Ok, so i'm brand new at all this...

[rudebwoy]

Hello all,
Now i've gotten as far as dl'ing the demo version of Traktion2 from the Mackie website, and thats about it... I know it says it's supposed to be the most simple to use out of all the music production programs, but i am so totally lost it aint even funny. I really dont even know where to begin. From what i can see right off the bat, it seems that my computer didnt download any of the plug-ins that it was supposed to. there is no "edit" screen where i can view all the racks, there is just a "projects" and "settings". Am i right here or no??

I dont really have a clue what im talking about here if you havent noticed. Getting into the whole production thing is something ive wanted to do for years now, but have just recently been thinking strongly about. After DJ'ing for 5 years, it just seems to be natural progression. This is not unlike learning a whole new language i take it. I dont know what a VST is, I thought i had an idea what a plug-in was until yesterday... im not even sure i know what a MIDI is now. It is a little frustrating, but thankfully we live in an age where i can just log on to something like this and pray that some wise, yoda-like producing genius can virtually take my hand and teach me at least just a few of the beginner steps. Just enough for me to get the ball rolling cofortably on my own.

I'm running a HP Pavilion zv5000 laptop AMD Athalon 64 processor, 797 Mhz, 512 mb, 80 Gig.

ANY HELP WOULD BE SO VERY MUCH APPRECIATED
thank you.

[bluedad]

After DJ'ing for 5 years, it just seems to be natural progression.

Ableton Live 5
(I know I'm going to be crucified for posting that answer in this forum...but it just seems a natural answer if you want to continue in that style)

[mandolarian]

Take a deep breath. Then:
From the Project menu, which is where I think you are stuck, Click on one of the demo projects on the far left pane.
Then under 'Items in Project' Double-Click on the Edit, which in the demo will be the same name as the project. And swoosh, you're off to the edit screen.

And you can always RTFM, but how much fun is that?

And spend another hour with T and you'll an expert. Really.

[IIRs]

In the projects screen, locate an 'edit' and double-click it.. you should now be looking at tracks & racks & stuff

I suggest that, while you find your feet, you enable the pop-up help (F11) with the "use longer delay" option ("help!" menu)

[rudebwoy]

I dj Drum and bass. "knowledge" is a drum and bass magazine that gave Traktion2 an awesome review, said it was great for DnB production. Up there in the same ranks as Cubase and Logic.

[IIRs]

Nah, Tracktion pisses all over Cubase & Logic (I don't care what style)

[Lunch Money]

Let's see what we can do:

From what i can see right off the bat, it seems that my computer didnt download any of the plug-ins that it was supposed to.

When you say "download", do you mean install? Either way, you won't be able to 'see' them until you're working on a song. In the settings page, there's only a list of the 'paths', not each individual plug-in. The path is the directory that Tracktion will look for plug-ins in. Incidentally, you can add new paths if you install to different directories, but Tracktion won't recognize new plug-ins until their directory is added and the plug-ins are scanned.

I just use "D:\VST Plugins" in addition to the paths that Tracktion sets up during installation. Then I install all new plug-ins to "D:\VST Plugins" so that I don't have to keep adding new paths.

When you say there is no "edit" screen where i can view all the racks, there is just a "projects" and "settings". Am i right here or no??

There's no edit screen until you open an edit. Assuming you just want to poke around a bit first, select one of the example projects. In the list of files that appears, double-click one of the items that's an "EDIT". In the examples, I think each only HAS one edit.

Once you're in there, you'll see that everything goes left-to-right. On the left are your installed and activated audio devices, which you can point at a track. In the middle are the tracks. Each track can contain "clips" which are either audio or MIDI. Tracktion, unlike many other softwares, will let you put as many overlapping clips as you like, and those clips may be audio OR MIDI. In most situations you won't want to, but there are SOME tricks and uses to having both Audio and MIDI in a track.

On the right are what Tracktion calls "filters", which is just Tracktion-ese for "plug-ins". To add a new plug-in to a track, mouse to the upper right icon labelled "filters", and drag the icon into a track's filter area. Then a list of installed plug-ins will appear.

I dont know what a VST is, I thought i had an idea what a plug-in was until yesterday...

You probably DO know what a plug-in is, but you haven't seen one yet because you haven't seen an edit. Tracktion calls them "filters", but they're still plug-ins. VST is just a particular 'type' of plug-in. Some programs use the VST format, and some don't.

im not even sure i know what a MIDI is now.

It's far too involved for me to explain, but think of MIDI as data that can be converted into music or music-related messages. Kind of like music notation, but as a file format. MIDI is data and not sound, though, so you need to send MIDI information to a device that will understand it and use it. Kind of like sheet music. Sheet music doesn't "sound" like anything until you give it to a musician to play, and then the musician interprets it and makes sound from it.

djsubject has a beginner video you should watch. Let me track down the link...

Greg

[Lunch Money]

Here we go:

http://www.skirize.adbe.org/T2start.mov

[djsubject]

After DJ'ing for 5 years, it just seems to be natural progression.

Ableton Live 5
(I know I'm going to be crucified for posting that answer in this forum...but it just seems a natural answer if you want to continue in that style)

wheres the cross? i got a hammer & some rusty 9" nails



ps in my sig (at the bottom of this post) there is a link to a getting started in T2 video

but it dosent cover opening a edit

if you look in the projects page there are some folders with demo tunes, if you click one of them it will show the contence, in there will be a "edit" file, double click it & a edit will open (with the demo tune you selected in there)

good luck

PS, i find T2 much easyer to use than live five! but live is a good app! with a free demo aswell,

so go ahead & try them all

Subz

EDIT: shit, do i realy type that slow

the post i quoted was the last post when i started

[rudebwoy]

wow thanks for all the support Im sure all this info will for sure get me going with it. MANY THANKS!!

This was said on another msg board i post on..
"Tracktion2 has its attractive points, but the MIDI editing is absolutely terrible. If you're only working with audio clips you're safe, otherwise forget it."

Any truth in this?

[koolkeys]

That's an opinion of someone who was trying to trash T. The fact is, the MIDI is not up to par with many hosts. It's improving, but it's not at the level of some yet. But that doesn't mean it's not good, or that it's terrible. Many people, including myself, get by just fine with it's MIDI capabilities. It has what most people need for most tasks. What is missing are more advanced features. But don't let that fool you. It's not "terrible" like some may tell you. Good luck!

Koolkeys

[Lunch Money]

I've never found it to be "terrible". If you're shaky enough about what MIDI even IS, you won't be missing any of those 'advanced' features for a long long time.

Greg

[IIRs]

T2's MIDI editing is a little unconventional in some ways: I think people who say its unusable have not really taken the time to learn how to use it.

I earn my living programming MIDI with Cubase btw, so I do know my way around a piano roll..

[rudebwoy]

I knew the views and opinions of you kind folks would help me out a little more than the "it's terrible" comment from that other douche.

Cheers.

[Lunch Money]