Polyend Tracker

The Lounge Other Gear
#7920

It’s tolerable, and only occasionally loading samples onto the Tracker is what I do as well, but if Polyend could reliably do USB storage then I could cut new samples from the Line In or the FM radio of the Tracker and then copy them directly over to the Play (or the M:S, or similar), and I’d be updating samples a lot more often without worrying about bulk updates, and the Tracker would be a much more helpful device to have around.

There are conveniences that make a particular workflow easier, or faster, and then there are conveniences that are so powerful that they can change your workflow entirely, and you start doing things that you just wouldn’t do before.

2 Likes
#7921

I hate this saying…but :grimacing:….

…first world problems right.
It’s not going to get in the way of production.

Just be thankful you don’t have to input your info thru a card reader. I had to do that shit in high school. You wanna talk nightmare. But not an issue at the time.

Anyways….roll with it man. Think about that less, make beats more.

2 Likes
#7922

Uhm. Replace “you” with “I” and sure (-:

…. do need hot swap…. convenient
faster
BUT will find workaround when hotswap is unreliable.
no probs if you don’t get it. All of us have our own flow & routines. Peace

#7923

Yes there is a little card reader included in the box. Will need it, thx.

Also, don’t do things you hate. That’s just silly

#7924

Windows has just corrupted my Polyend Tracker SD card.

I’ve lost so much work I feel physically sick.

Anyone got any good tips for recovering PT SD cards?

#7925

PTSD cards :rofl::heart:

4 Likes
#7926

That’s apt

1 Like
#7927

Used recoverit once that saved my bum.

Then I did proper backups. Yes, there is the cure :joy:

#7928

Unfortunately when windows corrupts the SD card while you are trying to do a backup your options are limited.

#7929

You can use Testdisk to try recovering your data.

3 Likes
#7930

This worked and all the projects were found and started playing on the tracker, but once I put it back in the PC the same thing happened and the project files got lost :frowning_face:

The tool says it’s totally fine now even though the files are missing so I think it’s completely shafted now.

#7931

Your pc needs a cure? :woozy_face:

#7932

and: buy new card, perhaps its bonkers

#7933

Hi guys, I’m thinking of buying a Polyend Tracker but first, I’d like to know if you believe it’s a good idea because I’m gonna have a lot of fun with it or do you think I should save my money and look elsewhere?

2 Likes
#7934

PRO TIP: Don’t buy stuff that doesn’t do what you want, expecting them to add it later :wink: in turn, not having to what you hate.

It’s stated clearly In the manual what does. It does what it does and that’s that. :+1:t6:

R T * M

#7935

I’d have to know you a bit better to tell you what’s good for you, but some questions I’d ask myself are:

  1. Would I prefer software tracker instead? Renoise is a lot cheaper and more capable. The Tracker’s advantages over it are that it’s a dedicated box for music that you can use separately from a computer, and that it has a dedicated UI with buttons that take you right to different parts of a track, instead of having to use a mouse or keyboard shortcuts (and Renoise is mostly using the keyboard for midi notes, so the shortcuts aren’t that convenient).

  2. Would I prefer the Dirtywave M8 instead? The Tracker has a lot of UI advantages (more dedicated buttons, a screen about as large as the entire m8, it can show you full four tracks or a limited view of all eight tracks while playing an entire song), but the M8 is carry-in-your-shirt-pocket portable, has a battery and a speaker, and has a lot of technical advantages: it has audio over usb, it has much better built-in synths, it can stream large samples from the sdcard instead having a limited project size. The biggest downside with the M8 is that if you order one now you’ll get it at the end of the year. The biggest upside of the Tracker is the grid input, it’s much more playable on its own without needing a midi controller.

  3. Am I sure that I like trackers at all? Trackers are very visual and precise, letting you directly see a lot of your music and its characteristics, but maybe you’d rather do things more by ear and more spontaneously and have a lot more knobs to twist. Rapidly editing patterns while playing them is a whole lot easier with a Elektron device.

What I did myself was pick ‘all of the above’, and I’m pretty happy with all the above–a lot happier than I am with some other purchases that aren’t either trackers or Elektron. The Polyend Tracker isn’t just nice on its own but easily adds value to other gear with its quick song mode and playable grid and large project sizes.

1 Like
#7936

make back ups!!!

1 Like
#7937

Thanks a lot for taking the time to write such an answer. I’m definitely not interested in a software tracker, I want hardware, I guess I need the very basic act of touching my equipment. That being said, if the Dirtytwave M8 was available today, I would buy one instead of a Polyend Tracker but having to wait 6 months for a piece of gear is not an option right now. Now will I like the tracker at all, I don’t know, that is more or less the question I was asking. Is it something you guys are having fun with? I am kind of a precise person so I may get along with the PT. I own both Models and both Digis and I am specifically looking for something different, I like what I see on YouTube about the PT even though it’s got its flaws but as of today, I’ve never had or seen anything perfect so…

#7938

I own a few bits of gear (though I’m not super experienced) the Polyend Tracker is the first one I’ve truly loved and felt like it was mine.

I can get lost for a whole evening in it with ease.

2 Likes
#7939

Personally I didn’t gel with the tracker… performance mode is probably the best performance mode on any device I’ve tried. But the general tracker workflow wasn’t something I gelled with… I’ve had a Nerdseq eurorack tracker as well, which I had similar feelings for as well… the sad thing is that I really want to like the tracker workflow because it is perfect for the type of music I want to make, but alas it isn’t meant to be and that is fine!

1 Like