View Sample Slots
The Sample Slots tabs (Flex and Static) allow you to browse and manage the 256 samples assigned to your project. This is a powerful view for finding specific sounds and understanding how your project's samples are organized.
Static vs. Flex Slots
The Octatrack manages memory in two distinct ways:
- Static Slots (128): Samples are streamed directly from the CF card. Generaly used for long recordings, backing tracks, or large sample libraries.
- Flex Slots (128): Samples are loaded into the Octatrack's RAM. Generaly used for real-time manipulation, slicing, and intensive sound design.
Flex RAM Capacity
The Flex sample slots table displays the available Flex RAM in the toolbar (e.g., FREE MEM: 57.4 MB). This reproduces the exact behavior of the Octatrack's free memory indicator displayed in its Flex Sample Slot list menu.
The total Octatrack RAM is 85.5 MB. The available capacity for Flex samples depends on:
- Reserved Recorder Buffers: Each recorder reserves
length × 44100 × 2 channels × bytes_per_samplebytes. The byte depth is 2 for 16-bit recording or 3 for 24-bit recording. - Loaded Flex samples: The PCM data size of every sample currently assigned to a Flex slot is subtracted from available RAM.
The value is displayed with 1 decimal place (for values ≥ 10 MB) or 2 decimal places (for values < 10 MB), using floor truncation — matching the Octatrack's own display precision.
Exploring the Table
Every row in the table represents a slot (S1–S128 or F1–F128). The table provides several pieces of information:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Slot | The slot number (prefixed with "S" for Static or "F" for Flex). |
| Name | The filename of the sample. Hover on it to display the full file path - relative to project's folder. |
| Compatibility | Whether or not the audio file is compatible with Octatrack's audio engine. Uses same icons as on Octatrack. |
| Status | Whether or not the audio file is found at the exact location set for Sample Slot. |
| Source | Whether the audio file is located in Project's directory or the Set's Audio pool. |
| Gain | The gain setting for that sample slot. |
| Timestretch | Shows the timestretch mode (Off, Normal, Beat). |
| Loop | Shows whether the sample is set to loop (Off, Normal). |
Filtering and Sorting
The table includes a powerful toolbar to help you find what you need.
Each column cna be sorted or filtered:
- Filter: Click on the 3 dots menu in column header to filter the slots form existing values.
- Sort: Click on any column header to sort the slots by name, path, gain, etc.
Additionally, you can also use these advanced features:
- Hide Empty: Toggle the switch to focus only on slots that have a sample assigned.
- Search: Type a name to filter the list instantly.
Column Preferences
You can customize which columns are visible. Click the column menu icon in the toolbar to toggle column visibility. These preferences are remembered across sessions.
How Sample Settings Are Stored
The Octatrack stores Audio Editor (AED) settings for each sample slot across multiple files:
| Data | File | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Gain, BPM, loop mode, timestretch, trig quantization | project.work / project.strd | Text (per-slot [SAMPLE] blocks) |
| Trim points, loop points, slices | markers.work / markers.strd | Binary (per-slot entries) |
These files live inside the project directory and are always used by the Octatrack when loading a project.
About .ot Files
.ot files are optional sidecar files created explicitly by the user on the Octatrack hardware via the Audio Editor's FILE menu (Save Sample Settings, Save Sample Copy, or Save and Assign Sample). They bundle both attributes and markers into a single file alongside the audio file.
.ot files are only recognized by the Octatrack when located inside a project directory, next to their audio file. The Octatrack ignores .ot files placed in the Audio Pool (AUDIO/ folder) or in other projects' directories. Each project maintains its own independent settings in project.work and markers.work.