Interested in purchasing some of the gear mentioned in this video? Support this channel while you're at it by using the affiliate links below: USA (Perfect Circuit): ►Polyend Tracker Mini: bit.ly/3BBDV2T ►AIAIAI Unit-4 Wireless+: bit.ly/49GkoOQ EU (Thomann): ►Polyend Tracker Mini: bit.ly/46lNbWL
I think the Tracker Mini is dope for folks who want a simple groovebox/sampler; the tracker workflow is different but I think the way it's presented on the OG Tracker as well as the Mini is more straightforward for most folks to make an easy transition. However, this is an obligatory "Try the Dirtywave M8" comment in disguise! The workflow is slightly different, but it's just a much better device especially for song creation as well as sound design. Have you ran into any issues trying to create a song in song view on the Tracker yet where you're copying/pasting tracks from patterns and forget which is which? Or needing to hop between two screens and remember what pattern is what? Thing of the past on the M8. Tasty jam Liam, curious to see how else you use this! You just made me break out my Tracker Mini and wipe the dust off to give it another shot.
Yes! This thing has demolished the M8 for me and it’s come from working with it as a multitrack recorder rather than a traditional tracker sample sequencer...soooooo much fun
Interesting - you're like the first person who's mentioned this and i'm glad to hear it ! :-) By the way, if you're not already a member and you're a forum person - check out my Discord ! We talk about electronic music and gear all day ! Here's an invite: discord.gg/xj8J2xJuBP
Do you find the music created on the PT mini is different because it forces you into a unique creative mode or does it help you make the music you already want to make only more stream lined?
It’s a good question- on first impression my favourite part is that it takes you out of your usual music making environment which is what I like best about it. So far I’m not seeing anything that’s like ground breaking in terms of workflow compared to the other gear I have
The knob sure I can get down with that. The radio, meh, the microphone and line in sampling gets the same thing if not more as it gives flexibility compared to radio only/line in on the bigger brother IMO
Wondering how you got yer full drum sample in track 2 to loop perfectly? Guessing it was created at same tempo as yer song? I’ll mess around more. Peace:)
I really like my OG tracker but seeing what the mini can do has me wondering if I should’ve waited longer to see a hardware updated full-size tracker. I’m conflicted because the OG workflow is right up my alley but it feels like a missed opportunity to not adapt some of the more modern tracker features (ala milkytracker, furnace/DFM, ETC) like setting the amount of fx slots per channel, or being able to set subdivisions and keep BPM the same. Kinda hate having to lose a fx slot on a line to do micro move so I can do something with 1/32. Also a lot of features the Play got would’ve been amazing on the tracker, it’s just a little baffling they didn’t in a software update where possible.
There's a good chance that you're using the wrong 5 pin to 8th inch midi adaptor - one of the most annoying problems in the world of synths lol. There's type A and type B - make sure you're using the right one !
Doesn't even seem like a competition- Polyend has 1(?) bad synth engine and is mostly a sampler, it seems. M8 is cheaper, has multiple extremely usable and huge sounding synth engines, can sample, has good effects, is smaller, the build quality is better (all metal & keyboard buttons)... In my mind, the M8 is miles better. Glad I bought one. Trash80 just needs to figure out stock and he'd be laughing.
It's def more intuitive than garageband and it's geared more towards performance / play than Logic which is a MUCH MORE POWERFUL composition tool but absolutely sucks at any type of performance setting. So in the end it really depends on your goals.
I don’t totally get the appeal of something like this over the m8, it’s much larger so the portability angle isn’t really there and has far fewer features overall especially for creating your own sounds. Competition is good of course but I feel like polyend can get away with selling a much more limited product than dirtywave because they’re a bigger name.
@@BraveSirSausage it was available to order for the past ~3 months and the latest batch orders ended about 2 weeks ago. it's a one man team not a big company like polyend. actually it's even weirder how polyend tracker lacks most of the (software) features of M8 since the base hardware is essentially the same (Teensy)
Interested in purchasing some of the gear mentioned in this video? Support this channel while you're at it by using the affiliate links below:
USA (Perfect Circuit):
►Polyend Tracker Mini: bit.ly/3BBDV2T
►AIAIAI Unit-4 Wireless+: bit.ly/49GkoOQ
EU (Thomann):
►Polyend Tracker Mini: bit.ly/46lNbWL
You're tracker mini eu thomann link is wrong it points to polyend play, just thought i would let you know
You've got the ins and outs of all things musical .. cheers to your exploration of beat making gear ... always on point .. easy to follow ...
Zing! 🍻
learning the use of this magical gear could be a pain in the butt.
It takes practice for sure
It’s a price for portability 🤷♂️ More complex curve has M8, for example 🫣
Would love to see you do a deep dive tutorial track creation using the mini one day.
I’m def gonna do some more discovering
I think the Tracker Mini is dope for folks who want a simple groovebox/sampler; the tracker workflow is different but I think the way it's presented on the OG Tracker as well as the Mini is more straightforward for most folks to make an easy transition. However, this is an obligatory "Try the Dirtywave M8" comment in disguise! The workflow is slightly different, but it's just a much better device especially for song creation as well as sound design.
Have you ran into any issues trying to create a song in song view on the Tracker yet where you're copying/pasting tracks from patterns and forget which is which? Or needing to hop between two screens and remember what pattern is what? Thing of the past on the M8.
Tasty jam Liam, curious to see how else you use this! You just made me break out my Tracker Mini and wipe the dust off to give it another shot.
Awesome! Glad to inspire!
I’ll def be exploring it some more 😊
I’ve started using the Tracker Mini along with the M8 as a mono synth and that’s has been an amazing little portable studio.
Oh wow double tracker trouble!
Which of the two would you want if you could only have one?
@@badfeng The M8 hands down
@@BinauralBae Thanks! I started using trackers back in the day on a i486 PC so it's pretty amazing to see them in hardware.
@@BinauralBaeEven after Tracker Mini 2.0 update? Please, motivate. 😊 I have M8 v. 1 and I’m close to buy a Tracker Mini. 😊
Yes! This thing has demolished the M8 for me and it’s come from working with it as a multitrack recorder rather than a traditional tracker sample sequencer...soooooo much fun
Interesting - you're like the first person who's mentioned this and i'm glad to hear it ! :-)
By the way, if you're not already a member and you're a forum person - check out my Discord ! We talk about electronic music and gear all day ! Here's an invite: discord.gg/xj8J2xJuBP
@@LiamKillen probably because I'm the only one stupid enough to attempt it ;)
I hope Polyend will extend the numbers of sample slots, since the tracker mini has way more sample memory than the OG Tracker. ❤😮
That WOULD be dope
A good way around this is export groups of tracks and have it combined down to one sample
this might be a cool traveling companion 👍 The granular engine, how good is it?
I haven't messed with it that much yet actually.
Do you find the music created on the PT mini is different because it forces you into a unique creative mode or does it help you make the music you already want to make only more stream lined?
It’s a good question- on first impression my favourite part is that it takes you out of your usual music making environment which is what I like best about it. So far I’m not seeing anything that’s like ground breaking in terms of workflow compared to the other gear I have
It’s so beautiful ❤
😢
If it still had radio & a knob everybody would purchase one tbh
The radio was cool but I’m ok without it for sure
@@LiamKillen lowkey was my favorite feature from the tracker made me think out the box and make a lot of unique beats
@@devioustrip5728just plug in your smartphone lol
The knob sure I can get down with that. The radio, meh, the microphone and line in sampling gets the same thing if not more as it gives flexibility compared to radio only/line in on the bigger brother IMO
M8 gangggg
Gotta try it
Wondering how you got yer full drum sample in track 2 to loop perfectly? Guessing it was created at same tempo as yer song? I’ll mess around more. Peace:)
Yeah I knew the tempo beforehand :-)
Algorithm + timing! Seriously considering getting one of these instead of an SP404 mkii. Thoughts on that? (currently using MPC One + 404sx)
Get the 404 mk2!!! IMO it’s much stronger then the tracker
How can you play on like keys on any units? How can you make melody? Only using buttons or connect another equipment?
You can connect an external midi keyboard if you’d like as well
@@LiamKillen Thank you!
I sent it back because I did not like haptics, the buttons and the missing wheel. Big fan of other Polyend products though.
Fair enough- I don’t mind those subtractions!
I really like my OG tracker but seeing what the mini can do has me wondering if I should’ve waited longer to see a hardware updated full-size tracker.
I’m conflicted because the OG workflow is right up my alley but it feels like a missed opportunity to not adapt some of the more modern tracker features (ala milkytracker, furnace/DFM, ETC) like setting the amount of fx slots per channel, or being able to set subdivisions and keep BPM the same. Kinda hate having to lose a fx slot on a line to do micro move so I can do something with 1/32.
Also a lot of features the Play got would’ve been amazing on the tracker, it’s just a little baffling they didn’t in a software update where possible.
Yeah nothing’s perfect! Thanks for your take on this though 😊
Good luck using midi sync with a different device. Can’t get it to work properly with the OP-Z, or EP-133. Going to sell mine because of this.
There's a good chance that you're using the wrong 5 pin to 8th inch midi adaptor - one of the most annoying problems in the world of synths lol. There's type A and type B - make sure you're using the right one !
i got the M8 but i feel ya love the portability but the M8 is a beast
I keep hearing about this
it's insane from a one person project and Trash80 is a legend in the electronic music space @@LiamKillen
Doesn't even seem like a competition- Polyend has 1(?) bad synth engine and is mostly a sampler, it seems. M8 is cheaper, has multiple extremely usable and huge sounding synth engines, can sample, has good effects, is smaller, the build quality is better (all metal & keyboard buttons)... In my mind, the M8 is miles better. Glad I bought one. Trash80 just needs to figure out stock and he'd be laughing.
no regrets getting the m8 only place the polyend beats it is maybe battery life @@vangoghsseveredear
How loud can those Unit 4 monitors go?
not sure - check their website! :-)
UNIT-4 has a maximum sound pressure level of 105dBSPL - they go loud!
@@watchAIAIAI thanks so much for the reply.
i’ll buy this if they add synth engines they added to Play+
😏
you should do a giveaway for your old one haha!
Something to consider 🤔
Serious question. Apart from vertical workflow, what can this do that an ipad running Logic Pro (or even Garage Band) can't?
It's def more intuitive than garageband and it's geared more towards performance / play than Logic which is a MUCH MORE POWERFUL composition tool but absolutely sucks at any type of performance setting. So in the end it really depends on your goals.
@@LiamKillenThank you
I don’t totally get the appeal of something like this over the m8, it’s much larger so the portability angle isn’t really there and has far fewer features overall especially for creating your own sounds. Competition is good of course but I feel like polyend can get away with selling a much more limited product than dirtywave because they’re a bigger name.
I’d have to try out the m8 to weigh in on this one but interesting take indeed
@@LiamKillen oh man this is not even in the same ballpark with M8, it's watching from behind the net
1000%. It's unreal how much better the M8 is and it's running on hardware that's been out longer than the OG Tracker.
Isnt the appeal that you can actually buy one of these ?
@@BraveSirSausage it was available to order for the past ~3 months and the latest batch orders ended about 2 weeks ago. it's a one man team not a big company like polyend. actually it's even weirder how polyend tracker lacks most of the (software) features of M8 since the base hardware is essentially the same (Teensy)
try the m8 if you like this. it's a gem for those who click with it.
I hear about it all the time- still haven't tried though!