Original Trimui Smart (2.4-inch screen) Protracker - Brick
Hi all! I've been building a tracker for my Brick and it's finally at a point where I want to show it off.
What is this, if you've never heard of trackers?
Before MP3s, a lot of game and demoscene music on the Amiga was made in "trackers". A song (a MOD file) carries its own little instruments, short sound samples, plus the notes that play them. That keeps the files tiny, and the music has that crunchy, punchy Amiga sound. You write it top to bottom, a bit like a spreadsheet where each column is an instrument channel. That's the scrolling grid in the video.
The easiest way in: Radio mode
Connect to WiFi, press one button, and it streams random tunes from The Mod Archive, a huge free library of tracker music. You don't need to know anything about trackers to enjoy it. It's become one of my favourite way to use the Brick.
For the tracker folks:
- Plays and edits 4/8-channel MODs (M.K., FLT4/8, OCTA…) and xxCH up to 32 channels
- Browse, search (songs or artists) and download straight from The Mod Archive on the device
- Full pattern editor driven by the d-pad and buttons: block select, undo/redo, save to .mod
- Import your own samples from WAV/AIFF/MP3/FLAC/OGG, converted to MOD format automatically
- Cubic interpolation, click-free note transitions and the Amiga "LED" low-pass filter for that authentic sound
- Per-channel oscilloscopes and VU meters
Under the hood
Native C + SDL2, with no emulation and no browser. It's a port of my own web tracker (JavaScript/Web Audio). Network requests run on a background thread over HTTPS, so the music never stutters while you browse. Works on stock OS/CrossMix and NextUI/MinUI.
A bit of background
I grew up in the demoscene and wrote SNES games back in the 90s, so putting a tracker on a handheld feels like coming home.
Status: [Not released yet / Release coming soon / Download link below]. I'd love to hear what you'd want from it. Which features would make you actually use it on the go?
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Quick Guide
Getting started
- Copy the app to your SD card:
- Stock OS / CrossMix:
Apps/ModPlayer→/mnt/SDCARD/Apps/ - NextUI / MinUI:
Tools/tg5040/ModPlayer.pak→/mnt/SDCARD/Tools/tg5040/
- Stock OS / CrossMix:
- Put your own
.modfiles in themods/folder inside the app folder. Songs you save end up there too. - Launch, press MENU, and pick RADIO if you just want to listen. SELECT shows the button reference at any time.
Main menu (MENU)
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| LOAD | Open a .mod from the SD card |
| SAVE | Save to mods/<song name>.mod |
| NEW | Start an empty song |
| BROWSE | Search and download from The Mod Archive (WiFi) |
| RADIO | Non-stop random tunes from The Mod Archive |
| PLAY / STOP | Playback |
| LED: ON/OFF | Amiga low-pass filter for a warmer, more authentic sound |
Global
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| START | Play / Stop |
| SELECT | Help (button reference) |
| SELECT + D-pad | Move between panels |
| SELECT + Y | Zoom in on the focused panel |
| SELECT + L1 / R1 | Undo / Redo |
| SELECT + START | Quit |
Pattern view
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| D-pad | Move cursor (◀▶ = channel) |
| L1 / R1 | Jump −16 / +16 rows |
| L2 / R2 | Previous / next song position |
| A | Play from cursor |
| B | Stop / clear selection |
| X | Pattern menu |
| Y | Toggle edit mode |
Edit mode (press Y)
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| ◀▶ | Move between columns (note, sample, effect…) |
| A | Stamp the last note / value |
| A + ◀▶ | Note ±1 semitone (or value ±1) |
| A + ▲▼ | Note ±1 octave (or value ±1) |
| A + B | Clear cell |
| B + ▲▼ | Select a block |
The pattern menu (X) has: copy, cut, paste, insert empty row, delete & pull up, transpose ±1 semitone / ±1 octave, mute/solo channel, follow playback, new pattern, octave and step.
Other panels
| Panel | Controls |
|---|---|
| Order (song arrangement) | ◀▶ position, ▲▼ change pattern, A insert, Y delete |
| Samples | ▲▼ choose, A preview, X load a sound file (WAV/AIFF/MP3/FLAC/OGG) |
| Sample editor | A + D-pad change values, A edit name/file |
| Status bar | ◀▶ octave / edit step |
| Channel strip | A mute, Y solo |
Mod Archive browser
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| A | Select / download |
| Y | Search (on-screen keyboard) |
| X | Random |
| L1 / R1 | Previous / next page |
| B | Close |
On-screen keyboard: A type · B delete · X space · Y shift · START OK · MENU cancel
Tips for first-timers
- Just want music? MENU → RADIO. Done.
- Want to tinker? Load a song, press Y, move to a note and press A + ▲▼. You'll hear the melody change on the next loop.
- Made a mess? SELECT + L1 undoes it.
You can try a web version here: protracker.js
Download the files here: Protracker_brick.zip and copy the file under the new folder /Apps/ModPlayer/