Tracker Software Overview

This page defines some of the software used both today and in the past for music creation in the tracker way. The page isn't yet very comprehensive and contributions are welcome.

Actively Developed

• MilkyTracker (Win32, Linux, other)
  
• OpenMPT (Win32)
  
• Renoise (Win32, Linux, MacOS)
  
• HivelyTracker (AmigaOS)
  
• MadTracker (Win32)
  
• NitroTracker (NDS)
  
• Schism ??
  
• MED Sound Studio (Win32)
  

No longer developed

• Skale (Win32, Linux)
  
• Impulse Tracker (DOS)
  
• FastTracker II (DOS)
  
• ProTracker (AmigaOS)
  
• AHX (AmigaOS)
  
• ScreamTracker (???)
  
• MultiTracker (???)
  
• OctaMED (AmigaOS)
  

About

MilkyTracker is an open source, multi-platform music application for creating .MOD and .XM module files. It attempts to recreate the module replay and user experience of the popular DOS program Fasttracker II, with special playback modes available for improved Amiga ProTracker 2/3 compatibility.

Key Features

• Fasttracker II like, custom graphical user interface with context menus
  
• Supported on multiple platforms including portable devices
  
• Very accurate .XM replay compared to FT2
  
• ProTracker 2/3 playback modes for playing and editing .MOD files
  
• Various resampler options including emulated Amiga 500/1200 sound output
  
• Choose between a modern and a true-to-FT2 editing scheme / keyboard layout
  
• Tabbed user interface for opening and playing up to 32 modules simultaneously and for exchanging data between them
  
• Over 30 imported module formats
  
• Basic archive support for loading zipped, powerpacked and UMX modules directly
  
• Rendering songs/patterns to disk (.WAV) or directly to sample
  
• Powerful sample editor featuring waveform generators
  
• In-depth instrument editor featuring envelope zooming and scaling and support for copying and swapping instruments and samples across tabs
  
• Low latency audio driver support
  
• MIDI In support
  
• Module optimizer
  
• Internal file browser option
  
• Various font sizes for improved visibility of pattern data
  
• Prospective pattern view option
  
• Playing and editing simultaneously
  
• Live mode for seamless pattern changes
  

About

After ModPlug Tracker went open-source, it was soon picked up by the community and many new features were added. Today, OpenMPT is one of the most popular and most actively developed trackers for Windows and also runs fine in WINE.

Key Features

• Imports about 30 module formats and containers (UMX / MO3), supports compressed (ZIP / RAR / LHA) modules
  
• Saves standard MOD, S3M, XM, IT files as well as MPTM files, OpenMPT's own file format.
  
• Freely customizable pattern / sample / instrument colours
  
• Fully customizable keyboard shortcuts
  
• You can edit as many modules as you want at the same time
  
• Two edit modes: FT2 and IT effect numbers
  
• WAV renderer can render a given range of patterns and also has a channel render mode
  
• Low latency playback using ASIO (but WaveOut and DirectSound are also supported)
  
• Supports VST effects and instruments
  
• MIDI Input for live recording
  
• A powerful module converter
  
• And many more features...