{"id":11558,"date":"2024-06-21T17:05:48","date_gmt":"2024-06-21T17:05:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=11558"},"modified":"2024-06-21T17:05:48","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T17:05:48","slug":"polyend-tracker-review-powerful-but-niche","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=11558","title":{"rendered":"Polyend Tracker+ Review: Powerful but Niche"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Polyend\u2019s Tracker+ is<\/span> a significant update to its powerful (if somewhat anachronistic) sample-based groovebox, the Tracker<\/a>. What made the Tracker so unique, and also confounding, was that it was a tracker<\/a> (small t), but in hardware form. Trackers were an early form of music-making software that emerged in the late \u201980s. They were initially used mainly for video game music but eventually found favor with a certain strain of electronic musicians, most famously Aphex Twin.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re very much a product of their time though, designed to work around the limitations of late 20th century personal computers like the Amiga<\/a>. The new $799 Tracker+<\/a> has evolved to take advantage of modern technology, but its interface stays true to its forebears. The best way to describe a tracker is that it\u2019s like composing in Excel. They\u2019re vertically scrolling, spreadsheet-like collections of letters and numbers that can easily scare off a newcomer. But persistence will reveal a shocking amount of flexibility.<\/p>\n

The Basics<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s get all the specs stuff out of the way first. The Polyend Tracker+ is a 16-track groovebox. Eight of those tracks can support stereo samples, with various methods of playback, and the other eight tracks can either control external devices via MIDI or one of the five built-in virtual synths. Samples can be simple one-shots or loops; you can slice up loops, or even load them into granular and wavetable engines for sample-based synthesis.<\/p>\n

All of the tracks are monophonic. So playing a chord will eat up multiple tracks unless you\u2019re using a sample of a chord. But tracks aren\u2019t dedicated to any specific instrument so, you can combine kicks and snares on track one and maybe squeeze your bass in between hi-hats on track two.<\/p>\n

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The tracks themselves can be up to 128 steps, and each step contains instrument and note data, along with two slots for FX. The \u201cFX\u201d in this case aren\u2019t chorus or reverb but things like chance, micro timing, and rolls. These two effects slots are the key to making your music not sound like it was written in a spreadsheet.<\/p>\n

In addition to the increased sample memory, virtual synths, and stereo sampling, the other big upgrade from the original Tracker is support for audio over USB. This means you can connect the Tracker+ to your computer and get 14 stereo audio tracks out straight into your digital audio workstation (DAW<\/a>). This makes it easy to put the final touches on an arrangement you\u2019ve created on the Tracker+.<\/p>\n

In Use<\/h2>\n
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