The tracker revival is here. But to make it happen, we need a tracker in every pocket. Don’t worry: you can absolutely recession-proof trackers, even if you’re wedded to using handheld hardware.
I’ll do a round-up of software trackers separately, but it’s great to see Floyd Steinberg is back with an update on the picoTracker hardware. It’s a DIY project powered by the same $1 RP2040 chip in the Raspberry Pi pico. There are a lot of ways to do this, but the picoTracker PCB kit from xiphonics is unusually approachable. It’s got onboard support for a 320×240 LCD, TRS and USB MIDI in and out, 8 MB of flash storage, and expandability with microSD (up to 32 GB), plus USB-C for charging and firmware updates.
You need to source the other parts, but the hard work is already done – and there’s no tough soldering of ribbon cables this time around.
I’m playing around putting together a DIY headless DirtyWave M8 on the Teensy, but that’s a little more work (and a little costlier), though the Teensy is a significant spec upgrade from pico/RP2040. If you want to join me on the M8 tinkering, let me know!
The software is bare-bones, but covers most of what you’d want from some simple key triggers:
- 8 tracks (MIDI / sample / synth)
- onboard SID-style (Commodore 64) and FM synths
- arpeggiators
- filter, volume envelopes
- MIDI support (meaning you can make this a pocket sequencer for your other gear)
Mr. Floyd Steinberg walks through it all in an updated video for the current v2 version (with a rough BOM):
Clearly, an entire studio you can fit into some overalls pockets is in your future. PicoTracker + KORG NTS? Yes. (V1 PicoTracker in this video.)
Full kit info:
Now, is that the cheapest way to go? You could get another handheld capable of running the free LittleGPTracker – or even pick up an old PSP or Vita Or try a Game Boy and LSDj. Or find a gadget that will work with SunVox. Or… there are other permutations.
Commenters convinced Floyd Steinberg to give LGPT on Linux gaming consoles, too, in comparison to PicoTracker (v1):
Various folks have experimented with M8 headless, too, the rabbit hole I just fell down. I mean, the best option is to get the hardware, but … tinkering has its own special appeal.
Oh yeah and… nanoloop forever. Heck, think of the money and back pain it’ll save you when you replace your harp? (Sorry…)
That last one is more expensive, to be sure, but… I’m sure we’ll find a cheap way to get that neon lighting, too. (Hello, AliBaba, my old friend…)
Closing thought… Floyd Steinberg is a nom-de-plum, right? (Answer: yes, of course, real name = Alex Selck.) I just love any mentioning of dithering. We’ll have to cover that separately, though I’m more of an Atkinson kind of cat.