Tracker... what's that?

A tracker is a simple sequencer that originated from the Amiga computers in 1987 as a simple alternative to other music editors. For someone used to modern sequencers, MIDI and all that, the concept can be somewhat strange.

The main difference to formal notation or a MIDI sequencer is that in a tracker everything happens in discrete steps. In other words, it is similar to if you could only use sixteenth notes and rests. A tracker is also more technical and functional in that a pattern consists mostly of numerical (often hexadecimal) parameters.

Wikipedia has a pretty good explanation of trackers in general.

How klystrack differs from traditional trackers

Klystrack can use samples, but it is virgin move. CHAD move is to use klystrack so it synthesizes sounds on the fly. This allows more flexible sounds since the parameters can be changed in real time.

For a quite long time, especially on platforms where space was not an issue, it was common for a tracker to have patterns consisting of all available channels. That is, each pattern had e.g. four channels side by side and this required unneeded duplication of data.

For example, even if one channel constantly played the same sequence (think a drum track), it had to be copied to each new pattern. In klystrack a pattern has only one channel of data. Thus, you can reuse the same pattern much more freely.

The patterns can also be located at any position in the sequence, making it possible for two patterns of different length syncopate. This is not possible in a traditional tracker since all patterns usually are of the same length and begin at the same location for each channel.

Glossary

Channel

In a tracker, a song is divided to a number of channels. A channel can only have one note playing at a time, a new note will stop the previous note playing. In klystrack, there is a upper limit of 32 (128 for klystrack-plus) channels.

Sequence

The sequence is the order in which patterns are played. Patterns can begin at any position and channel.

Pattern

A pattern is a sequence of notes and commands that will play on a channel. All patterns always play at the same speed, synced by the current step.

Note

A note in pattern data is basically an instruction for the tracker program to start playing an instrument at the specified note. In klystrack, the note can be stopped with a note-off instruction, or by simply setting the volume to zero.

Step

Step usually means one discrete row of pattern data. A song advances at a constant rate step by step. A step is divided into one or more ticks.

Tick

A step is divided into one or more ticks. When one step is playing at a speed of 6, a tick will happen six times before the position moves to the next step. At each tick commands are updated. For example, the portamento and slide commands update the pitch at each tick.

In klystrack, the instrument program is also divided into steps, also called ticks since in most cases multiple program steps are executed during one song step.

Command

A command, also known as special effect or just effect in Soundtracker and Protracker, modifies the currently played note. This can be done on the track level or an instrument program can do it automatically. A track command might fade the note out and a program command might repeatedly change the played note to create an arpeggio.

Program commands are also the way to create more interesting sounds that change the waveform or filter frequency when the note is played. A snare drum might repeatedly change the waveform from noise to triangle wave to simulate the rattle and resonance. A techno kick drum might have a portamento command to make the note dive.