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Quick Start

This guide will get you up and running with Octatrack Manager in just a few minutes.

1. Scan for Projects​

When you first open Octatrack Manager, your first task is to find your work.

Click Scan for Projects to let the app automatically search for:

  • Removable Drives: Mounted CompactFlash cards and USB drives.
  • Common Paths: Folders like Documents, Music, Downloads, and Desktop.
  • Octatrack Folders: Any folder on your home directory named octatrack, Octatrack, or OCTATRACK.

If your projects are in a custom location (e.g., an external drive or a specific backup folder), click Browse... to select it manually.

Project discovery — Home page

2. Navigate Your Content​

Found content is grouped into Locations (which are your Sets) and Individual Projects.

  • Locations: Each card represents a Set on your disk or CF card. It shows the number of projects inside and if it has a valid Audio Pool.
  • Expand/Collapse: Click the ▶ arrow on a location card to see the projects within it.
  • Open a Project: Click on any project name to enter the Project Detail view.
  • Access the Audio Pool: Click the Audio Pool card within a Set to manage your samples.

3. Explore Project Details​

Once a project is open, you can see everything about it.

The Overview tab shows your mixer, MIDI, memory, and metronome settings. This is a read-only view that helps you understand how the project was configured when last saved.

Project detail — Overview

Switching Between Tabs​

At the top of the project view, you can switch between several specialized views:

  • Parts: Manage the 4 sound snapshots (kits) for each bank.
  • Patterns: Visualize your sequences and triggers in detail.
  • Flex / Static: Browse and filter the 256 sample slots.
  • Tools (Coming Soon): Access bulk copy operations between projects (Work in Progress).

4. Edit a Part​

To modify a part, navigate to the Parts tab and select a bank (A–P).

  1. Click on a Part tab (Part 1, 2, 3, or 4).
  2. Toggle Edit mode using the switch in the top header.
  3. Use the knobs and fields to modify machine parameters, effects, and LFOs.
  4. Changes are saved to an .unsaved file automatically.
  5. Click Commit (Save icon) to write the changes permanently to the project file.

Parts Editor

5. Manage Your Audio Pool​

In the Audio Pool view, you can move samples from your computer into your Set.

  1. Browse your computer in the right panel.
  2. Select the audio files you want to add.
  3. Click Copy to Pool.
  4. Octatrack Manager will automatically convert them to the correct WAV format and resample them to 44.1 kHz if necessary.

Audio Pool conversion

Tips for Success​

  • Back Up First: Always keep a backup of your important projects before making major changes with "Edit" mode.
  • Refresh: If you insert a CF card while the app is open, click the Refresh (↻) button in the header.
  • Version Check: The app automatically checks for updates. Click the version number in the header to manually check or download the latest version.