I don't know why, but I've read a ton about Tracktion and scanned forums and all, but literally nobody I've found has ever addressed the issue of how Tracktion deals with Acid loops, or Apple loops, or loops in general. Just that "Tracktion supports all major file formats."
Now by comparison, Garageband supports an Acid+ format which even goes way beyond what Sony has got going (with its imbedded midi data), and Cakewalk and many other music apps fully support Acidized files.
But since Mackie never addresses the issue, I can only assume that Tracktion supports wav and MP3 files on a dump-into-the-track basis, but I guess there's zero Acid/Apple loop support, right? So the audio file just lays there non-interactively like a bowl of congealed mush. Isn't this a serious drawback of the product, considering so many competitive apps have full support for this capability?
Tracktion & Acid loops
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- KVRAF
- 12977 posts since 29 Sep, 2003 from Ottawa, Canada
No MP3, no Acid support. Acid is just a .wav file, so they will import fine as .wav, but they will not automatically fit to your song's tempo, and Tracktion's timestretch is unusable for this function, too.
It's one of my most hoped-for features, and it's on the list somewhere, but it's not in T1 and isn't in T2 just yet.
I can't think of any good reason for native MP3 support, to be honest with you, and I don't imagine that's a feature that's due to hit Tracktion in the near future or ever.
It's one of my most hoped-for features, and it's on the list somewhere, but it's not in T1 and isn't in T2 just yet.
I can't think of any good reason for native MP3 support, to be honest with you, and I don't imagine that's a feature that's due to hit Tracktion in the near future or ever.
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- The Teach
- 8273 posts since 23 Jul, 2002 from flatness
no ... it just lays there like an imported audio file ...Maruuk wrote:So the audio file just lays there non-interactively like a bowl of congealed mush
... as greg said ... those stretchable file formats are just .wav files with extra information in the header so they will play in tracktion just fine at their original tempo ...
... and while theres no direct .mp3 support (and thats possibly a good thing due to .mp3 encoding adding silence to audio that can result in timing discrepancies) tracktion DOES import .ogg files (which DONT introduce timing problems on decoding) ...
slainte
rob-
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 294 posts since 28 Mar, 2005
Thanks, guys, I figured as much. The MP3 thing is no biggie, especially since it eats a bunch of cycles decoding the damn things. But no Acid or Apple loops support is a little shocking in this day and age, especially since RMS has been so thorough with T2 in so many other ways. And considering a low-end product like this is a natural for beat boys and looping fans to embrace. But N-Tracks doesn't support it either, so there must be a significant code monkey man-hours/cost factor involved.
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- The Teach
- 8273 posts since 23 Jul, 2002 from flatness
not entirely sure that this IS where tracktion sits in the market ...Maruuk wrote:And considering a low-end product like this is a natural for beat boys and looping fans to embrace
slainte
rob-
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 294 posts since 28 Mar, 2005
Low end in the pricing sense, as opposed to Logic, Cubase, Nuendo, Pro Tools, etc. Such that it's readily available to amateurs and semi-pros who do a lot of song construction based on Acidized loops.
Interesting to consider, whether a 2a, b or c might support Acid/Apple loops. Especially the midi-imbedded Apple loops--now that would be huge.
Interesting to consider, whether a 2a, b or c might support Acid/Apple loops. Especially the midi-imbedded Apple loops--now that would be huge.
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- KVRist
- 56 posts since 6 Feb, 2005 from nj
yes please!
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- The Teach
- 8273 posts since 23 Jul, 2002 from flatness
yeah - i got that ... was just questioning whether tracktion is (or even needs to be) targetted at the loopheads regardless of cost ...Maruuk wrote:Low end in the pricing sense, as opposed to Logic, Cubase, Nuendo, Pro Tools, etc. Such that it's readily available to amateurs and semi-pros who do a lot of song construction based on Acidized loops.
dont know ... but im hoping that 2.x releases will maybe see some changes in the audio features of T2 ...Maruuk wrote:Interesting to consider, whether a 2a, b or c might support Acid/Apple loops. Especially the midi-imbedded Apple loops--now that would be huge.
slainte
rob-
- KVRAF
- 6740 posts since 25 Mar, 2002 from sheffield, england
Its been embraced by Cubase power-users tooMaruuk wrote: And considering a low-end product like this is a natural for beat boys and looping fans to embrace.
Its actually quite easy to beatslice manually in Tracktion..
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- KVRAF
- 12977 posts since 29 Sep, 2003 from Ottawa, Canada
I wouldn't put it the same way, but I AM also hoping for Acid-like support. I don't know that it's the MOST intensive piece of programming there is, but it's probably not a one-day job, either, and Jules is a one-man operation. For one man to code an entire sequencer, he was likely more concerned with adding things like Audio Loop Recording than Acid support.
I'm hoping in one of the 2.x releases that we see it, though. Either working directly with the Acid format or using its own proprietary methods.
Greg
I don't know that it's the MOST intensive piece of programming there is, but it's probably not a one-day job, either, and Jules is a one-man operation. For one man to code an entire sequencer, he was likely more concerned with adding things like Audio Loop Recording than Acid support.I'm hoping in one of the 2.x releases that we see it, though. Either working directly with the Acid format or using its own proprietary methods.
Greg
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 294 posts since 28 Mar, 2005
Ah, didn't realize this was a one-man operation. That explains it.
There are two things that Apple has in Garageband that I find innovative and extremely powerful for the user: the aforementioned imbedded midi data encoded into Apple Loops (why isn't everybody doing this?) and the auto-transcription of midi and audio files. This gives you a complete transcription of a song including melody automatically. This is huge for songwriters and a zillion other applications.
You mention audio record--is there a shortcoming with Tracktion's audio you'd like addressed?[/i]
There are two things that Apple has in Garageband that I find innovative and extremely powerful for the user: the aforementioned imbedded midi data encoded into Apple Loops (why isn't everybody doing this?) and the auto-transcription of midi and audio files. This gives you a complete transcription of a song including melody automatically. This is huge for songwriters and a zillion other applications.
You mention audio record--is there a shortcoming with Tracktion's audio you'd like addressed?[/i]
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- KVRAF
- 12977 posts since 29 Sep, 2003 from Ottawa, Canada
I didn't realize Apple Loops had extensive embedded MIDI. That really IS a great way of doing it.
T2's Audio Loop Recording mode will allow the user to record, say, a 4-measure guitar solo (just an example) as many times as the musician wants. Let's say I do 20 passes. Then, you can switch between 'takes' to either pick the best one, or to pick and choose bits and pieces to 'comp' a new solo. It's fairly standard in many sequencers, but Tracktion 1 does not have it.
T2 will change that, though.
Greg
T2's Audio Loop Recording mode will allow the user to record, say, a 4-measure guitar solo (just an example) as many times as the musician wants. Let's say I do 20 passes. Then, you can switch between 'takes' to either pick the best one, or to pick and choose bits and pieces to 'comp' a new solo. It's fairly standard in many sequencers, but Tracktion 1 does not have it.
T2 will change that, though.
Greg
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 294 posts since 28 Mar, 2005
Gotcha, yeah even Acid has had that forever where you stack up performances based on auto-repeat punches over in/out cue points.
I like Tracktion, but why would a Mac owner prefer it over the free G2, which has a number of powerful features not implemented in the $149 T2?
I like Tracktion, but why would a Mac owner prefer it over the free G2, which has a number of powerful features not implemented in the $149 T2?
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- KVRAF
- 4644 posts since 28 Nov, 2002 from Chicago
Support for external controllers. MTC, MIDI clock, VST support, high quality bundled plugins, rack filters ...
Someone shot the food. Remember: don't shoot food!
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- The Teach
- 8273 posts since 23 Jul, 2002 from flatness
... its not by apple ...valley wrote:Support for external controllers. MTC, MIDI clock, VST support, high quality bundled plugins, rack filters ...
slainte
rob