Currently the Tracker Mini / Tracker+ allow outputting audio as a USB audio device and through jack but audio input/sampling only works through the built-in mic or line input.
What do you want to achieve?
It would be very convenient if we could sample audio into the Tracker mini through its USB-C port;
Ideally, the Tracker should be capable of sampling over USB both as a device and as a host.
Sampling as a USB Audio device use case :
Would make it a good pair with a USB-C smartphone or tablet that accepts USB class-compliant audio and MIDI;
The combination with existing USB MIDI is interesting because you could, with just a single USB-C to USB-C cable for example sequence a synth from the Tracker mini then record a perfect audio loop into the Tracker mini.
Sampling as a USB Audio host use case :
Would let us connect things like Roland Aira Compacts, SP-404mk2, OP-Z/1, Dreadbox Typhoon or other devices with built-in audio card and sample them with a single USB cable, similarly to a computer and sampling software, but without a computer;
If USB MIDI host was also added (see specific wishlist item in the links below), then sending sequences to the same kind of devices with just a single cable.
Are there any workarounds?
Sample using the mic or input jack and if you want to sequence from the Tracker mini and sample a loop, you have to also connect over USB or use an external audio/MIDI interface in between.
Any links to related discussions?
Any references to other products?
Dirtywave M8
Roland SP404mk2;
Roland MC-101/707;
Roland Verselab MV-1;
Sonicware SmplTrek;
Teenage Engineering OP-Z;
AKAI MPC (but through USB host port).
I don’t realize if it’s already possible or if there is already another wish for that, but this feature would fit well with ability to sample a perfect loop by sequencing the source with the tracker or indicating a BPM and a defined of bars to sample.
I just realised my wish about USB sampling would fit so well together with the following. Imagine connecting to an iPad/phone over a single USB cable and instantly grabbing perfect loops
Hi @secretkillerofnames make a test connecting your tracker to a computer or tablet/mobile device via USB-C.
You will be seeing an output audio device appearing on the host indeed, but when you send audio to it, it doesn’t go to the tracker through the USB connection. So yeah it looks like it’s there, but it doesn’t work so far.
As per this other forum post, it’s said that it hasn’t been implemented so far, hence my wish :
Don’t hesitate to up-vote it if you haven’t already. Would be so cool to have it already in v1.1
Also one thing came to mind that if there was a support for stereo audio going both ways with pads and phones via usb-c, one could use phone as a speaker or with bluetooth devices as headphones as well. It would be quite a power house just with a one usb cable.
Also one thing came to mind that if there was a support for stereo audio going both ways with pads and phones via usb-c, one could use phone as a speaker or with bluetooth devices as headphones as well. It would be quite a power house just with a one usb cable
@samuli.hyvonen Using the iPhone / iPad as a speaker is already possible as the Tracker mini already provides separate tracks + master track through a USB Audio Class Compliant interface via the USB-C port.
The only thing that is not possible right now is to do the opposite, bring audio into the mini from the host device and record this audio.
It’s what I request on the “Sampling via USB” wishlist item.
Well, i can´t get the audio to my Ipad Air, only to Tracker Mini but there´s of course no record option as for this wishlist. I can get the tracks to my Mac and to Logic just fine. (And from there the output is hearable trough Tracker aswell. :D)
Okay you were right, i dug little deeper and tried again from the ipad side. Before i tried only Garageband and Zenbeats, Tracker didn´t show up and voice only game from the Tracker itself, but i got now the Logic for Ipad and it showed up and worked fine. I think biggest problem was that for the other two there´s no selection for the output device so it just cycle it trough or something.
But yea, then it is so close to be one cable machine! Let´s hope your wish come to be!
It’s not the most convenient method - but right now because usb audio is routed to the tracker mini’s line-out, you can use a headphone splitter and reroute the line-out audio back into the line-in for sample recording. just be careful to turn monitor OFF.
Is this to be implemented on the Tracker+ also? I didn’t realise this feature was missing, I just received the Tracker+ and was looking forward to sampling stuff from the iPad directly via usb c but when you go to the sample recorder usb is not available as a recording source?
This is also an essential feature for sampling into the Tracker, especially when creating perfect loops that align to the project bpm
tracker + also needs a usb input channel with the usb audio ins and outs. I would like to record from DAW lossless and not have to hook up another cable to record. Also I don’t trust the AD on the tracker +. Might be good but this would remove all doubt because its lossless.
Out of curiosity do you notice difference between the dry source: vinyl, external synth/gear vs internal tracker recordings after sampling set source …
This is mostly noticable on bass heavy analog kit, never got the low end from my 808 on my MPCs although the highs and mids where sharp sparkly and punchy all the way through …
Be interesting to hear from you trackers on how the TE conversion replicates the source
I mean most AD conversion these days is pretty decent but I just got this a few days ago and havent done much sampling in yet to really know. If I do any sampling through an AD stage its mostly on my s2400 because it just makes it sound amazing for the 12 bit sound. And also my orion 32+ gen 3 whose AD I do trust! Would love the lossless usb sampling though.
Well do reflect on the fidelity once you get familiar with its character, its not been discussed in any detail and is valued info,
I do feel the mini jacks kinda play a placebo in how we regard quality audio, but I will say that the texture of the polyends both the play and the tracker along with the quality FX really give it a detailed and airy sound wich is quite suited for breakbeats among other sounds, has a bit of grit texture to it although extremely subtle whilist other morden boxes Roland and New MPC tend to sound very HiFi and to me the Elektrons sound subtilty “boxed” although they all sound on par with standards of quality.
The exception to morden standard is the S2400 (among some eurorack on pure playback fidelity… but dam that ISLA sounds good and its just getting better, nice bit of kit
Yeah I don’t care to reflect on it because I’m not going to use it, when I have better options in the studio. I would use lossless though because then all doubt is removed and its less cables to hook up. Honestly I wouldn’t worry too much about it though. I’ve used a bunch of different AD converters in all my time making music since 1998. I used to own a burl mothership and the conversion these days on pretty much most AD is useable and just fine. Don’t really concern yourself too much about it and just make music. I used to obsess about it but its really a non issue these days. Its really more about the user and if they know how to get a good sound when mixing and recording. Mostly I just want recording over usb because I don’t want to have to connect another cable lol. And yes I love my 2400 :). You have one too?
