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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 url
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 / little sound dj very intuitive and well design closed source gameboy url
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


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