Tracktion Waveform
Tracktion is a digital audio workstation for recording and editing audio and MIDI. The software is cross-platform, running on Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows.
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Main Edit Area
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Folder Tracks
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Effects Racks
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Main Screen
History
Tracktion was originally developed by a single UK designer/programmer, Julian Storer. It was first released in 2002 by UK-based Raw Material Software; US-based Mackie, a division of LOUD Technologies specializing in studio recording and live sound products, took over distribution of Tracktion in 2003 and continues to develop and market it. The software is sold in standalone, boxed retail versions as well as bundled with Mackie computer-audio interfaces and digital-capable mixing boards. It is said to have a growing cult following of users, frustrated by legacy sequencers' sometimes complex workarounds, feature bloat and nonstandard approaches to common tasks. Mackie began shipping the latest version, Tracktion 3.0, in April 2007.
User interface and features
Tracktion was designed to be as transparent and intuitive to the user as possible. It largely avoids the modal dialog boxes, multiple menus and windows common to most legacy MIDI sequencers and DAWs, favouring instead a single-screen, task-centric user interface. Object controls and parameters are context-sensitive,and effects, MIDI instruments and other software objects can be added to tracks or even applied directly to individual clips using a drag-and-drop system of filters. Complex chains of effects can be created, stored and recalled for later use as rack effects.
Enhancements in version 3.0
Tracktion's core DAW functionality has been augmented with tools for loop-based composition, including a new loop browser, support for the popular Acid, REX and Apple Loops file formats, and a timestretching algorithm useful for beat-matching. Other technical enhancements include support for multiple CPUs and multi-core processors; QuickTime video support to aid in soundtrack creation; and support for control surfaces including the Mackie Control Universal, Mackie C4, and Novation ReMOTE SL series.
Open source libraries
The underlying C++ code that was developed to create Tracktion's graphic and audio capabilities was later split-out into an open-source library, Juce, which is still maintained and developed by Julian Storer / Raw Material Software.