Chris Hein OCTA Review

Chris Hein, a name associated with detailed sampling since the early days of computer music and the Commodore C-64, brings decades of experience to the virtual instrument landscape. His work has often focused on faithfully reproducing real instruments digitally. OCTA is one of his latest efforts. Built for the full version of Kontakt and Kontakt Player, OCTA is an eight-engine sound design ecosystem, designed for composers who desire motion, emotion, and meticulous control.

Core Concept: The Eight-Engine Ecosystem

OCTA's architecture is built around the concept of layering, allowing up to eight distinct sound sources to be loaded, blended, and processed simultaneously. Each of these eight layers operates as an independent instrument channel, featuring its own set of synthesis controls (like envelopes and filters), modulation options (LFOs), pattern generators (arpeggiator, phrase sequencer), and insert effects.

A key component differentiating OCTA is its "Mega Structure Engine." This feature integrates sequencing and modulation capabilities within each layer, facilitating the creation of complex, evolving patterns, rhythmic textures, and soundscapes that can change dynamically over time, moving beyond simple looped playback.

Interface and Workflow

Clean start...

The instrument's functionality is spread across six primary pages:

Mixer: Offers a consolidated view of the loaded sound sources and their respective levels.

Main: Provides access to global instrument settings as well as specific parameters for each of the eight layers.

Effects: Manages the effects section, which can accommodate up to 20 simultaneous effect processors chosen from a wide selection.

Preset: Contains the browser for loading complete instrument presets.

Sequencer: The dedicated interface for programming and editing patterns using the Mega Structure Engine.

Settings: Includes global configuration options and tools for assigning MIDI CC controllers.

Getting the most out of OCTA involves an initial learning period. While numerous presets provide usable starting points, deeper sound design requires familiarization with the interface and signal flow, which during our testing, often necessitated a quick glance at the user manual, especially for modulation and sequencing setups. The graphical interface relies heavily on icons, some of which are quite small and may take users some time to recognize easily.

For users who prefer a more straightforward approach or need to access individual sounds quickly, OCTA includes an "EASY Instruments" mode. This mode presents a simplified interface focusing on a single sound, bypassing the complexity of the full eight-layer CH-OCTA engine. A comprehensive tagging system is built into the preset browser to assist in locating specific sounds or types of presets within the large library.

The Sound Library

Instruments and presets drop down

The engine is powered by a substantial sample library, requiring over 25GB of storage space. Reflecting Chris Hein's extensive sampling background, the source sounds are high quality and cover a broad spectrum. Loading the "Clean Start" template populates the first slot with a Vibraphone, leaving seven slots empty for the user to fill. The library includes:

Acoustic Mallets: Sounds like Marimba and Vibraphone. 

World/Ethnic Percussion: A collection of traditional and less common percussion instruments.

Guitars: Sampled acoustic and electric guitars.

Synths & Textures: Processed synthesizer patches and atmospheric tonal sounds.

Found Sound/FX: Unique hits, impacts, and special effects derived from environmental recordings or unconventional sources.

Users can browse and select instrument types and presets by clicking the instrument icon within each layer's slot.

Sequencing and Modulation

The Sequencer

In the developer's own words:

The heart of OCTA is its sequencer. The initial idea was, to create an 8 channel instrument, which makes it possible to play full arrangements with multiple instruments loaded. Each channel can handle any instrument with all its different articulations. The goal is to have a full orchestra loaded, playing sequences among the chord you press, based on single orchestral instruments, customizable with all its little details.

Chris Hein - OCTA creator

Each of the eight layers incorporates independent arpeggiators and phrase sequencers, along with various tools for dynamic modulation. This architecture enables the creation of complex polyrhythms and interacting sonic elements across layers. Individual layers can be soloed or muted. An important practical feature is that muting a layer also unloads its samples from RAM, helping to manage system resource usage.

An integrated X/Y pad allows for real-time morphing between different layers or parameters, providing an intuitive performance control. This pad can be assigned to external MIDI controllers, although the setup process is detailed in the manual. The instrument's design, with its emphasis on performance controls and dynamic sequencing, makes it particularly effective for composers who prefer to play parts live rather than program static sequences.

Conclusion

EASY Kalimba

Chris Hein's OCTA stands out as a deep and versatile multi-layer instrument for the Kontakt platform. Its core strength lies in marrying a high-quality, varied sound library with a powerful eight-part engine that offers extensive modulation and sequencing for each layer. It is particularly adept at generating complex, evolving textures, intricate rhythmic patterns, and the hybrid sounds often sought after in cinematic scoring, experimental sound design, and modern electronic music. While its depth necessitates a learning curve to fully exploit, the availability of the EASY Instruments mode offers a more accessible entry point. For composers and producers needing fine-grained control over layered sounds and generative musical patterns, OCTA presents a formidable and inspiring set of tools.

Pros

Deep sound sculpting capabilities offered by the eight-layer architecture.

High-quality, unique, and diverse source sample library with effective tagging.

Highly flexible engine design with independent sequencing/modulation per layer.

Well-suited for creating hybrid cinematic cues, complex textures, and sound design.

Muting layers unloads samples, aiding RAM management.

Cons

Requires a time investment to learn thoroughly beyond the EASY Instruments mode.

Some interface icons are small and may require familiarization.

The specific character of the included sound library might align better with certain musical styles (e.g., cinematic, ambient, experimental) than others.

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You can more learn about Chris Hein's new lower-cost Easy Series here. Read More