Octopus OS 1.61_06 - public beta

via www.genoqs.net

"Dear all,

we are delighted to announce the first public beta of the upcoming OS 1.62.
At this stage the beta is available for Octopus only - Nemo is to follow.

The OS update is long awaited for its many user-proposed workflow improvements,
and also adds a new powerful and simple to use key feature: Hypersteps!

Hypersteps officially promote Octopus (and Nemo of course) to become the polyrhythm
machines par excellence, and we feel that they may lay the foundament for a new class of
features to come - as they will be suggested and asked for by our users :-)

Being in beta still, the OS file is recommended for the brave and adventurous for the
time being, and while we think it is quite stable, there may be aspects we have still to work on.
You can find it in the download area of our web site and installation is done via
SYSEX as described in the Octopus manual.

In another strain of events, note that our forum is back!
Unfortunately everyone needs to re-register, which is a bit of a pain.
Please accept our apologies for taking so long with restoring the operation.

As always, much looking forward to your feedback, ideas and thoughts.

Cheers,

Gabriel and Marcel



OCTOPUS OS v161.06 release documentation

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- HYPERSTEPS
In short, hypersteps are steps that do not trigger notes, but trigger tracks in their respective page. Therefore, if a track is linked to a hyperstep, once the hyperstep is played, the track is being triggered to play at a speed corresponding to the step length (in 1/192 intervals), and taking over the hyperstep's velocity and pitch offset.
To engage the hyperstep function go to page mode, hold a track selector down, and at the same time designate the hyperstep in the matrix, in a row other than the track's (by pressing it down as well). You will see that the track selector and the hyperstep start "shining" green.
A track can only have one associated hyperstep.To disengage the hyperstep of a hyped track, hold the selector pressed and press a step button in the matrix row of the track.

- PREVIEW PERFORM mode introduced in page mode. This is similar to EDIT mode but does not send MIDI notes out as in EDIT mode. Allows for better Berlin School type of performance. Engage by pressing the EDIT button twice (again, "twice", and not double-click!).

- Fix for the the bug related to recording on the first step in chained tracks.

- Copy and paste steps works in Page EDIT mode.

- EDIT LED blinks orange when activated in PAGE and GRIDTRACK mode

- GRIDTRACK mode matrix key presses are now as responsive as they should be

- Upon stop or page switch all chains are reset to play the head track

- Program Change send optimizations

- Double-click in GRID mode (non-EDIT) does not toggle page status. Live-safe!

- Step phrases are now shifted correctly on shifted tracks

- Recording in chained tracks with chainsplayhead now records the correct pitch

- Blinking freq of LEDs is now a bit lower and hence easier on the eyes

- Long chords (> 192/192) are played with the correct length.

- Step skips will keep the step state after an unskip operation.

- Un-skip function is now active in the EDIT and PREVIEW PERFORM mode.

- Step skipping is possible in two ways: hold MUT and press the steps, or hold the step buttons and press MUT.

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