Cool recording software: Tracktion

[Richard Lindsey]

I'm no kind of computer recording maven. Let me say that straight off. There are other folks who can give you a much better view of all the detailed ins and outs of the big audio-MIDI programs (Pro Tools, Nuendo, Cubase VST, Logic, Vegas, Cakewalk Sonar, etc.). Frankly, the big-time stuff confuses and intimidates me, because it's so much more than I can imagine myself needing.

Now, I've had Logic for a couple of years, but I've never gotten that comfortable with it and still get easily confused. Plus, I'm a Windows person, and Logic (now owned by Apple) has now said "buh-bye" to us Windows people. So I've been looking around for something else.

So I stumble across Tracktion, written by Raw Materials but now distributed and marketed by Mackie.

I think I'm in love.

This has got to be the easiest interface for an audio-MIDI program I've ever seen. Almost everything is available dynamically on a single screen, and I can't imagine a more lucid way of organizing the space and making tasks easy to perform. Anybody looking for a tool that makes it easy to work ought to at least consider this one. And right now it's only $80 for a full copy! You can download a nearly full-featured demo on the Mackie site that will let you get an idea how it works.

My understanding is that Tracktion won't do all the things the big guns do, esp. as regards syncing and video handling. But hell, I don't need those things, and if you don't either, this could work for you. For basic but surprisingly powerful audio, MIDI, and mixing (though it has no mixer!), it works quite well. And my sense is that they're going to be adding some of the big-league features in upcoming versions anyway.

Really, I don't work for Mackie or Raw Materials, I just think this thing is way cool. Check it out:

http://www.mackie.com/products/tracktion/index.html

[fhodshon]

RICHARD!!!!

thanks for the heads up!!!

looks cool. i'm gonna give it a whirl!

fred

[Smurf]

I have the first release and I'll tell ya what, after getting use to the way it is on ONE screen instead of a ton of small windows, this thing rocks! I still love my Cool Edit Pro for ease of use, but I think this is going to just get better. People, you HAVE to check this out!

[GooseYArd]

Man, Tracktion has got one of the most intuitive user interfaces I have ever seen on a piece of software. I've been using the demo for a week with an M-Audio Ozone without a glitch, and using it is so straightforward that I've spent all my time having fun and not a second being aggravated.

Richard, thanks for the suggestion- if you decide to register it, let me know, and I'll see if I can list you as the referral (although you had to specify one as you registered)

[Richard Lindsey]

Originally Posted by GooseYArd

Man, Tracktion has got one of the most intuitive user interfaces I have ever seen on a piece of software. I've been using the demo for a week with an M-Audio Ozone without a glitch, and using it is so straightforward that I've spent all my time having fun and not a second being aggravated.

Richard, thanks for the suggestion- if you decide to register it, let me know, and I'll see if I can list you as the referral (although you had to specify one as you registered)

Hey GooseYArd, I did register my copy, actually. It was just too cool. I can't wait for v2. There's a Tracktion forum at www.kvr-vst.com, as well as the one at www.mackie.com, both of which have some nice help. There are also some nice guides here: http://www.adbe.org/guides/tracktion/index.html