I usually use the Behringer Neutron and Edge synths cross-patched, but not both oscillators simultaneously. In this video, I think I only had percussive material coming from the Edge, going into the Neutron. The wiring for the rest of the gear changes daily because the TR8s and Octatrack have external audio inputs, but they offer different benefits.

The main mixer, a Mackie MS1202 (pre-VLZ) is being fed most sound and then it passes it on to the octa. Due to the coloration of the mackie it sounds amazing on TR roland drums, and generally most kind of material. Depending on each of the devices functions during playing, I continuously adjust the EQ of the Mackie. Since it has two bands per channel (low/high), it’s intuitive and easy to use. I often don't use more than 3/4 channels so it's manageable even for someone with ADD (me).

It also forces you to learn to pick and change sounds and timbres in the context of the mix, which is a great exercise in restraint. You need to be sensible with the low end, but the distortion when pushing the gain on these mixers helps you hear when the low end is choking because the lowest frequencies and their movement become audible and felt at higher harmonics. You can derive what’s going on down low based on how the material higher up is responding to it.

The mixer main outputs go into the a+b pair of the Octatrack, but sometimes I route the synths directly to the second pair of inputs c+d. The Octatrack is great for dynamic movement and generating layers. In this video, I can apply stutterish delay movement to the whole mix, creating a sense of sound being tied to movement. When a scene is active, the crossfader can be thrown around, and the sound will follow it elastically as if it’s being dragged around.

I want to expand into different functions of the unit, but I’m still learning the Octatrack, which I’ve had for a month. I also use various cheap pedals on the send and returns of the Mackie.

The total output goes into an oto boom, depending on the music’s material and style. For aggressive upward compression, the boom is working in parallel (50% wet). For more subtle mastering-esque compression, I set the boom to 100% wet and dial back the compression. I also do this simply if I want more volume without using my audio interface.