Tracktion Software

ChiroVette · Post by **ChiroVette** » Sun Jun 05, 2022 5:52 pm

Okay for starters, I am trying to create some tracks using keyboard and bass guitar. So I assume I need to use MIDI + USB Keyboard Controller for this.

The sounds I am looking for are:

Hammond Organ
Rhodes Piano
Grand Piano
Bass Guitar

That's at least a good start.

I tried the built in bass plugins for Waveform, and literally none of them sounded anything like a bass guitar. They all sounded like some various synth basses. I couldn't find any of the keyboard sounds/plugins I listed above.

Caveat: If I have to pay cash for them, that's fine. Although, given how awesome Tracktion/Waveform has been to me for the past month+ I would prefer it if I bought them from Tracktion, if they even sell authentic sounding plugins I listed.

Watchful · Post by **Watchful** » Sun Jun 05, 2022 11:45 pm

Try a demo of Tracktion Collective. Has those sounds and more. If you like 'em, then you can send them the cost; if you don't like them, you lost nothing.

DavidPardy · Post by **DavidPardy** » Sun Jun 05, 2022 11:54 pm

I quite like the free instruments you get with Cakewalk (also free). Otherwise another good free bass is Ample Bass, although from memory it doesn't go below standard E tuning. But otherwise yes, Collective is definitely worth having regardless - there's a lot of good stuff in there.

jabe · Post by **jabe** » Mon Jun 06, 2022 2:24 am

Don't know if it helps, but I have a Yamaha DX27 keyboard and the sound I favoured for bass was its Sitar one. It had a twang like a guitar and playing it with lower notes than usual made it unrecognisable as a Sitar and rather good as a bass guitar. I know you asked for a plug-in, but if you can get a DX7 or similar plug-in then it might be worth a try. Then again, since you have a bass guitar, why not record it as audio?

jabe · Post by **jabe** » Mon Jun 06, 2022 2:45 am

Just found this: at NAMM 2022 a new Tracktion bass guitar plug-in is being introduced. Put together by Dan Dean.

This is from the Tracktion's new at NAMM 2022 video. The bass plug-in is from 100 seconds in, but posting it here doesn't make it start at 100 seconds, so you'll have to move it along.

Peter Widdicombe · Post by **Peter Widdicombe** » Mon Jun 06, 2022 3:01 am

Yeah, must admit I tried and liked several of the instruments in the Cakewalk/Bandlab default install. Bass guitar, Electric Piano, and strings are all pretty decent - maybe not the best out there, but quite usable.

Keyzone Classic has 5 different pianos in one package (free). 3 of them (2 conventional and a Rhodes) are pretty good.
Sweetcase is a better Rhodes-only emulation.

There are a number of good standard sound library players out there - I used to use SFZ a lot (small/fast DLL, but 32 bit) but until recently couldn't find a good player for 64-bit. Sobanth loads those ".SF2" format libraries, and some of them have a LOT of reasonable sounds with the right sample library installed - some concentrating on classical, jazz, or sound effects. "ChoriumRevB" actually has a sampled 808/909 drum set ; and one of the low notes is a snare roll - so c# rolls, and then releasing that and hitting the C underneath terminates the roll with a nice solid hit. And who doesn't occasionally want a timpani or tubular bells <grin>.

Organ - AZR3 has some gritty Deep Purple like sounds and overdrive options; Combo F is a "cleaner" alternative. Both have programmable rotary speaker emulation.

pough · Post by **pough** » Mon Jun 06, 2022 3:06 am

Have you tried the sounds in the Rompler? Do you have the Rompler? It would be helpful to know which version of Waveform you are using so we don't end up recommending things you can't use. (Operating system, too.)

Free B3s:
https://www.lostin70s.com/plugins/HaNonB70
https://sampleson.com/collab3-free-tonewheel-organ.html

Best B3:
https://gg-audio.com/blue3.html

Sampleson (linked-to above) has a few Rhodes and Rhodes-like plugins.

jabe · Post by **jabe** » Mon Jun 06, 2022 3:09 am

There's also the free prehistoric Steinberg VB-1 bass guitar plug-in. It's been around since biblical times and was made 64-bit in 2011ish. It might do the job.

https://www.kvraudio.com/product/vb-1-by-steinberg

ChiroVette · Post by **ChiroVette** » Mon Jun 06, 2022 4:14 am

I have to be honest, and say I don't understand more than half of what I'm reading in this thread and the videos/links I am clicking on. I watched the video, and looked up Tracktion Collective, went to some sites about it, but it's like reading another language. I think the problem is that you guys are all high end producers and content creators, and I'm just a musician looking to edit some of the backing tracks I downloaded and maybe make some of my own, if I can figure out how to play piano/organ parts without being able to play the piano or organ and create drum tracks without being able to play drums.

I think that unless I start going to school on the sophisticated nuances of DAW programs and all the intricacies of synthesizing music, that my wheelhouse is always going to be playing. I do seem to have a talent for finding very creative ways of editing tracks I have already downloaded, and have managed to surprise myself, but my wheelhouse is in guitar playing/vocals, and while I did manage to create a basic drum track using a MIDI track and a little USB keyboard, it was really long and tedious, and I wanted to kill myself halfway through the process after multiple takes of trying to tap out rhythmic Toms/high-hats/symbols/snare/kick. Although I did manage to create a coherent (I think) drum track, but who knows? I'm not a drummer. Also, I am a rocker. Classic rock and jam bands. I am so not up for creating electronic music or doing any high end production. I just want to figure out how to make drums/keys/bass tracks in a timely manner. Maybe some day I might want to try to use...gasp...strings or horns. But not today, and certainly not any time soon. Forget about actually composing songs with this tech from the ground up. I just don't see it happening.

-I will look into Tracktion Collective a little more, but in the half dozen sites I looked in, I saw no info on the sounds/instruments I mentioned. They may be there, but I didn't see it.

-As far as the DX27 info, are you suggesting I buy a Yamaha keyboard? Or is that something else you're saying?

-Cakewalk is a DAW, right? I don't want to start using another one just to have some sounds. I am having a hard enough time working with Waveform.

-I don't understand any of what you said, Peter Widdicombe. It's like reading another language.

-I don't know what Rompler is, but I will look it up.

-Someone asked about my OS and stuff: Windows 11 64 Bit, very high and gaming laptop with way more horses under the hood than what I would likely need for these kinds of tasks. I am using Waveform 11 Free.

ChiroVette · Post by **ChiroVette** » Mon Jun 06, 2022 4:27 am

By the way, I wanted to put this into a separate post. When watching that video jabe posted, and the expert way the content creator was showing off the features (and this applies to all the videos I watched and sites I went to after reading all your responses) my entire takeaway from literally everything I read and watched was, "Wow, look at all the pretty colors!"

I will say that I am blown away by the way that all these DAWs and plugins and videos and big, beautiful virtual work-surfaces I have been seeing all do their thing. But I am a long way of understanding any of this conceptually, much less doing anything productive with its amazing power. One thing I have to admit is that these plugins and programs (or whatever it is I am looking at) really does have the ability to put on one helluva light and fireworks show. It is incredibly impressive, and just as incredibly intimidating.

DavidPardy · Post by **DavidPardy** » Mon Jun 06, 2022 9:27 am

Hi Chiro, most of what everyone is talking about are plugins (typically VST and VST Instruments), even the ones that come with Cakewalk can be used in other DAWs, you don't have to switch.

Virtually any VST will install to a default location which Waveform will scan for VSTs in by default. If you're not particularly computer savvy, this makes things easier.

I highly recommend if you're unfamiliar with using Waveform, go through each tutorial video. Just learn pieces at a time. It is quite easy and intuitive but you don't know how to use what you don't understand. The tutorial videos are the best way to understand what's happening.

fde101 · Post by **fde101** » Mon Jun 06, 2022 9:52 am

ChiroVette wrote: Mon Jun 06, 2022 4:27 am By the way, I wanted to put this into a separate post. When watching that video jabe posted, and the expert way the content creator was showing off the features (and this applies to all the videos I watched and sites I went to after reading all your responses) my entire takeaway from literally everything I read and watched was, "Wow, look at all the pretty colors!"

That video is mostly a teaser trailer - it doesn't really try to explain anything. It was essentially a way to show off to people who already have some idea of what is going on.

I will say that I am blown away by the way that all these DAWs and plugins and videos and big, beautiful virtual work-surfaces I have been seeing all do their thing. But I am a long way of understanding any of this conceptually, much less doing anything productive with its amazing power. One thing I have to admit is that these plugins and programs (or whatever it is I am looking at) really does have the ability to put on one helluva light and fireworks show. It is incredibly impressive, and just as incredibly intimidating.

At your level you shouldn't be too concerned about all of the details of all things like they were showing in that video. Short version: Collective is a plugin which is included in the paid version of Waveform which includes a bunch of sounds you can pick from, among which are those you are looking for (and a lot more). It is one-stop shopping to get you started with a large collection of sounds. Add the plugin to a track and it presents you with a list of those sounds to choose from.

It is not the only such plugin, but if you are hoping to stay within the Tracktion ecosphere, that is certainly one way to do so.

In the meantime, you should probably find some good tutorials to teach you more of those details and how everything fits together.

This is probably as good a place to get started as any:

ChiroVette · Post by **ChiroVette** » Mon Jun 06, 2022 10:32 am

DavidPardy wrote: Mon Jun 06, 2022 9:27 am Hi Chiro, most of what everyone is talking about are plugins (typically VST and VST Instruments), even the ones that come with Cakewalk can be used in other DAWs, you don't have to switch.

Virtually any VST will install to a default location which Waveform will scan for VSTs in by default. If you're not particularly computer savvy, this makes things easier.

I highly recommend if you're unfamiliar with using Waveform, go through each tutorial video. Just learn pieces at a time. It is quite easy and intuitive but you don't know how to use what you don't understand. The tutorial videos are the best way to understand what's happening.

I actually went through the entire series, which I think is like 12 or 15 vids, but now that I am more experienced with Waveform, I probably need to go through them again. A lot of the nuances were likely lost on me as when I first watched them, I didn't have the experience with Tracktion that I do now, so a lot of stuff probably didn't register.

Does anyone have a list of what instruments come with Tracktion Collective? I can't seem to find anything in the reviews and the other Collective pages.

fde101 wrote: Mon Jun 06, 2022 9:52 am At your level you shouldn't be too concerned about all of the details of all things like they were showing in that video. Short version: Collective is a plugin which is included in the paid version of Waveform which includes a bunch of sounds you can pick from, among which are those you are looking for (and a lot more). It is one-stop shopping to get you started with a large collection of sounds. Add the plugin to a track and it presents you with a list of those sounds to choose from.

It is not the only such plugin, but if you are hoping to stay within the Tracktion ecosphere, that is certainly one way to do so.

In the meantime, you should probably find some good tutorials to teach you more of those details and how everything fits together.

This is probably as good a place to get started as any:

<span class="skimlinks-unlinked">>

I watched the video, and luckily I am experienced enough so that it was mostly review. I will try to watch some more tutorials. I am going to do another Google search now, but to reiterate, as much help as I need with all this as a beginner, for the moment, if I can come out of this thread with what I asked for in the first post, that would be a great start.

I need plugin/instruments/synth that I can press keys on my MIDI keyboard and record/hear that instrument. I use MT PowerDrumkit for drums, and it has great sounds. Though I have NO IDEA how to play drums, as I said. What I need right now are:

-Hammond Organ or some close fascimile
-Rhodes Piano or something close
-Bass guitar (but it really has to sound like playing a bass when I press the keys on my keyboard)
-Piano - anything like a Grand or a Baby Grand would do.

DavidPardy · Post by **DavidPardy** » Mon Jun 06, 2022 11:49 am

Have you actually tried any of the plugins suggested yet? You can install Cakewalk and use its plugins in Waveform. You can get Keyzone Classic for free, and it will cover you for piano. Collective from memory has Hammond and Rhodes sounds. If you know how to install and use MTPower Drumkit, the others function the same way.

ChiroVette · Post by **ChiroVette** » Mon Jun 06, 2022 12:15 pm

DavidPardy wrote: Mon Jun 06, 2022 11:49 am Have you actually tried any of the plugins suggested yet? You can install Cakewalk and use its plugins in Waveform. You can get Keyzone Classic for free, and it will cover you for piano. Collective from memory has Hammond and Rhodes sounds. If you know how to install and use MTPower Drumkit, the others function the same way.

Not yet, going to do that next. I decided to start going through the 15 Waveform Quick Start on Youtue again. I realized after reading your post above this morning that I went through them all way too early to truly benefit from them. I thought I was doing myself a favor by grinding it out and watching all 15 of them before I had any sort of a clue, and I realize now, watching them a second time with a little more experience under my belt that I missed a ton of information that I simply didn't have the knowledge to understand most of what is being said and taught in them. Obviously the first one or two are very rudimentary, but starting with the third vid, I am really starting to hone in on information that I wasn't able to really process a month ago, when I was first starting out having never used a DAW before.

That said, when I get home a little later, I will download Cakewalk, Keyzone Classic, and the trial version of Collective. Honestly, even if I only get ONE useful sound from Collective, I am more than happy to pay Tracktion the $60.00 for it, if for no other reason than a huge THANK YOU for all the benefit I am getting from Waveform 11 Free. These people work hard, and deserve to be paid, one way or another.

I am 100% sure I will get more than one or two sounds from Collective, so I may just download the trial and buy it right away once I try a couple of sounds.

I was initially reticent about downloading other DAW programs (I assume Cakewalk and Keyzone are DAW?) only because I didn't want to clutter my hard drive up with more programs I don't need, but it sounds like the benefits for downloading them far exceed any of my cheapskate space issues.

Tracktion Software

KVR Audio

Plugins For Various Instruments