Tracktion Software

thomasross20 · Post by **thomasross20** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 10:08 am

Just want to say a quick thanks to everybody on here for their prompt help and explanations - was up until 2am playing about with Tracktion and you helped me get it running with the VSTs which is greatly appreciated!

I was recommended Reaper as a DAW but for me, Tracktion is much faster and more intuitive.

jabe · Post by **jabe** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 1:50 pm

Ben di Arrows wrote:
jabe wrote: I don't know if the Melodyne plug-in's gone 64-bit yet.
32 and 64 bit.

Thanks.

thomasross20 · Post by **thomasross20** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 3:17 pm

This entire forum is like a library ... full of knowledge. Barely know where to start reading now!

thomasross20 · Post by **thomasross20** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 5:03 pm

OK...... plugins.....

I saw this:
http://www.mackie.com/products/tracktio ... l#PLUG-INS

Are we still meant to get these with Tracktion - if so, how do I get them?
Which other VSTs are recommended?

jabe · Post by **jabe** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 5:25 pm

thomasross20 wrote:OK...... plugins.....

I saw this:
http://www.mackie.com/products/tracktio ... l#PLUG-INS

Are we still meant to get these with Tracktion - if so, how do I get them?
Which other VSTs are recommended?

No. Until late 2013 Tracktion was owned by Mackie. Tracktion 2 and Tracktion 3 sold in boxes and were accompanied by those plug-ins, some restricted versions of full-priced ones, and some not. In 2013, TSC was created and Jules regained control of Tracktion and Mackie was ditched. They'd let Tracktion rot for several years.

Recommended VSTs. Hmm. KVR is awash with plug-ins and links to more, very many free. If you're in the UK, you might buy and read Computer Music, which, each month, hands out a comprehensive range of plug-ins on its attached DVDs, covering most of what you'd want them for.

pough · Post by **pough** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 5:31 pm

thomasross20 wrote:Which other VSTs are recommended?

My recommendation for a basic starter set of plugins to replace the now defunct Mackie offerings is ToneBoosters.

http://www.toneboosters.com/

Get the TrackEssentials bundle for your basic track needs (chorus, EQ, de-esser, gate, reverb, compressor) and then Barricade for your final master limiter.

thomasross20 · Post by **thomasross20** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 5:43 pm

Thank you both for the info and recommendations there!
It seems there are literally tens of thousands of VST plugins. It's bewildering, and most seem to do the same thing!!

I've got jamstix for drums.... Tracktion has its free EQ plugins (I wish there was a manual for these)... I think I need a good bass plugin and I'm set. What else would I need!?

jabe · Post by **jabe** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 5:57 pm

It depends what sort of music you want to produce.

The Feb issue of Computer Music mag has plug-ins in these categories:

Effects
Noise gate; 6 EQ/filter; 2 wave form analysis; 5 dynamics, including 3 compressors; 2 multi-effects; 2 delay reverb; 5 distortion/saturation.

Instruments
9 synths; a drum machine; 2 samplers; a soundfont (SFZ) player; and a few others.

Some might be Mac only or PC only.

thomasross20 · Post by **thomasross20** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 6:10 pm

Here's what I'll be wanting to record:

Guitar tracks (using a Line 6 Toneport with its in-built models).
Some vox (again going through the toneport).
I want to program bass in somehow (midi?).
Maybe the odd effect.

I don't think I actually need much else! I find I'm spending more time checking all this out than actually playing!

jabe · Post by **jabe** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 6:14 pm

This has descriptions of most of the types of studio effects available (I'll read it myself!):
http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/ ... cts-569347

As you said, there are hundreds of plug-ins that do much the same kind of thing, so it's a case of finding one or two that you like and learning how to use them. If their limitations eventually get to be too much for you, you can then seek better or different ones that suit you.

The KVR site has an upload/download area containing presets/settings for many plug-in effects and instruments.

As far as I can remember, the only plug-ins I've ever paid for are Melodyne (but you can have it free), Final Mix, and Garritan Personal Orchestra.

thomasross20 · Post by **thomasross20** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 6:16 pm

Do you have the full version of Melodyne? I have "Essentials" which isn't the polyphonic one (not sure if it'd be worth it).
Actually, it's not working for me right now!

Good old Musicradar - thanks for that!

jabe · Post by **jabe** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 6:20 pm

thomasross20 wrote:Here's what I'll be wanting to record:

Guitar tracks (using a Line 6 Toneport with its in-built models).
Some vox (again going through the toneport).
I want to program bass in somehow (midi?).
Maybe the odd effect.

I don't think I actually need much else! I find I'm spending more time checking all this out than actually playing!

Oh good, someone that likes real instruments!

It's easy to spend more time looking at gear than using it...

If you're a guitarist, you might consider playing your basslines on guitar and using a pitch shifter to move the audio to the bass range. T6 comes with a pitch shifter that works on audio and MIDI. On some old recordings I did bass with MIDI using a sitar sounds from a syth; it gave me a nice slightly twangy sound and was so far from the normal sitar range that nobody would have guessed what it was.

I might get round to buying EZDrummer 2 later this year.

jabe · Post by **jabe** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 6:24 pm

thomasross20 wrote:Do you have the full version of Melodyne? I have "Essentials" which isn't the polyphonic one (not sure if it'd be worth it).
Actually, it's not working for me right now!

Good old Musicradar - thanks for that!

I do have the full Melodyne. Studio v3.2 is the latest. Hasn't been updated for yonks though and doesn't yet have Direct Note Access.

thomasross20 · Post by **thomasross20** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 6:32 pm

Yep, a real instrumentalist here - guitarist of 15+ years.

I want to reduce the Tracktion/jamstix side of things as much as possible so I can focus on guitar/songs.

That's why I chose Tracktion - it is the simplest! Reaper was recommended but I didn't find it as straightforward. Jamstix is great for emulating realistic drums (though I doubt I'd buy EZDrummer for the drum sounds despite them sounding great).

Good idea to use the pitch shifter but I just tried it on an existing guitar track and it sounded pretty weird lol... I tried 4FrontBass but didn't think it sounded amazing. Don't have a MIDI keyboard so need to learn how to do it with point & click.

jabe · Post by **jabe** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:05 pm

Pity the pitch-shift didn't work!

Steinberg did a bass guitar plug-in called VB-1 and I've just found that they've continued and updated it:
http://www.kvraudio.com/product/vb-1-by-steinberg
A bit of MIDI behind that might help.

A couple of years back I bought a You Rock Guitar which can produce MIDI and might be a more natural way for you to get MIDI into a DAW: http://yourockguitar.com/

Tracktion Software

KVR Audio

Going to buy Tracktion... few questions