Tracktion Waveform
| Main Screen Tracktion Main Edit Screen | |
| Developer(s) | Mackie |
|---|---|
| Stable release | 3.0
/ 2006-09-27 |
| Operating system | Mac OS X,Microsoft Windows |
| Type | MIDI Sequencer + Digital Audio Workstation |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | [1]] |
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 unique 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 filters can be created, stored and recalled for later use as rack effects. QuickTime video support is also included to aid in soundtrack creation.
Features in version 1.0
No preset sample rate limits (limited only by hardware); on-the-fly sample rate conversion; internal 32-bit floating point math; DirectSound, ASIO and Core Audio support including multi-channel playback and recording at low latencies; WAV, AIFF and Ogg-Vorbis audio file format support; Punch-in and input-level-triggered recording; looped MIDI recording; real-time monitoring; full parameter automation for panning, levels, and effects; support for the VST plugin and VSTi virtual instrument standards.
Enhancements in version 2.0
Version 2.0 greatly enhanced stability; this version gained an improved MIDI editor with step entry; a software sampler virtual instrument; optional support for 64-bit math, to create greater digital headroom in the mix summing bus and thus avoid distortion; External MIDI sync, MIDI clock and MIDI Machine Control send and receive; per-track input auto-assignment; optional fullscreen input metering; a newly scalable window; and the ability to import files from Mackie hard disk recorders.
Enhancements in version 3.0
Major additions include more tools for loop-based composition, including a keyword-based loop browser, support for the popular Sony ACID Pro, Propellerhead Software REX2 and Apple Inc. Apple Loops file formats, and a timestretching algorithm useful for beat-matching and creating mashups. Core technical enhancements include support for multiple CPUs and multi-core processors; and support for control surfaces including the Mackie Control Universal, Mackie C4, and Novation Digital Music Systems 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.