Regarding preset digital keybord sounds.

[Bananaman323]

Are you able to use your keyboard preset sounds on tracktion 7?

[Peter Widdicombe]

You are; your external keyboard then acts as an external MIDI destination. MIDI track information, if not processed within the track by a .VST, will have MIDI output rather than AUDIO output; and this will be sent to your MIDI output. Note that NORMALLY Tracktion tends to strip/ignore MIDI channel numbers, so you have to make sure to specify this on output.

Now when MIDI is sent to the external MIDI device, IT then produces audio and will output it to it's normal audio output, and NOT to Tracktion output, so if you want it in an overall MP3 mix, you then have to feed it BACK into Tracktion as an audio input somehow. You can record it then, as a rendered version, to a new track to more easily add into a mix. Mute the original once rendered, in case you want to make corrections or use a new external patch later.

(It's usually easier to work with VST''s unless your external synth has a sound or characteristic you really can't find "virtually")

[fde101]

(It's usually easier to work with VST''s unless your external synth has a sound or characteristic you really can't find "virtually")

Easier yes, but if you are resource-constrained it does mean that the CPU load is placed on the external device, reducing the amount of work the computer's CPU needs to do. Might be helpful for larger, more complex projects when working with less powerful computers.

[Peter Widdicombe]

True - it does have some benefits. You do potentially have the issue, though, of incorporating the external device "back into the mix" at a later time (or even working with it); which can be difficult depending on your mixer and audio interface(s).

Yeah, the resource offload to the external device can be a benefit; and often "real hardware" can add "uniqueness" to the overall sound - quirkiness, lush overlays, real swept filters...