It’s called “1.05.” But the update to this iconic free and open-source tracker is massive, with a new UI option, new built-in MilkySynth, new effects, and more.
I guess I’m not surprised that a free and open-source tracker with powers to rival your hardware and DAW is going to be humble. But wow, this one is great – “good news for serious jungle-music producers (and producers with DAW-fatique in general).” Indeed.
MilkyTracker has been on the scene for around 19 years, a go-to for anyone making sample-based music in .mod and .xm formats or otherwise drawn to this method of creation. 1.05, released late last month, represents a significant milestone – but one that nonetheless won’t disrupt your existing work if you’re already a die-hard user. (There’s even an option to turn the new UI off if you want the classic look.)
Just grab a computer – any computer, really – and go. You could easily be self-contained with just the onboard computer keyboard.
As Leon van Kammen writes CDM, “MilkyTracker is like the offspring of a 90s Akai sampler, MIDI notes, and a PC keyboard, combining raw sample manipulation with precise sequencing and hands-on control. It’s a retro-modern tool where you chop and pitch like a sampler, and jam out patterns with the tactile simplicity of typing.”
New in 1.05:
Updated UI option. That’s welcome, as eyesight tends to devolve rather than improve over time! (I like it, though – it still looks unmistakably like MilkyTracker, just refreshed.)
That UI is also scalable – nearest pixel-filtering can be enabled via SCALE_NEAREST=1 environment variable.
Built-in internal synth, in beta. MilkySynth includes two algorithms – an FM algorithm and “CYCLE,” a wavetable (single/muli-cycle) waveform engine.
There’s also a free milkysynth pack to get you going, largely focused on milkysynth.
New FX:
- Flanger/delay
- Reverb
- 90s “Akai-ish” timestretch (hello, jungle producers – they recommend this sample pack if you’re just getting started)
- 90s-style filter with overdrive / grit
- Saturation
- Milky Exciter (“protracker-like boost using reverbnoise”)
- Vocoder
As Leon points out, the effects are loop-aware – so you can feed back into the beginning of loops as they play.
- Randomize button for new users / anyone stuck for ideas.
- Realtime audition of many effects
- Sample editor improvements
- Pattern recording improvements.
- And fixes and macOS stuff (like properly recognizing both the control and command keys) and more.
This on top of 2023’s upgrade, which included drag-and-drop selection in the pattern editor, live performance shortcuts, and a bunch of new stuff in the sample-editor.
See the Changelog.
Oh, also – this is a true classic tracker; it writes to .mod and .xm formats, meaning you can drop it into SunVox, OpenMPT, Schism Tracker, and even VLC Player and go. Leon had some tips on that, too:
There’s a whole vibrant ecosystem of portable modules which still playback totally fine (and can be remixed):
https://modland.com/pub/modules
https://modarchive.org
https://www.modules.pl
https://aminet.net/tree?path=mods1.05 is currently in prerelease status, so report any bugs (or stick with 1.04 if you absolutely want stable). Available for any OS, Mac, Windows, Linux, *nix, and yes, there is even still source code for AmigaOS.
