Is this really the cheapest portable music tracker?
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- čas přidán 20. 06. 2024
- My video on the #picoTracker got a lot of comments asking me to look into #LittleGPTracker (or #lgptracker) on #linux #gaming consoles. Is this really the cheaper way to get the same result? Table of contents:
00:00 hello
00:35 hardware overview
01:10 installing LittleGPTracker
01:56 launching the tracker, demo song
02:34 record and import your own samples
03:25 create a new song
03:57 software structure: songs, chains and patterns
04:25 button combos
04:41 listening to and assigning samples to instruments
05:35 create a "four to the floor" beat
05:51 setting song tempo
06:25 adding more drums
06:58 chords & bass tracks
07:51 using chains to create chord progressions
09:04 song playback with multiple chains
09:38 using tables
10:14 using grooves
11:14 adding a MIDI instrument...
11:42 Picotracker vs gaming handheld
12:10 finished track
13:00 conclusion
Resources:
LGPTracker for GarlicOS www.rg35xx.com/en/apps/apps-f...
The console anbernic.com/products/rg35xx
Garlic OS / garlicos-for-76561333
(Garlic OS is already included in the latest firmware update: win.anbernic.com/download/270...)
LGPT manual: web.archive.org/web/201702131...
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You made me realize that it is possible to install reaper on a raspberry pi. Now I have a (sorta dawless) setup where I can just plug the power in, and control all kind of inputs, instruments, levels, mixes, all with midi controllers and the hardware in front of me, and not having to use a mouse or screen. I really like it!
Thanks for watching my videos - I'm happy they were helpful. :)
I don't know much about reaper, but I'm curious how you use it without a screen? I guess you'd prepare everything you need for a set beforehand and then have the controller trigger whatever you need to do via mapping macros to control changes?
Seems like it'd take a lot of practice. but wild that it runs on a pi. let's see Ableton or fruity do that!
@@dyscotopia Yes! It was actually really easy to set up.
I have an audio interface connected to reaper, with the same amount of audio tracks, all armed. Then I have sends set up, a pan and level effect, and all of those are controlled by a midi controller that's also going into the raspberry pi. I don't have to prepare a set, it's just a "super mixer" for me. And it gives me a loooot of options for the future.
This sounds very cool I hope I can try it out in the future
@@soejrd24978huh?
your videos are great dude, thanx for continuing to make this sort of content. very interesting stuff
Thanks for watching!
very informative and inspire video, good works Floyd, thanks a lot!
Thanks for watching!
Floyd always saving us money and showing us alternatives ❤
Thanks for watching! :)
Awesome work! And super helpful tip about using groove and filters for simulating side chaining, so cool!
Btw instruments can also have a table assigned to them so that might be an easier way to apply the side chaining if you want it on all phrases of an instrument.
Thanks! Yeah, you spotted me trying to act like I know something, haha :-)
Mate, I've been working on the code and you still already taught me 2 things just in this video! 👍
Your video is so awesome man. Thamk you for all the effort you did out in it! Bravo!
Thank you very much!
Floyd, you’re great! Thanks for this
Thanks for watching!
Love that pad sound and those chords.
Had no idea that u could run trackers on those gaming handheld s
Got yourself a new subscriber.
Thank you very much!
I was dithering, but finally I Liked and Subscribed. This was great!
I hope is was a smooth transition! ;-)
Wow!! Great! An EX5!! One of the most famous Synths! I´ve also one in my Setup 😎🤟!
I appreciate you didn't make a chiptune song, i always wondered if trackers were limited to those sounds, and you proved it's not, good job!
Thanks! You got to use the RAM when it's there, right? ;-)
They came out on Amiga and were used for all sorts of music, chiptune (just videogame music) before this was made in assembly or MML, It's more that trackers are really the only sequencers powerful enough to do chiptune techniques as opposed to trackers can only do chiptune.
@@avrilcadabra ^ this / sssshhh! you're exposing my extreme laziness when putting together this demo track :-)
amazing stuff as always
Thanks!
That sounds great, I'm impressed. Retowave vibe
Thanks for watcing!
As always, fascinating and addictive. Made all the more so by the yellow sub.
Ahoi! ;-)
Funny, saw your first video and then installed the Piggytracker because I already got one of theese Anbernic consoles. Just to check if I like this kind of "DAW". I was already familiar with LSDJ on the Gameboy , and I love the Piggytracker too. Now I'm gasing the Picotracker and the Dirtwave M8, cause MIDI is important. Thanks ;)
I guess there is a way to make MIDI over USB work on the Anbernic, but I also guess this involves so much preperation and work that you're better off buying a ready-made solution. :-)
This is so cool! Thanks for sharing. I have the RG353V which doesn't come pre-installed with GarlicOS, so installing that might be an additional step for some devices.
LittleGPT might be available on the other OSes too. I use LSDJ on AmberElec, and it runs very well.
You just need to download their latest OS image from win.anbernic.com/download_data/277.html to get Garlic OS on top.
Great video! I was just looking into whether I could get LGPT working on an rg35xx. This will be a great hobbyist alternative to the Dirtywave m8 and Polyend Tracker Mini!
Thanks! There certainly is a way to make MIDI work as well. But that's for another video, I guess. ;-)
I actually think you are so skilled you could make music with a toaster!! - funny thing is i ordered this very same machine two days ago for some gaming, it will arrive in a week, though i doubt i could achieve anything near this! - and, as always, we must not forget our Divoom.. greets, Levi in Sweden
Thanks for watching, and never say you can't do this or that. You can, but as we all have different tastes in music, your results will be different (as you're most likely to try to achieve different goals, musically)
Yeah, CZcams synth video rules clearly state that if you don't have a succulent you _must_ use LED lights in your video. ;-)
Another Floyd Steinberg video, another cool gadget to add to my wishlist... And the list keeps getting bigger and bigger!
Thanks, Xavier ;-)
Hi Floyd - I came back to comment that my Anbernic device arrived today and I'm pretty excited to play with it - unfortunately I have to actually do work... so it will have to sit on my desk while I pretend to not look at it. I really appreciate how you surface these projects and explore them and do real things to show how they work (or don't). I'll have some fun playing with this while I wait for that Gole Mini PC to arrive. Meanwhile, as someone else below commented - I'm going to play around with Reaper on an RPi4 and see how that goes - thanks for the inspiration once again. Where is all this going? I have no idea but I'm slowly moving away from a "big system" with a DAW to something far more portable and maybe creative in different ways. Just exploring the space I suppose while I try to determine the "Lagrangian point" for all my music gear... Thanks again - and I hope maybe one day I can buy you a coffee in person.
Thank you very much - using these things is fun, and often leads to a new perspective on the nature of music itself, perhaps even new inspiration to create music.
I'd just not recommend buying these consoles for that purpose only ;-) (Though another viewer reported success in running a well-known MIDI Sequencer for Amiga on an Anbernic console - the Atari ST version should work as well...)
Track at the end sounds like a Phil Collins banger 💪🥳
congrats for watching this far, I guess most viewers jumped off earlier because I thought I made a slightly chuckleworthy joke in that last track that no one so far commented on ;-)
@@mr_floydst How disappointing! Now I must rewatch your latest videi ;D
LGPT is a beast, been using it since 2009 i think. I was from the chipmusic scene back then and that's when I heard about it. I don't know if Marc is still suporting the piggy. I just love this tracker.
I heard he's still answering questions other developers have, but development has halted.
Awesome! I just got one from Aliexpress dirt cheap after watching this! 😃Probably will use it to play Final Fantasy more than use the tracker though.
It's a nice piece of hardware! I wish there was a more open Linux system (though you can add all sorts of system functionality).
@@mr_floydst It will be a fun thing to play with on the commute to the office for sure!
I managed to run an older version of Cubase on my RG35XX too. LSDJ also. These are dope!
Interesting! How did you do that?
@@mr_floydst if you can find a ROM for Cubase on Amiga, then it works as it can be emulated on the RG35XX. It’s not perfect but it’s fun! Haha
Great idea! :)
Wow, didn't know these game consoles could do that. Or even that you could dig into the Linux layer. I think I will buy one, just for that Linux possibility alone. And the tracker then would be a nice bonus. ;)
It's yet another rabbithole ;) There are so many obscure Linux varieties for these devices. "Ark OS" seems to be suited most for developers.
absolutely love your channel, wonderful stuff! :)
i have a question: what is that LED-box with different animations that can be seen in a few of your videos (in this video in the top left corner)? i have been wanting to make one of these for a while now and haven't decided on a specific build. yours looks really nice though
Thanks! I have a short video on this here: czcams.com/users/shortsZC0d_4xyMUw?feature=share
Wtf....that first tune goes HARD af!😮
It's the demo song that comes with the tracker. :)
Amazing
Thanks!
Thanks!
Wow, thank you so very much!
This is the only gear channel I still keep up with and find useful. A level of consumerism I'm pretty comfortable with haha.
Thank you Floyd. I hadn't thought of using these for Trackers. A great way to do it on the cheap and steer away from trendy and ravenous consumerism ✌️
Thanks! I feel no shame touting low-cost solutions or products of one-man/very small companies/open source developers :-)
I'll try to move to some software development and report style videos in 2024, let's see how that works out. So far, "gear" videos is what people like to watch most.
Thank you Floyd Steinberg, you have been very entertaining Mr. Steinberg. I have used my time wisely Floyd Steinberg. See you soon Floyd Steinberg.
Thanks for watching my CZcams video.
The obvious next step is to get Anbernic to build a slightly specced up device with a more featured tracker already built in.
Someone with their resources can probably do something like that for a lot cheaper than anything else on the market.
Good idea! I guess this isn't on their Radar even ;-) Adding MIDI support should really not be too hard.
I love your videos. Can you do a video explaining how to run m8 headless on ambernic rg35xx?
Thanks! I guess I could do that, as a short video perhaps.
Great video, although I am not sure why you create a new pattern in the new chain.
If you start with pattern 0 and you created the chain 0 for the drums, if you create a new chain 1, using pattern 0 would reuse what you had on chain 0? So each pattern is shared among chains? My understanding is that patterns are per chain, so the pattern 0 on chain 0 should be different from pattern 0 on chain 1
The patterns can be reused across chains and tracks and you indeed have to create new patterns for new musical ideas regardless of the chain the pattern is used in.
Since ive seen pictures and videos of these anbernic devices with a headless m8 i want to try that setup. Have you tried that out, maybe its even worth a video :D I'd be interested.
I can assure you that is possible, but I really don't want to ruin Dirtywave's day by showing how to do that - it's a small company and releasing the OS for testing is a nice move.
top!
thx! :-)
geile sache
Nich' wahr? ;-)
SPOILER ALERT: last song will make you subscribe!!! I did 😊
Thank you very much!
It's there a little gpt tracker available for JELOS? I have a powkiddy rgb30 which uses JELOS.
I don't know but the people on the Picotracker Discord server most likely will know. discord.com/invite/xmytWNp7
Would you say the audio quality of those 3.5 mm ports on handhelds is decent enough? I might save for one and start tracking anywhere, I just don't want to connect a pair of IEMs and get disappointed by the noise floor.
What you hear in the video (near the end) is recorded from the headphone out directly. I think it's really not too bad - but I didn't measure the noise levels yet!
@@mr_floydst Thank you for responding, it really is not that bad! That's nice, I'll look up more demos and make my decision.
It's not the noise floor you should worry about. I found that in some cheaper handhelds the audio outs can't really drive headphones, that would include 35xx and Miyoo Mini/Miyoo Mini Plus - it's alright for playing some games but for music making it's rather low in volume and lacks bass, almost like it's a line out and not a headphone one, so beware. Nobody really talks about this, haven't seen mentions of it anywhere
Well you certainly won't have that problem with a picoTracker, quite the opposite actually as we are working on a code update to *lower* then output level as currently it can blow your ears off with headphones as it's originally intended to do line level only.
@@mksln sure thing, I meant retro handhelds with lgpt specifically, sorry I wasn't clear about it. picoTracker is super cool!
I m first Here today, dude🎉🎉🎉
Congrats! :-)
Wondering if we could run dexed on that console...
It should be possible. There are other Linux distros available which come with SSH, GCC and USB network support. So you could compile Dexed on device (or try to set up your PC for cross-compiling)
@@mr_floydst I actually have a uConsole from Clockwork Pi, but it seems to me it's a completely different device despite its name. Going to make my homework. Thank you for your video!
I bought one of those, too - I hope they'll send it to me one fine day :)
So… I think I missed something … what’s the handheld device used here?? Any link to it?
anbernic.com/
www.patreon.com/posts/garlicos-for-76561333
Anbernic rg35xx (original one not the plus model or h model, they don't have garlic os yet I believe)
Can you make a video talking about Milckytracker?
I'll definitely take a look, thanks for you suggestion!
@@mr_floydst It's nothing, I really like your videos¡¡¡¡
I challenge you to do a Kraftwerk cover in both, to see which one does a better job. See the picture next to my name? It's the Eastown Theatre, which opened in Detroit, in 1931. In the summer of 1975 it was called "Showcase Theater" and Kraftwerk played there, during their first visit to Detroit. Kraftwerk had a massive impact on Detroit music culture. The rest, is history.
they both run lgpt, just picotracker has some features removed to work on pico, so they would sound the same.
Challenge accep... WAIT. It's only a challenge when there are two participants! So - I will do this if you do it as well, on any device / DAW of choice. You can also choose the song. Film the result and send it to me, and then we've got a nice video ;-)
I tried to use Sunvox on a Retroid Pocket 3 I have but the latency was awful and midi didn't work (it appears that the android version that retroid uses don't have midi support).
Midi seems to be a problem. This device is running "pure" Linux though, and you can find SD images online containing systems with all the usual linux stuff installed (Terminals, GCC, SSH...) so it should be possible to get MIDI to work.
@@mr_floydst I have a powkiddy rgb10 that can do midi and I used it as a usb midi host
Interesting! I'll take a look at that. I read MIDI is possible on the RG35 as well, but with another OS. Might make another video on that once I did my research.
Is there any way to install Little GP tracker to Miyoo Mini Plus (Onion OS)?
This Facebook group might prove helpful: facebook.com/groups/LGPTusers/
Bluetooth midi would be awesome on this
You could post this request on their GitHub page or on their Discord...
Where do you get the picotracker console from?
If Maks stopped making kits, you need to order them on services like PCBWay or others. Download the schematics, find 5 other people who also want one, and then place an order.
You could try joining the Picotracker Discord and ask for a new batch ;)
You are a gentleman thank you sir
Does anyone know where i can find documentation on the controls?
Thanks for watching - you have to use the WayBack machine for that: web.archive.org/web/20170213114330/wiki.littlegptracker.com/doku.php?id=lgpt:reference_manual
I'm assuming midi IS possible?! What would I need to do to get MIDI working? I'm assuming there's software available
It should be possible, but as the saying goes, the road is rocky. MIDI should be supported by the OS, and as far as I know, only the "ArkOs" build does that. ArkOs isn't available for the RG35xx at the moment, but for other consoles of this type.
Next, you have to compile LGPT with MIDI support, which requires you to install a compiler and toolchain (for cross-compiling) on your PC.
I just can't motivate myself to do this, but if I ever do, I might make a video ;-)
@@mr_floydst bandcamp
@@mr_floydstI meant ark OS ...
Is there anyway you can get a tracker that has synth engines built in
You mean, for free? Please take a look at Sunvox on Raspberry PI czcams.com/video/BQyJqlJBCJ4/video.html
Or M8 "headless" czcams.com/video/gf1Blf8M7XE/video.html
How to export final track?
You can't. You'll have to record it on the stereo output.
powkiddy v90 can run the bittboy version
Thanks for pointing that out!
is there a discord group or something that can help me with running LGPT on miyoo mini, i can't seem to get much out of it.
Please try the Picotracker Discord: discord.com/invite/xmytWNp7, I guess the friendly and knowledgeable people there will be able to help you.
@@mr_floydst i'm getting invalid invite to that discord
I had did lend you a hand on bandcamp 🤗
Thank you very much :)
I have a Miyoo Mini with onoion os, but it is nog available for my device
I'm afraid I can't offer a solution to you - while these run Linux as well, the main part of the OS is in the firmware and not open source. So it's hard to develop for. You could try downloading the tracker from the link I provided and see how it goes - the CPU is the same
Google djdiskmachine's fork of LGPT, it has a Miyoo Mini build
i hate asking this, but where are you from, Floyd?
No problem. I'll answer your question, but please guess first ;)
@@mr_floydst Netherlands?
Not bad - you almost guessed it correctly. It's some miles east, northern Germany.
@@mr_floydst ja wohl. didn't think i'd be that close actually.
@@russellwoodstechno "jawohl" is typical hollywood slang for stereotypical german bad guys ;-) it's more like "joah, ..."
Does this thing have a synth engine? Only sampler? I use M8 dirty wave on such a console with a small arguing hanging from it on a short usb and encapsuler in an empty tic-tac box.
It's samples only, but you can use a variety of resonant filters on them, so limited subtractive synthesis is possible (there are some single-cycle waveforms included in the tracker). But it's very barebones compared to M8/Polyend.
1:31 Into my WHAT
Once again: Use the CC button and you'll see that the CZcams Speech-To-Text bot had zero problems understanding what I said there. You're clearly more clever than a bot, are you?
Yeah I get it you thought it's fun to made snide remarks on a random internet stranger, we all do from time to time.
i cannot load wav files, also without space in the file name.
Please check if you wav files are...
- in the correct folder
- of the correct format (max. 44,1 kHz, 16 bit stereo)
@@mr_floydst I’ve checked pre loaded samples and are mono.
So I’ve done as well.
One ample now works, another one no.
I’ll try again this evening
1:31 into my WHAT??
Hi, thanks for watching! Did you know you can push the CC button if you have trouble understanding what I said there? Because CZcamss speech-to-text bot has no problems understanding me. ;-)
I tried but missed and hit the like button instead ;) @@mr_floydst
dirtywave m8 will run on this also and is a deeper tracker imo
Yeah but I would feel bad for Dirtywave (a very small company that put a lot of resources into the R&D of the M8) if I'd show the process publically. Please support the people that do awesome things ;-)
this would be even better if they added some synths to the littleGPT, then it could be a complete groovebox.
I'm not 100% sure, but I think development on this tracker has ended. You can use the tables and filters for subtractive synth stuff, though!
to bw honest any old android phone will do ..just get an controller for few bucks if you want the tactile experience
You're right. But let's be even more honest here, that old Android phone will emulate any given hardware synth, and most of the times in a quality that most people will not be able to tell from the original hardware.
But we're here for the gadgets and the geekyness of it all, and for some childhood nostalgia as well. Android will only give us the pain of being reminded of our next dentist appointment and some intrusive social media comments, right? ;-)
Oh yeah, cuckoo vibes...
Thanks for watching! The first track isn't by me (it comes with the LGPT installation). Yep, sounds a lot like Cuckoo ;-)
none of these are low cost - what is truly low cost is a FREE tracker (there are dozens) for your laptop or for your smartphone (which you already own).
2:30 the chip noises are very cute
The console tracker is free if you already own one of these consoles ;) Just don't buy it for the tracker specifically.
true :) @@mr_floydst
The groovebox industry is a scam! 700€ for a handheld tracker?....when i can have this next to nothing?!?😂😂😂
Well, you can have the barebones functionality for next to nothing. The "big" trackers have way more features (Midi, Plugins, ...)
Im so confused. I hate midi
I'm sorry I failed to give a good explanation - the Anbernic can't handle MIDI. Only the tracker commands.
No. You take an original gameboy and little sound dj.
Thanks for mentioning that - it's worth taking a look!
(Please take a look at the used market prices for og gameboys, though) ;-)
@@mr_floydst you can snipe a cheap GBA, og not in that sense. But i guess you're just clueless
Yeah I guess we all sometimes feel like making snide remarks at people we don't know. I can understand that, this one's on the house. :-)
@@nicolasjochem1814 The GBA has horrible sound. The DMG is really the only one worth using lsdj live/for producing with
What is he saying after “one word on the price around here…” after 11:52 , he is pushing the base of his tongue towards his throat for a guttural/nasal vowels and it is very hard to decipher the words phonetically 😝 something like “these concerns (consoles?) cause (cost?) eti credidts (??) at upwards serve you only bah this for making music….” 😠😝😂
Ah come on, even CZcams's speech-to-text bot had no problem understanding what I said there. Just push the CC button. Unless you felt like this was a good opportunity to make a snide remark on a random internet stranger. We all feel like that from time to time, so this one's on the house.
Speech to text is better than me ; - ;
The overall meaning is pretty clear though