tracktion audio problems

[poppet]

Hi, i'm new to tracktion and the whole concept of virtual studios. Ive just got a behringer umx250, which ive attached to laptop via provided usb cable. Driver for keyboard auto-downloaded.
I can hear the sample projects i downloaded from behringers website, but when i start a new project of my own i can hear nothing from the keyboard and when i press 'record' on tracktion it says "recording is only possible when at least one active input device is assigned to a track".
Ive gone into settings and in audio i/o under audio device type i have windows audio, direct sound or asio as choices. Under midi i/o i have microsoft gs wavetable synth and umx250 as choices.
If someone can help point me in the right direction i'd be really grateful, im feeling quite stupid at present. Thank you.

[theoldguy]

Hi poppet

Let's do one step at a time.

On the left end of the track there's a field that comes to a point, pointing toward the track (it is where you click to select your input for the track). also has a little meter stripe and an "R". Click on the R to arm the track. The R will turn red. Then click on the Record button on the right side of the screen and the transport should start moving and you are actually able to start recording.

Even if you can't hear anything, play and record for 20 seconds then rewind back to the start. You should see a representation of the waveform on the track and (if you have the rest of the playback variables correctly selected in your Settings tab at the top of the page) you should be able to hear what you recorded.

If you can't hear what you recorded but you can SEE something is recorded by looking at the track itself or it is very low volume but you can hear it, just go to the Properties panel at the bottom of the screen and hold down your left mouse button on the "Volume" field and move it to the right to increase the volume OR select that field and type in a volume increase. Then try to play it back again.

The first step is to get you recording. Once you are recording you can use playback to troubleshoot audio monitor problems if you have any .

I don't know where you are in the world but I'm in the US in the East Coast time zone (5).

It is about 6 PM and I am leaving work to go home so try the first paragraph to see if you can record and post the results (good or bad) here under this topic and someone in Tracktion World will probably help you with the next step.

Great bunch of people on this forum and they've helped me a lot. In any case I'll check back when I get home in a couple of hours to see how you are doing. We'll keep working on it until you can put a smiley face on your post.

Regards,

theoldguy

[klangbastler]

on the settings page under audio choose the umx as audiointerface.
under midi also the umx as midi interface.

the oldguy walked you through the audiorecording. try his suggestions, when you want to record something with the audiointerface of the umx.

when you want to play with the keyboard through tracktion, you need two things.
on the trackinput you have to choose your midi device (in your case the umx).
to hear something, you need to insert an instrument on the right side of the tracktion window. this can then be played with your midikeyboard.
here is a link to the tracktion 4 quickstart pdf. most of the things in there will point you to the basic operation of tracktion 5 also:
http://www.tracktion.com/wp/wp-content/ ... Rev-A4.pdf

instruments or effects, that can be inserted at the right side of a track, are called filters in tracktion.

go slow and don't give up too fast. a modern daw is a complex thing and to understand the basic operation principles, you will need some time.

have fun, while experimenting.

[poppet]

Hello both and thank you for your replies. I have managed to record something, but it turned out to be the computer recording via external microphone.
I think my problems may partly lie in the audio and midi settings. I have attached three images in case they might shed a bit of light on it.

[Ben di Arrows]

Hi poppet
From the screenshots you will be able to record the midi input, but you have no virtual instrument so no sound will be produced.
Tracktion comes with no sound modules so I suggest you find a free synth or two through KVR.

Also Direct Sound is always the worst option, but that's not as important for now.


The old T4 manual can be found here http://www.tracktion.com/wp/wp-content/ ... Rev-A4.pdf
This should help walk you through the basics. Also I would suggest the videos on the Tracktion site.

Good luck

[poppet]

Ive actually done it! The 'destination output' for the track wasnt set to anything, so i changed it and it worked. Ive been able to record and play. Thanks to you both for your help!

[Razed]

You didn't happen to come across the problem of your vocals recording/playing back slow and behind beat did you? Mine sounds like I'm drunk and talking slow dragging out words or something?? Haha

[Peter Widdicombe]

the "out of sync" tends to work better using ASIO drivers - if you have a specialty audio card or mixer, it may come with drivers; if not the ASIO4FREE will typically work well.

I've found DirectSound to be the worst, and WindowsAudio to be somewhat acceptable. But ASIO can be tuned, and will be endorsed by most that use it.

[Mr_No_Face]

I am having this same issue and reading through the replies, I have not found a solution. The links to any documentation in this tread is no longer available.

I have a track with my Midi controller set to the input. MPK3 Mini
I have a plugin enabled and I can hear the sounds as I play the midi controller.
The little triangle with the RECORD button is active, enabling recording for the midi controller input on this track.
BUT any time I try to click the main record button, I get the " record is only possible when at least one active input device is assigned to at rack" error. It does not run any kind of recording.

I checked out several quick start guide and full tutorials but every one I see, it just works. I don't understand.

[Dark Lane]

One thing to check...If you select the MIDI Input for the track you want to record to, in the Controls Panel, check what the Action is set to. If it's set to 'Monitor live input from this device but don't actually record' this is what it will (or rather won't) do. You need to choose one of the other settings.

Also worth checking that no MIDI filter is set, the Channel is 'None' and the Program is 'None' (unless you have a specific need to set one of these controls)

[Peter Widdicombe]

See here viewtopic.php?f=22&t=577147&sid=a164986 ... 596b0c64e3
Red circle is NOT armed, but red chevron with white circle IS armed...

[wayneedanielssr]

This is my first post. I've been away from engineering for a spell so I'm a little rusty.

I'm using Tracktion 7. I have some pre-recorded music tracks. I enable a new track for recording a vocal. The new track is recording all the prerecorded tracks plus the new track I'm trying to record by itself and I can't see why. Is there a setting in Tracktion that has to be changed?

Using a XAir X18 mixer.

[Peter Widdicombe]

Probably not a setting in Waveform. If you can HEAR everything in the room with your microphone, you're going to get that bleed. Try using headphones instead to listen to the other tracks.

[dysjoint]

Does your interface have a loop back feature? I could replicate this with my presonus but I'd have to deliberately set it up.

[Peter Widdicombe]

Before trying to record vocals, I always wondered why they always used headphones in a booth to record vocals.
Nope, you have to make sure the vocal track isn't "polluted" with extraneous room noise, as well as the backing track your recording along with.

Headphones plus a quiet room.

Same problem if miking a guitar cabinet; which is why guitar amp simulators, if you're OK with the sound, are so much easier than using guitar amp and a microphone.