To hear Bogdan talking and actually looking at him still being around for so long puts a wide grin on my face honestly. And then that little demo he played around 3 mins into the video. What a time to be alive.
I was on the fence about the Polyend Tracker, but the more videos I see, the more videos I see on this thing the more I like about thing. You did a very “hard sell” on this, now add in that the Polyend Tracker is a portable NES type gaming unit as well (!)
@@BogdanRaczynskiMusic Weird thing is I can't find anything in the beta firmware about swing. So, this is literally the only place that's mentioned it. Once that's implemented, I expect the hip-hop videos to surge.
@@RonCavagnaro I used milky tracker a looong time ago. But yeah good advice, I even installed a few free DAWs to tame my GAS. Will install a tracker now.
I'm incredibly attracted to the step editing possibilities, especially with granular shifting and beat slicing. I feel like I could get lost for hours making each step a different sound, panning, filtering, pitching, adjusting start time, reversing etc. Probably my most desired piece of gear right now, so very tempting 🤔
I have one its a great musical tool only issue i have is long or should I say Big samples they can use up a lot of your total operating memory for each project so you stick to medium and one shots. Splice is the go to place wiith a polyend tracker for sure
It's so good to have an acknowledged prodigy of this form of music appear and talk through the features of this unit. I would love to hear from more artists on the tracker, of course, but Bogdan's input is definitive to this type of machine, I believe. There can't be anyone who is better qualified. Thanks for this video, Sonic State!
love my Polyend Tracker 😁, been using trackers (octamed, fastracker, protracker) since the late 80's, and this takes me right back and feels like an old friend! 🙌🙌🙌🙌
That’s what I experienced when I found Renoise. Never really got used to Logic or Cubase and then someone introduced me to Renoise. The holy grail of daws for me, never looked back. Love the Polyend as well, still very tempted to try one...
Yes. This is a beautifully designed box from every viewpoint. You can see how well the physical design (knobs, keys and pads size and placement, display) is thought out to make the most efficient use of the tracker and sample manipulation software. The perceived “limitations” clearly enhance the creative potential. Truly brilliant. On top of it, Polyend are doing an excellent job with firmware updates.
Swing function (in addition to that work around shown), optional horizontal layout (a la old school drum machine) and listening to customer feedback and incorporating said ideas into future updates? Yessssssir
Really enjoyed this. Thanks guys. I think the Tracker is best thing I've ever bought to be honest. I use a combination of samples and hardware, and I've found sequencing hardware to be effortless and very enjoyable so I'd certainly recommend it for that. Something I need to do though is experiment with the performance mode on the Tracker more. That's something I haven't dabbled with enough yet.
Oops, my bad. I guess I was just confused by its implementation; I need to do some more research with it. My experience with time stretch functionality has been how it’s implemented in Ableton for example. This seems more ‘manual’ i suppose, but I guess that doesnt make it less powerful? How do you personally use it if I may ask?
YES! been waiting for a sonic state Tracker breakdown. The Polyend Tracker is one of my favorite pieces of kit in a long long time. Thanks for this sonic State and Polyend!
I have a tracker and its absolutely amazing. I love it sooo much. Never used a hardware sequencer or a tracker even, but its endlessly inspiring ❤️ Amazing amazing amazing
I used to use Jeskola Buzz virtual tracker for PC back in the late 90's early 00's. It's modular based plugins were really good. I used to make Jeff Mills style techno on it but lost all material when my hdd burnt out. Grrr.
Just got one of these and I’m so excited. I’m a bit apprehensive about the work flow, so I got a Moog Mother 32 and an Elektron Digitakt to help with my love of knobs. All to pair with my Korg Poly 61 out the shop. We love you Bogdan keep up the surprises.
I really shouldn't, but I'm going to purchase one of these over the weekend. It won't particularly fit in with my other gear, but I was a born and bred Octamed / Protracker man.
Mine turned up yesterday. Bloody hell is this a fun bit of kit! I love that I can sit comfortably on the armchair and come up with tracks so quickly. I can then move to my larger righ if I want to fully produce.
Waves of nostalgia, I started making music on fasttracker, Impulse tracker and renoise... remember downloading tracker files from Bogdan to check out how he makes the crazy shit he does. You but also Venetian Snares are true tracker masters!
@@BogdanRaczynskiMusic I was happy to see a peek behind the curtain all the same, I think you came off quite well here. I'm glad to see you're still making music! Infinite respect
Wow I’ve never heard bogdan talk Like when I got out of highschool I listened to only 5 bands: Autechre Bogdan Xanopticon Uziq Skinny puppy I was around when Boku dropped and only way you could hear it was through some links in forums
I remember reading an interview with Bogdan in a magazine in The Northern California area called "Grooves" magazine during the early 2000s. I think when he made that "my love" record. I always assumed he was British, because he was on Richard's label? shows What I know!?😅
Sold mine, I just couldn't get into it. But its a lovely machine, very well made. I had it less than two weeks and I lost £65 which was fair enough, But it sold first day it was advertised so quite in demand. I replaced it with a 1010 music BlackBox which I have fallen in love with(I know, I'm Sad).
Is it possible to edit steps while a pattern is playing? I'm sooo used to the Elektron workflow I cannot imagine not being able to edit steps without the pattern playing.
You are not used to working with trackers. You can have a different instrument per step on the same track (so you can control a MIDI device and trigger samples from the same track). There’re plenty of examples of entire tracker songs (with multiple instruments of course) with only one or two tracks. More tracks would just mean more clicking entering and searching for data in different screens and gaining nothing.
I have one. My biggest complaint as a former Amiga OctaMED user is that the screen should have been central with buttons either side. Experienced tracker users do everything on the keyboard with the mouse only really needed for sample editing. So it would have been nice to have used both hands and not have everything operated with the right hand.
i felt that at first but after a while muscle memory takes over, and I've found it a very speedy workflow once you get the shortcuts worked out. Fantastic bit of kit that I always dreamt of having back in the day! 😁👍
8 measure limitation Again. 4 and 8 measure limitations don't work for other kinds of music other than EDM. I use the pattern sequencers in high end arrangers, one to over 100 measures long looped or one shot, musical with zero quantize or a percentage quantize to grid from 1% to 100%. 8 tracks, stereo or mono tracks, entire 8 tracks can change pitch to a chord change, any time signature including 5/4s or 7/8s, for example, 12 versions of 8 tracks for a total of 96 tracks, 4 fills, plus phrase sequencer, plus sample instruments, MIDI connected instruments, and internal instruments for making sound.
That's like a carpenter complaining about a bean counter's abacus. Right tool for the job my friend. Trackers were built to produce chip tunes originally, not EDM. (Although it could be argued chip tunes are EDM too! 😆)
Renoise is great. The most capable tracker ever, but is not as friendly to use as this because of the wider options and because it is software. The thing with this is that the hardware allows for the tracker to be manipulated in a much more efficient way. You’d need significant investment in time and money for controllers to take Renoise to this level of usability.
@@WxkR I don't want to hear how efficient it is because I can't really afford it at the moment. I will get one in the near future but after watching that video my Gas is going crazy lol!
It's funny though in this interview that the tracker is valued for how "fast" you can "make" music. That's sort of the thing with trackers - their tendency to produce repetitive pattern based stuff - a flow of soundbites targeting a market where music's existence is a shallow ephemeral experience. I own a Polyend Tracker.
Yeah Well I like the square ones better as well... But I've just found out (because I'm going to buy the damn thing) that the rounded version is an update because the square buttons gave some problems. They're not only rounder, they're higher as well, which I don't like either. But newer and less chance getting into buttontrouble for the same price.... Sooo I guess I'm going for the updated round version.
@@Tekunikaru there was/is no problem with square buttons (i know, i have that version). They changed to rounded version because the company making the original square buttons got affected by covid19.
Yeah, I love everything about this product and polyend stuff in general, but how does it compare to a dedicated pc/mac running renoise (which runs on lunix as well)?
I think a real computer keyboard is better. Much faster in use. The memory/track limitations don't bother me but the physical interface is a deal breaker. The pads are too small and the button layout less than optimal if you are used to computer trackers. Mine is gathering dust at the moment. Hoping for a better designed version 2. I don't get why it is so hard to find a good hardware sequencer, MPC Live has too much going on, bad navigation around the system, Polytracker has a slightly compromised hardware interface , I think I'll go back to my Amiga 1200. Yes, I'm picky and complain a lot. But I seem to set the bar too high these days with music tech. Too little time to spend on it.
To hear Bogdan talking and actually looking at him still being around for so long puts a wide grin on my face honestly. And then that little demo he played around 3 mins into the video.
What a time to be alive.
I am geeking out about Nick interviewing one of my favorite artists from yesteryear - I also miss Rephlex so much!
hey Jesse, still here! :wave:
@@BogdanRaczynskiMusic :waves vigorously:
Awesome. Bogdan is criminally underrated.
at least a misdemeanor's worth, if not a full-fledged felony.
@@BogdanRaczynskiMusic Loved your stuff back in the late 90s, early 00s. Great to see your still making wicked tunes
@@mcshafty1 thanks for the kind words! Got some really fun stuff coming out soon!
@@BogdanRaczynskiMusic you are one of my biggest influences and you seem to be a sound guy, keep the great beats coming.
@@emmettm.975 thanks for the kind words!
I hope you all enjoy the Tracker as much as I do!
I was on the fence about the Polyend Tracker, but the more videos I see, the more videos I see on this thing the more I like about thing. You did a very “hard sell” on this, now add in that the Polyend Tracker is a portable NES type gaming unit as well (!)
It might be the first piece of physical kit I ever purchase🧐
@@emmettm.975 first and last!!
Mine arrives next week.
Mine arrives tomorrow.
I got it to use with my MPC 1000, SP404SX set up
Bogdan is a true master of electronic music, so much originality. He deserves more recognition!
I came to argue, but these facts are indisputable.
Argue ? That's bananas ! *wink wink*
Really spilling the beans on new features here. Swing, horizontal view, ... I'm stoked.
buddy, it's so good.
@@BogdanRaczynskiMusic oh yeah, too bad this is not widely distributed in Canada 😕
@@BogdanRaczynskiMusic Weird thing is I can't find anything in the beta firmware about swing. So, this is literally the only place that's mentioned it. Once that's implemented, I expect the hip-hop videos to surge.
@@TheFlippertube always have the old Tempo FX trick!
I started making music using impulse tracker! I love my polyend tracker, started making a beginners video series on it!
I know you from your electribe videos. From my E2 synth, I am looking to get a polyend tracker or something.
@@difflocktwo whoa cool! Thanks! I'll be making more soon, I recommend to try out a free tracker on the computer first to see if you're into it!
@@RonCavagnaro I used milky tracker a looong time ago. But yeah good advice, I even installed a few free DAWs to tame my GAS. Will install a tracker now.
I'm incredibly attracted to the step editing possibilities, especially with granular shifting and beat slicing. I feel like I could get lost for hours making each step a different sound, panning, filtering, pitching, adjusting start time, reversing etc. Probably my most desired piece of gear right now, so very tempting 🤔
I have one its a great musical tool only issue i have is long or should I say Big samples they can use up a lot of your total operating memory for each project so you stick to medium and one shots. Splice is the go to place wiith a polyend tracker for sure
It's so good to have an acknowledged prodigy of this form of music appear and talk through the features of this unit. I would love to hear from more artists on the tracker, of course, but Bogdan's input is definitive to this type of machine, I believe. There can't be anyone who is better qualified. Thanks for this video, Sonic State!
love my Polyend Tracker 😁, been using trackers (octamed, fastracker, protracker) since the late 80's, and this takes me right back and feels like an old friend! 🙌🙌🙌🙌
That’s what I experienced when I found Renoise. Never really got used to Logic or Cubase and then someone introduced me to Renoise. The holy grail of daws for me, never looked back. Love the Polyend as well, still very tempted to try one...
Whooaa
Never been so excited to watch a Sonic State vid. Bogdan is the greatest.
Not sure about greatest... maybe like top 100? Who'm I to argue tho.
Yeah, Bogdan’s tracks are killer.... also amazing remixes.
thank you for the kind words!
Got one in December and it’s a great bit of kit.Would recommend.
Yes. This is a beautifully designed box from every viewpoint. You can see how well the physical design (knobs, keys and pads size and placement, display) is thought out to make the most efficient use of the tracker and sample manipulation software. The perceived “limitations” clearly enhance the creative potential. Truly brilliant. On top of it, Polyend are doing an excellent job with firmware updates.
it is a rock solid bit of gear, nice and weighty in the hand and with the regular firmware updates makes this a real box of magic! 😁👍
💪💪
Swing function (in addition to that work around shown), optional horizontal layout (a la old school drum machine) and listening to customer feedback and incorporating said ideas into future updates? Yessssssir
Really enjoyed this. Thanks guys. I think the Tracker is best thing I've ever bought to be honest. I use a combination of samples and hardware, and I've found sequencing hardware to be effortless and very enjoyable so I'd certainly recommend it for that. Something I need to do though is experiment with the performance mode on the Tracker more. That's something I haven't dabbled with enough yet.
@@rorz999 Thanks. I certainly will!
21:55 hey nick press pattern and right arrow you can trigger to queue pattern next
There is timestretching now in the latest firmware
@@Rhuggins You can set any tempo you would like when you set the timestretch.
Oops, my bad. I guess I was just confused by its implementation; I need to do some more research with it.
My experience with time stretch functionality has been how it’s implemented in Ableton for example. This seems more ‘manual’ i suppose, but I guess that doesnt make it less powerful?
How do you personally use it if I may ask?
Bogdaaaaaan! Samurai Math Beats was on constant rotation for me in high school. This is so cool!
Legend! Let's hear Nick collaborate with each of the Rephlex squad!!!
Bogdan changed my mind permanently when i was a kid. R E P H L E X lives.
Bogdan, hope to see so much more of you on the internet man im psyched !
YES! been waiting for a sonic state Tracker breakdown. The Polyend Tracker is one of my favorite pieces of kit in a long long time. Thanks for this sonic State and Polyend!
I have a tracker and its absolutely amazing.
I love it sooo much. Never used a hardware sequencer or a tracker even, but its endlessly inspiring ❤️
Amazing amazing amazing
Big up Bogdan
💪💪
I used to use Jeskola Buzz virtual tracker for PC back in the late 90's early 00's. It's modular based plugins were really good.
I used to make Jeff Mills style techno on it but lost all material when my hdd burnt out. Grrr.
haha, same!
Jeskola Buzz was a blast. Loved it.
That is heartbreaking to lose all that work, hope it was backed up
Bogdan is the David Byrne of electronic music.
Edit: in likeness.
i can see the spiritual resemblance :D
I do not know of this man, but if he is half as handome he must be doing very well for himself.
This interview was so focused and informative.. honestly a breeze to sit through.
Horizontal View mode is sick! I love my Tracker 🙏🏼💕
Just got one of these and I’m so excited. I’m a bit apprehensive about the work flow, so I got a Moog Mother 32 and an Elektron Digitakt to help with my love of knobs. All to pair with my Korg Poly 61 out the shop.
We love you Bogdan keep up the surprises.
Black belt style!
💪💪
Note you can capture velocity in midi mode if it’s enabled in the device settings
I really shouldn't, but I'm going to purchase one of these over the weekend. It won't particularly fit in with my other gear, but I was a born and bred Octamed / Protracker man.
Mine turned up yesterday. Bloody hell is this a fun bit of kit! I love that I can sit comfortably on the armchair and come up with tracks so quickly. I can then move to my larger righ if I want to fully produce.
Waves of nostalgia, I started making music on fasttracker, Impulse tracker and renoise... remember downloading tracker files from Bogdan to check out how he makes the crazy shit he does.
You but also Venetian Snares are true tracker masters!
Yellow Version Tracker? Interesting
That would be the limited artist edition of The Polyend Tracker Mr.Bogdan’s artist edition is yellow & has cartoon bananas on it, it looks good.
@@sawtooth808 Yup. Just ordered the Pete Cannon version - tough decision between that and the Legowelt version! First World problems huh!
amazing!!! as usual really like the way you do!!!!
My first music writing tool was a tracker, protracker on the Amiga.
Fuck Yeah Bogdan , we love you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All right !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
alright!!
It has what I call positive or constructive limitations
Bogdan i love u. One of the king of electronic music.
:waves:!
wow, it's so strange to see Bogdan like this.. so candid
this is nothing, I am substantially more awkward IRL.
@@BogdanRaczynskiMusic I was happy to see a peek behind the curtain all the same, I think you came off quite well here. I'm glad to see you're still making music! Infinite respect
i remember wanting and designing (more a doodle) of a sequencer yrs ago with the horizontal view seen in this vid, should be interesting.
Yeeeaaah! Bogdan! Hello Legend!
Trackers are the way
I've been listening to this guy for 25 years now, since the days of Mono and NOISE, I was hoping I'd finally learn to pronounce his last name.
Phoenetically, it's pronounced rah-cheen-ski...
stay tuned to my upcoming video series on how to pronounce my name.
20:20 sec jam was so dope
coming soon!
Trackers are bananas
Hmm... I wanna buy a Polyend Tracker
*Nick Batt posts video*
Get out of my thoughts SonicState
Wow I’ve never heard bogdan talk
Like when I got out of highschool I listened to only 5 bands:
Autechre
Bogdan
Xanopticon
Uziq
Skinny puppy
I was around when Boku dropped and only way you could hear it was through some links in forums
that's gotta be awesome feeling
Few grooves inn this man i love him and glad just see him talking to be honnest lol yes happy👍
Fantastic
I remember reading an interview with Bogdan in a magazine in The Northern California area called "Grooves" magazine during the early 2000s. I think when he made that "my love" record. I always assumed he was British, because he was on Richard's label? shows What I know!?😅
Tracker is amazing something something something...where do we get that hoodie Nick is wearing??
Can you please do one of these on the Squarp Pyramid as well?
I have used trackers also 30 years and I like it soft
cool tracker. want it.
So I got one. And I am in love.
So I thought I wanted a Verselab but lately I've been looking at this thing...
Sold mine, I just couldn't get into it. But its a lovely machine, very well made. I had it less than two weeks and I lost £65 which was fair enough, But it sold first day it was advertised so quite in demand. I replaced it with a 1010 music BlackBox which I have fallen in love with(I know, I'm Sad).
whatever works for you, right? Enjoy the tide!
Could this ever run something like cubase as it used to be on Ataris. Just blocks of midi ? would be great to have a hardware midi only sequencer .
fucking love bogdan. great insights on trackers
adding another BOGDAN RULES comment
💪💪💪
I’ve yet to get my head around mine
Sadly I don't think my brain works the right way for trackers, I just couldn't get into it.
everyone should have a tracker to rely on.
Is it possible to edit steps while a pattern is playing? I'm sooo used to the Elektron workflow I cannot imagine not being able to edit steps without the pattern playing.
Bogdan's music is so awesome.
Samurai math beats!
💪💪
Biggest sleeper of last year. So underrated 😈 muahahah
Yes! Mr. EM411!
💪💪
love to try one , hows it compare to renoise ?
YEAH SAMURAI BOGDAN
do they ship it with peirogi made by bogdans grandma ?
Tracker 2.0
banans!!
Wish they would add 8 or more midi tracks separate from the sample tracks
You are not used to working with trackers. You can have a different instrument per step on the same track (so you can control a MIDI device and trigger samples from the same track). There’re plenty of examples of entire tracker songs (with multiple instruments of course) with only one or two tracks. More tracks would just mean more clicking entering and searching for data in different screens and gaining nothing.
@@WxkR yes i know that, i started with trackers in the early 90s it's just nicer to have them separate and there's no reason not to
@@X-101 well, I just gave two reasons (display and creative use of tracks). It is fine if you disagree with my reasoning but the reasons are there.
Would make a massive difference to its use in the studio 👍
8 additional midi only tracks would be game changer and probably not too cpu intensive
this is a real coup. bogdan is the don
:flex emoji:
i just wanna play checkers
💪💪💪
I have one. My biggest complaint as a former Amiga OctaMED user is that the screen should have been central with buttons either side. Experienced tracker users do everything on the keyboard with the mouse only really needed for sample editing. So it would have been nice to have used both hands and not have everything operated with the right hand.
i felt that at first but after a while muscle memory takes over, and I've found it a very speedy workflow once you get the shortcuts worked out. Fantastic bit of kit that I always dreamt of having back in the day! 😁👍
Amigaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ;)
oooh - looks scary to me!
Nowhere Stair ❤️
My Tracker came with a blank micro sd card :(
Presumably is just a matter of contacting them and grabbing the download?
BOGDANNNN!!!!
rephlex royalty
8 measure limitation Again. 4 and 8 measure limitations don't work for other kinds of music other than EDM. I use the pattern sequencers in high end arrangers, one to over 100 measures long looped or one shot, musical with zero quantize or a percentage quantize to grid from 1% to 100%. 8 tracks, stereo or mono tracks, entire 8 tracks can change pitch to a chord change, any time signature including 5/4s or 7/8s, for example, 12 versions of 8 tracks for a total of 96 tracks, 4 fills, plus phrase sequencer, plus sample instruments, MIDI connected instruments, and internal instruments for making sound.
That's like a carpenter complaining about a bean counter's abacus. Right tool for the job my friend. Trackers were built to produce chip tunes originally, not EDM. (Although it could be argued chip tunes are EDM too! 😆)
Braindance !
Nick - I plead you to spend some time with Renoise (if you haven't already). If I had to have a desert island DAW, Renoise would be the one for sure!
Renoise is great. The most capable tracker ever, but is not as friendly to use as this because of the wider options and because it is software. The thing with this is that the hardware allows for the tracker to be manipulated in a much more efficient way. You’d need significant investment in time and money for controllers to take Renoise to this level of usability.
Used Renoise for many Years (now Bitwig). This DAW is soooooo underrated..
@@WxkR I don't want to hear how efficient it is because I can't really afford it at the moment. I will get one in the near future but after watching that video my Gas is going crazy lol!
@@effex75 Do you find that your bitwig music style differs vs your renoise style? I use both for different things (that said I'm a bitwig newbie)
@@lulwutmusic this probably won’t help but saw they’re very decently priced at Juno. (Got mine there.)
It’s kind of similar to lsdj
It's funny though in this interview that the tracker is valued for how "fast" you can "make" music. That's sort of the thing with trackers - their tendency to produce repetitive pattern based stuff - a flow of soundbites targeting a market where music's existence is a shallow ephemeral experience. I own a Polyend Tracker.
Bogdan has nicer shaped buttons. Rounded square is too rounded.
I kind of wish mine were rounded. :) Looks softer!
Yeah Well I like the square ones better as well... But I've just found out (because I'm going to buy the damn thing) that the rounded version is an update because the square buttons gave some problems. They're not only rounder, they're higher as well, which I don't like either. But newer and less chance getting into buttontrouble for the same price.... Sooo I guess I'm going for the updated round version.
@@Tekunikaru there was/is no problem with square buttons (i know, i have that version). They changed to rounded version because the company making the original square buttons got affected by covid19.
@@batterycock Really.... that's unfortunate... but why change the design then?
@@Tekunikaru because they couldn't get the square buttons anymore, only the rounded ones.
ぼぐだん こんにちは
Horizontal tracker - blasphemy !!!!!
This was a difficult watch...the guy being interviewed seems like he doesn’t want to discuss the machine at all.
Knowing Bogdan history and music & based on that - his emotions I was very positively surprised by this video. I want more Bogdan on YT!
if it had Protracker / .mod support I'd buy it, otherwise, useless product
The product is underdesigned it could be so much better. Renoise would be a better investment.
Hahahaha 😂👎
Could you elaborate?
Yeah, I love everything about this product and polyend stuff in general, but how does it compare to a dedicated pc/mac running renoise (which runs on lunix as well)?
I think a real computer keyboard is better. Much faster in use. The memory/track limitations don't bother me but the physical interface is a deal breaker. The pads are too small and the button layout less than optimal if you are used to computer trackers. Mine is gathering dust at the moment. Hoping for a better designed version 2. I don't get why it is so hard to find a good hardware sequencer, MPC Live has too much going on, bad navigation around the system, Polytracker has a slightly compromised hardware interface , I think I'll go back to my Amiga 1200.
Yes, I'm picky and complain a lot. But I seem to set the bar too high these days with music tech. Too little time to spend on it.
@@6581punk do you think it is impossible to get as fast as on a computer? How would you improve it?
This was nothing more than a sponsored promotion. Really annoying.
Sir, many pardons for the offense. At your earliest convenience please PM me your address so thatI may send you a refund cheque.
Nice to hear some talking from this legend. Cool video !
thanks, mate!