Dirtywave M8 Model:02

This powerhouse portable tracker might be your new best M8.

Portable tracking is a booming, albeit niche, industry. Dirtywave, the Los Angeles‑based company behind the small but impressively powerful M8 tracker, have been quietly building a loyal following of M8 fans for about two and a half years. During that time, the M8 received many software updates, and despite having only one developer, it is currently on operating system version 3.3. And with a new Model:02 revision, it’s better than ever.

Timothy Lamb, the man behind Dirtywave, is a well‑known figure in the tracking and chip‑tune music scenes. Before moving into hardware production, he was involved with a software tracker called Little Sound DJ, which ran on the GameBoy platform. It proved highly popular and serves as an inspiration for the M8 today. So, despite Dirtywave being a new name in town, the M8 software has been a long time in the making.

The new Model:02 version improves on the first edition with a new aluminium enclosure, larger 3.5‑inch display (from the original 2.8), improved battery life (up to 12 hours), a built‑in microphone, and USB‑C instead of micro‑USB. In all other aspects, the Model:01 and Model:02 are identical.

Yes M8

The M8 is surprisingly sleek and compact, measuring 96 x 133 x 20mm. It fits nicely in the palm and is operated like a smartphone — with two thumbs. The 3.5‑inch IPS touch display is small but incredibly sharp. Data input happens through the eight mechanical key switches and, occasionally, the touch screen. I love the mechanical keys. They give the unit a classy feel.

Back, or rather top, panel connections include 3.5mm sockets for MIDI and audio I/O, and a USB‑C port.

Stereo audio inputs and outputs, plus MIDI in and out, are on 3.5mm TRS jacks and sensibly placed at the top of the unit. At a push, you can use the onboard speakers instead of the line output (which doubles as a headphone output), but they are tiny, so keep your expectations low. On the sides are a recessed on/off button and a slot for a microSD card.

The microSD card slot is found on the side of the unit.The battery provides about 12 hours of use. It charges through a USB‑C port, which also functions as a stereo‑in/out 16‑bit/44.1kHz USB audio and MIDI class‑compliant interface. Samples and songs are stored on the SDHC microSD card. The M8 can stream samples directly from the SD card, there’s no limit on sample size, and loading and saving songs is almost instantaneous.

In many respects, the M8 is a classic tracker. Eight tracks of sample sequencing are arranged in rows of hexadecimal notes and ‘FX’ (more on these later). But the M8 has many features that take it beyond what you might find in a traditional tracker. Virtual synthesizers cover a range of synthesis types, including classic console chip emulation, FM, physical modelling and virtual analogue, and there are effects (reverb, delay and chorus), modulation, tables (a sort of pattern within a pattern), stem rendering, groove templates and scale quantising.

You Wot, M8?

Trackers approach sequencing a bit differently from piano‑roll‑based DAWs and sequencers. Tracks are organised into rows, and notes flow from top to bottom. Each of the M8’s eight tracks can play one of 255 Chains. A Chain is a playlist of up to 16 smaller patterns called Phrases. Each Phrase can contain up to 16 steps. So, at the most, you’re working in 16‑bar chunks. Each step within a Phrase can play a different note on any instrument and apply up to three FX, which are instructions to transform the note somehow.

The eight tracks are monophonic. This standard limitation of trackers was originally there to keep CPU usage in check, and it has its downsides. You can’t sequence chords or polyphonic phrases without using multiple tracks, although the M8 does have some workarounds, which we’ll come to. However, the monophonic tracks have some creative benefits too, making them ideal for sample slicing, bass lines and leads. The ability to address a different sound on each step of a Phrase is also one of those features that, once you click with the tracker workflow, is sorely missed when moving back to more traditional sequencers. These inherent trackerisms helped shape music genres like chip‑tune, jungle, and IDM back in the 1990s.

School M8

Using the M8 requires a certain amount of muscle memory. Almost everything is done with the eight mechanical keys on the front panel. There are up/down/left/right keys for navigation, a Shift key, an Option key, an Edit key and a Play button. With just these, one can navigate pages, make selections, edit values, copy, paste, etc. Some time spent learning shortcuts is necessary to become proficient, but once the muscle memory kicks in, it’s a surprisingly fast workflow.

The navigation of the M8’s pages is very logical. When you start a new song or load an existing one, you’ll begin at the Song page. If you press Shift and Up, you’ll move to other Song‑related pages. Pressing Shift and Right will drill down into more detail, first editing the currently selected Chain, then with another press, the Phrase chosen within that Chain. A further right move will edit the Instrument assigned to whatever step you had selected in the Phrase. No matter which page you’re on, if you navigate up, you’ll get to pages relevant to the section you’re in, and if you navigate down, you’ll get to the Mixer and Effects pages. You can always see a small map showing you where you are in the system, although after a few days of regular use, you stop needing it. It’s an intuitive and fast way to move around the current project.

An M8 Song is composed of up to 256 rows. In each row, you can select one of 256 Chains to play for each of the eight tracks. To reiterate, a Chain is a playlist of up to 16 different Phrases, and a Phrase, in turn, is a pattern of up to 16 steps.

Instruments are the core of the M8, and you can have up to 128 Instruments defined per project. If you’ve used a tracker before, you’ll know that samples are the bread and butter of tracker music, so of course, the M8 has a powerful sampler on board. The sampler reads and writes directly to the SD card, so there is no limit on sample length. Each sampler Instrument can load or record a single sample from either the line inputs, USB inputs, or the built‑in microphone. From there you can transpose, edit the start and end points, loop with different loop types, and assign up to 128 slices. Some offline edit operations are available, like normalising, cropping, fading in or out, downsampling and auto‑slicing.

Every Instrument also has access to a multi‑mode resonant filter, sample rate reduction, and a selection of waveshapers like soft‑clipping, pre‑ and post‑filter hard‑clipping, swap, fold and sine functions. There are certainly plenty of options for pummelling your instruments into submission. Lastly, you can set the send amount to the reverb, delay and chorus effects.

Synths

Unlike many trackers, the M8 doesn’t stop at sample playback. There are four synths to choose from: Wavsynth, Macrosynth, FM Synth and Hypersynth.

Wavsynth is an 8‑bit wavetable synth with options to multiply, skew, warp and mirror the waveforms. It’s perfect for chip‑tune sounds.

Macrosynth offers 44 different synthesis algorithms based on the Creative Commons‑licensed Braids instruments created by Mutable Instruments. Synthesis methods include classic analogue, ring modulation, unison, hard‑sync, vowel synthesis, FM, physical modelling, drum synthesis and more. Each model only offers a couple of editable parameters, but they cover a lot of sonic territory. Plus, you still get the filter, waveshaping, and modulation options common to every instrument.

FM Synth is a classic 4‑operator FM synth with 12 algorithms, feedback per operator and different waveforms for each operator. It nails those early Yamaha FM‑type sounds and is probably my favourite M8 synth.

Hypersynth aims to help with one of M8’s limitations: the lack of polyphony I mentioned before. Hypersynth has six sawtooth oscillators, which can be arranged as 16 user‑definable chords. When sequencing Hypersynth, you can select different chord numbers and each chord is transposed by the note number. So Hypersynth allows chord progression using just a single M8 track. There isn’t much synthesis possible here, although you can detune the oscillators, spread them over the stereo field, and tilt the volume balance of the oscillators. Still, it’s a neat solution to the problem of polyphony.

Regardless of which Instrument you have loaded, you have four modulation slots into which you can load different assignable modulation sources. Choose from four different envelope types, including one that can be triggered by another track, allowing for some nice side‑chaining effects. There’s also an LFO and a Tracking option for pitch‑tracking modulation. Neighbouring modulation slots can even modulate each other. Four modulation slots might not seem like a lot, but it’s enough to get a sound moving and sounding organic, and I like that they are the same no matter which Instrument you have loaded.

There are a couple of final MIDI instrument options: a simple ‘MIDI Out’, which allows you to sequence from either the USB MIDI or 3.5mm MIDI port. You can assign channel, bank and Program Changes and up to 10 MIDI CC numbers.

The second MIDI option is ‘External Instrument’, where the instrument’s audio output is connected to the M8’s audio input. This allows the M8 to filter, waveshape, and apply effects to the external instrument’s audio. Sadly, external instruments cannot be rendered using the M8’s render functions, but you can record the audio using the sampler.

In all other aspects, rendering in the M8 is impressive. You can choose which tracks to include or exclude in the render and turn the effects on or off. You can choose to render stems or a stereo mix. Stem rendering is perfect for moving your song to a DAW for its final mix.

An M8 Song is composed of up to 256 rows. In each row, you can select one of 256 Chains to play for each of the eight tracks. To reiterate, a Chain is a playlist of up to 16 different Phrases, and a Phrase, in turn, is a pattern of up to 16 steps.

AutoM8

The magic of tracking is in its sequencing power, and the M8 doesn’t disappoint. Every step in a Phrase can trigger a note from any of the 128 Instruments and apply up to three FX. FX are an instruction to automate something in the sequencing or synthesis engine. The M8 has over 90 different FX codes that can be applied, and they do a wide variety of things, from automating instrument parameters to sophisticated sequencing tricks.

Let me give you an example. You might use a Phrase to trigger slices in a drum loop. The three FX can be used to transform that slice in real time. You might use one to reverse the playback of some slices. You might use the second to place a conditional trigger so that the slice is only triggered every third loop of the pattern, and on the final column, you might increase the delay send for that step.

FX can be more complex than simple per‑step automation. For example, the REP (Repeat) command will repeat the last command in the column for every subsequent step without copying and pasting the instruction on every step. The hexadecimal number applies an offset for each subsequent repeat, allowing you to automate filter sweeps, volume fades and pitch rolls with just a single FX command.

Randomisation is another area where FX shine. You can randomise pitch, Instrument or FX for any given step. Combining this with the SED (Random Seed) command can create predictable randomness, which is a great way to come up with alternative patterns, melodies and automation that you might never have programmed yourself.

Other FX allow you to jump around a Phrase, automate scale quantising, change mixer settings and synthesis parameters, program pitch‑bends or portamento, apply vibrato, and much more. There are so many creative FX commands you’re unlikely to run out of inspiration. But the M8 has yet more tricks up its sleeve.

Tables are another form of instrument‑based automation. A Table is another 16‑step page similar to a Phrase except that it is instrument‑specific and runs every time a note from that instrument is played. Think of it as a pattern within a note. It has a pitch offset, velocity, and three FX columns for each step. The Table runs faster than the main pattern (at a division of your choosing), allowing you to do ‘inter‑step’ automation. A simple use of Tables might be to create arpeggio‑style note trills or have some vibrato applied after a specific time. You might also use them to automate synth or mixer parameters like effects send or panning. The critical distinction is that these automations are within every note. And if one Table isn’t enough, you can even run a second one simultaneously.

Overall, I was mightily impressed with the synthesis and automation possibilities. There is a synergistic feeling throughout the M8 that all decisions about what features to include or exclude are well thought‑out and, most importantly, true to tracking as an art form.

Spot the difference... The Model:02 (left) and the original M8.

BandM8

The M8 isn’t just for linear sequencing. There are some handy features for those who like to play live and improvise. In Song mode, you can quickly jump to different Song sections by cueing up any row to play next when the current row has finished. You can also create song sections by leaving blank rows. Whenever the sequencer reaches an empty row, it will loop back to the beginning of that section. This way, you can create ‘islands’ of sequences that loop until you hop to a new island. If you need even more freedom, you can engage ‘Live mode’ to trigger individual Phrases on different song rows, much like Ableton Live’s Session view.

Anyone playing live sets will also appreciate the ability to load a new Song and cue it without any stop in audio. This is possible because samples do not have to be loaded into RAM, so Song loading is effectively instantaneous. Also, if you’re low on inputs and mixing options in your live setup, the M8’s inputs (USB or line) can be mixed with the internal mixer. There’s even a dual mono mode where you can use the left and right signals as two mono sources. These inputs have their own effect sends and volume controls and can be automated using FX commands.

What about integrating the M8 into a more extensive setup? The M8 does an excellent job of MIDI integration. As well as sending and receiving MIDI Clock sync and transport information, you can map up to 128 incoming MIDI control changes to just about any destination you can think of. This will please anyone playing live with the M8 as you can take a MIDI controller with you and have your controller pre‑mapped, song‑by‑song, to any parameters you wish to automate.

Another potential input for automation is the touchscreen, which can be assigned to multiple destinations and used as an X/Y pad. These mappings are all listed on the MIDI Mappings page, where you can edit the mapping’s range, source and destination.

The M8 can even behave like a sound module, with each track having a separate MIDI channel. Suppose you assign multiple tracks to the same MIDI channel and activate Poly mode. In that case, the tracks will respond as a single polyphonic instrument, with as many voices as tracks assigned to that channel. So you can use the M8 as an 8‑voice synthesizer, with the added coolness of each voice having a different sound.

Don’t UnderestiM8

Looking at the M8, you could easily dismiss it as a handheld toy. How much music can you write with eight buttons and a teeny screen? Well, if you go to Dirtywave’s official Discord server, you’ll find an active community growing daily, and the amount of music posted here is inspiring. What you’ll hear is not just Game Boy‑inspired chip‑tune (although there is plenty of that) but well‑polished pop, electro, techno, IDM, ambient, jungle, drum & bass, synthwave, glitch, house, hardstyle, and modular‑encompassing jams (did I mention the M8 can be mounted in a Eurorack case too?).

I cannot think of another device I own or have reviewed in the last few years that I’ve been more productive with. The M8, once you click with its workflow, is incredibly fast to work with.

My own experience during the review period backs this up. I cannot think of another device I own or have reviewed in the last few years that I’ve been more productive with. The M8, once you click with its workflow, is incredibly fast to work with. I’ve finished around six songs in the two months I’ve used it and have started about a dozen more. When I say ‘finished’, I mean they’re full songs with different sections, fills, complex automation, well mixed, and not just 16‑bar loop ideas. I will export these as stems and load them into the DAW for mixing, but consider them finished in all other aspects. The M8 cannot compete with a DAW for the final mix, but it’s an absolute blast for songwriting.

In the 1990s, trackers were popular on the Commodore Amiga home computer. It was a fun way to write music. Many people progressed to the Atari ST, maybe with the addition of a sampler, a couple of synths, a mixer and some rackmount effects. The M8 reminds me of these times. It’s like having the Atari ST, an Akai S950 sampler (for sampling), a Yamaha DX100 (for FM sounds), a Moog prodigy (for analogue monosynth sounds), a Korg Z1 (for crazy physical modelling), a mixer, and some respectable effects all in a palm‑sized unit. And that makes me happy.

If it’s not already obvious, I have fallen for the M8. It is clearly a passion project for Timothy Lamb, and the amount of thought he has put into its physical design, software and workflow is evident. The sequencer might be based on 30‑year‑old designs, but there are plenty of innovative new features you won’t find in another tracker.

And how does it sound? So often, with cheaper music devices, the general sound character can be disappointing, and no amount of clever features can compensate for that. I’m happy to say that is not true with the M8. It has depth and space, and I am constantly surprised by how well‑produced M8 songs can sound. The synthesizers sound genuinely good, and so do the onboard effects.

If you’re looking for a hardware tracking device, you must check out the Dirtywave M8. In most senses, it’s a classic tracker. The hexadecimal spreadsheet sequencing will be instantly familiar, but the M8 adds so much: synthesis, performance options, FX, Tables, modulation, stem rendering, disk streaming and more. It’s fast to use, and it sounds great. In short, brilliant.