Bug Description
Clicking or popping noises occur when performing certain actions on the Tracker. Examples of actions that cause this issue are playing different samples on the same track lane (which I will refer to as “Sample Clipping”) and panning using Track FX or Panning LFO. This issue is distinct from attack/decay transients not lining up on a single sample.
“Work Arounds”
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Use CUT with precise Micro-Move timing but this might only help if the cause is related to Sample Clipping.
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Move every other sample to a separate lane (demonstrated in Pattern 2), allowing you more time to allow the sample to fully die out and attempt to use FAD’s and CUT’s before each new sample plays. However this does not solve the issues related to Panning.
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Expanding the pattern resolution could potentially work by applying fades, but this was not successful in my testing.
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Adjusting the attack and decay time of the samples might help, but this may affect the desired effect in the song.
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For panning, no effective workarounds have been found. In the included project I have the sample it’s self panned left at -32 and control the panning via lane FX, this results in clicking. In Pattern 5 I expanded the resolution and tried panning incrementally from right to left but this results in clicking for every step.
These workarounds can drastically slow and limit the Tracker’s workflow, especially when expanding resolution, which limits patterns to at most 64 steps. In addition, longer songs with multiple 128 pattern lengths become difficult to program.
Hardware and Version
I’m currently on version 1.6 on the “mk2” Tracker
Attachments
Click Test.zip (3.6 MB)
I’m including a project file that coincides with the patterns mentioned above, in case the clicks are not reproducible I’ve included the stem export from my tracker as well.
The patterns not mentioned are:
Pattern 1 - This is the default uncompensated pattern
Pattern 3 - 2 lane increased resolution test
Pattern 4 - This is a test of trying out each sample individually for clicks
Personal Aside
While I love using the Tracker to create songs, this issue is driving me and other users away from using it. It would be great to get insight into why this is happening and how it can be remedied.