This is a really good point. The music I make with Bitwig Studio is different from the music I make with VCV Rack, is different from the music I make with my modular rig, is different from the music I make with Polyend Tracker, is different from the music I make with M8. That’s kind of the whole interesting thing about these different available tools and why people end up getting passionate about them, you know? The music I’ve made with M8 is playful and effortlessly experimental. Playful because it feels like I’m playing a handheld puzzle game and that ends up in the music. Experimental because there’s a ton of exotic commands and tricks I’m trying to learn about and wrap my head around, and throwing them into phrases, chains, or tables ends up with wild results. I’m watching my friend stream his sessions on Twitch and having my mind blown - for example, you can select a column or row and instantly change all values in it, or select all and do the same. Phrases have independent lengths, so do chains, leading to tracks all having independent playheads doing drastically different things if you want to go there. Shit can get real crazy real fast, it’s a joy.
I don’t have a horse in the game here, but I considered the Polyend Tracker for a while. I only decided against the purchase due to too much overlap with my MPC Live
One thing to keep in mind is that M8 shares interface design principles with LSDJ, a tracker that has had 20+ years of development to refine its interface. It’s very much designed to be easily and quickly navigated using 8 buttons. I actually was once in the strict keyboard and mouse mindset for trackers until I started using M8; I didn’t think it would be as quick until I started learning the shortcuts and tricks.
How is it as a collaborative environment? I often make music with a friend. Is it possible to collaborate by eg hooking it up to a large screen and connect a keyboard/mouse wirelessly?
And how would you say it is like to use? You listed all the features above, but my main concern is about the workflow. It looks like it’s very programmatic, like the total opposite of e.g an SP-404. Would you agree, or would you say you can get fast enough on the M8 interface with some practice?
you can connect to a screen and use a keyboard or gamepad to control it.
It’s a well thought out (20years of development) UI. If you know around, you are quite fast. But, you cannot compare a row based sequencer with a device that records its pads.
You can try the M8 by using a Teensy and check out the headless version. Or watch some videos were people use the M8. As you can connect a remote screen, videos are really good (like the Ess FM videos/streams with the Digitone).
https://www.elektronauts.com/guidelines
Time for a re-read for a few if you
Regrettable comments since removed, so on topic now 
I admit I did not try the headless M8 but if you’re the slightest bit more interested in M8 today than you were yesterday, yet still have those nagging doubts, you may want to try M8 headless.
Typed words on a forum cannot really do justice to the experience of using an M8.
OTOH if you have already decided even the headless is not worth your time, then enjoy the time saved and make music with whatever.
Strangely, I didn’t enjoy using M8 headless. Got one anyway. It’s awesome and agreed it’s tough to explain why it’s so awesome
I have used computer trackers, LSDJ, Polyend, all have their strengths, and all quite different to use, main advantage of PT is the performance mode, which is really the main reason to get or not.
A few months ago I got a retro hadheld games console and use it solely for LSDj and can absolutely confirm that the format used by the M8 is lightning fast and ultra intuitive after a while but as mentioned above it will never be the same as playing keys or hitting pads. The Polyend Tracker performance mode does add a way to “play” the instrument rather than program it mind you.
So in its most basic form m8 headless runs on teensy 4.1 but is connected to your pc for the display and controlls? Or can you go the full route of getting teensy display add ons etc?
what is headless? Is it the software component? How can i run it on Win 10 because i would like to try out the M8 tracker before considering the hardware.
Another question, with the Polyend tracker, there is a “keyboard” that lets you play and audition the notes to enter into the grid, but with the limited buttons on the M8, how does it manage that? Do you need to just scroll through the notes?
Yes, the most basic way is to run the controls, display, audio and MIDI via either the web display, m8c, or Touch Designer patch. Some people have added displays and other things to the Teensy to make it somewhat portable, but these are not supported officially.
You need a Teensy 4.1 and a compatible micro SD card. Once you flash the firmware it can be accessed through a few methods (I mentioned them above).
You can connect a MIDI keyboard to enter notes, or use the hardware buttons to scroll through notes. Holding EDIT and left/right scrolls up/down by a semitone (or scale degree if using scales), and up/down scrolls up/down by octave. There are other various shortcuts and features to help with note entry as well. It’s not as fast as playing melodies in, but for a handheld device, it’s faster than you may expect.
It is surprising how quick this way of punching in the notes is once you get the muscle memory going. It’s the same as any old school video game, you just do it automatically.
…m8…THE super sonic gameboy…!!!
where ever…when ever…what ever…next level klak klak zak zak…right out of ur pocket…
dirty waves is pure retrofied future and next level boutique full on…
Does anyone know if there’s somewhere that DirtyWave are posting updates on where they are with the next batch? I did a purchase in Jan and I feel a bit in the dark, but don’t want to hassle them about it.
I’m sure they’ve released more batches since January.
Official word is any of the first 2022 pre-order batch (like January) would be shipping by July. Unofficially, it could be earlier if final parts come in. Yay chip shortages!
The patreon and discord tend to be the most up-to-date on status (discord doesn’t require patreon)
Website says
Preorders placed before April 2022 are expected to begin shipping in July, new preorders are part of a second batch that will begin shipping in September
trash80 tried to do a Twitch meetup last weekend but lost power, so he switched to audio chat. In the audio chat he seemed to indicate the batches are still on schedule.
Thanks, that’s really helpful!