If you thought that trackers were a relic of a bygone, pre-DAW software era, then prepare to think again, because Polyend is supercharging this much-loved music-making concept, and it’s doing it in hardware. In fact, it might just redefine what a hardware tracker can be.
Back in the ‘80s, if you wanted to make electronic music at home, it usually meant shelling out for a computer (most commonly an Atari ST), a synth and maybe even a sampler. As you can imagine, this didn’t come cheap.
But then came the tracker scene, which started in the late ‘80s but reached its zenith in the ‘90s. Inspired by videogame composers of the time, bedroom musicians were able to use software such as Ultimate Soundtracker - notably on the Commodore Amiga - to make music on vertical tracks by programming alphanumeric characters. While traditional producers may have scoffed, software like this kickstarted the demoscene movement, and trackers have enjoyed a cult following ever since.
Polyend Tracker harks back to this golden era of music-making and is designed for both diehard tracker fans and those who’ve been bred on contemporary DAWs. It’s billed as a portable Standalone Audio Workstation (a SAW, perhaps?), and can be used to record a complete album from start to finish.
Offering a sampler and wavetable/granular synth - not to mention a suitably retro FM radio - Tracker contains a powerful step sequencer and song arranger, plus a large screen, ergonomic keyboard and chunky knob for fast and easy navigation. There’s also a Performance mode, enabling you to twist, mangle and augment your patterns in a live context.
Polyend’s device bears all of the hallmarks of a classic tracker - including a vertical timeline - but thanks to its deep sequencing capabilities, mechanical keyboard and new input interface, it also feels fresh and new. You can import samples or record directly into the hardware, and the bi-directional MIDI functionality means that Tracker will play nice with the rest of the gear in your studio.
That said, this is a genuinely portable, self-contained production platform, and one that can run on USB power. So, Tracker is the perfect option if you want to be able to start a track when you’re out on the road, then finish it when you’re back in the comfort of your studio.
Tracker’s creation has been a labour of love for Polyend - a small, independent company from Poland that’s already made a splash with both its Seq MIDI sequencer and groundbreaking Perc Drumming Machine - and various artists have also been involved in the development process. These include Bogdan Raczyński, who’s been working particularly closely on the Tracker project.
Other artists who’ve enjoyed early access to Tracker include Sam Shephard (AKA Floating Points), Underworld’s Darren Emerson, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, Travis Stewart (Machinedrum) and Richard Devine. That’s quite a roll call.
Priced at just €499/$599, Polyend Tracker is available for pre-order now from the Polyend website and could be just the creative shot in the arm that your music making needs.