M8 Conventions

The Dirtywave M8 tracker is really cool. When I make music with it, I tend to use some conventions to make it easier to keep track of things. See also resources.

Like Jeremy Redmeansrecording, I like working in four-phrase chains.

Kill and Fill

Chain FE (the last chain) is the fill chain, consisting of just four empty phrases (also saved at position FE). This functions as a spacer which can be inserted into any track so that tracks which are quiet during a period of a track don’t get out of step with others.

Chain 00 (the first chain) is the kill chain, consisting of just one kill phrase (also saved at 00), which stops the instrument in that track, followed by three empty phrases (FE).

Chain and Phrase Affinity

Chains and phrases are organized by track, so chains 10 to 1F are for track 1, 20 to 2F are for track 2, etc. There are only eight tracks, so 90 to 9F also go to track 1 if I need more, A0 to AF to track 2, and so forth. This gives us 32 total chains (and phrases) for tracks 1 to 7, and 15 chains for track 8 (remember, FE is the empty chain.) I haven’t needed more, but in theory 01-0F could be additional chains for track 8, too.

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---kdl
title "M8 Conventions"
tags "Music"
description "Some useful 'design patterns' for the M8 Tracker."
---

The Dirtywave M8 tracker is really cool. When I make music with it, I tend to use some conventions to make it easier to keep track of things. See also [resources](/m8-resources). 

Like Jeremy Redmeansrecording, I like working in four-phrase chains.

# Kill and Fill

Chain FE (the last chain) is the fill chain, consisting of just four empty phrases (also saved at position FE). This functions as a spacer which can be inserted into any track so that tracks which are quiet during a period of a track don't get out of step with others. 

Chain 00 (the first chain) is the kill chain, consisting of just one kill phrase (also saved at 00), which stops the instrument in that track, followed by three empty phrases (FE).

## Chain and Phrase Affinity

Chains and phrases are organized by track, so chains 10 to 1F are for track 1, 20 to 2F are for track 2, etc. There are only eight tracks, so 90 to 9F also go to track 1 if I need more, A0 to AF to track 2, and so forth. This gives us 32 total chains (and phrases) for tracks 1 to 7, and 15 chains for track 8 (remember, FE is the empty chain.) I haven't needed more, but in theory 01-0F could be additional chains for track 8, too.