Superbooth 24: Polyend Tracker+ is the successor to the original Tracker groovebox, now in full stereo and with more features.
The highlight at Polyend’s Superbooth 24 stand was the Tracker+. The company has also announced updates. The Tracker Mini gets all the new features of the new Tracker+ via a new firmware 2.0, the new synths and drum engines, the new edit layout, and more.
Besides this, the Play+ will also get new firmware with the new drum “Perc” engine, and new synth/ MIDI performance mode. The OG Play will only get the new MIDI perform mode. There is also an update for the OG Tracker that will add four more MIDI tracks. All these updates will be out in Summer 2024.
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Article From May 13, 2024
Trackers, the music sequencers from Amiga times, are back in fashion. The first was the XOR Electronics NerdSEQ, which brought the unique tracker workflow back into the hardware. Polyend followed in 2020 with the Tracker, a standalone groovebox with synthesis and samples.
The Polyend Tracker Mini release in 2023 caused some dissatisfaction, as its features were much more mature than the original. After four years, the OG Tracker is also getting a successor. After the price crashed on the market to 399€, a release was in the air. For Superbooth 24, Polyend releases the Tracker+.
Polyend Tracker+: Legacy Features
The Tacker+ is the official successor to the original Polyend Tracker groovebox. The device remains unchanged in terms of hardware design. It offers 48 multifunctional backlit silicone pads again with a refined jog wheel. It comes with new soft-touch mechanical buttons, where five are color-coded again. Also, the 7-inch display is the same.
The feature set is a mix of old and new functions. It builds on the first Tracker’s feature set and everything you know. On the engine side, it comes with the same sampler with various sampling modes, an editor, and a sample recorder. The built-in FM radio remains part of the unit.
Also, the legacy synth engines Granular and Wavetable are on the list. Then, Tracker+ gives you the same per-track effects: volume, tuning, panning, resonant filters, delay and reverb sends, overdrive, normalizer, reverse, overdrive, time-stretch, and more.
The advanced fill mode with many algorithms is also onboard again. Tracker+ also includes the powerful performance mode with customizable effects that range from classics like filters (lowpass, highpass, bandpass), delay, and reverb to more special ones like granular, step repeater, and more. So everything you know from the original Tracker.
Polyend Tracker+: New Features
Polyend has also packed the Tracker+ with plenty of new features. Similar to the Tracker Mini, the entire instrument signal path is now stereo, encompassing the instruments, sampling engine, effects, and all other audio-related components.
There is also room for more compositions. Instead of the previous eight monophonic tracks, Tracker+ has 16 tacks of synth, sample, and MIDI sequencing. Important note: the new 9-16 tracks can only be used with MIDI or the new synth and drum machine instruments. Resampling of every section is also possible.
Polyend also increased the sample memory to 11 minutes of mono and 5 minutes of stereo content. The instrument section received a major rework. They added various new synth and drum engines to the legacy ones.
I’m pretty sure the synth engines will look familiar to some. These are the same four synth engines as in the Play+ groovebox:
- ACDTM: a TB-303-inspired single oscillator monophonic synth.
- FATTM: a subtractive analog modeling engine for lush, vintage sounds
- VAPTM: virtual analog dual-oscillator polysynth with modulation matrix
- WTFMTM: 2-operator FM synth with wavetable-based oscillators driven by a 3x feedback machine.
New Drum Synthesizer
Polyend states eight voices can be loaded per project into three synth instruments. Another new addition to the instrument section is an all-new drum synthesis-based drum machine called PERC.
It takes up 1 of the 8 synth voices but can simultaneously play back up to five unique drum sounds: kick, tom, snare, open and closed hi-hats, cymbal, and perc. Each drum instrument is fully tweakable with various controls.
Polyend added a new synth editor in the Tracker+ designed for fast patch editing. The grid allows quick access to different parameters. Plus, you can control six multi-macro controls on the instrument parameter pages, either manually or in a sequence. Over 250 professional synth presets are included, promise the developers.
Connectivity
The back side is also the same: a stereo in and out, a mic input, MIDI in and out, a microSD slot, and a USB-C port. The latter bears another major upgrade compared to the original Tracker. It now supports audio over USB with 14 tracks of audio streaming over USB to your DAW.
USB Audio Tracks include one master track, eight stereo sample tracks, one track per synth engine, and delay and reverb effect sends. Yet another addition to the USB functionality is mass storage capability. This feature enables you to conveniently manage your files on a computer via USB without removing the SD card.
Polyend Tracker Mini 2.0
Good news for Tracker Mini users. Firmware 2.0 is on the horizon and will arrive in this summer. With the Tracker Mini 2.0 update, Tracker+ projects will be completely compatible with Tracker Mini. It is not yet known whether Engine v2.0 for the Mini will feature significant new features like the synth and drum engines.
A feature-rich evolution of the original Polyend Tracker. Unlike the Play+, the upgrade’s timeframe (4 years) is better for me. It’s good that they’ve squeezed a lot of synth and drum synthesis into the Tracker+, which makes it much more complete than groovebox. Also, the additional tracks are nice.
I hope that the OG Tracker continues to receive updates in the future. There is a lot that needs to be improved. I look forward to the first videos and hearing the community’s reactions. I have a better feeling here than with the Play+ release.
Polyend Polyend Tracker+ is available now for $799/799€.
More information here: Polyend
Available at my partner
A stereo signal path would have been enough. I’m not sure why Polyend decided to fuse Tracker and Play into a single device. I think it’s kind of hilarious.
I wonder if Florian is watching…
Instabuy.
will they offer any upgrade path like they did for play to play+?
I don’t think
But they should. What a disdain for the old model buyers. I hope they reconsider.
I asked and they say it’s not possible.
Just ask owners of the very expensive SEQ sequencer how Polyend treats older products. So many basic functions and requests ignored that it’s clear will never happen. I will not be burned again :/