Help me out here chaps...

[Karbon L. Forms]

Me mate's a logic/pro-tools (prefers logic) studio-full-of-wierd-boxes kind of chap. He's interested in what little old me uses.

I said (rather overexcitedly)...

CHECK OUT TRACKTION!!!! The host with the most. Don't be a sad old pro who dismisses it because it doesn't cost £499!! (it's about £45) http://www.rawmaterialsoftware.com/ A LOT of musicians have dumped Cubase/Logic/Sonar for Tracktion. And T2 is gonna wipe the floor with them. Check out the new features on SX3 and Sonar 4, then look at what Tracktions been doing for ages. The big boys are shitting themselves.

He replied...

I will try the sequencer...however I use a control surface (as transport and
for plugins) does Tracktion support integrated control surfaces and core
audio drivers? What are the reports on the internet re latency when
integrated with say MOTU 896hd or the Yamaha 01x.

How should I respond? I'd rather not say "errr f**k knows mate!" He's under the impression T's a toy / educational tool.

The control surface issue for instance. That's touted for T2 right?

[Bantam]

Personally, I'd recommend that he sticks with Logic, especially if he uses a control surface. There is no official word that T2 will support them yet although it has been asked for, and is supposed to be in the next version but there is no indication of when it'll be out.

How long could your friend do without the use of his control surface?


Maybe recommend it to him again when T2 is out and the program is a bit more mature.

[GaryG]

There's no official word on anything at the moment but I think external controller support is pretty much a given; versions of T at NAMM supported the baby HUI I believe...

.g

[Bantam]

True. But T2 isn't here yet and there's no word on when it will be. I'd be hesitant to recommend it to someone who needed to use a control surface on the basis that it could still be quite a way from release.

[Karbon L. Forms]

Cheers guys.

I'm not trying to convert him as such. I'd just like him to be impressed enough to keep an eye on it.

So the surface is a nono then at the mo. What about his latency question? I don't have a clue what e's on abhat.

[Bantam]

I think latency should be the same as in any other host. I was under the impression it was determined by the drivers rather than the host software.

[chico.co.uk]

Control surface will work fine for plugins, won't it? It only won't work for triggering play, record, stop, volume faders etc that belong to tracktion itself.

As for the latency, that will depend on the overall spec of the machine it's running on, not just the card, so best way to find out is to try it. It only takes 5 mins to install the demo.

[rockstar_not]

I'm not trying to convert him as such. I'd just like him to be impressed enough to keep an eye on it.

He already has Logic. The only way you are going to be able to 'impress' him with T is by your music that you make with T.

I converted to T from the bottom; using a cheaper sequencer than T (PG Music's Power Tracks Pro Audio - which still has way better MIDI implementation than T). The single screen interface is what does it for me, even with some warts.

If he is comfortable with Logic and the control surface, then in a way, he's using it more like an instrument - playing the software through hardware. That's hard to un-learn, if even possible.

Maybe Mackie's 'Big Knob/Spike/Tracktion' will be the control surface audio interface software combo that will truly get the attention of guys like your buddy.

-Scott