and holds the samples, so the performer’s real-time attention can go to tweaking the other instruments. The concept to grasp is the hub role itself — one central sequencer/sampler around which the rest of the rig is organised — rather than the specific model.

Examples

Barker’s Against the Clock rig centres on the Elektron Octatrack for sequencing and sampling, with the Faderfox ‘just controlling everything’, the Nordrum adding ‘belly sounds’, and a Keystep for entering notes — a dawless set with no central laptop.

Assessment

Describe the dual role a hub device like the Octatrack plays in a dawless live set (sequencing + sampling), and explain why concentrating those two jobs in one machine helps a laptop-free performance stay playable.