I think I might be in the same boat as you again sir!
I currently make 2 types of music. One is DAW based and fully produced, the other is more atmospheric sample based stuff, which is often less produced, kinda. For days where it’s the classic “long day at work looking at a screen” or “kids are in bed, I’ve got 20 mins” a noodling device is something I’m definitley after, and I know where it sits in my setup better now. While this type of music can be done in a DAW, I found myself experimenting in a new way when using hardware and I’d like to revisit that. One example here of me doing my best impression of Jamie XX and the Field.
What I want is a portable gadget where I can build a track like that, but ideally with some features that allow easy management of samples, and also DAW export. Essentially I’m after an interesting sequencer, good audio editing, some form of granular processing and a boat load of effects. I tried using a phone with some apps but I find them far too fiddly, even with nice apps like Koala and Ableton Note, I just craved a much bigger screen. So this whirling around in my head narrowed it down to either a) an iPad or b) a portable hardware device.
One candidate here is the Tracker Mini. I think we both had the OG Tracker? The only reason I parted with the OG is that it was almost portable. In a 100% ideal scenario I prefer battery power so I can pick it up and play or even take it to a corner of the house. That said, I’ve heard all the quality concerns and that has me also concerned about dropping £620 on something that might be faulty or might not last long. On paper though, it’s pretty much exactly what I’m describing above - and it’s a genuine break from daily driver screens. Also, the Polyend version of the tracker has all that generative goodness. That’s probably the thing I miss most about the OG, it really did lead to some unusual and interesting results. There’s also the KOii which looks fun and way cheaper, but no stem output isn’t something I’m into so I’d potentially pass on that.
Once you consider the Tracker Mini which is retailing at £620, it’s hard not to take a long look a the iPad. The biggest downside is that it’s yet another screen? But it’s also portable and heck, at least it’s a different screen. There are some awesome apps for iPad, especially thinking of Borderlands that let you go hands on with sample manipulation which is an interesting/unique way of playing with samples. Then there’s all the big players like Loopy and so on for putting a track together. Thinking of doing a bit of reading on what works for people in there, but it’s a tricky call.