Polyend’s range of Tracker samplers are the latest hardware instruments to go open source, as the developer makes their code available on GitHub to coincide with what it’s calling the range’s “biggest update yet”.
The first released in 2020, the original Polyend Tracker was a hardware sampler with a sequencing setup based on the vertically scrolling, numerical format of software trackers like Ultimate Soundtracker, Sunvox or Renoise. The concept was developed further with the launch of the pocket-sized Tracker Mini in 2023 and Tracker+ in 2024, which added extra capabilities including stereo sampling and new synth engines.
With the rise of AI-led ‘vibe coding’, open source hardware is suddenly the hottest topic in music technology, with several brands making a rapid pivot towards open source firmware in recent weeks. In fairness though, Tracker feels like a particularly appropriate product line to go down this route, given the long history that tracker software shares with DIY programming and the Demoscene subculture.
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“Here at Polyend, creativity is what we value most,” says Polyend CEO Piotr Raczyński. “We’ve seen it firsthand in the unofficial Tracker mods you’ve built, and we’re sharing the firmware source code to support that work.
“Maybe you want to build an entirely new instrument on the Tracker hardware? Or maybe there’s just one thing you wish your Tracker did differently? Either way, you can now try it on the unit you already own. I bet some of you already have ideas for the original Tracker that never crossed our minds.”
Handily, Polyend has also supplied a Tracker recovery system to aid any user that accidentally bricks their hardware.
Polyend hasn’t given up on firmware updates of its own though. Alongside the release of the source code, the company has launched an update named Tracker Community Edition 1.0. This brings a variety of enhancements across the range including the ability to stream samples directly from an SD card.
There is also a new Sample Editor that allows users to create and load effect and generator plugins. The initial firmware includes six plugins that range from a multi-mode filter and stereo delay to an analogue-style kick generator. Tracker+ and Tracker Mini also gain new synth modes, Chip, which is the first to use the new open Synth SDK, and Dirt, a new wavefolding/distortion synth.
Other updates added with the firmware include wavetable envelope and wavetable LFO modulation sources, custom colour and font configurations, new chance conditions and dedicated Micro-Move and Volume steps for the sequencers, the latter meaning its possible to input timing and volume level changes without occupying one of the two available FX slots.
Take a look at the changelog for full details and head to the Polyend site for more information.
