Music Production > Tracking

Trackers for Android

(1/2) > >>

Rave669:
Hey everyone.

Just wanted to talk about Solutions for tracking under Android.

I tried the MilkyTracker port, but it's not very controllable with the touchscreen. I suppose if you have a keyboard and mouse, it would be easier, but it sort of defeats the purpose.

I recently paid for a full copy of PixiTracker. While not a full blown tracker, it's easy to use, and can export to XM format, so it's pretty easy to create "sketches" on the go and then finish up work on a PC using a proper tracker. You can load your own samples, but features like effects, looping samples and proper table-based editing is absent. Still very useful though!
The same person who created SunVOX made PixiTracker. I've considered actually using SunVox as well, since it's also available for android. Anyone know how useable it is in android? It looks pretty good feature-wise. Feedback on this would be appreciated.

Lastly, NanoLoop is available too; I have had a little experience with it from years ago when I worked with it in the Gameboy scene. Not my cup of tea, but still putting it out there.

At one time 8Tones was an option, it's no longer on the Play store, and I don't have a source to safely get a copy to sideload.

If anybody knows of any other trackers for android, feel free to chime in.
Aside from that, any input on the subject would be appreciated. Android seems to be a platform that doesn't get a lot of love, but it's useful when out and about; I can't always bring my Notebook PC along, but I always have my smartphone.

Saga Musix:

--- Quote ---I suppose if you have a keyboard and mouse, it would be easier, but it sort of defeats the purpose.
--- End quote ---
Isn't using a touchscreen kind of defeating the purpose of a tracker? ;) Without the speed of keyboard interaction available, you can just as well use a regular sequencer, of which there are plenty on Android.
My two cents why there are not (and probably never will be) many trackers for mobile platforms. As a tracker developer I wouldn't even know where to start with a sensible Android port because many things about trackers are inherently desktop-oriented.

Rave669:

--- Quote from: Saga Musix on November 19, 2017, 01:39:00 ---
--- Quote ---I suppose if you have a keyboard and mouse, it would be easier, but it sort of defeats the purpose.
--- End quote ---
Isn't using a touchscreen kind of defeating the purpose of a tracker? ;) Without the speed of keyboard interaction available, you can just as well use a regular sequencer, of which there are plenty on Android.

--- End quote ---

While your opinion is duly noted, I beg to differ. There are a few platforms that use tracker interfaces that neither utilize keyboards or mice, for example:

NanoLoop and LSDJ both made for the gameboy, utilizing the standard controls (dpad, A, B, Select and Start keys) many people have used them to track with no complaints.

Furthermore there's the NerdSEQ http://xor-electronics.com/nerdseq/
which is a tracker-based modular sequencer that uses a similar interface to the gameboy.
Of course you can expand the module to use a Sega Genesis / Megadrive gamepad instead. it's a nice bit of kit!

Check it out in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TquD64S8v0
They also have the NerdSynth project which operates on a similar principle.

As I said, it's not meant to be a primary solution, but it would be good to use whenever inspiration hits. PixiTracker as I said works really well for being touchscreen based.

I still appreciate your opinion, though. nothing beats using a PC, unless of course you don't have your PC handy.

Saga Musix:
I think all of these qualify as having some sort of keyboard though. ;) Obviously not quite as suitable as full-sized keyboard, but still probably way more usable than a touch-screen. Having the cursor keys for rapid navigation probably helps massively.
(Chris Nash's dissertation and papers about trackers may be an interesting read in this context.)

Nikku4211:
I don't know if using a touchscreen really defeats the purpose of a tracker, but unfortunately, the majority of phones nowadays lack a keyboard or a keypad, and I am sure that all keyboard/keypad phones will be discontinued sometime in the not-so-distant future.
You can buy a laptop, but they're often bulky. Even the thin ones are still not the ideal size for something to carry on a small purse.
Of course, maybe a tracker isn't good to use anyway, but some people are more used to the tracker format than things like music sheets, so it's harder to just write down musical ideas on paper.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page