Complement the Polyend Tracker with a sound module-ish?

The Lounge Other Gear
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I have the Polyend Tracker since a few months and having a lot of fun with it but I realize that most of the time, I miss a sound module for all those sounds I want to have in track. Because I am new to the game, I do not have built an monstrous sample library and because I am in it for the fun, I do not have the time right now to dig sample for specific sounds. So, I am thinking to add a kind of sound module that will cover most of the base besides drums.

Basically, I begin to pinpoint what I want to focus and learn : on the drum side thanks to the Breakbeat Bible, Rhythm Lab and The Jungle Jungle from 1989 to 1999 Sample pack (+ a few other drum machines samples here and ther ; I have that covered for an infinity amount of time.

On the bass, synth, etc side, it is more complicated for me to construct the library that I want but I am not convinced that is really a problem I will get rid of just by throwing money at it (ie buying gear).

My main idea, kind of a bit stupid, is to look at the Roland Verselab MV-1 to use with the Polyend Tracker. The two together will cover all the base : Tracker, Pad and x0x step sequencer for the input mode, the Zen engine for a mass of presets and sample everywhere :rainbow:. The MV-1 is a flop by Roland and I don’t know if it will ever be updated or not, maybe it is a bad bet.

The other alternative is to save money and enjoy my time with the Tracker and to sell it later to get an Akai Force. I feel that the Force is workhouse around which I can do a lot of stuff and benefits from the internal synth engine when to feeling like digging samples.

The last solution is to shut up and keep digging the Tracker, manage to do something palatable with the Wavetable and Granular mode to compensate for the lack of synth.

I prefer to stay away of my computer mostly because I am running under Linux and do not want to fight half of the time to get everything right with some VST to sample them but I could also do that as other sources of samples. I put myself a budget boundary to not have more than 1k€ of audio gear and the Tracker already took 450€ of that budget (and I do not feel motivated to reach that boundary also)

Some basically, how are you managing to add new sounds/find new samples when not having a big sample library when you only have a sampler ?

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I would get an iPad and have a ton of fun:
Sample Track:

How To:

The world is your oyster this way and you can sample and play anything on the iPad with the Tracker :wink:

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The Microfreak is versatile too and worth a look.

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Sounds like you might want a Rompler?

  • Roland SoundCanvas Series
  • Roland JV-1010 / XV-2020
  • Roland MC-101
  • Korg NX5r and related half-rack romplers
  • Yamaha MU-series half-racks

Or if you have the room, pick up any random ‘professional’ digital polysynth from the '90s from Craigslist or your local version of it. They will be full of ROMples and should have a decent synth engine to mess with. Also, you get keys!

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I have paired my Tracker with the Dreadbox Typhon which was a fun combination. However my favourite combo is Tracker + A4. Maybe you can get an MKI.

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I bought a Micromonsta 2 for this exact purpose, very good combination, I just wish that the tracker could sequence and record at the same time…

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Was wondering the same for the M8 Tracker, polyphonic to take advantage of its MIDI chord abilities - but something small!

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Thanks all for your answers :smiley:

@echo_opera That could be a solution but imply to buy an iPad and if this has to happen, I wish for it the replace my laptop (so going iPad Pro) when it will die. I will keep it in mind in case of an opportunity pops up!

About the Micromonsta 2, MicroFreak and Typhon ; they were all three on my short list. I am just no sure if I want a synth or a sound module/rompler. But those half-racks looks so fat. Maybe the MC-101 instead of the MV-1. The A4 looks fun also. Making no choice is cheaper right now :smiley:.

@insidestraight Maybe not what you want but you can record and sequence at the same time on the Tracker if and only if your pattern is using midi instruments. So normally, you could record the Micromonsta2 with the Tracker sequencing it.

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D i g i t o n e

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I plan to use my tracker with my older Ipad air that still has headphone out. Just one cable and good to go. If you just need sounds to sample it is perfect and cheap.
Only sampling, no midi I think using another sequencer like Digitones with the Tracker would get to complex for me.

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The mc-101 is a lot of bang for your buck especially 2nd hand. It depends what type of sounds you are after. IMO a really good budget match soundwise for the tracker would be the model:cycles.

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I’d take the mc-101 then.
It’s synth is very good. And it is a rompler. Heck, you could sequence the drums with polyend too.
But…

Look at the mc-707 too. More multitimbrality, more inputs, outputs, faders, 3 knobs per lane…

Edit: And you can edit your patches on it. On the mc-101? You will need a computer I guess?

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Also consider a Roland Boutique like the sh01a. Polyphonic, good sounds anf sweetspots and lots of knobs per function compared to mc101, micromonsta etc.

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Here’s a fun video from someone with an M8 and SoundCanvas:

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