When I met Tim at SUPERBOOTH in Berlin in May 2022, I was still on the waiting list for the Dirtywave M8 tracker and was extremely excited about what to expect in September.
What I got it then, earlier than expected, it just blew my mind and it’s unbelievable how quickly the hours pass when you hold this little marvel in your hands.
The Dirtywave M8 Tracker has long since ceased to be an insider tip, even if it is only produced and offered in small batches. Despite its handy format, the handy tracker, which for many people is probably the best option for “jam on the couch” – has numerous features that we otherwise only expect from modern groove boxes: from a sampler, FM synth, chiptune, midi sequencer via synths based on the Mutable Instruments Braids to the waveform synth, virtual analog synth and an 8-track sequencer, which can be extensively edited per step. The whole thing is based on a small Teensy and is made by a one-man company. As a user, I just have to say, that the M8 Tracker is really a great thing and I’m glad that I make music together with my wife, otherwise she would probably only see me very rarely since I’ve had the M8 Tracker.
For some, a tracker is still a mystery and the lack of a keyboard to enter note values may put many musicians off at first. But anyone who has ever operated a groove box or played a console game will internalize the shortcuts of the Dirtywave M8 Tracker very quickly.
The Dirtywave M8 is not only visually reminiscent of a Gameboy in terms of format. The concept is loosely based on the legendary Little Sound DJ, also known as non-mind-expanding LSDJ, and has been modernized. The 8 tracks are more than sufficient for composing, since a different sound can be triggered in each step of each track.
USB audio and MIDI are also on board, so the Dirtywave M8 Tracker can also be used as an audio interface for other devices with its onboard effects, delay and reverb. But in addition to the compact control center for other midi devices, its main area of application is probably in standalone operation. Do you know another groovebox, that is so compact and battery-powered that you can take it with you anywhere to spontaneously create a few new songs or just jam DAWless?

Reason enough for us to find out a little more about the man behind the curious M8 tracker and even if he is really busy with the current batch of the M8 tracker, Timothy Lamb took a few minutes to answer to the 7 questions of the DelayDude.

Find out more about the story behind the M8 Tracker, why Corona also effect on sequencer/synthesizer and which 3 devices Tim would take with him to a desert island when the M8 Tracker was on vacation somewhere else.

DelayDude:

You once said that the motivation for creating something like the M8 Tracker was a dream from your youth, where you dreamed of owning a laptop fast enough to run Fast Tracker 2 so you could make music on the go. But it certainly wasn’t an easy path from a dream to implementation, so I’d be happy if you take us on a journey through the past and tell us a little bit about how everything got the way it is today.
The standard question for every musician is of course: how did you get into music, with which instrument did you take your first steps in the world of music and who motivated and/or inspired you (family, friends, artists)?

Tim:

Since as long as I can remember I always wanted to play piano. Around 1986 when I was about 7 my father purchased an Amiga 1000. He introduced me to Delux Music (notation software) and later Med, Protracker (music tracker software), and a Casio CZ1 synthesiser (which I still have!).

DelayDude:

From the first note on whatever instrument to the last song you composed on the M8 tracker, tell us about your musical evolution. And was the M8 Tracker actually your first project?

Tim:

M8 is not my first project. In the early 2000s I made a few Native Instruments Reaktor instruments such as OKI Computer, I also designed quite a few of the GUIs for synths included in the Reaktor 4 library. As for hardware I developed the open source project Arduinoboy (a Arduino based MIDI interface for Gameboy) as well as a few other tools.

DelayDude:

From the idea to the delivery of the first batch, however, the path was certainly anything but easy: Can you tell us something about the ups and downs of the development work and production?

Tim:

Aside from the global situation(s) and supply issues the lowest point I can recall in the early pre-beta stage was the announcements of the Polyend Tracker and the Analogue Pocket. I felt if these products were around before I started I would have never been inspired to make a hardware tracker. Regardless I am glad I did, as they are all very different and it is nice to have options.

DelayDude:

And how happy do you think I am that you still released the M8 Tracker 😉 As I said, developing such a part and then producing it in the same quality is actually hardly feasible for a one-man show . Did you have help in the whole process and who supported you the most in what way?

Tim:

I did not have help in terms of making a synth or full product at this scale- I sure wish I did! But the online interest, peers, and those that supported my early efforts on Patreon blossomed into an incredible community that kept me focused.

DelayDude:

Wow, that’s amazing!
Are you planning any other projects despite the efforts that have been made over the past few years, or will the M8 Tracker remain an only child for the time being?

Tim:

The key to how the project got to where it is now is by making small baby steps / tackling one problem at a time. As I slowly learn the business side of things and look towards the future, there are still many more steps to go. I have quite a few project ideas, but as you are probably aware it is quite difficult to source parts and I dread multiplying that with another product currently.

DelayDude:

Oh yes, I know, what you mean: to me, finding your way into the business world as a newbie and then all the trouble with the delivery problems because of the Corona crisis was extremely stressful. But in the end it’s still damn cool to be able to do what makes your heart soar. But if you had to do a job that has nothing to do with music, what would you do?

Tim:

What I was doing before the project took off… Programming and electrical engineering in robotics and animatronics.

DelayDude:

Apart from the M8 Tracker, which 3 devices/ instruments would you take with you to a desert island and why would you choose them?

Tim:

What no M8?! 😉 Well then it would probably be a sequential OB-6, a laptop, and although I don’t own one yet, an electron syntact.

DelayDude:

Thank you Tim for taking the time to answer the 7 questions of the DelayDude.

So Dirtywave is really a one-man company, with an incredibly likeable and creative guy. But precisely because he’s raising the whole thing alone, the Dirtywave M8 tracker isn’t always available. The current delivery difficulties for parts and the fact that all devices are made by one person by hand force us customers sometimes to wait a little while until we get this device. It is therefore advisable to subscribe to the Dirtywave newsletter and see when the next M8 trackers are available. And although some people might think different: I have to admit that it’s worth it.

For the german translation of this interview, check out www.AMAZONA.de