Dirtywave began the M8 project in 2018 as a portable successor to earlier tracker hardware. Early prototypes were assembled in small runs from a workshop in the Pacific Northwest, with the first production batch reaching buyers in 2020.
Initial units used a Teensy 3.6 board; later revisions swapped components due to parts shortages. Firmware 2.0 arrived in 2021 and introduced expanded synth engines that moved the M8 beyond basic chiptune tones.
Electronic artist The Flashbulb incorporated M8 sequences into his 2022 album sessions, while performers like Goto80 used the unit for live improvised sets. The earliest black-anodized units quickly gained collector status among tracker enthusiasts.
