By duncanparsons
On 7th May 2003
Version: 3.2.2
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duncanparsons
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I got N-Track at a time when I was trialing alot of MIDI sequencers and Audio software. I spent alot more time with other packages, I must admit. After a while, I found it again, and gave it a better shot - I was pleasantly surprised (so much so, i bought it, whereas I haven't bought any of the others - no I'm not going to name names!).
What you get for your money if a very varied selection of functions for audio manipulation, and a reasonable MIDI sequencer. It supports VST/i and DX/i,ASIO, 16/24 bit soundcards, decent MIDI instrument selection (tho' this has been a while coming..).
Audio: All facilities are available for volume envelopes, crossfades, non/destructive takes, etc. It doesn't have a built in Audio editor, but has provision to launch the editor of your choice: most manipulation effects are availble anyway, but you can use your favourite editor if you need to!
MIDI: There is an Event editor, and a Piano roll. There have been problems with stability in the Piano roll, but most of these seem to have been ironed out now. The editting is basic, and each track is treated as a whole unit, rather than the clips which Cubase, Cakewalk, etc have made popular. This can be an irritation, but sections can be dragged'n'dropped in the Timeline with a certain amount of ease. Functions are being added to the MIDI editting which is good to see.
Plugs: EQ and Delay included, full VST/DX Host.
Overall, what you get for your money is very good. Renders to WAV/MP3; good options for buffering, sync'ing, appearance, etc; only limites are your PC resources (the 'n' in 'n-Track' is algebraic!): there is no application limit to tracks, plugs loaded, Aux buses, etc, only the capacity of your box.
Support is also top notch. I had an issue with the piano roll. I sent a bug report to the author, and received a fix within 2 days. Since I am a developer, I had some tools to help track the bug, but others have reported similar response without the tools. Features are often requested in the user forum, and frequently acted upon within a matter of days.
There are some downsides, I have found some problems with the sync'ing of some VSTis against actual MIDI output. Being able to pull the whole track back would be useful, but not yet available! Actually most issues that folk seem to have are with the MIDI side, but there are ways to work around them. With the frequent updates (sometimes 2 or 3 new builds a week) some of the issues that are current may well have gone by the time you read this!
Lastly, the visual aspect - this is very functional, and appealing (to me anyway!). There are options to take out some of the 'bells & whistles' (various gradients, VUs, 3D, etc) to help increase processing power. There are alot of full redraws of windows tho', which can be irritating..
In conclusion, I would recommend it. It is simple for a beginner, and there is sufficient for an experienced user. If you have a limited budget, for what you get: Buy it!! |
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