'This revision is from 2016/06/02 13:40. You can Restore it.'
Here are some music trackers I know and would recommend. The comments about pros and cons are only my own experience (linux user who prefer open source software) so it can differ from your, of course.
1-bit music
It's a well delimited field: it will boost your creativity. You don't need to bother with instrument creation (unless you program your own beeper engine. On the other hand, because of the restricted possibilities, you can feel somehow limited.
| Tracker | + Pros + | – Cons – | export | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beepola | very easy to use, compact and efficient (only one binary) | Only for windows, but works well with wine. Closed source | 1-bit spectrum beeper | url |
| 1tracker | Multiplateform, Open-source | 1-bit spectrum beeper | url | |
| houston tracker 2 | native to TI calculators. Quite easy to use and intuitive once you get used to it. Open-source | several keys to learn | Texas instrument calc beeper | url |
| milkytracker + beeper engine | Open-source | needs a converter + z80 compiler | 1-bit spectrum beeper | url |
8-bit
8-bit is the "true" sound of chiptunes. On the other hand, it can be somehow repetitive.
| Tracker | + Pros + | – Cons – | export | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DefleMask | multiplateform (win/linux/mac os x). Easy to use. multichip | closed source | YAMAHA YM2612, Texas Instruments SN76489 PSG, Z80 Game Boy, Hudson Soft HuC6280, Ricoh 2A03, MOS Technology SID, YAMAHA YM2151, SEGA PCM | url |
| Famitracker | very intuitive and easy. Open-source | native to windows only / works well with wine | NES | |
| GoatTracker | Works on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X. Rather easy to use interface. Can import / export xm midi. Open-source | Difficult to create new instruments | SID | url |
| lsdj | very intuitive and well design | closed source | gameboy | |
| maxYMiser | good manual. Powerful. Native Atari ST | Interface is a bit cramped (it would have been better to have several screens to handle so many informations). Quite difficult to create new instruments. Closed source | sndh (atari) | url |
| musicmon | Quite easy to create good instruments. Native Atari ST | Some parts of the tracker are really awkward and clumbersome (orderlist). Almost no manual. Closed source | sndh (atari) | url |
| SidWizard | Native to C64: runs everywhere with an emulator. Can import and export to midi, to xm. Easy and well designed interface. Open-source | No mouse, no fancy, no high resolution screen | SID | url |
| starkos | very well designed interface and shortcuts. The player is open source | The tracker part is closed source. | ym (amstrad cpc) | url |
| vortex tracker 2 | can export to sinclair zx spectrum or atari st | closed source | ay, sndh | url |
More than 8-bit
You'll get more "possibilities", on the other hand, it can sometimes be labelled "fakebit" (because it's using samples)
| Tracker | + Pros + | – Cons – | export | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| amusic | fm opl2 synthesis | dos | amd (fm) | |
| adlib tracker II | fm opl3 synthesis. Very powerful once you'll get used to it. Open-source | some shortcuts are rather counter-intuitive | a2m | url |
| LMMS | easy to use, easy to create new instruments, Open-source | No midi export | wav | url |
| milkytracker | Open-source | mod, xm, it, wav | url | |
| modplugtracker / openmpt | Open-source | windows-only (works with wine) | mod, xm, it, wav | url |
| klystrack | multiplatform. Open-source | Doesn't target any historical chip | url | |
| sunvox | multiplatform, well designed, can import/export midi | closed source | midi, wav | url |