Waveform 13.5.2 Public Beta Available

[dRowAudio]

Just a heads up that we did originally plan to have automation-only clips that would live on automation tracks. However, during development we found there are some technical hurdles that meant this is harder to do (would take longer to implement) than we originally estimated.

Rather than hold clip automation as a feature up for longer, we thought people would want to use it like it is. We’re likely try to add bespoke automation clips in the future.

Also worth mentioning is one of the primary motivations for clip automation is so you can add automation to clips in the launcher. Without this, you basically can’t automate parameters in time with launched clips. In this use case, having the automation live on the clip with the material (audio/midi/step) makes much more sense as you couldn’t have a separate automation clip and launch it at the same time as a content clip.
I hope that makes sense and provides some context for our decisions.

[Maarid]

An automated launcher, yes, that explains everything completely. We know very well that you are innovators and pioneers, which is why we are all here. Just try to choose roads without swamps, as in the 12th version. ,)

[dayvyg]

Just a heads up that we did originally plan to have automation-only clips that would live on automation tracks. However, during development we found there are some technical hurdles that meant this is harder to do (would take longer to implement) than we originally estimated.

Rather than hold clip automation as a feature up for longer, we thought people would want to use it like it is. We’re likely try to add bespoke automation clips in the future.

Also worth mentioning is one of the primary motivations for clip automation is so you can add automation to clips in the launcher. Without this, you basically can’t automate parameters in time with launched clips. In this use case, having the automation live on the clip with the material (audio/midi/step) makes much more sense as you couldn’t have a separate automation clip and launch it at the same time as a content clip.
I hope that makes sense and provides some context for our decisions.

Thanks for the update. It does make more sense now.

[pough]

Waveform Pro 13.5.3 / Windows 10

I recorded three tracks of audio for vocals, then I selected the audio clips and turned them into comp using "Pack Clips to Takes" in the Controls Panel. It created a comp but no matter what I select the comped audio is blank (see below).

After reinstalling 13.3.13, I was able to get the expected comped audio (had to re-select). Now I'm back on the beta again. Comping by using Comp Groups still works, so I will use that for now.

[metamorphosis]

A bug present in 13.3.13 which is still present in the current beta:

When several plugins are selected and some are disabled, pressing 'f' on the keyboard should change the disabled ones to enabled and vice-versa. This has been standard behaviour since T1.

However in W13 if the plugins are selected and you alter the settings in one of the plugin UI's, the behaviour changes to only enabling/disabling the plugin whose settings you changed, not all the plugins selected.
The bug is Quite problematic when A/B'ing different plugins to compare the resulting sound.

[dePUNDIT]

On the topic of releases and numbers etc. We don't have a strict set of rules we work by.
We used to release a major version as a paid update every year but as the number of users and feature set grew, it takes more time to support that. We also got complaints about charging every year.

So we generally switched to a paid upgrade every other year and still tried to pack in some useful features in between. We also started releasing features as expansion packs so people could add them perpetually to Free for a lower fee.

The release months aren't fixed but we do have to draw a line on features somewhere otherwise we certainly wouldn't be able to move on to features that might be more useful to a different set of users.

1. You guys at Tracktion could make Waveform license active for 2 full versions like Cockos did with REAPER. What this means is, if I buy a Waveform license at Version 13, that license will be active for Version 14 & 15, then when Version 16 is released, a license update will be required. That way, no one will complain about paying for licences every year.

2. The one thing you guys have done extremely right so far, is the expansion packs. I love that part of Waveform. I get to pay for only what I need and nothing more. However, I need to ask this question. I use the Waveform OEM Version and I recently purchased the "Midi Producer" expansion pack. Now let's say I'd like to upgrade to Waveform Pro. What would that mean for me?

• Being that I own Waveform OEM, will I be buying the Pro version under new license pricing or under upgrade pricing?

• Being that I paid for the "Midi Producer" extension pack, will that affect my pricing or will I still be paying full price for the license?

3. I understand "drawing the line on features somewhere" as you said but you guys have to understand that Waveform is seriously lacking behind in features.

• The audio engine is very CPU intensive. I mirrored a project in Waveform, REAPER, Reason, Cubase and FL Studio. Waveform consumed the highest CPU at around 56% while REAPER consumed the lowest at around 4.5%. The closest to Waveform in all the daws was Reason at 13% which is still 43% less consumption.

• Waveform doesn't have a "smart disable inactive Plugin" function which will definitely reduce it's CPU consumption.

• Waveform samplers don't even have a simple portamento.

• Waveform doesn't have ARA2 support. It didn't even properly support ARA in the first place. Apart from Melodyne, no other ARA enabled Plugin has ever worked in Waveform and yet it is marketed as one of the first to have ARA support.

All of these are not actually advanced features neither are they features that users should be having to request for for years without seeing any real improvements. These are basic features that I would expect from a paid pro level tool like Waveform or even any new DAW be it free or paidbbeing released today. The fact that the support team doesn't actually respond to mails is also another very annoying aspect of Waveform. Once you guys make these basic features available, then you can talk about "drawing the line on features".

[pough]

Once you guys make these basic features available, then you can talk about "drawing the line on features".

Finally, you are here to tell them what to do.

[talby]

(...)

You are pointing out a lot of valid criticism. Yes, a lot of issues with Waveform, but to be fair, there are also a lot of issues or shortcomings with the products of the competitors.
I could only comment an a few of your points, the ones I cited below and [numbered] in the citation:

(...) [1] That way, no one will complain about paying for licences every year.
(...) [2] Being that I paid for the "Midi Producer" extension pack, will that affect my pricing or will I still be paying full price for the license?
(...) [3] Waveform doesn't have a "smart disable inactive Plugin" function which will definitely reduce it's CPU consumption.

[1] How often do they publish and thus charge for a new version, once every 18 month, every 24 month? It then is widely know that several times throughout the year they in the past offered their products for a huge discount, close to half the list price. I assume that many customers are regularly taking advantage of these offers and then it is not as expensive as list prices announce it.

[2] This is a detail which only their team could answer you. Maybe their finance department is more responsive than their OEM product support team?

[3] There are several options made available for helping with performance issues. As I do not know how other products are set up, I couldn't judge if these options leave WF still in a comparable state in comparison to other products. Maybe restricting WF a little bit is actually bringing it down to what others offer as their default? You may just want to give it a try and find out. The fifth, bold marked option could be the one you are searching for?

• SETTINGS - Appearance - Look and Feel - Simplify user interface = activate

• SETTINGS - Appearance - Animate UI panels = deactivate

• SETTINGS - Appearance - Clips - Use hi-res waveforms = off

• SETTINGS - Audio Devices - Sample rate & Audio buffer size = in each app exactly the same for a valid comparison of the system load

• SETTINGS - Advanced - Audio engine - "Remove bypassed plugins from playback (reduced latency)" = activate

• SETTINGS - Advanced - Performance - Use 64-bit maths when mixing = deactivate

I think that one of the biggest disadvantages of Tracktion is, that despite having so many users, many are only making use of the FREE version and are not willing or able to support development by a purchase of a PRO license which could help to increase the available budget of Tracktion for hiring more programmers and support workers.
To me it appears as if Tracktion is on risk to get stuck in a vicious circle: on the one side they suffer still dissatisfied users and subsequently bad press because these users do not see sufficient money invested in the maintenance and development of the product, and on the other side they might not have an exuberant budget to spend for increasing the staff because there are still many details about which users are dissatisfied and therefore hesitating to spend money on the product.
Maybe they should for the FREE users open a nicely visible but unintrusive option for sending a voluntary contribution. Some users who are not in need of a PRO license or Expansion Pack might still be willing to support them a little bit.

[cjayconrod]

Waveform Pro 13.5.3 / Windows 10

I recorded three tracks of audio for vocals, then I selected the audio clips and turned them into comp using "Pack Clips to Takes" in the Controls Panel. It created a comp but no matter what I select the comped audio is blank (see below).

After reinstalling 13.3.13, I was able to get the expected comped audio (had to re-select). Now I'm back on the beta again. Comping by using Comp Groups still works, so I will use that for now.

I'm running Pro 13.5.3 in MacOS 15.5 and am running into the same issue with comping audio recorded in loop mode.

Screenshot 2025-06-30 at 6.18.53 PM.png