No midi host is a big disappointment and I saw in another thread Polyend was dismissive of the idea. Looks like I will not be purchasing this device
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Hi jkovitzux! And welcome to Backstage 
Just out of curiosity: Why is this such a deal breaker for you?
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Literally tons of toys out there. This post did not bring anyone value.
I love you to bits @TheKrazyWabbit, so please don’t take this the wrong way, but you just did the same thing 
I believe it’s absolutely fair to post criticism. It’s important for companies to hear when something has missed a mark. As long as it is done in a constructive way.
In this case we are missing the constructive part of it, so i’ll try and add that here, for the sake of a productive debate / conversation:
So why exactly would USB Host be useful?
- It would enable a lot of USB only keyboards to work with the device.
- Most phones would be useable as MIDI inputs
I may be missing the full picture here, but from all the topics i’ve seen here on Backstage, that seems to be the main draw for this functionality.
That being said - there could be a variety of reasons why this isn’t supported and in the end it is entirely up to Polyend to decide what makes its way into their products.
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Touché. I still stand by what I say. I’ll leave now.
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It was perfectly valid criticism and it was sugarcoated enough for all the baby ears on this forum for adults, and for Polyend. The ask is simple bc like Sandroid mentioned there are many usb only midi controllers, including KMI products, OP1, many others. The tracker lacks just this, a perfect match. If it’s possible via hardware then I would need that to be added before I purchase this device over the very stiff competition, which I’m willing to do. Polyend adapting a flippant and dismissive attitude towards an important feature request begets this frustration. If it’s not possible via hardware then that’s another story, but when “it’s not inline with our vision for this device”, I lose patience quickly
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While I don’t know if there are any hardware limitations in play here, I do think implementing USB host mode is not a trivial task. And with limited developments resources available, I understand why it could simply out of scope for their product vision.
If adding a USB host to your setup is a deal breaker, I would go for one of the (imo) affordable (and also portable, like the Polyend devices) options out there, like the RK-006. It would also work with other inferior products without a USB host mode that might be on your radar
…and basically all of the really cheap and compact keyboards are USB only. As far as i know there is no portable battery powered MIDI-keyboard with a TRS MIDI out available?
I totally get get @ jkovitzux point, having to carry a USB-Host, a keyboard, a powerbank, two USB-cables, a MIDI cable and MIDI to TRS adapter kinda defies the whole portable music making idea. It makes carrying a small laptop with renoise feel like a more portable option than the tracker mini.
I used to own the OG tracker(which i sold because it felt to limited in features but i loved the workflow) and just bought a tracker mini (anticipating V2.0) and so far this really feels like a deal breaker to me and i guess i will return it within 30 days.
Maybe i’ll go for a tracker+, carrying a powerbank and a USB cable feels more portable to me.
So far the OG and the mini just feel just as unfinished as the novation circuit tracks felt to me. Just a few minor features missing to take them from being a fun little toy towards a really powerful music making tool that i can actually integrate into my workflow.
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Hello. I agree with you. As great as the new update for the mini is, I just miss the real-time input. My Pixel 7 with Android 14 doesn’t work and neither does my OP Z. Mobile is simply too restrictive. I just couldn’t warm up to my Mini and just use my OG tracker like before. The Tracker Mini could be so great if these problems were at least partially solved. It just doesn’t feel like an instrument without any form of real-time input.
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I have a Mini and a Tracker+ and I agree, the Tracker+ with a power bank is ironically way more portable than the Mini (if you want real time note entry via a pad controller or keyboard), as it needs more cables and equipment to pull that off.
It’s frustrating and honestly my only “gripe” with the Mini (I adore it otherwise), but I think they might still be working on this. Please vote here for them to give us an option for real time playing of synths and sample slices here via the 8 contextual buttons below the screen: Alternate Note Entry Mode
I still have hope for this! 
I’ve said on here before but let me say it again: Donner N-25 Midi Keyboard.
It is tiny but highly useable, usb powered and runs on Midi Type B so just requires one mini jack cable to the tracker, nothing more. My little sofa set up below, powered off a USB bank (and big boy cat).
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Hello, today I tried again to connect my Tracker mini with my Pixel 7 Android 14. With the Expressive Piano Synthesizer app it now works via USB. The tracker is displayed here! It’s not particularly fun to play things with your phone but it’s better than nothing. At least there is a free version to try out
Interesting that it works. I’m on a Samsung S23 (also Android 14) and it does not work for me via USB. Just shows you how fragmented Android is 
I for one have solved this issue through using a WIDI Hub (the WIDI Thru6 BT specifically).
This way i can just use bluetooth and call it a day.
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Oh this is nice. 3ms latency is quite an impressive spec! Latency-wise, what has your experience been?
lightning fast! i don’t know if it’s 3ms fast, but i’m planning to actually test their claim at some point 
but so far it has worked perfectly.
the main idea was to get it for connecting an ipad into the mix and to design some custom control surfaces for touchscreens. so this is perfect. tested it with an ipad and my android phones and had no issues with it.
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I’m gonna play devil’s advocate here, just to balance a bit.
The claim of this post is that the tracker Mini not being USB midi host complicates the use of midi controllers and make the process of making them work more cumbersome in a on the move situation , even more than with the full size tracker+.
So what do you need to make the tracker Mini work with an USB keyboard like the Arturia Keystep?
- Tracker mini.
- USB hub (can be as tiny as a 2 poet splitter with usb-c on one end.
- Midi Hub Android app.
- Your phone (that you always carry around).
- A midi controller.
What do you need to achieve the same with the tracker plus? (As far as I know).
- Tracker+ with deck saver.
- USB cable splitter hub (power + connection).
- Midi controller.
Taking into account the footprint of the tracker Mini VS Tracker+ and that we all carry out phones around, for me, in weight and dimensions, the tracker Mini pack seems more compact and transportable.
To be honest in all this, and in particular regarding the OG, what I really miss is for it to be a class compliant device that I can hook up to the phone and record sessions, jams and snippets improvised over a sequence. That for me is the main deal breaker regarding portability that I don’t need to worry when moving around with other devices.