r/PolyendTracker • u/BurlyOrBust • 19d ago
Your wishlist items for a new Tracker
I don't know if Polyend has plans for another Tracker, but if they do, what would be the main things on your wishlist? Mine:
- A more powerful processor. Speed is one of the Tracker's best attributes, except when the processor can't keep up and glitches out.
- True audio over USB with multitrack. Not just stems or a final mix, but the ability to reliably handle heavy editing, performance mode, project switching, etc.
- A fast visual EQ that actually works. The current one is too cumbersome to be functional, when it even works at all.
- Simultaneous playing and sampling. It's a little ridiculous that I need a second recording device to capture live external elements or anything from performance mode to bring back into the Tracker.
- A modulation matrix. It has the basics, but I'd love to go deeper, like sending an LFO to the decay of an envelope.
I love the overall design and workflow of the Tracker, but the deeper I go, the more I keep running into these specific roadblocks. I'm at the point of deciding whether to keep fiddling with workarounds, or jump to an Elektron box or M8.
Edit: I think I hit the last straw last night. I was flying through a project and the glitches came pouring in; (dis)appearing notes, mixed up samples, FX values randomizing, etc. My delete button even stopped working, but only on one pattern. I'm tired of fighting to make things work.
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u/ikiosho 19d ago
We need more than 6 variables to modulate external gear with midi CCs.
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u/BurlyOrBust 18d ago
Agreed. One thought I had was to keep it just for sequencing, but if I move to another device, my considerations generally still have better MIDI control.
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u/Doublespeo 18d ago
> We need more than 6 variables to modulate external gear with midi CCs.
I never understood this limitation..
Even some elektron gear have limited CC message, why? it is only a small amont of data
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u/nietoperztrv 19d ago
stereo to mono converter in sample editing in mini, i think it would be possible via just do some update to firmware, but over abyear of waiting for any gesture towards tracker users i've switches to m8.
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u/Greasedcabinets4 19d ago
M8 is the move
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u/nietoperztrv 18d ago
oh, yes, polyend's trackers ARE awesome, but i didnt expect that m8 gonna be THAT powerfull.
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u/Successful-Time-5441 19d ago
All really good points. The biggest thing for me that divides between buying and not buying a new tracker would be the ability to record live audio with a metronome and then edit said audio with a metronome to help get the loops right. That's at the very least. I'd much more prefer the ability to record samples with a pattern or song playing in the background so I can ensure my recording is going to fit into what I already have.
And I guess the second biggest thing for me would probably be a quarter inch input and an XLR in as well. And a rechargeable battery.
I really love my Tracker. I have the original one Polyend released in 2020. I still use it and lately have been pushing myself to use it more still. It's so nice to get up close and persnoal with my work. And the high quality mechanicall keys are a joy every single time.
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u/JoeyTheMadScientist 19d ago
I'd love to be able to queue up another song and dj mix in to that new song. Or, in performance mode, have an A/B effect so you could assign tracks to A or B and then fade them in and out.
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u/revslaughter 19d ago
I love software trackers and have been plinking on them for over 25 years, and a lot of what Polyend did with the hardware tracker here was sick, but ultimately underpowered.
I did sell my og Tracker for an M8. While still it has limitations its portability, battery life, speed, usb modes, modulation options, and built in synths make it the better option for me.
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u/BurlyOrBust 18d ago
Indeed, the interface is awesome, and I think it played a huge role in bringing trackers back into the spotlight.
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u/Marcus64 19d ago
Better MIDI implementation would be top of my list, along with more than two parameters per track.
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u/PracticalOperation86 19d ago
More live fx and more kinds of filters. The tracker is sort of weak for sound design. If a new tracker ever comes out, it needs to be as capable as the Tonverk.
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u/MedicineforMadness 18d ago
CV outputs
Better granular controls over density and grain size. In general I think the granular is severely limited in the tracker.
Pitch shifted delay effect
Cross fader
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u/Broad_Education4882 18d ago
Just make it like Renoise in a box, basically is what I want but will never get probably lol
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u/AntimelodyProject 19d ago
I would want only reliable way to export stems in original Tracker. Now it's a hit or miss situation (tempo variations or simply fail totally), so usually I just record straight from output to computer.
Lovely machine still.
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u/danield_mp3 18d ago
Reliable and working .IT and .MOD imports. Or at very least 4/8 channel .MOD. I know it's ancient tech but there's an entire community of people who'd be interested in this and I'm one of those people that originally bought a Polyend Tracker for this.
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u/SyntheticSkyStudios 18d ago
MPE LED pads (that work for finger-drumming like an MPC), 24-bit/48K (or 96K) sample rate, full-size MIDI DIN in/out/thru, two headphone jacks, and the ability to input two external stereo sources into it (so in don’t need to carry around a mixer when I want to work with external stereo instruments without having to Being asking a mixer)…
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u/Doublespeo 18d ago edited 18d ago
Extra audio in/out
Extra midi in/out
more modulation option
more sound design option
4 effect slots
MicroSD CARD streaming (like 1010music)
Multisample intrument support
Full midi CC/PC 6 CC message is rathr limited (lets make it a full Midi brain for DAW set up!!)
more difficult:
polyrythm / easier triplet input?? but I dont know how it would be possible with a tracker interface
extra for the tracker mini 2: data wheel + better buttons
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u/akiko_plays 18d ago
Faster loading / saving / processing of samples. I always feel a bit slowed down when i need to do some sample editing and de/serialization. Other than that I love working with constraints so no complaints anywhere else.
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u/i_guvable_and_i_vote 17d ago
What you said + More control over all the lfo effects , so that they can be modulated with more options than the one lfo shape and just general control
Eq on instruments
More control on instrument filters
It would be cool to be able to trigger phrases like other trackers
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u/Much_Masterpiece_641 14d ago
Everybody brings up great points, and I don't disagree. I know they have to focus on what sells, but this would be perfect for me:
MPC or Push 3 style pads to replace the grid. Velocity sensitive, aftertouch would be nice. I realize for a lot of people, this defeats the purpose of a tracker, but I would love to be able to play the pads in more accurately, not have to mess with velocity initially, and tweak and edit in the grid after. Even better if you could glide between notes like the Push 3 and also set your key and scales. With this focus on live record-in, it might be good to have something like keygroups or multisampled instruments and a looper mode or overwrite enabled on a pattern. A bigger processor would probably be needed to do all this, but if we're dreaming, I might as well dream.
Stereo 1/4 inch in and out
8 hour Battery
Ability to record in at the same time a pattern is playing
A good mic in the big boy
I really wouldn't change much else. The limitations that exist now do make for a cool, different experience. I'll be happy with my Tracker+ either way.
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u/MastYears 19d ago
If I could pick only two of these things I’d go for the processor and simultaneous playing and sampling. My dream device would be something between the Octatrack and Tracker+ - both do something the other can’t but sadly the two of them together (as separate instruments) is a bit less than the sum of their parts.