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Mackie Tracktion 3
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Mackie Tracktion 3
strobo strobo

«  An excellent software for musicians »

Published on 02/27/11 at 13:33
The installation is very simple Tracktion3. The basic package is about 20MB, and then just register on the Mackie website for the release key. Never had a problem with this process since Tracktion 1.
The general setup is super simple. Tracktion uses its own GUI (GUI) with an owner intuitive menu system, and a pretty setting speaking with pop-up help when needed. I've never had any incompatibilities with plugins (I use bcp plugs Native Instruments Nomad Factory, Korg, etc. ....)... in general, if I have a bug, an update of the plugin just to fix it.

As for the manual, it's Mackie. Super light, funny and educational.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I use Tracktion3 PC, assembled myself.
Asus P5Q CM, Core2Duo, 3GB Windows XP SP3, SATA (2 * 160GB). Audiophile 24/96 soundcard.
Tracktion manages the bi-processor. On my most recent large projects (audio + MIDI pretty loaded plugins), the gauge CPU rarely exceeds half. I use it in 24bit/44.1khz, with a latency of 5ms and it is doing very well.

Tracktion3 software is very stable, provided you follow some common sense, as with any DAW. I do think that software like Cubase, Sonar, etc ... have long experience making them more stable configurations very heterogeneous. On the other hand, workflow and beauty lie in its intuitive Tracktion formidable in its simplicity evident when one wants to put ideas without losing the thread.

I worked and mastering Cubase and Logic. I composed with ... and one day I discovered Tracktion1. A fellow musician, I did discover. The same evening, I tried and I found myself to record and compose with disarming simplicity. All features were evident, without trying ... The dream of a musician who does not look silly little option that blocks his ideas ...

Cubase has become like Photoshop so many features you can do the same thing in different ways without that, ultimately, we no longer know what is the real good way .........

Tracktion3 simply requires a computer to have "clean and properly installed", and the gear experienced relatively stable (the Audiophile 24/96 has proven itself ...)....

From there, I've never beaten the functioning and stability. It is very stable and does not crash more than Cubase. Recently, I used EnergyXT and after 3 crashes just in the configuration phase (detection plugins, audio parameter settings), I dropped ...

OVERALL OPINION

I use Tracktion since 2004. All songs on my Bandcamp (http://themeanstar.bandcamp.com) were composed with Tracktion v2 and v3 over time, and I've obviously made a bunch of others ....

Software will never have given me as much ease and will not be as effective during working hours. This is my faithful companion for years. I learned to live with its weaknesses, its shortcomings (including MIDI, but there is a small battery-specific software designed by Subliminal ... Tracktion stepsequencer, trigger, etc ...) but especially with his qualities.

Its main weakness is the management of projects. There is a certain discipline to follow to avoid ending up with empty projects, files, inconsistent, etc. ... The easiest way is to do an export of the current edition with all the objects to a new folder, and re-open to make sure we do not use files scattered. Mackie was a recommendation and it has always worked well for me ...

I am not sponsored by Mackie, just an old experienced user of this app, which has often found that those who complain about this app are often people with technical and computer skills rather limited. By itself, I do not criticize it .... It's just that Cubase & Co are certainly less sensitive to poor configuration and use. Afterwards, he must know what you want ... and material, for my part, I found nothing as smooth and elegant as Tracktion to make music. :)