Finally Exploring Polyend Tracker MIDI Sequencing

Finally Exploring Polyend Tracker MIDI Sequencing
Welcome to my first ever Patron requested video! Thanks to Jackson Lundquist who requested I finally take a look at MIDI sequencing on the Polyend Tracker. I've heard lots of other folks talk about what a sequencing beast the Tracker is, but I've never really understood why until now. The MIDI CC mapping is so easy, but incredibly powerful due to the Tracker workflow. You can essentially have any CC modulated in any way you'd like, on any step. Thanks again for the request Jackson, I'll definitely be trying this again! Enjoy the video :)
My favorite gear in one list, courtesy of zZounds.com:
www.zzounds.com/share--freebe...
GEAR IN THIS VIDEO
Polyend Tracker: amzn.to/3Qhie0z
Arturia Microfreak: amzn.to/43QalCy
Korg Volca Drum: amzn.to/43N7dHI
Zoom Livetrak L-12 (audio recorder): amzn.to/454Pi01
Questions? Ask them below!
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[@FreeBeat]

The Patron video request tier is the "More Expensive Beat" tier, I'm so sorry I misspoke in the video.

[@Groovetwig]

This Jackson fella seems like a really handsome and cool guy.

[@FreeBeat]

:D

[@stuartcarter7053]

Thank you so much for this video - it's like it was produced for me! I was looking to get a sequencer (Korg SQ64) and to fund it I was selling my Tracker that I bought a few years back but never used. It never dawned on my dim brain that I could use the tracker as a midi sequencer - with so much more power than the SQ64. I literally took the tracker off sale from eBay whilst watching this video. Thanks for spending the time faffing around to set this up - it's like it was for me! 👍👍👍👍

[@unrat666]

i am in the exact same situation! forgot what a powerhorse the tracker is.

[@quinnsd13]

I love that I already have all 3 of those pieces of gear. The cabling and setup is super daunting for me too, but that looks like such a powerful setup!

[@FreeBeat]

It really is, I highly suggest giving it a shot!

[@ruscular]

I revisit this subject after the new tracker + release. I end up with 2 OG tracker and basically been using it as the brain for all the other synth unit with ESI 16 port midi router. Even tho the new tracker plus has some nice feature, the 2 tracker link together is still nicely holding its own. Even with the new synth engine, its hard to beat Korg Wavestate, Korg volca FM2 and other powerhouse synth.

[@user-dz5hh7yx4d]

Great video! I just got the tracker and the microfreak a few weeks ago. Thanks for the inspiration! Subscribed!

[@FreeBeat]

Awesome, thanks so much and I hope you love them!

[@gui_saba]

great stuff! very informative, as I plan on getting a Polyend Tracker and using it as the brains for a little dawless setup :)

[@FreeBeat]

Nice! I hope you love it :)

[@krazywabbit]

Nice job. Inspires me to get the Polyend Play and see what I can do with it and some gear. Thank you.

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks! Curious what can be done with the Play!

[@kylealexander3595]

Can’t wait to get my hands on the tracker !

[@FreeBeat]

I hope you love it!

[@MeerkatMuzic]

Have to give this a go got all 3 boxes !

[@FreeBeat]

Have fun!

[@gwydkins8252]

Keep up the great stuff, ever thought of live jams? You have a great ear I do enjoy watching you really test and push stuff

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks! I do a livestream on Wednesday every single week! Also every Sunday I release a jamming video without talking. And finally, I've got a proper livestream concert coming up on August 11th at 7:00pm Pacific, and a second showing on August 12th at 11:00am Pacific!

[@zackcolbourne6921]

This is my current favorite thing to do with the Tracker. It spends most of the time plugged into my TX81Z synth, which is 8 part multitimbral and can have each voice sequenced by the 8 Tracker tracks. It sort of turned my Tracker into a crazy vintage/modern hybrid FM groovebox.

[@FreeBeat]

That's amazing!

[@thomnewton9024]

the dirtywave m8 has an additional effects slot as well as some inbuilt synths. It's a great device and I'd give it a go if you get the chance. I'd also recommend the bluebox, it's an awesome little mixer with a few effects built in as well as the ability to send multiple channels out to external effects. Personally, I've always got the nts-1 on my external loop because it can do so much.

[@FreeBeat]

I'd love to get my hands on a M8 someday, and glad to hear you like the bluebox!

[@wendelynmusic]

well darn. back in 2020 when I got back into electronics, I tried the Tracker and though it was cool, it had too much control so I decided to sell for a set up that was freer and really a live set up.. Now I've reached a point where I want to get more complicated and I can see how if I still had the Tracker there would be interesting possibilities and I haven't had it for a couple years now. oh well. lol. that is pretty cool!

[@FreeBeat]

Honestly good on you for realizing you weren't on the right piece of gear (at the time) and getting a setup that worked for you. I hope you wind up with a Tracker again someday!

[@DavidDeLuge]

The Polend Play takes midi to a complete new level. It has eight polyphonic midi channels plus eight sample tracks.

[@FreeBeat]

Does it still have the step by step level of control for CC's that the Tracker offers?

[@DavidDeLuge]

@@FreeBeat yes and the same sample flipping per track.

[@Groovetwig]

Jokes aside, this was a fun video and it’s pretty cool to see my suggestion in action

[@FreeBeat]

I had a lot of fun making this (after setting up everything the night before lol), thanks for suggesting it!

[@boriscat1999]

I just pulled the trigger on the original Tracker because Sweetwater and others have been discounting this old model. Now time to figure out what gear I can sell to avoid GAS...

[@FreeBeat]

Awesome, enjoy!

[@g1rlchild]

This was a fantastic video! I already have the Microfreak and the Volca Drum and I think I've decided that the Tracker is my next purchase. This is an extremely versatile setup for getting a wide range of sounds! Two questions: 1. Could you control 2 extra CCs by devoting an extra channel in the tracker to it? 2. How well does this work for setting up a loop on an instrument and then recording the loop onto the Tracker so you don't have to leave it hooked up? It's live to see follow up video on this if you are ever interested.

[@Vallam23]

1. yep. you can set a midi instrument step with a note on one track at the same time as a midi step with no note on another track, and add two cc effects to each. you also don't have to actually devote either track to anything, just that one step - you could trigger a sample or send a note to a different midi channel on the very next step on either track, every step in every track can be any kind of instrument or note. you can also put in effects on the step after triggering a note - so like, you can set the filter cutoff and volume on a step where a note actually plays and then set like the decay time on the next step in the same track. you can get more precise with that kind of stuff by doubling the bpm of your project, so like if it's supposed to be 120 set it to 240 so you get twice as many steps to fiddle with effects 2. you can do that and it works pretty well, there's no particular problem with it but it could be easier to do (like the digitakt lets you set a record time in bars which would be nice). the total amount of sample memory is 133 seconds tho so you can't like record a song length backing track into it

[@davidpickett3546]

How do you know/set what midi channel each piece of gear is on?

[@digiboydesign]

Hey really great video. Question, if you’re sequencing external hardware is there a way of using more than 2 fx tracks to control an external synth with midi cc values? So like 4 fx tracks?

[@FreeBeat]

Sadly there isn't :(

[@retrogawd]

Hey. Cool! Could you set up more external gear with a midi splitter? Not too worried about the effects. I don’t have a lot of pedals but I have some and that would be fine for me. I’m getting tired trying to get the sq 74 to do what I want it to, and am considering using the tracker as a brain. I want an oxy one but this is going to take a while. Cheers!

[@treesurgeon2441]

I have a few midi effects pedals so maybe that would be a good work around. I'm hoping Polyend will add more slots in future firmware updates.

[@FreeBeat]

I'm not really familiar with MIDI effects pedals, how do those work?

[@treesurgeon2441]

@@FreeBeat Chase Bliss pedals and my microcosm have midi functionality. I'm guessing it's to sync to midi clock and maybe midi cc.

[@glueball9511]

anybody ever find any sync issues with the tracker? i have read some complaints in the past about the clock drift and thinks not syncing between gear. (i have the tracker and have never attempted this sort of setup based on what i had read)

[@fumoffuyou]

Is it perhaps possible to steal an empty track to use for additional MIDI CC data? For example, have the note, MIDI channel, and two CC values on one track. But for the second track (lined up on the same step), choose the same MIDI channel but omit the note data, then add two more CC values. Will that work?

[@matwaymusic]

This was my thought also.

[@jeffryarchambeau5441]

I'm trying out several small synths on a guitar pedal board all pre-wired together so I don't have to take it all apart to put them away.

[@glueball9511]

i do this, i really enjoy it. couples synths, some effectors, a mixer all sittin on a powered board is a beautiful thing. the largest benefit is defiantely having it always ready to go

[@jeffryarchambeau5441]

@@glueball9511 Good to hear! I bought a couple of small boards with carrying cases. Looks like I can mount everything and still use the cases for carrying and storage. At least one will be on a USB power bank so it's self-contained. Fun for taking a setup in the car.

[@Geekraver]

So you have an L-12; do you have hum coming through when connecting the MIDI port? Just got one and find this pretty offputting.

[@FreeBeat]

I honestly haven't used the MIDI port on the L-12 at all haha.

[@actionrag1]

So if you had this setup permanent, where would you record all the audio too? To a separate recorder or back in to the tracker?

[@treesurgeon2441]

I believe you could do either.

[@Groovetwig]

@@treesurgeon2441I don’t think there’s a way to record back into the tracker, so you’d probably want to record into a computer, or something like the livetrak l12

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah I'd go into some sort of recorder. The 1010 bluebox actually seems like a really nice one for this kind of setup.

[@wolfmon42]

Most synth sequencers are too complicated for me, too hard to view what's happening. Trackers are more intuitive, and I like the Polyend, but I wish it had more synth engines and not just samples. I think MIDI sequencing can solve both problems for me! Just started another attempt at the PE Tracker because I saw someone sequence the TE BlastBeats with it. Tried it at a jam and it works great: The BB has drums + 4 synth channels, that's enough to make a whole track, or at least get a beat with drone and bass line going you can jam over. Took me a while to get my mind into the right frame, but it was worth the effort. Feels like I'm still scratching the surface. More effects for MIDI would be great, but you can also let the sequenced synth handle the automation if its own sequencer is running anyway. That takes away from a Tracker's strength though...

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@IndieAuthorX]

I ended using the Tracker only for midi.

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@glueball9511]

you ever have clock issues with sending midi via the tracker?

[@aki_gong6271]

You don't need more effects, just use another track ;) doesn't that work?

[@Geekraver]

Its a pity Polyend didn't add 8 separate MIDI tracks like on the Play.

[@claycowartisamazing]

Yikes.... :/

[@michael7018]

You need to learn the device properly instead than wasting people time.