Mackie Killing Tracktion 2!

[semiquaver]

microsoft would never buy something to give away free....

[AD80]

microsoft would never buy something to give away free....

Neither would Apple. All those costs are factored into the INSANELY over priced hardware. Besides, Sony had SFAcid (lite) installed on their VAIO's for years. VAIO's even come with some nice wave editing/mastering effects now. So even if Microsoft doesnt provide the stuff, some other company will.

[mandolarian]

microsoft would never buy something to give away free....

Frontpage WMP IE

[Lunch Money]

There seem to be lots of viable sequencers out there now (not to mention all the other stuff flooding the market), and I wonder just how large the market really is.

I totally agree; however (my usual "however" ) most of that market is dominated by the large high-priced softwares like Pro Tools, Logic, and Nuendo/Cubase. I think that we're right on the cusp of people (young folks) having been made so comfortable with technology that they're willing to make their own home studios with less difficulty than it used to take to configure an IP stack.

It's relatively new territory for the population at large. We forget that because many of us have been immersed in it for so many years, but there are people all the time that are still "Gee Whiz-Bang" about my "studio" such that it is.

These same people, as well as the kids coming up, are becoming exposed to the ease with which a project studio can be built. I believe that it's an expanding market, not a closed one. Sure, there's a limited market for people to buy sequencers for their established studios (having gone from tape to HDD systems); but there is an expanding market for home studio musicians, and we have no idea how greatly it will expand.

Mackie's marketing scheme for Tracktion 2 positions it as the ideal cross-platform application, at the right price (even though it's not as pocketbook-friendly as T1), and targeted to the right demographic. I don't think it will flounder, I think it will prosper. It might take until 2.5 or 3.0 for it to truly have caught on, but I'm still confident in the product, Jules, and Mackie.

Just wish I could buy the damned thing in Ottawa.

Greg

[headquest]

I believe that it's an expanding market, not a closed one. Sure, there's a limited market for people to buy sequencers for their established studios (having gone from tape to HDD systems); but there is an expanding market for home studio musicians, and we have no idea how greatly it will expand.

Yes, I definiely agree with you there. I think this is why it is at the "lower" priced end of the market that we are now seeing so much activity, but in terms of lower priced sequencers such as Tracktion and the various "LE" versions of established names, and bundled stuff (such as Garageband).

[As I'm not on a mac I have only played with Garageband a couple of times but was very impressed by the way. Bearing in mind that Mac users buy this with their hardward - as AD80 explained - I was left wondering why they would also want to buy Tracktion. It will be particularly interesting to see how T2 impacts the mac market.]

Just wish I could buy the damned thing in Ottawa.

[larsby]

Garageband steals a lot of CPU, T2 on mac is much kidner to the system.
GB handles AU's but not VST's.
GB is simple, but not powerfull in the same way as Traction is.
T2's midi editing is way better.
GB is great for recording a scetch, or live stuff, or if you only play instruments. But you can do that in T as well

[headquest]

Garageband steals a lot of CPU, T2 on mac is much kidner to the system.
GB handles AU's but not VST's.
GB is simple, but not powerfull in the same way as Traction is.
T2's midi editing is way better.
GB is great for recording a scetch, or live stuff, or if you only play instruments. But you can do that in T as well

Thanks for the feedback.

A guess that a beginner may not know the difference between AU and VST, etc, but perhaps they will "outgrow" Garageband and - rather than following Apple's prescribed path onto Logic session - hear about T2 instead?

One thing I do know about Garageband is that it has a great timestretch, of course... and Staff Notation. People "moving up" might be surprised to find T2 lacking those.

[braj]

There's no benefit in supporting VST as opposed to AU IMO.

Anyway, regarding GB: It sounds fantastic really, in some ways it's more powerful than Tracktion (loop support really, built-in instruments are more comprehensive IMO than T2's bundled plugs). REally, a lot of the power of Logic is there, and it's one great downfall is it's a CPU hog. It also can only do one time signiture per song, I believe, and you can't automate tempo changes. But it is pretty damn cool that it comes free (well, sort of) with every new Mac. It means every new Mac user has a mini studio way more powerful than my rig in the 80's. I truly think a telented person could make a pro album in GB.

Of course, T2 has an infinitely greater amount of flexibility and someone running into the limitations of GB may see T2 as tempting. But I'm afraid the lack of a decent timestretch in T2 may turn many people off.(especially after getting used to the excellent Apple Loops support in GB)

[larsby]

One of the biggest annoyances I have with GB, is the stupid sound that they use for metronome.

[Lunch Money]

There's no benefit in supporting VST as opposed to AU IMO.

Except for the thousand times more free plug-ins available in VST format. But some of those are PC VST only, too, so perhaps only a hundred times more.

Greg

[headquest]

There's no benefit in supporting VST as opposed to AU IMO.

Except for the thousand times more free plug-ins available in VST format. But some of those are PC VST only, too, so perhaps only a hundred times more.

Greg

I think braj meant that if you are a Mac owner, and your host supports AU, you can use a lot of cool plug-ins, and so dont need VST.

[headquest]

One of the biggest annoyances I have with GB, is the stupid sound that they use for metronome.

If that's true it must be pretty excellent overall.

[larsby]

One of the biggest annoyances I have with GB, is the stupid sound that they use for metronome.

If that's true it must be pretty excellent overall.

Yes, it is really good.
But that metronome sound is terrible.
You have all you need to record, and make the recording sound good.
The presets are good.
But you dont gain that much diverting from them.
But all in all, it does not give you freedom.

And the metronome sound is terrible. And you cant change it.

Why dont you try it?

[headquest]

If I ever buy a Mac (unlikely, but not impossible) then I dare say I will try it (just for research purposes, you understand )

[AD80]

One of the biggest annoyances I have with GB, is the stupid sound that they use for metronome.

If that's true it must be pretty excellent overall.

Its not that great. I've used it a lot and find it very clunky and cut down. It does have its strong points like Braj mentioned but for somebody who is used to using Tracktion, or Live, or Cubase etc, its just way too limiting. One thing it has going for itlself is a nice time-stretch algo.

But I dont think anybody who gets Tracktion right now is very concerned with a good algo . T has always had one of the worst time stretch algos in history. If time stretch is a priority for you then obviously you'd be better off with Acid (which is where GB got its time stretch by the way) or Live etc.

I wish I could find all the "SoundTrack is gonna kill Tracktion" posts. There was quite a few of them. Everybody swore SoundTrack would kill off a bunch of sequencers on the Mac. Then it was Garageband. Marketing is a hell of a drug.