Tracktion Software

jochicago · Post by **jochicago** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 10:22 pm

I'm considering this as a simple audio interface (ideas welcome BTW):

BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UMC404HD
http://amzn.to/2GSFbjX

It says it comes with Tracktion and 150 instruments and plugins. Tried as I might I couldn't find a clear reference either at Behringer not at Tracktion specifying the version of Tracktion included, nor an explanation of what the 150 bundle is.

This is the only reference I could find that links T7 with Behringer:
https://www.tracktion.com/products/t7-daw

But that still has no reference to the 150 bundle. Would that be the DAW Essentials available at Tracktion.com?

(BTW, I'm planning to upgrade to Waveform anyway at some point in the future, but I'm interested in the instruments/plugins with this bundle).

chico.co.uk · Post by **chico.co.uk** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 11:03 pm

You get a license for a copy of Tracktion 7, you don't get DAW essentials. The 150 instruments/effects have nothing to do with Tracktion, it's a separate bundle provided by Behringer.

You can actually download those without buying anything, this page on the Behringer site has a link to the Windows and Mac bundles, either just the instruments, just the effects, or all the software for your o/s of choice. I downloaded them at some point, a while back, out of curiosity. They're all freebies you can find elsewhere online, but bundled together in one zip file.

http://www.musictri.be/Categories/Behri ... /downloads

jochicago · Post by **jochicago** » Thu Mar 01, 2018 12:14 am

Thank you. That makes sense.

fedexnman · Post by **fedexnman** » Thu Mar 01, 2018 12:27 am

Tracktion 6 is free , just create an account over at Tracktion dot com and download and register . No purchase needed . Tracktion 7 comes free with Mackie and Berhinger stuff .

zzz00m · Post by **zzz00m** » Thu Mar 01, 2018 1:27 am

If you need an external audio interface (highly recommended if you don't have one yet), then you can't go wrong picking up Tracktion 7 for free. My understanding is that once you redeem the T7 at the Tracktion site, you will have a Tracktion license in your account that you can then upgrade.

The T6 freebie does not have an upgrade path, but it is very usable, and if you don't need an interface is enough to work with.

jochicago · Post by **jochicago** » Thu Mar 01, 2018 3:54 am

Thanks for all the comments.

I'm getting started with T6 right now and it fits like a glove. I play instruments but never really got into DAW stuff because it always felt foreign. My last attempt was with Cakewalk about 3 years ago, just couldn't get it going between latency issues and wrestling with the interface to do anything there - couldn't get into a mental space to do anything creative.

I'm on a new computer for video editing (home office) and I got my hands on a Novation Launchkey 49 controller, so I decided to try again. Someone recommended Tracktion as a simpler interface that handles itself professionally, and I'm finding it easy this time around. Tracktion 6 just works (I'm sure the PC's power helps too).

USB Interface
I have a Zoom G2.1 pedal that rocks, and it has a USB interface. So I can plug in and record my guitars through that, even my acoustic Yamaha sounds pretty good. I'm also planning to use a Blue USB mic to record vocals for now, so really right now I'm considering the USB interface mainly for plugging in my stage piano. The VST instruments are nice and all, but my CP33 sounds amazing and I'm thinking I should try to record it analog from the piano's audio output rather than fiddle with lesser-sounding free VST or try to coerce a piano performance out of the Novation keyboard when the CP33 plays so well.

Also, the Novation Launchpad is killing me dead right now when I try to play it as a piano. I found a plugin to touch up the key velocity and that's helped a lot, but it still feels too foreign. I know the CP33 can be used as a MIDI controller (would it still work with Win10?) but there's an issue of physical space. The Novation fits nicely on my desk. The CP33 is 88 keys and 40lbs of muscle.

The only other instrument in my near recording future is a cajon for percussion. I'm not sure if I can mic that with the Blue mic, or if I'll have to get a percussion mic and connect via the audio interface.

Thanks again. All your feedback is helpful.

Peter Widdicombe · Post by **Peter Widdicombe** » Thu Mar 01, 2018 11:26 pm

There are things you can do with the CP33... but do you have an audio interface for feeding the audio in? If you DO, remember you can record audio and MIDI at the same time, so it would also be possible to fix errors in MIDI, and send that MIDI back out to the CP33 to play, then feed back into the computer as audio for final mixdown.

jochicago · Post by **jochicago** » Fri Mar 02, 2018 7:31 pm

I wasn't thinking of the CP33 as a midi receiver. That's a great way to retain the ability to clean up the midi work in T6 and still end up with the analog audio out of the CP33. I haven't figured out the wiring yet but it should be easy enough. The CP33 connects to the PC as a midi controller so I should be able to send out to it. Then I probably need an audio interface to record back to the PC, or an external audio recorder and I can always import the file into the DAW once recorded externally.

I don't currently have a stereo USB audio interface. That's why I'm considering the Behringer UMC404HD. I normally don't trust the brand for quality wiring, but that particular model seems to be made to a higher standard and has great recommendations.

I have a Tascam DR05 that could serve as an external recorder, but something is up with the CP33 when I try to plug it into the Tascam. Feels like the CP33's output is hot or high voltage and it comes out very dirty in the recording. I haven't been able to find documentation that explains the CP33's output, but the problem seems to affect all small audio devices I've tried plugging it into except for like amps and the studio monitors I use as it's permanent speakers at home.

Peter Widdicombe · Post by **Peter Widdicombe** » Sat Mar 03, 2018 4:51 am

Sometimes having a little mixer; particularly one with a good USB interface, can make things easier. If it happens to have a switchable stereo bus (i.e. at least an A/B selectable output on channels), it allows you to listen to the whole track through a soundsystem, but have the stereo track your interested in recording feed back to the computer...

jochicago · Post by **jochicago** » Sat Mar 03, 2018 5:30 pm

Any recommendations on a mixer with USB interface? Preferably something that can record more than one channel back to the PC?
(I know that a mixer is supposed to output one channel, but if it is also a USB interface, then it would be handy it it knows it and lets you record at least 2 channels via USB).

BTW, I have a Behringer UB1202 mixer (no USB). I don't use it much, it is inconsistent with noise, but last time it was probably my fault for having it plugged into a battery backup that I use to protect the CP33. I read up on it afterwards and it seems that those introduce noise into the mixer via the power cable.

So my plan was to perhaps rely on the UB1202 for a bit longer as a mixer, and go for a competent USB interface like the UMC404HD with multiple USB channels for recording.

Tracktion Software

KVR Audio

Tracktion + plugin bundle with Behringer hardware