Out of curiosity, what does the polyend do that the OT doesn’t? I love my OT but tracker workflow is much more up my alley when it comes to actual song creation. So not looking to sell my OT but maybe add this to my lineup.
Well, it’s a bit of a minefield to go saying much about can/can’t.
While I’m well aware of chance ops, LFO tricks and so forth on the Octatrack, You could argue that generative/chaos is easier on the Tracker.
Sample management, monitoring are easier on the Tracker.
But my actual two cents would be that it’s simply a different workflow. I’ve gone from OT to MPC Live&Tracker, and I’m happy. I’ve spent a long time with the OT and its quirks and I’m happy I don’t have to deal with some of them anymore. I know this probably isn’t very helpful, but sample-based instruments tend to be very malleable, if they’re well made – then it quickly boils down to workflow preferences.
1 Like
The timing fx are one of my favourite features, jaw dropping sound design.
If you drop in 48 loops, set them how you want, 1 shot/granular etc with relevant env and lfo mods to scan through the file in interesting ways you can use the second lane of fx to randomise/modulate the first lane (or either way round) so that every pass of the sequence you get a different fx setting, totally bonkers.
I spent an hour and half glassy eyed listening to a 32 step sequence that was off it’s noodle… 
6 Likes
The midi implementation of Elektron products is absolutely amazing. theres a lot there that Polyend could learn from in regards to the tracker.
3 Likes
Finally getting round to this thread and the tracker - it’s pulling me in. Sorry if this is in the thread somewhere (nearly 3000 replies!), but are these currently available?
Its not neccisarily that it does more than the octa (it is a device that costs 1/3rd the price after all)
But it does a number of things very differntly that make its workflow better for me.
Sampling is super easy and saving what you sampled is a breeze. I never found this to be the case on the octa. On the octa I used to sample on my computer and transfer samples over on CF card or via usb.
Each of the 48 sample slots becomes an “instrument” if you want it to. So you can add all the default parameters you want assigned to the playback of that sample and they become the instrument slot defaults for that sample. But you can change any of those parameters with FX slots in the sequencer. So in effect you are playing back 48 instruments rather than 48 samples.
There arent as many FX but what they have sound good and are increibly easy to configure.
Basic sample editing, Sample slice and beat slice modes are made incredibly easy by the large screeen “soft” buttons and jog wheel.
As you said the song mode is really good. and the “perf” mode live remix tools are also a doddle to use and configure.
All in all its deep enough to be interesting, the sequence FX tools are great and the ease of use is off the charts IMHO. All this for £435/499 euro is a pretty sweet deal.
Whether it works for you is of course unknowable till you try one out for a while.
5 Likes
I hear there are only 2 automation lanes. Does this make things difficult for automating?
even if it’s not difficult, why not 4, 6, or 8?
I don’t get the point of unnecessary limitations but then again maybe it was necessary?
One reason can simply be processing power, the Tracker is not a powerhouse in that regard.
lucky it’s got pseudo resampling, definitely planning on pushing that render function to the max
I am 95% sold on the tracker but one thing irks me: if I get it right, it sums to mono when sampling. I’d rather have the same options as the DT: only left, only right or summed to mono.
All samples are mono so the only way to have summing to stereo would be if it used two seperate mono files.
I think its because its designed for speed of use, there is a button for direct access to note, instrument, fx lane 1 and fx lane 2. The FX lanes are sort of “automation” but also sort of not.
Its pretty difcciult to explain unless you get hands on one, but you have several layers interplaying with each other. The filter, panning, volume etc configuration for each of the 48 instruments in a track. Then the note, instrument choice, playback FX 1&2 per step per track. Then on top of this you have you perf mode “live remix” tools.
Depending on the style of music you make you may find it actually really easy to create hyper animated spazzed out sounds and also slow moving subtle modulated ones.
Ultimately its a sampling groovebox so what you feed it will heavily effect the results you get.
EDIT: To help give you an idea of why the FX lanes arent really “automation” in the traditional sense (more like modulation animation macros, in many cases) Im going to post the list of possible FX you can put in per step and per track. Also remember these FX are layerd on top of whatever default modulations you have assigned per sample slot/instrument
The FX step effects list:
– – none, indicates that there is no effect used on the desired step.
! – Off, toggles off the effect used on the previous step.
V – Velocity, sets the Velocity of an Instrument. From 0% to 100%.
P – Panning, sets the Panning of an Instrument. From -50 (L) to +50 ®.
M – Micro-tune, sets the micro-tuning adjustments. From -99 cents to +99 cents.
G – Glide, sets the time it takes for the pitch of the previous note to travel to the pitch of the corresponding note. From 0-49% (0-1s) to 50-100% (1-15s).
T – Tempo, changes pattern tempo. Handy to create custom swings or grooves. From 10% to 400%.
m – Micro-move, slightly moves (nudges) forward the step position. from 0% to 100%.
C – Chance, sets a chance of a step being played. From 0% to 100%.
R – Roll, sets the type and value of the (step divider) parameter. From 0 to 16 for each Roll type. R – regular Roll; Rv – decreasing volume Roll; RV – increasing volume Roll; Rn – decreasing note Roll; RN – increasing note Roll; RR – random note Roll.
n – Random note, sets the range of randomization for Note with each sequencer pass. From +/- 0 to +/- 100. Working accordingly to the global musical scale selected for the pads in Config.
i – Random Instrument, set the range of randomization for Instrument number with each sequencer pass. From +/- 0 to +/- 47.
f – Random Fx value, sets the range of randomization for the Fx that is in the same step with each sequencer pass. For example, if the randomizer value is 10 and the affected Fx value is 100, the algorithm will pick the value from 90 to 110. From +/- 0 to +/-255.
v – Random Velocity, sets the range of randomization for Velocity with each sequencer pass. From +/- 0 to +/- 100.
r – Reverse Sample Playback, changes the sample playback direction. Values: <<< and >>>.
p – Position, in relation to the chosen sample playback type – changes the position of Sample start, Wavetable position or Granular position. From 0% to 100%.
S – Slice, sets the slice number of an instrument with a Slice playback type. From 1 to 48.
g – Volume LFO, sets the LFO rate for instrument Volume. LFO is synced to project Tempo. With the following values: 6; 4; 3; 2; 3/2; 1; 3/4; 1/2; 3/8; 1/3; 1/4; 316 (3/16); 1/6; 1/8; /12 (1/12); /16 (1/16); /24 (1/24); /32 (1/32); /48 (1/48); /64 (1/64).
h – Panning LFO, Sets the LFO rate for Panning. LFO is synced to project Tempo. Values the same as above.
j – Filter LFO, Sets the LFO rate for the selected filter type. LFO is synced to project Tempo. Values the same as above.
k – Position LFO, Sets the LFO rate for the selected playback type (Wavetable, Granular) Position with respect to the project tempo (BPM). Values the same as above.
L – Low-pass, sets the cutoff amount of the Low-pass Filter. From 0% to 100%.
B – Band-pass, sets the cutoff amount of the Band-pass Filter. From 0% to 100%.
H – High-pass, sets the cutoff amount of the High-pass Filter. From 0% to 100%.
s – Delay Send, sets the amount of Delay send. From 0% to 100%.
a – e – MIDI CC A -E, sends MIDI CC Value set to A-E in the Config. From 0 to 127.
f – MIDI program change, sends MIDI Program Change communicate. From 0 to 127.
4 Likes
I wasn’t talking about stereo, I was talking about having several options to sample in mono. Keep only right ch, only left ch or sum both to mono.
1 Like
the tracker does not have this feature… but if you have a decent mixer you could send either L or R into it for sampling that way.
1 Like
Ah ok, well I don’t see any reason why this wouldn’t be possible to add as a feature, you should suggest it to Polyend 
2 Likes
@PlumWrinkles yeaaaah but I’m lazy as fuck + if you can keep it in one box…
@Petajaja DT has a stereo input though… Even if it ends up sampling in mono. If the Tracker only has a mono input, it might not be capable of this feat.
it has stereo input, but it sums the samples you take to mono
3 Likes
Now we’re talking!
retailer is now talking about late aug to sometime in September for orders that came in over 30 days ago, is that the info you guys are getting …?