Returning Polyend Tracker Plus

[housefreak303]

Unfortunately I am returning my Tracker plus as Im still in my return period.

For almost 2 weeks I’ve barely composed a beat and bassline as the problems with this device regarding live recording is horrible with many software bugs.

Notes spreading to multiple tracks. Off comands not working properly. Sanples being overwritten when previewing effects. No cut and paste option. Timing drift etc the list goes on and on.

This is baby steps stuff and should be fully functioning without work arounds.

Ive spent more time in this forum than making music on the device. It feels like a hack beta tech demo on a project databoard like Teensy or Raspberry Pi (though a Raspberry Pi can run Renoise) which is unfinished and should never be released in this state, or software created by people who don’t understand the tracker philosophy and how the workflow of a tracker should work.

The users here are great and very helpful however I have seen so many issues that have not being rectified and lay dormant in the bug reporting section of this forum for months even years.

Probably the biggest issue is Polyend not having a big enough in house beta testing team where they push the device to its limits and find every last bug in hardware and software.

Maybe once Polyend have matured as a company with a focused R&D team, the Polyend 3 or 4 or whatever it may be a viable option for music making.

Unfortunately in its current state the Tracker Plus is no more than a very very expensive(£700) step based midi sequencer and door stop which happen to have a few synth engines.

It is a shame as I was so excited to get this device as I have used trackers for over 30 years on the Commodore 64, Amiga and PC.

[cjclip]

I really love my Polyend Tracker, but I can’t fully trust it. Recently, I was trying to work with an external synthesizer, and it works fine for a while, but then a note gets stuck on the synthesizer, turning the sound into a continuous drone. I have to power cycle the equipment to get it working properly. It’s also frustrating that the Line In doesn’t work correctly, producing glitch sounds when I use it. However, I’m still hopeful and waiting for these issues to be fixed.

I don’t like the aesthetics and workflow of Elektron equipment, but I do appreciate the stability and functionality. Elektron devices feel too cumbersome, and there are too many unnecessary steps involved.

Maschine Plus is damn good, it has everything you need, but the final sound quality is terrible, and the workflow is so boring that it feels like you’re working with a computer. I don’t like the logic of music creation, but it’s definitely the king of portable studios.

So we don’t have a lot of choices. I’m not a fan of the aesthetics of Roland or Korg, although their products are good. There’s also Teenage, but those are boutique standalone items, and there aren’t more comprehensive ecosystems available, unless you consider niche ones like Erica. In any case, none of these products give me the sense of modernity and uniqueness that Polyend does. The only thing it lacks is ‘steroids’ A more powerful processor, more effects, more functionality.

I have the best impressions of Polyend products. They are something modern and futuristic. The design, compactness, simplicity, convenience, and workflow are impressive. But there’s another issue here—the darn bugs that aren’t fixed and the lack of some features. In any case, I respect those who designed the product logic, created the design and interface. Perhaps the software part still needs refinement, but that’s a matter of time.

[gravedraq]

Well good luck with your Journey.

My Polyend Tracker is not going anywhere and it works fine, when i roll it back to factory software. .

Im also looking forward for the next firmware Update

[housefreak303]

If your unit works fine then mine must be a faulty batch I suppose. Maybe only some people are having the problem with samples being overwritten after previewing effects, or note off not working correctly in live recording, or spreading to other tracks etc.

Or people are not realising the issues as they are mostly doing step recording and not live recording.

Gravedraq, just because your particular workflow isn’t affected doesn’t mean other users are not and a fix should not be put in place to accommodate those issues. It appears you are oblivious to some of these faults and pulled against most of my suggestions in various posts,suggests that you are only using the absolute basic features of this device, mostly as a step sequencer. Where I use the full functions, in depth sample editing, synth sound design, the works. And a lot of it doesn’t work properly and that’s fact unfortunatley.

Though the polyend team have reached out personally to me and assured me these issues are going to be fixed, but I have already started the returns process unfortunately.

[gravedraq]

[quote=“housefreak303”]
Gravedraq, just because your particular workflow isn’t affected doesn’t mean other users are not[/quote]

You are right, I can only speak from my own experience and from what I see on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, it seems like other people enjoy their device too from how it works now.

[housefreak303]

That’s because most of those videos are for the OG and not the plus, and also they are showing the most basic of what this device can do and not really delving deep into it. But in this forum there are many posts of the problems people are having.

The beauty of software is having the ability to have preferences and options, not a one size fits all attitude. If you look at programs like Ableton, Cubase, Fast Tracker, Renoise, MPC Live, they all have user options to satisfy all users. There is no reason why this device can’t have those features.

Question: Why does a monophonic pattern like a kick drum need to be spread over 9 tracks?
Answer: Because note off is treated as if you have played a note. And the device thinks you have played a chord, causing it to be spread to other tracks.
Solution: Note off disable in config or midi options already!!! lol.
Workaround: Having to waste precious time unarming every track just to play a monophonic pattern. No Thanks.

This is a device that is designed as a standalone self contained unit, with the capability of using external gear, however the main function is a standalone unit and a lot the features don’t work properly. Sequencing external gear is easy, it’s just simple midi. It’s a bonus which should not overshadow the main function of having a self contained standalone tracker. I’m not using it for that purpose, I’m using it as an all in one tracker in a box to make full tracks in.

If people are asking for something like VST support and 64 sample channels of audio, I can understand that being an issue as that will be a limitation of the hardware, but this stuff is just basic.

[atumrex]

I understand you, mate! Fortunately I was able to sell all my Polyend equipment 15 days ago for the same reasons and at a good price (for me). With part of the money I bought some Intech Studio Midi controllers for my DirtyWave m8 tracker and I think I’m going to get a lot more out of it than the Play+ and the Mini, mainly because it’s a portable and stable solution.

What surprises me the most is that although Polyend has an INCREDIBLE community, I don’t understand the lack of communication from the supplier. 2 weeks ago they said that in 1 week they would give an official communication about the Play+ and nothing, the same with the constant delays in an update that never arrives…

Meanwhile, companies like Elektron are releasing updates to expand the functionality of their equipment! I’m sorry but seeing the movements of these days I can’t help but make these comparisons.

[housefreak303]

Hi Atumrex

Yeah there is definitely a communication problem. I get the feeling people are thinking I’m suggesting something ridiculous and impossible. I have never experienced this way of working in a tracker in over 30 years of experience of trackers that behaves like this during live recording. It is a backwards way of working and then being told to do workarounds that make the process even more tedious. The simple fix for live recording is having the preference to toggle disable note off, simple as that. Ok there are other issues like the sample effects preview option overwriting sample 1, but basic recording that works properly is a must.

[Wolfshoek]

Sad to hear you’re not enjoying your Tracker, to say the least. But I feel a reply in defence of Polyend is warranted, because accusing them of being immature or manufacturing a “hack beta tech demo” or “door stop” is unnecessarily brutal. I’ve owned the OG, the Mini and now the Plus, and none of these ever felt any less than well thought out, reliable, and robust devices, both in software and hardware. And I also bring years of Amiga and PC tracker experience along in forming this opinion about the Tracker.

I’m not experiencing any of the issues that you have, but you probably are using the device differently than I am. For one, I don’t ever live record into the Tracker. Sure the Tracker has its flaws, but mostly it just takes me adjusting my workflow, and that’s fine. I can imagine being frustrated if a device doesn’t fit your preferred way of working, but even then it’s unfair to dismiss it so viciously.

[housefreak303]

Hi Wolfshoek

Unfortunatley there are many problems with the software and there are many documented posts in this forum with videos showing the erratic behaviour of the device.

It is not about being brutal, it is about being honest.

I dont use it differently to others, I am using the features that it states it can do.
Live recording is a main feature of this device and should be expected to work perfectly, if not, don’t advertise it as a device that can do live recording.

Like I said there is absolutely no benefit of a monophonic Kick Drum pattern recording over 9 tracks. Apart from being very annoying and time consuming shifting and deleting stray notes.

Don’t get me wrong, I think this is a beautiful device, but it is let down by bugged software.
This is a family of devices that has been around for 4 years now and a lot of these software problems should of been rectified a long time ago.

[cjclip]

Well, look, the rebellion we staged earlier, for which I spent a couple of weeks blocked , actually paid off. The developers fixed the issues with Line In as well as Note Off in the new beta version. Possibly some other things too. Those were the main complaints that hindered my work. The only thing left is to make sure the Tracker doesn’t freeze at random moments. Although this is nonsense; I haven’t had any equipment in the last 10 years that would just freeze and require a hard reset. Maybe a couple of times with the Maschine+, but it offers a lot of functionality, and after the latest updates, I haven’t noticed any problems.

Honestly, I haven’t used the Tracker yet. I tried to go back to everything I had, and I didn’t like any of it. Polyend looks the best on my desk, and it can always fit into a backpack.

I would have supported Polyend by buying their new compressor, but due to their terrible communication with their customers and poor responsiveness in fixing issues, I decided not to purchase their new product. Unfortunately, that’s how it is for now. I don’t think anything will change, but there are definitely a couple of geniuses in the company who created such a cool product, and I think they’re not to blame for the marketing managers or leadership. Perhaps the European mentality also plays a role. In America, such mistakes in the music industry would be unforgivable.

[Mitch]

Just to address your speculation what is going on with leadership and marketing = these are the same geniuses designing your device.

[cjclip]

There is a phenomenon in business known as the “hybridity of employees,” where one person handles a wide range of tasks, from responsibilities like changing the water in a cooler to accounting. This is acceptable and makes sense in the early stages of a startup. The problem arises as the company grows but scales improperly, or when management wants to save money by having employees tackle tasks from various categories and directions, ultimately leading to low-quality outcomes in all areas. If you’re experiencing a similar situation, it explains a lot. Effective communication with clients should be the responsibility of the marketing team and individuals who specialize in this area, not programmers, engineers, and designers.

That’s why I don’t find your comment amusing. Please think about it.

[Mitch]

You misuderstand, Polyend is a small team with leadership that invented many of the devices. I’ve found the best and most innovative companies in music tech have leaders that are also engineers, designers and creative individuals, not professional CEOs. The people making the coolest hardware have passionate employees at every level. I see a lot of companies that change and grow to a certain size, people come in that don’t care about music and then the innovation stops. Music hardware is a niche industry, it operates very differently than many that you may have worked in, however our tasks are clearly delinated.

That being said, to addres the other comments about communication - Sorry I am late on this, I do apologize. I acknowledge we could communicate better, avoid being sidetracked, etc, and I will post an official communication today. I wanted it to be very clear on exactly what we communicate going foward but some things are undecided still, so I’ll just mention that. I’m closing this thread as I don’t see it adding anything more of value.