Just a small correction: it's up to 8 voices of polyphony (unless i missed a reason why you mention 7) Anyway - Very nice and very balanced review. Glad to see that after all this time you still like the devices. ❤
Even better then, thanks for that correction! I had memorized 7 somehow and I guess that is what you are left with after one of the synth engines is occupied by the drum synth. :) But at least I'm right in saying that you get a Syntakt worth of synth polyphony.
@@sinewaymusic since PERC does sound very nice usually, i would consider saying it only has 7 also correct 😆. But yes the syntakt comparison still stands!
Although I used to master the trackers back then on the Amiga, I find the polyend tracker mini to be difficult to use. If they had implemented the exact same interface with same kind of shortcuts, it would have been great. Now i understand it's much more capable than pro-tracker but I would personally have started replicating pro-tracker with a subset of the shortcuts and then added the synth features with some additional buttons. I think i'll sell it. I bought the digitone 2 and this is a hell of a beast. It's really the kind of synth to experiment all kinds of sounds / styles. This is the best machine i had so far these last 5 years
I appreciate your point of view on this. As someone with no previous experience of trackers on the Amiga 500, I found the interface to be easy to understand, though not always the fastest interface. I envy you on the Digitone 2!! That's a machine I hope to try soon. :)
@@sinewaymusic Spare some money to buy the Digitone 2 :) you won't regret it! I sold my Syntakt / Digitakt 1 to buy it. With the Digitakt 2, a hell of a combo!
@sinewaymusic It isn't, believe me :) The only things missing on this machine are more effects, because the effects are still the same since the first Elektron dt/dn box. It seems to me that the DSP is powerful enough on the new generation of boxes to add new effects. Also, some new machines would be great, like the SY chip on the Syntakt (but this was designed for the analogue voices, so not sure if it can be done on the DN2)
@@eldontyrellcorp Yeah, I hear you on the effects. We use the Syntakt in hybrid mode though (Overbridge) so this is less of an issue given the way we make music. Can't wait to try a Digitone 2 out!
Yo dig the video and appreciate your input on both devices. I was flirting with the tracker + to have something more mobile/more buttons but I think i’d rather own the newer DT2 ( eventually ). Also some your gripes you brought up i think also deter me like not having an eq and not as many tracks etc. Im sure they are great but I think but im happy with my og DT/DN.
Hey there! DT+DN is an absolutely amazing combo and if you're fine with its lack of portability, there's no need to switch things up. The Elektron workflow is tough to beat.
I have an OG Tracker and I LOVE it. It runs for hours and hours on a power bank, I've never got below 80% even after hours of usage. I sample all my analog gear into it and also use it to sequence external gear, which I then loop back into the Tracker to use the reverb and delay in realtime. I take it all over the place - whilst the kids are at jiu jitsu I'm sitting there making beats :-) The workflow is incredible for me. It's the sequencer I've clicked most with, maybe because I'm a programmer. I love my Squarp Pyramid and I enjoyed Beatstep Pro, but the Tracker just works for me. There's a few clumsy moments where I wish I had a few extra keyboard shortcuts for shuttling around with copy and paste, but generally it's very smooth once you've got the hang of it. I bought it off a guy who just couldn't get on with the workflow and he didn't like the way it sounds with changing the pitch of instruments - it sounds fine to my cloth ears though! You can toggle the antialiasing off to get a really old-school sound. I'd love a Mini and/or a +, but I'm extremely happy just with the OG.
That's the thing that these devices are so great at - filling that space when you have time for music making but you're not at home. Jui jitsu, or whichever kids activity you're currently at. :D The correlation between clicking with the workflow and being a programmer is interesting. I started my career as a computer engineer and even did lots of programming on a TI-82 calculator while also programming the Roland W-30, so perhaps you are right?
Missing Feature 3: you can only midi control one track at a time on the tracker mini. That for me was the biggest letdown and the reason why I replaced it with a Syntakt. Also, editing synth engine sounds on the tracker mini is a nightmare. I ended up very frustrated with my tracker mini.
Thanks for your input. The synth editing part of the workflow is indeed fiddly and I'm bringing this up in the review. I wasn't aware of the midi limitation because I use it as a standalone sketchpad/production device and want to avoid cables and stuff whenever I can. :)
cool video, nicely explained! I bought the Polyend tracker as a gamble, I never got any further in a DAW with my music and got overstimulated very quickly in a DAW, since I have the Polyend Tracker I have really made progress in terms of music production I think, it is a really cool way of working, certainly in my case with jungle and drum breaks
@@droetkering That's very cool to hear, yeah the tracker workflow and jungle seems to be made for each other. And it's very true that DAWs often give you way too many options. Thanks for the comment about the video, and thanks for watching!
I agree with your assessment that potential buyers need to fully grasp: the trackers are fun composition tools that gently induce you to keep returning to tweak a song until it is completely ready. While something like a digitakt is more like an instrument. I like both approaches and especially, I immediately connected to the tracker as I never did with any other gear. I really like that workflow. In fact i have both, i like to bring the mini along and work more comfortably at home on the +. You can even swap the sd cards to continue working as they are functionally pretty identical. The mini is more laborious for note entry however I read that you can use a midi keyboard app on an iphone that is connected over usb. Apparently it works better than similar apps on android. Must try that. I can see improvements for a tracker++ : a few mappable knobs that can be mapped to synths to record as the pattern plays. It is quite cumbersome to record changing parameters now. For me the synths are currently really preset machines, not fun to change the settings. I could also wish for audio processing per track in addition to the currently only 2 simpler fx per step. And much longer samples. But really these are fun tools. For home use i intend to send tracker midi into a freshly arrived roland sh-4d which i plan to use as a multitimbral sound box, and also into a dreadbox hades for fat bass tones; all combined with samples in the tracker.
@@MrDagon007 That's it really, the Digitakt/Syntakt feels more like an instrument thanks to the physical encoders. To your point, a Tracker++ with some knobs would bring forward the synth side of the workflow more to the surface, I agree it's currently more of a preset box but the new Polyend Synth has really shown) revealed the powerful synth engines that are there on these trackers if you engage with them. It's clear that they're primarily samples focused so leaning into that more and leveraging other synths like the Roland SH-4D for the synths sounds like combining the best of two worlds really. That's a great setup you have there!
I do not agree at all that you must have a vision of the track and then type it in. Although I like to type in sheet music, usually we just start jamming without plan where to go. Using the fill function, randomizers, performance mode for instance you can easily build a track from scratch in an experimental way
@@hotchameanshotcha Yeah there are definitely ways to do it on these trackers. My point was more that it feels like you have to be more deliberate about it on these devices than what I'm used to. Technically using the fill modes *is* writing on the note sheet - my point is that you can't just twist a knob to explore, you have to engage with the commands to alter the note sheet to hear the idea. You're right that the Performance Mode offers ways to explore. Like I said in the video, I wish there was a way to save those states somehow. Thanks for sharing your experience with the trackers!
Main drawback of Polyend trackers for me is that I can’t play live on it without buying, for example, mpk mini. Will be cool to have tracker with piano keyboard integrated or have chromatic mode like in DT/DN/ST 🤔 May be Polyend add such feature to their trackers.
@@SergeyCoder The Tracker+ feels pretty playable to me, though the note mode of the Mini feels more like something you'd use in a pinch. A tracker with a piano keyboard would be dope!
Of course you can play it live. I did this several times. But I spent hours on playing it, memorizing. Why would it have the performance mode? Learn to use it live, this is one of the assets of the tracker.
@@hotchameanshotchaPerformance mode it’s not live. You should record something before to use performance mode. Live means choose some instruments & playing like on piano, MPCL2 etc.
Thanx for a great video. I was looking for a portable groovebox for a long time (Novation Circuit, Roland SP404mk2, Ableton Move). But I think for me Polyend Mini will suits me better as a small portable (batterydriven) box sitting somewhere and sketching some ideas.
Glad the video was helpful! The Mini is definitely the most portable groovebox of the ones you're choosing between and the battery life is excellent. The Ableton Move is almost on the opposite side of a spectrum between immediate playbility and the ability to make full tracks in standalone. It's clear the Move was designed so you would go and finish the song in Ableton Live, whereas on the Polyend Tracker Mini, you can leave just the final mixing to the daw. So I guess it depends on how much you want to use the portable groovebox in that spectrum from just noodling/sketching to actually producing. Disclaimer: I haven't tried the Move yet but I indend to! Have tried the SP-404 MKII though and wouldn't recommend it as a groovebox. That one is more purely a creative sampler in my opinion. 😊
@@sinewaymusic What I was looking for was a small groovebox with at least 8 tracks that doesn't take up much space. I'm from the time when Noicetracker 1.1 on the Amiga 500 was popular. So I'm not completely unfamiliar with that workflow (it was only a while ago). However, being able to take something with you on the go and possibly transfer to Ableton attracted extra interest. If I have to reveal something, I ordered a mini after your video. A Christmas present to myself.
@@robertgrabowski2265 Congrats, Sounds like it will fit perfectly and you even have experience with trackers. Back in those Amiga days, my friend and I actually used Deluxe Paint 4 the most. 😂 Same friendship that now involves music making. Four decades of creative fun, good times no doubt. 🤩
Check out Dirtywave M8 before you make your purchase! I owned the Polyend tracker, the tracker mini and the m8 and I ultimately sold both Polyend devices and i don’t regret it. The m8 is a beast!
I really hate that brushed aluminum aesthetic they used for the Tracker+, it isn't consistent with the other Polyend gear and I just don't like the look of it as much as the clean matte finish on the Mini. I should clarify metal isn't the problem and I love how the Elektron gear looks, I just do not like the brushed aluminum aesthetics.
@@anomalousmaterialsmusic Yeah it's hard to argue with aesthetics. I personally think they look great, but I'd like the look without the brushed surface too. 😊
@@sinewaymusic Hahaha! On a more video related note: I haven't played with PolyEnd hardware yet, but I like their exterior and UI designs (minimalistic and 'business-like'), I think it's aluminium? I checked out the Synth reviews, seems like a usable device! However, still honeymooning and learning my current hardware (some Torso, Arturia, and Elektron gear), so I'll be fine ;-)
@@renevanderkraats224 Yeah the hardware design is really nice, industrial and clean. Sounds like you have no need for more hardware at the moment, which is always a good thing. 😊
Just a small correction: it's up to 8 voices of polyphony (unless i missed a reason why you mention 7)
Anyway - Very nice and very balanced review. Glad to see that after all this time you still like the devices. ❤
Even better then, thanks for that correction! I had memorized 7 somehow and I guess that is what you are left with after one of the synth engines is occupied by the drum synth. :) But at least I'm right in saying that you get a Syntakt worth of synth polyphony.
@@sinewaymusic since PERC does sound very nice usually, i would consider saying it only has 7 also correct 😆. But yes the syntakt comparison still stands!
Although I used to master the trackers back then on the Amiga, I find the polyend tracker mini to be difficult to use. If they had implemented the exact same interface with same kind of shortcuts, it would have been great.
Now i understand it's much more capable than pro-tracker but I would personally have started replicating pro-tracker with a subset of the shortcuts and then added the synth features with some additional buttons.
I think i'll sell it.
I bought the digitone 2 and this is a hell of a beast. It's really the kind of synth to experiment all kinds of sounds / styles. This is the best machine i had so far these last 5 years
I appreciate your point of view on this. As someone with no previous experience of trackers on the Amiga 500, I found the interface to be easy to understand, though not always the fastest interface.
I envy you on the Digitone 2!! That's a machine I hope to try soon. :)
@@sinewaymusic Spare some money to buy the Digitone 2 :) you won't regret it!
I sold my Syntakt / Digitakt 1 to buy it.
With the Digitakt 2, a hell of a combo!
@@eldontyrellcorp I'll definitely be getting a Digitone 2 at some point soon. It seems a bit too good to be true. 😊
@sinewaymusic It isn't, believe me :)
The only things missing on this machine are more effects, because the effects are still the same since the first Elektron dt/dn box. It seems to me that the DSP is powerful enough on the new generation of boxes to add new effects.
Also, some new machines would be great, like the SY chip on the Syntakt (but this was designed for the analogue voices, so not sure if it can be done on the DN2)
@@eldontyrellcorp Yeah, I hear you on the effects. We use the Syntakt in hybrid mode though (Overbridge) so this is less of an issue given the way we make music. Can't wait to try a Digitone 2 out!
Yo dig the video and appreciate your input on both devices. I was flirting with the tracker + to have something more mobile/more buttons but I think i’d rather own the newer DT2 ( eventually ). Also some your gripes you brought up i think also deter me like not having an eq and not as many tracks etc.
Im sure they are great but I think but im happy with my og DT/DN.
Hey there! DT+DN is an absolutely amazing combo and if you're fine with its lack of portability, there's no need to switch things up. The Elektron workflow is tough to beat.
I have an OG Tracker and I LOVE it. It runs for hours and hours on a power bank, I've never got below 80% even after hours of usage. I sample all my analog gear into it and also use it to sequence external gear, which I then loop back into the Tracker to use the reverb and delay in realtime. I take it all over the place - whilst the kids are at jiu jitsu I'm sitting there making beats :-)
The workflow is incredible for me. It's the sequencer I've clicked most with, maybe because I'm a programmer. I love my Squarp Pyramid and I enjoyed Beatstep Pro, but the Tracker just works for me. There's a few clumsy moments where I wish I had a few extra keyboard shortcuts for shuttling around with copy and paste, but generally it's very smooth once you've got the hang of it.
I bought it off a guy who just couldn't get on with the workflow and he didn't like the way it sounds with changing the pitch of instruments - it sounds fine to my cloth ears though! You can toggle the antialiasing off to get a really old-school sound.
I'd love a Mini and/or a +, but I'm extremely happy just with the OG.
That's the thing that these devices are so great at - filling that space when you have time for music making but you're not at home. Jui jitsu, or whichever kids activity you're currently at. :D
The correlation between clicking with the workflow and being a programmer is interesting. I started my career as a computer engineer and even did lots of programming on a TI-82 calculator while also programming the Roland W-30, so perhaps you are right?
Missing Feature 3: you can only midi control one track at a time on the tracker mini. That for me was the biggest letdown and the reason why I replaced it with a Syntakt. Also, editing synth engine sounds on the tracker mini is a nightmare. I ended up very frustrated with my tracker mini.
Thanks for your input. The synth editing part of the workflow is indeed fiddly and I'm bringing this up in the review. I wasn't aware of the midi limitation because I use it as a standalone sketchpad/production device and want to avoid cables and stuff whenever I can. :)
cool video, nicely explained!
I bought the Polyend tracker as a gamble, I never got any further in a DAW with my music and got overstimulated very quickly in a DAW, since I have the Polyend Tracker I have really made progress in terms of music production I think, it is a really cool way of working, certainly in my case with jungle and drum breaks
@@droetkering That's very cool to hear, yeah the tracker workflow and jungle seems to be made for each other. And it's very true that DAWs often give you way too many options. Thanks for the comment about the video, and thanks for watching!
I agree with your assessment that potential buyers need to fully grasp: the trackers are fun composition tools that gently induce you to keep returning to tweak a song until it is completely ready. While something like a digitakt is more like an instrument.
I like both approaches and especially, I immediately connected to the tracker as I never did with any other gear. I really like that workflow. In fact i have both, i like to bring the mini along and work more comfortably at home on the +. You can even swap the sd cards to continue working as they are functionally pretty identical.
The mini is more laborious for note entry however I read that you can use a midi keyboard app on an iphone that is connected over usb. Apparently it works better than similar apps on android. Must try that.
I can see improvements for a tracker++ : a few mappable knobs that can be mapped to synths to record as the pattern plays. It is quite cumbersome to record changing parameters now. For me the synths are currently really preset machines, not fun to change the settings. I could also wish for audio processing per track in addition to the currently only 2 simpler fx per step.
And much longer samples.
But really these are fun tools.
For home use i intend to send tracker midi into a freshly arrived roland sh-4d which i plan to use as a multitimbral sound box, and also into a dreadbox hades for fat bass tones; all combined with samples in the tracker.
@@MrDagon007 That's it really, the Digitakt/Syntakt feels more like an instrument thanks to the physical encoders. To your point, a Tracker++ with some knobs would bring forward the synth side of the workflow more to the surface, I agree it's currently more of a preset box but the new Polyend Synth has really shown) revealed the powerful synth engines that are there on these trackers if you engage with them. It's clear that they're primarily samples focused so leaning into that more and leveraging other synths like the Roland SH-4D for the synths sounds like combining the best of two worlds really. That's a great setup you have there!
I do not agree at all that you must have a vision of the track and then type it in. Although I like to type in sheet music, usually we just start jamming without plan where to go. Using the fill function, randomizers, performance mode for instance you can easily build a track from scratch in an experimental way
@@hotchameanshotcha Yeah there are definitely ways to do it on these trackers. My point was more that it feels like you have to be more deliberate about it on these devices than what I'm used to. Technically using the fill modes *is* writing on the note sheet - my point is that you can't just twist a knob to explore, you have to engage with the commands to alter the note sheet to hear the idea.
You're right that the Performance Mode offers ways to explore. Like I said in the video, I wish there was a way to save those states somehow. Thanks for sharing your experience with the trackers!
Main drawback of Polyend trackers for me is that I can’t play live on it without buying, for example, mpk mini. Will be cool to have tracker with piano keyboard integrated or have chromatic mode like in DT/DN/ST 🤔
May be Polyend add such feature to their trackers.
@@SergeyCoder The Tracker+ feels pretty playable to me, though the note mode of the Mini feels more like something you'd use in a pinch. A tracker with a piano keyboard would be dope!
Of course you can play it live. I did this several times. But I spent hours on playing it, memorizing. Why would it have the performance mode? Learn to use it live, this is one of the assets of the tracker.
@@hotchameanshotchaPerformance mode it’s not live. You should record something before to use performance mode. Live means choose some instruments & playing like on piano, MPCL2 etc.
Thanx for a great video. I was looking for a portable groovebox for a long time (Novation Circuit, Roland SP404mk2, Ableton Move). But I think for me Polyend Mini will suits me better as a small portable (batterydriven) box sitting somewhere and sketching some ideas.
Glad the video was helpful! The Mini is definitely the most portable groovebox of the ones you're choosing between and the battery life is excellent. The Ableton Move is almost on the opposite side of a spectrum between immediate playbility and the ability to make full tracks in standalone. It's clear the Move was designed so you would go and finish the song in Ableton Live, whereas on the Polyend Tracker Mini, you can leave just the final mixing to the daw. So I guess it depends on how much you want to use the portable groovebox in that spectrum from just noodling/sketching to actually producing. Disclaimer: I haven't tried the Move yet but I indend to! Have tried the SP-404 MKII though and wouldn't recommend it as a groovebox. That one is more purely a creative sampler in my opinion. 😊
@@sinewaymusic What I was looking for was a small groovebox with at least 8 tracks that doesn't take up much space. I'm from the time when Noicetracker 1.1 on the Amiga 500 was popular. So I'm not completely unfamiliar with that workflow (it was only a while ago). However, being able to take something with you on the go and possibly transfer to Ableton attracted extra interest. If I have to reveal something, I ordered a mini after your video. A Christmas present to myself.
@@robertgrabowski2265 Congrats, Sounds like it will fit perfectly and you even have experience with trackers. Back in those Amiga days, my friend and I actually used Deluxe Paint 4 the most. 😂 Same friendship that now involves music making. Four decades of creative fun, good times no doubt. 🤩
Check out Dirtywave M8 before you make your purchase! I owned the Polyend tracker, the tracker mini and the m8 and I ultimately sold both Polyend devices and i don’t regret it. The m8 is a beast!
I really hate that brushed aluminum aesthetic they used for the Tracker+, it isn't consistent with the other Polyend gear and I just don't like the look of it as much as the clean matte finish on the Mini. I should clarify metal isn't the problem and I love how the Elektron gear looks, I just do not like the brushed aluminum aesthetics.
If that is your worst criticism about the tracker+ then it really is a winner 😊
@@anomalousmaterialsmusic Yeah it's hard to argue with aesthetics. I personally think they look great, but I'd like the look without the brushed surface too. 😊
Didn't know Putin was into DX-7 at a younger age ;-) Don't worry, I'll let myself out...
@@renevanderkraats224 Now I can't unsee it. 😭🤣
@@sinewaymusic Hahaha! On a more video related note: I haven't played with PolyEnd hardware yet, but I like their exterior and UI designs (minimalistic and 'business-like'), I think it's aluminium? I checked out the Synth reviews, seems like a usable device! However, still honeymooning and learning my current hardware (some Torso, Arturia, and Elektron gear), so I'll be fine ;-)
@@renevanderkraats224 Yeah the hardware design is really nice, industrial and clean. Sounds like you have no need for more hardware at the moment, which is always a good thing. 😊