Dirtywave M8 is already superb as hardware, whether you run their pre-made device or build your own “headless” rig. Now, it has its own official iOS app for iPhone and iPad, too, and it looks hot.
The M8 hardware is gorgeously designed, a minimalist affair with keys. The Model:02 sports a 12-hour battery life, machined aluminum body, and 3.5″ display. Honestly, maybe sell your smartphone, buy an old Nokia, and get the M8 instead.
But Dirtywave also sets itself apart with its openness, and that includes being open to running in other ways. Want to use the “headless” firmware, and run it yourself on the (stupidly cheap) Teensy 4.1 platform, envisioning your own custom hardware? You can do that — thanks, trash80! Want a virtual display that runs in TouchDesigner, maybe for some integrated AV action? Well, that’s a weird idea and — yes, let’s do it! All of it for free.
Dirtywave and trash80 now have an official iOS version, and it looks the part. That includes the full M8 feature set, which is astounding — not only a tracker, but a complete set of music-making machines. This is what a groovebox from the likes of Elektron would look like in an alternate, all-tracker universe.
- Wavsynth – Chip synth inspired wavetable synth
- Macrosynth – Macro oscillators of over 40 unique synthesis engines
- FMSynth – Four-operator FM synthesis
- Hypersynth – Six-note 13 oscillator swarm synth
- Sampler – Sample playback and recording
- MIDI instruments for controlling internal or external gear
- Up to 128 instruments per song
- Eight independent monophonic tracks
- Instrument tables for advanced modulation
- Scales, grooves, probability, and comprehensive effect commands
- Live performance and song-rendering tools
I haven’t tested it yet as this just dropped, then lit up my inbox, but here is a decent first look:
$29.99, on the App Store now. I’ll try to do a review soon.
Oh, plus if you do have hardware, you can also use an iPhone to record samples —
I see someone complaining already that this isn’t also on Android, but there are quite a lot of trackers on mobile, plus great apps like nanoloop (not a tracker, but very much connected to the Game Boy music phenomenon and handheld workflows). nanoloop is on both iOS and Android. SunVox runs on pretty much everything. (Indeed, SunVox is probably the most direct comparison, as it’s a full-blown studio. Look, if you’ve read this far, you’re probably going to get both.) And for a more chiptune-focused app, there’s Deflemask, which runs on iOS and Android (plus macOS, Windows, and Linux), with ROM export to Genesis, Commodore 64 (!), Neo Geo (!!), NES, and Game Boy, among other features.
Oh, and I missed that the creator of nanoloop has built a new app that isactually a tracker. (A 4-track sampler/sequencer, no less!) That’s on iOS for now, but Android is promised soon.
naive tracker costs just $3.99. Yeah. Instabuy.
In other words, I’ll say it again. Hide, disable, or delete apps that are depressing you. Don’t throw away these supercomputers we carry around, and don’t get stuck in an upgrade cycle. Squeeze every bit of life out of them. Make them music apps forever. Put the music apps up first. In those moments you’re down, make a beat. Don’t worry if it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear, just go for it. You’ve got your own ideas.
Good times.
