Polyend Tracker Mini Essentials User Guide

Polyend Tracker Mini Essentials

Specifications

• Dimensions: 130mm x 170mm
• Power Input: USB-C
• Power Supply: 5V, 2A
• Storage: 16GB Micro SD Card (expandable)
• Audio Output: Line Out / Headphone Out
• MIDI Connectivity: MIDI In / MIDI Out
• Effects: 29 FX available

Overview

Polyend Tracker Mini is a handheld version of Polyend’s desktop Tracker. This is a modern hardware implementation of a classic software music application which emerged in the late 80’s as music making tools mainly on gaming machines and later on personal computers. A Tracker is a utility that assembles a linear series of notes that typically triggers samples and associated parameters. Unlike standard digital audio workstations (DAW’s), Trackers generally run top to bottom when playing tracks. Trackers usually had a niche community of followers and never reached the same height of popularity as other DAW’s. Polyend Tracker Mini reignites the interest and presents the composition features of a Tracker into a portable and immediate format. Don’t be fooled by this quirky programming style of music making which may appear unusual, but does provide a very powerful and creative approach to production. Polyend Tracker Mini presents this vintage application in a modern and stylish handheld box with 8 sequenced tracks and a variety of effects, MIDI and Audio In / Out and multiple workflow environments. With a small form factor and rechargeable battery, Tracker Mini is an ideal portable ‘all in one’ workstation. The feature set is wide with some interestingly creative functions. Tracker Mini isn’t a particularly difficult instrument to use but the unusual and less familiar core concept and workflow may mean that getting started is a little confusing and the learning curve is drawn out. This may be a different twist on music production but hey, that’s what makes it fun. This guide aims to help with the speed up of learning and also to get the very best from the device. As always the Synthdawg notebook style allows for your notes to be added and to make the guidebook personal for you. The Tracker Mini journey is unusual, yet fun and at the same time a powerful music-making unit giving some rewarding results. Enjoy.

Tracker Mini Essentials

Hardware Overview

Start Up
Tracker Mini is powered from the an internal rechargeable battery which is charged using the supplied USB cable and charger. When restarting Tracker Mini the previously open project will be be re-opened.

POWERING ON / OFF TRACKER MINI

1. To recharge Tracker Mini, connect the supplied USB-C Mains cable between Tracker Mini and the supplied USB plug to charge the unit. Once charged Tracker Mini will operate without the USB power supply being connected.
2. Ensure the SD Card is installed correctly for Tracker Mini to operate. Pins should face up towards the front panel.
3. To power up, hold the small power on/off button located on the top right (looking from the front) for 1 second. Start up will open the previously opened project.
4. To power off, press and hold the small power button located on the top right (looking from the top) until the timer bar ends. Tracker Mini will then power off.
5. To check battery power charge when the unit is off, press quickly the power button. The battery indicator will display for a short period to indicate the charging state. The battery state is also displayed if the power cable is connected while powered off.

Tracker Mini Audio Structure

1. LCD Display
   5 Inch, LCD TFT 800 x 480 Display.

2. D-Pad Navigator Buttons
   Four navigation pad buttons (Up), (Down), (Left), (Right) and one (Enter). Manoeuvre through the grid and options.

3. Dedicated Note Button
   Selection of the [Note] element of a step.

4. Dedicated FX1 Button
   Effect selection for [FX1] of a step.

5. Play Button
   Plays when pressing [Play] the pattern or song. Pressing again stops playback. Play again restarts.

6. Insert / Home Button
   Pressing [Insert] will insert. Pressing [Shift] + [Insert] will return ‘home’, to the top of the pattern.

7. Delete Button
   Pressing [Delete] will reset or step back.
   [Shift] + [Delete] will backspace delete the selected item.

8. Function Buttons
   Assignable function buttons. Default: 1 – Pattern,
   Inst Automation, 3 – Sample Playback, 4 – Master.

9. Master [+] / [-] Buttons – Fine
   Increases the master volume +/- in fine increments. Also navigates and adjusts values within certain menus.

10. Screen Buttons
    Dynamic [Screen buttons] are dependant on the function displayed above each button.

11. Shift Button
    Pressing [Shift] + Another button will select its secondary function.

12. Dedicated Instrument Button
    Selection of the [Instrument] for a step.

13. Dedicated FX2 Button
    Effect selection for [FX2] of a step.

14. Rec Button
    Pressing [Rec] will toggle the record mode on or off for editing patterns and perform settings.

15. Menu Button
    Hold to open the menu. Navigate to highlight a selection from the available options. Release to select.

16. Copy Button
    Pressing [Copy] will copy the selected item.
    Use [Shift] + [Copy] to paste any copied item.

17. Master [+] / [-] Buttons – Course
    Adjusts the master volume +/- in large increments. Also navigates and adjusts values within certain menus.

18. Microphone
    Internal microphone.

Functions Buttons.
There are 4 dedicated function buttons which allow quick access to 8 pre- defined pages. These are numbered 1 – 4 for the first 4 functions and also have an additional set of 4 functions by using [Shift]. These function buttons are assignable and can be reconfigured to a range of page options but it is recommended to start with the defaults in order to build your workflow.

Using the assignable Function Buttons
Tap one of the Function buttons or use [Shift] + Tap, to immediately access the defined page. The default pages that are assigned are illustrated below .

The main page is selected when pressing the function buttons. If multiple pages exist, continue to tap the respective function button to cycle through the available pages.

• There are 12 available functions which can be assigned to the Function buttons with up to 8 slots available, 2 for each button. Other than those assigned by default, the ‘Sample Recorder’, ‘Sample Editor’, ‘Perform’ and ‘Games’ functions can also be assigned in place of the default settings. The process of binding a page to a button is explained in the configuration settings section.
• The processes described in this manual will assume the default function button assignments as stated here. The [Menu] options are an alternate method of selecting a specific function page.

Generic Controls.

Pages may contain parameters and functions which once selected can be adjusted in value. These controls also navigate in menus.

Parameter Editing
A page will need to be selected which contains the parameters to edit. For example the ‘Master’ page contains a series of adjustable settings. The highlighted and selected parameter will be indicated with a red bounding box. It is this parameter that will be changed when using the D-Pad Navigator and +/- buttons.

Within fixed page menu options, the D-Pad navigation buttons and +/- master buttons will scroll through the available options. The option is also automatically selected when it is highlighted. The respective screen button may also cycle through menu options when pressed repeatedly in pages.
Inner +/- and D-Pad Up / down may operate in similar fashion in some menu and value setting options

Page Layout.
Each page will display the information and control options for the selected function. While this may be unique to the context there are some common features and navigation principles that apply across all (or most) of the generic pages of Tracker Mini. QWERTY Keyboard.
Some pages will require text editing for naming tracks or projects etc. The same functionality applies whenever the Alpha numeric pop-up editor is used. The screen will display the QWERTY keys and the text to edit. The screen buttons are used to enter, cancel or save while the D-Pad Navigator buttons perform the editing. Auto naming is also an option.

The Tracker Mini buttons operate in the naming editor screen when presented:

• D-Pad (Up), (Down), (Left), (Right) will navigate the selection across the keyboard. Will also navigate left / right in the text of the name when the name is highlighted .
• D-Pad Navigator (Centre) button or [Insert] will insert the currently highlighted character into the name at the cursor position. Also a screen button option.
• [Delete] to delete characters and use with [Shift] to backspace in the name from the text cursor position.

Summary of Configuration Options
A number of options can be set in the ‘Config’ menu. These defaults may be good enough to get started but specific changes may suit certain workflows and situations better. The details of these will be covered in relevant sections and only an overview of global settings is provided here.

Config Options

Configuring a Pattern.
Pattern and step editing is performed in ‘Pattern’ Mode. The first requirement is to create the pattern itself where steps can later be added to create the melody or beat. Commands for the pattern are available from the dynamic screen buttons located at the bottom of the page. These will change depending on the mode or selection made.

Pattern Mode Page Layout Options.

Pattern and step editing is performed in ‘Pattern’ Mode, selected by pressing the default assigned button [1] or using [Menu]. To edit steps, select [Rec]. The pattern mode view can be changed in the config options.

Dedicated Step Parameter Buttons.
A step is a building block which triggers events such as playing a note or beat or activating a MIDI action and is used for creating patterns. Steps are programmed across pattern rows which represent each of the eight available tracks in the pattern sequence.
A step is a combination of 4 main components each of which has a dedicated selection button:-

Step Dedicated Parameter Buttons
Pattern page is selected by pressing [1] or from the [Menu] while the Note, Instrument, FX1 and FX2 have dedicated buttons for editing the selected step.

The step selection box will show solid colour on the selected option part. Example: Note is shown highlighted here.

Process of Creating a Step
Steps are sequenced in the Tracker Mini each of which contains a Note, Instrument, and two FX slot options. It is good practice to structure these into tracks of relevance. For example kick drum on track 1, especially at the starting point.

Manual Step Entry

Steps can be added individually.

• Example: Hold [Note] + Navigate with (Up), (Down), (Left), (Right) to select a note from the note grid.
• Subsequent steps are recorded in when pressing the D-Pad navigator (Enter) button. This will record iteratively the selected note parameter into rows defined by the ‘Step jump’ intervals.
• Select multiple step rows with [Shift] + (Up) or (Down). Also across multiple tracks [Shift] + (Left) + (Right)
• On the top row [Shift] + (Up) will select all steps in the track. Press [Shift] + (Up) + (Up) to select all steps.
• Edits to any existing parameters can be made simultaneously, but only If a parameter is already set. These changes will be relative to the original value. Unassigned elements of a step will remain empty.

Pressing the (Enter) button in recording mode will record the note and instrument into subsequent steps. This is applied when the note or instrument which is selected and not applied for FX parameters.

• D-Pad Navigator for moving around the pattern.
• Master [+] / [-] for editing of step parameter values.

When steps are added using the D-Pad (Enter) button the active step is automatically advanced to the next step when complete. The intervals for this are based on the ‘Step Jump’ feature. This is useful for creating patterns with defined intervals and speeding up workflow. Step jump does not operate when using the [+] / [-] step entry method.

Step Jump Examples

The Step Jump setting is useful when populating specific intervals, for example each on beat step or each off beat step or alternate steps for percussion. This speeds up the workflow and helps with creating interesting sequences.

FX Steps.

The two FX slots can be populated from a library of FX effects. Each FX has an effect type plus the associated value.

Recording Audio Workflow

Sampling in Tracker Mini takes place in the ‘Sample Recorder’ page. This is the first step in the process and is followed by editing the audio captured. Sampling in this page can be from the Line In or Mic audio sources.

Audio Sources

There are a number of sources where Tracker Mini can access audio. Some of which are ‘live’ sources and can easily be sampled. Others are manually managed or rendered within the device.

Line Input
3.5mm Input jack which allows Stereo (TRS) and Mono (TS) audio inputs. Stereo signals are converted to mono when recorded and the L & R channels can also be selected individually.

Microphone
The Tracker Mini has an internal microphone located on the front panel. This allows direct recording of vocals, environmental sounds and general audio.

Render
A feature which is available with the internal functions is render. This bounces or exports an audio file based on the selected pattern / tracks which can then be made immediately available as a sample or to use from the instrument list.

SD Card
Audio samples are stored on the SD Card. These can be sampled and stored from within Tracker Mini but also can be manually transferred onto the SD card from and external source using a PC or

Mac.
Tracker Mini is supplied with a 3.5mm Stereo Male Jack to 2 x 6.3mm Mono Female Socket adapter to allow interfacing with external gear and using the more common 6.3mm mono cables.

Sample Playback Overview

• An instrument can be a sample, edited or raw. A raw ‘.wav’ sample can be added to the instrument list. When a sample is edited and developed further as an instrument it can be saved as a ‘.pti’ instrument, for example ‘drumkit1.pti’. This can be used across all projects or distributed to other Tracker producers.
• This section covers the basics of using .pti instruments. The end-to-end capturing, editing and use of audio sampling is covered elsewhere.
• How a sample is applied as an instrument is handled in the ‘Sample Playback’ page, accessed by default to [3] button or from the [Menu].

Note: Playback is not visually animated in the waveform display when playing but the playhead is displayed when previewed.

Song Mode Interface
Select the song page by pressing [Shift] + [1] or hold [Shift] + [1] to temporarily display the page from within another page, reverting back to when buttons are released. The interface for song mode is by default empty other than a single slot 1 with pattern 1. Up to 255 Song slots are available. Pressing [Play] in song mode will play the song not just individual pattern. Tracks in a pattern for the slot are represented as cell clips.

MIDI Configuration
A pre-requisite when working with MIDI is to ensure that the configuration settings in the ‘Config’ options accessed by [Menu] are applied for the desired MIDI gear setup. These will dictate if Tracker Mini leads on functions like clock and transport or if it acts as a secondary follower, responding to control and synchronisation from another primary device control. Also Note and CC behaviour can be set.

Velocity can be recorded from an external MIDI controller, but this must be set in the recording options.

Typical MIDI Configurations

There are many configurations that can be set up with MIDI gear. Some are complex and involve multiple devices while a simple set up can have two devices communicating. Some typical examples are shown.

Devices should be configured to receive clock and transport and the MIDI Channel which Tracker Mini communicates, for example, Channel 1. CC 40 In Medusa represents the Filter Cutoff frequency in this example each step in Tracker will set the filter cutoff.

Performance Mode Overview

Performance mode allows real time improvisation control over tracks, patterns and songs adding variation and interest when playing live. This is normally handled in the [Menu] ‘Perform’ page although MIDI Input can also be set to control the performance parameters.

Performance Mode
Press [Menu] to access and navigate the options. Select the ‘Perform’ option and display the performance mode screen. Editing parameters and configuring the effects is handled in [Rec] record mode]. It is possible to cycle between pattern and song pages while performance mode is active.

Perform Effects List

Tracker Mini has 21 performance effects that can be selected and loaded into each of the 12 effect slots. The same effect can be applied to multiple slots. While these are called effects, they in fact control parameters that apply variations to the parameter values.

Generic Firmware Update

Firmware updates may be provided by Polyend from time to time, to fix bugs or add new features. The process of updating can be performed in several ways. When performing updates it is strongly advised to follow the Polyend instructions supplied with each update. The instructions here are a generic guide.

FIRMWARE UPDATE

1. Download the latest firmware. Access firmware updates for your device from your registered account at Polyend.
2. Copy the downloaded .ptf firmware file into the /Firmware folder. This can be found in the root directory of the SD Card.
3. Insert the SD card into Tracker Mini and power up
4. Hold [Shift] + [4] or use [Menu] to select the ‘Config’ Menu.
5. Navigate to the ‘Firmware’ menu. In the central window, select the firmware option to install.
6. Press [Confirm], Screen button.
7. The firmware will install and the on screen prompts provided will guide. The install process is typically less than 1 minute.
8. Tracker Mini should restart, but press On/Off if a manual start is required after 100% of the update is completed.

Emergency Firmware Update
Firmware updates are available from the polyend portal for your registered device. A reset button is provided, recessed behind the rear panel for emergency situations . A reset can be performed if there are issues with the update method or to clear Tracker Mini issues but should not be used as a regular process for updates.

TRACKER MIDI & FIRMWARE RESET

1. Download the latest firmware. Access firmware updates for your device from your registered account at Polyend.
2. Copy the downloaded .ptf firmware file into the /Firmware folder. This can be found in the root directory of the SD Card. Also ensure any previous update files remain in the firmware folder.
3. Insert the SD card into Tracker Mini.
4. Use a pin or thin object to press the internal reset button. This is located on the bottom of the device to the left of the input and output jacks.
5. Tracker Mini will reset and search the firmware folder on the SD Card. A random firmware will be selected and installed in order to recover Tracker Mini to a working state. The install process is typically less than 1 minute duration.

The reset option is useful if any lock ups or freezing occurs on Tracker Mini. It is not necessary in these situations to download a new OS. It is advised to keep a series official, known good, firmware releases in the /firmware folder. For example 1.5.0, 1.6.0, 1.4.0. That way steps 4-5 can be performed in case of issues and a random update will be performed from a known state. A manual update in the ‘config’ menu to select the latest version can then follow.

Quick Reference Commands

Assumes default assignment of function buttons [1] to [4]. D-Pad Navigation referenced in rounded () parenthesis. Dynamic screen keys in italic.

The Full Tracker Mini Manual can be downloaded from your Polyend account

Copyright © 2023 by Polyend
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
August 2023 – Tracker Mini OS 1.0.0 Manual Produced in the United Kingdom by Synthdawg
www.synthdawg.com

References

• Synth Books | Synthdawg

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