Early thoughts on the Tracker+ from owner of the original 2020 Tracker for 4 years

I decided to buy the Tracker+ as the original 2020 Tracker has been my favourite bit of gear for more than 4 years. These are some early thoughts on the Tracker+, which is mostly about the general build and feel of it compared to the original.

So I’m comparing the Tracker+ with the very first model (the one with the squarer, shallower buttons). This means that some of the things I’m noticing on the Tracker+ are possibly also on the later Trackers.

Synth Engines: Well this was my reason for upgrading. I’m enjoying these a lot, but I don’t find the presets very useable yet. At the moment I tend to start with a the ‘Init’ sound and then tweak it and play with how the LFOs can modulate the sound. (I guess I’m trying to get things to sound a little bit modular sounding right now.)

Exterior: I really dislike the 90s-hifi-equipment type look of the Tracker+ “brushed metal” look. Why anyone thought this is better than a smooth matt black finish really surprises me, but I guess taste/style is a very subjective thing and someone must think this brushed metal look is good? If the buttons on my OG Tracker weren’t a different shape I’d seriously consider swapping out the innards just to not have to look at black brushed metal. Maybe in time I could get some kinda skin to put on it.

I like the plastic bottom of the exterior on the Tracker+. It feels a fair bit lighter than the OG Tracker, which has an entirely metal exterior.

Buttons: I like the feel of the taller, rounder clacky buttons on the Tracker+, but they squeak like crazy when I press them, especially my down arrow button, which is the squeakiest of them. Hopefully this will improve with time. Some of the clacky buttons also seem to get stuck down briefly, especially the yellow Instrument button. Again, hopefully they’ll stop doing this in time.

Jog wheel: It’s much harder to turn on the Tracker+. I have to apply a lot more pressure/be a lot more deliberate about it. At this point I’m missing the jog wheel on the original Tracker, which I could turn just with the outside of a finger. I’d kinda roll it from the side without having to apply any real pressure. Maybe the Tracker+ one will soften up with time.

Dust cover cloth: A bit random, but I’m disappointed that the Tracker+ didn’t come with the dust cover cloth that the original did. It’s the best glasses cloth I have!

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Hi mate,

I’ve had the MK3 Tracker for exactly one year now and I absolutely adore Poly. It seems that Tracker + is going for a simular cabinet finish as my MK3 but with different buttons.

I’m totally into the 90s Rotel intergrated Amplifier HI Fi aesthetics.

I WILL get a Tracker + or Mini second hand in three years time, I not convinced Polyend has got it’s shit together. Its rushed in my opinion.

I’m not into the in built synths or percussion machines. I want better master effects and perhaps one more fx lane and better GUI.

To be really honest, the OG is the Dogs Bollox for my specific genre, Drumfunk. .

Have fun working those sticky buttons into submission.

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I’d love to see a tracker OG mode in the mini and plus versions, cutting 8 midi tracks and reducing space to match the original 120 secs.

What makes the original so special is it’s limitations. It’s an absolute masterpiece. I understand that + and mini are absolute beasts and has a lot of improvements but… The original is unique with all of its limitations. It forces you to make music from very few elements…

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Thanks for the feedback and picking the T+!

The jog wheel does require a little more pressure, but this was required for the improvements to keep it from wearing down over the life of the device. I hope you’ll get used to it rather quickly.

The buttons will break in, but be sweaky at first, sorry for that but my buttons stopped sweaking after about 2 days (gets lots of use though).

Only the first units, MK1, came with the dust cover, I’m not sure of the exact reasons there but I think they got a lot harder to aquire during Covid and people didn’t seem to care too much about them - again not exactly sure there.

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