Tracktion 3

[MFenkner]

I have a couple of friends that swear by Tracktion for ease of use, so when I saw Tracktion 3 released I figured I'd give it a try. For $99, it wasn't much of a gamble. I received it today and quickly installed it, and so far I'm impressed. Unlike the other DAWs I've tried which usually frustrate me within minutes, in Tracktion I was happily recording without any frustrations. Time will tell if it has all the features and flexibility I'm looking for, but even if I end us just using it as a scratch pad, it's a great little program. Currently I have a demo of Logic Express and AudioDesk 2, but Tracktion is so much easier and more intuitive than either program. I'm still trying to decide between buying Logic Pro or Digital Performer for a long-term commitment in a DAW (with the accompanying commitment of learning them well), but Tracktion might tide me over for a while.

 

Has anyone else tried Tracktion 3?

 

Mark

[sizzlemeister]

I've actually been looking to "downgrade" from Cubase SX3 to something like Tracktion. I haven't looked to see if a v3 demo is available yet, but I should. Let us know how its MIDI performance and sequencer grabs you. That was the weak-point of v2 for me, otherwise I'd have kept it instead of jumping to Cubase.

[P321]

Usually the thing that lets these other programs down is the midi handling (EG can it even do basics like auto quantizing midi input? Even Sonar fails there). The other thing is the mixer. Sequencers like SX allow you to control not only the panning, but the stereo width. That's almost as important as EQ when it comes to basic mixing of tracks. So it's amazing how much DAW type software leaves those features out. Does it have basics essentials like that?

[MFenkner]

I haven't worked with MIDI enough yet, but it does seem to have the basics. The MIDI editor is piano roll style, though I'd like also a score editor and detailed editor (where I can see all the MIDI data in a list). The editing of controller data seems to be the same method as editing the notes. It does allow quantising while recording, and also quanitising and swing after recording. Sure, it's not Logic, but's it's better than the sequencers built into most workstations.

 

Regarding stereo width, that's more of an effect that a function of a mixer. If you like using it, maybe there is a third-party plugin which you could use with any DAW.

 

Mark

[Lava]

 

Usually the thing that lets these other programs down is the midi handling (EG can it even do basics like auto quantizing midi input? Even Sonar fails there). The other thing is the mixer. Sequencers like SX allow you to control not only the panning, but the stereo width. That's almost as important as EQ when it comes to basic mixing of tracks. So it's amazing how much DAW type software leaves those features out. Does it have basics essentials like that?

 

 

Tracktion is AWESOME. Yes, it can do midi quantize on input. I use that feature all the time.