So, I happen to adore my Tracker. It is fantastic and just clicks for me in a way that the OP-Z never did. I just love what comes out of it. The work I do feel inspiring and especially the rhythms.
I will say that the Digitakt, having not used one before, appears to have more a performance and “feel” aspect to it. While the Polyend Tracker has some incredible performance tools for playing once the track is written, I don’t believe you will be able to write a track whole cloth without there being some start and stops along the way. For example, while you can do button presses and put a whole scene together with the track running, when you go to the next scene… There’s nothing there! So, while you can use some quick copy and paste techniques to keep the sound rolling, you might miss a hit or two.
The other tough part is that with the digitake, you have so many ways to alter sounds during performance. This can be done with the tracker as well, but not as easily, smoothly or quickly.
If though, you have a bunch of scenes and patterns written out with the Tracker before a performance, you’re going to have an INSANE amount of fun. I spent the better part of last week just creating 4/4 drum loops in to multiple patters, setting up performance mode with sweet spots and playing the Tracker and Subharmonicon for up to an hour. Its just the freaking best.
So, it all depends on what you want. I wlove the rhythms I get with a tracker. It pairs so well with the way that I work. Its a blast to use and the new reverb rules. It does differ from other step sequencers, bringing both the pluses and the minuses of the tracker format as a whole. It does have a little baggage, so to speak. But what I gain greatly outstrips what I would lose from something like a Digitakt.
