Arek 1

Polyend releases the Tracker firmware source code

Today we’re publishing the firmware source code for the original Tracker, Tracker+ and Tracker Mini on GitHub. We’re also releasing Tracker Community Edition 1.0 with tons of new features and improvements. You can install it on any of the three instruments, modify the firmware yourself and share your own version. We’ve built in a recovery system to keep a faulty firmware build from bricking your Tracker.
Explore the Tracker Community Edition repository on GitHub

“Here at Polyend, creativity is what we value most. We’ve seen it firsthand in the unofficial Tracker mods you’ve built, and we’re sharing the firmware source code to support that work.
Maybe you want to build an entirely new instrument on the Tracker hardware. Or maybe there’s just one thing you wish your Tracker did differently. Either way, you can now try it on the unit you already own. I bet some of you already have ideas for the original Tracker that never crossed our minds.”
Piotr Raczyński, CEO of Polyend

What’s new in Community Edition 1.0

• Stream long samples from the SD card. Bring full-length stems, loops and field recordings into a project using a fraction of the sample memory they’d normally need. This works even on the original Tracker.
• Record timing and velocity while keeping both step FX slots free. Micro-move and Volume now have dedicated fields on every step. New Chance conditions let you bring in a snare fill every fourth pass.
• Load plugins in the Sample Editor. Six effects and generators are included, from an analog-style kick generator to a stereo delay. The plugin SDK lets you build, share and sell your own.
• Play two new synths on Tracker+ and Tracker Mini. CHIP and DIRT join the synth lineup. A new SDK lets you build your own synth engines.

All three models also get wavetable envelopes and LFOs, faster project loading and saving, and tighter MIDI clock timing. You can design custom Tracker themes and fonts in your browser.
See all the new features, improvements and fixes in the full changelog

Huge thanks to @Piotr and the whole Team at Polyend for allowing me to do this .

I’m looking forward to see what the community can come up with going forward!
If you are planning to contribute, please read the announcement in the Github discussions:

wow, thanks…

and what about .. wel you know, the other box.. Play ..

Huge news!!!

Will be so interesting to see what people create.

Wow! I am incredibly impressed. You rock, Polyend

I am not sure, if this marks the end of Tracker series sales - since I don’t see them available anymore - so if this is the EOL treatment for the Tracker, this is what other companies should strive for too.

If not, then this is the most impressively open music hardware platform going forward I have seen to date and a great way to have a community building awesome physically controllable synth and groovebox apps

Nice! Looking forward to play with this!

Will this CE firmware receive future official updates to fix bugs etc?

Yes, this will not be a one-shot (pun intended). All us devs can now help improve the device we love!

Yes, if this is the “send-off” then what a nice send-off.

Conversely, perhaps the updated firmware, engines, and the open-sourcing stimulates new / more demand.

The Tracker family physical form-factor and horsepower makes a very capable development canvas for folks to explore / exploit. When people are inspired by what they see / hear, they tend to want it.

Woooooooooooooooooooow. Thank you!

Hell yes! This is an appropriate response to the current environment of equipment and firmware development. Kudos for leading by example on this one. Happy to own a Tracker+ and a Play+ before, and now I love them even more.

ivipopp 15

Thanks for all your effort. Installed the new firmware seamlessly! Sandroid was here

Amazing thank you so much Sandroid and Piotr! I’ve posted this on the YouTube and Reddit but just putting here for more official visibility.

I’m now thinking about how people will choose features from the different firmwares the community builds.

I really like the approach by u/FatRodzianko with their ‘modular trackular’ installer where basically you can choose the ‘extras’ you want to add onto the firmware. Modular-Trackular Patcher

I wonder if there would be a way Polyend could facilitate something like this centrally?

Eg. An official way to install community Add-ons in a modular way without having to overwrite your entire firmware each time - then you can pick and choose the additions you want / don’t want. Polyend host the little ecosystem of ‘add-ons’ created by users, potentially the community can then up-vote the best ones and we can comment on them etc.

You can already see from the numbe rof firmwares on Backstage that this might help prevent a deluge of firmwares on the site, and be a good way to organise.

Anyway hopefully a helpful suggestion!

Definitely is a good idea. This is why sample editor addons are modular already.
For the synth sdk this wasn’t taken into account just yet.

But as mentioned, this is now a open platform, with a democratic process. So we are more than open to suggestions and implementation proposals.

At the core, the most important thing (in my opinion) should be a general consensus for what we want to see inside the community edition and how it works.

So if it’s technically feasible and people want it, ain’t nothing stopping us

Firstly, thanks again Sandroid for all your work on this.

Yes agree, will be great to see what people’s thoughts are and how the community responds. Over the last two weeks what I’ve personally found is I want a few features from the Open Tracker firmware project, a few bits from Modular Trackular etc.

I don’t know how technically it works so not sure how feasible it is across everything, but interesting Modular Trackular has been able to do it with quite a lot already.

Really great you’re already doing this with the sample editor addons.

I’m not familiar with GitHub, where are the files to install?. I’ve been in the download pages of polyend and the only firmwares valuables are the latest of each tracker.

I guess is safe to install because is an official release. Does it meant there with this open source the official firmwares are finished? Thanks.