Polyend Tracker Mini

Anyone got one yet?

Yes. Had it a week now.

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I have one, but just packaged it up for return. To me, it’s too good to be true, and it has issues.

Quality issues

  1. the back of mine is bowed, and it can actually be spun around on the desk.
  2. the keys are flimsy and some need a rather hard press.
  3. fingerprint magnet, to an astonishing extent.

Design issues.

  1. Did anyone test this? Navigating the menus is so hard - select the menu with right hand, then navigate around with the keys using left hand. Sometimes you seem to need three hands.
  2. This is clearly the bigger tracker in a small box. It NEEDS those extra keys to make it usable.
  3. Some features are hard to find. The performance mode is not fully documented and it took an hour to figure out the key presses to store settings. The volume buttons, despite being labelled on the front, need ‘shift-press’ to operate.
  4. Electrical whistle when sampling (sometimes; hard to pin down).

The sounds it makes are great, but this is going to be a divisive piece of kit.

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I’m concerned about the quality issues you stated, especially point 1!! It’s the first time I’ve seen someone point it out, but io will defiantly wait a little while longer now. THANK YOU!

Are you returning it for another or is that it for now?

that’s disappointing to here about the sub-par build issues and problems with the work flow design. you must be really bummed.

I really like the idea of the tracker mini. it seemed like it might be a great instrument and something I really want.

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I’m not really bothered by it. It will be interesting to see if anyone else has similar experiences.

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…also, many UK retailers have the original Polyend Tracker at half price (=the one with enough buttons and dials to be usable…)

What has been your experience with it compared to abyssody’s?

Any ‘electrical whine’?

Is it true that it has an issue of bouncing a stereo recorded sample into a mono one?

How’s the screen clarity?

Any concerns about the build quality?

And…the most important thing; how does it sound?

I’m grateful for any feedback, cheers.

Got one. Everything was looking good until I opened the (very nice) case.

Oh my god. Did Polyend cut a deal to use TE’s manufacturing team? Were the quality checkers from the OP-Z crew?

  1. the buttons feel extremely cheap and there is way to much depth to them.

  2. the back has a bulge, which I’m not entirely sure was intentional. In an odd way it does make a nice placement for your fingers, but on the other hand it really does look like a fckup. The four notched feet don’t even touch down! (gonna upload video later)

  3. the silky smooth coating feels wonderful BUT there is a seam (top section, base section), and this seam…well…On the LHS the top section juts out. Yet on every other side the base sticks out. Utterly shoddy, and very far from the perfect built quality of a Paper-white Kindle.

  4. it’s lighter than I expected it to be, and certainly not the listed weight.

  5. the screen surface feels like a matt monitor type material…which I like!

To be honest, I’m really not sure what to do. I’ve so far resisted turning it on. I know that sounds ridiculous but I have learned from the pieceofshit that is the/my op-z. I don’t know if every Mini has the same issues or not (gonna ask around today) but I don’t want to turn the thing on and start loving it and making justifications for the flaws.

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So you had the same experience as me (mine was returned after a few hours). Those buttons aren’t going to last, and I suspect the bulge might be the battery swelling.

When you use it, and realise that the navigation is almost impossible without an extra hand, then that’s when you know that this device isn’t going to be around for long.

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No-one should except this shoddiness. I’m thinking that this may be why we are not seeing many YT videos appear, and if that’s the case, it’s pretty shameful of certain content folk not to flag it up ie; Cyberpunk 2077.

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I feel so bad for the people at poly end. they are a small company putting out interesting, different gear. we need companies like this.
I hope the people they outsourced the manufacturing to have not let them down.

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So it’s an expensive fidget spinner too?

Sorry you’re having a bad experience with it :confused:

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I got mine to use for travel. I think I really like it, but I cannot get it to respond to external midi.

I got a lightning to USB-C cable, but I can’t figure out how to make the iPhone keyboard to work with it. Frustratingly, the video from Polyend doesn’t show how to do it.

I also brought a Roland mini J-6. But I connect a 1/8” stereo cable to the MIDI ports and it won’t work. Does this NEED the MIdI to 1/8” adaptor? Every other piece of gear I have with a 1/8” midi will connect directly to another with the same.

I also got a USB-C to USB-C cable for trying the J-6, but cannot make that work either.

Does anyone have any tips to get an external MIDI keyboard to control this?

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u may have some midi settings on one or both of your devices that u need to match / set properly

but in regards to the TRS midi. i think polyend is type b and the roland is type a
that would muck it up for ya

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I was thinking the type of 1/8 might be the case. Unfortunately, I am currently traveling and didn’t bring any midi cables or adaptors.

But I am enjoying learning how to use this. It is a little painstaking, but I do think this is something I can become proficient at.

My goal isn’t to make full songs, but to be able to make nice pieces/loops or sketches/starts that I can develop further when I get home.

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You need this to get midi functional with the J-6.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boss-BMIDI-5-35-Stereo-Jack-Midi/dp/B07VPT3G99/ref=sr_1_8?crid=RKQY38WKV8IB&keywords=roland+midi&qid=1696320191&sprefix=roland+midi%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-8