REFERENCE MANUAL
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual www.tracktion.com Part No. 900200 Rev. A 01/2013 ©2013 Tracktion Software Corporation. All Rights Reserved. All brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders, and are hereby acknowledged.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Table of Contents Introduction 1: 2: 3: Navigating This Manual............................................................5 Digital Audio, Some Key Concepts...........................................6 MIDI Basics...............................................................................9 Chapter 1: The Projects Page 1.1 : 1.2 : 1.3 : 1.4 : 1.5 : 1.6 : 1.7 : 1.8 : 1.9 : 1.10 : 1.11 : An Overview...........................................................................
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Chapter 5: Recording 5.1 : 5.2 : 5.3 : Assigning And Preparing An Audio Input..............................127 Assigning And Preparing A MIDI Input..................................129 The Recording Modes Explained..........................................130 Chapter 6: The Time-line, Synchronisation, And Snap To Grid 6.1 : 6.2 : 6.3 : 6.4 : 6.5 : 6.6 : 6.7 : The Time-line, And Snap-To-Grid Quantising.......................
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Introduction Tracktion originated in the mind of Julian Storer, an English programmer with a love of audio. Stateside Tracktioneers* will notice a distinctly British flavor to the user interface. To help you understand Tracktion better, the manual was written with a British accent (thank you to Adam Starkey), and many cups of tea.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Introduction 2: Digital Audio, Some Key Concepts Before we look at working with and recording audio in Tracktion, it may be helpful to look at a few of the fundamentals of digital audio. If you have only recorded audio in analogue form before now, there are a few rules you will need to unlearn, as well as few principles you may find helpful to keep in mind. Of course, if you are comfortable working with digital audio already, feel free to dive right into this reference manual.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Sample Resolution (Bit Depth) Although perhaps a strange analogy, a thermometer is a good model for describing sample resolution. Imagine that you have a thermometer which is graded from the freezing point of water through to its boiling point. The accuracy with which you can measure the temperature of a cup of tea would be dependent on how many marks there are on the scale.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual CD audio has a resolution of 16-bits. Modern sound-cards and audio devices can record at 24-bits or higher. A big advantage of recording at these higher bit depths is that you can reduce your input level enough to ensure that digital clipping is very unlikely to occur, while still maintaining a resolution that is greater than CD. Lowering the level may also help to reduce noise levels.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Introduction 3: MIDI Basics If you are unfamiliar with MIDI, then perhaps the best analogy to start working with is one of those old player pianos — the kind with a large roll of punched paper that allowed the piano to play itself. MIDI is a modern version of that punched roll; it tells an instrument what notes to play, and a little about how to play them. In fact it is from these devices that the term “piano roll” used to describe MIDI editors in sequencers is derived.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Each MIDI clip in Tracktion can be assigned a MIDI channel, and it is this channel that the MIDI events in the clip will be broadcast on. To make sure that a MIDI clip is played by the piano, therefore, you would simply set the MIDI channel for the clip to match the piano’s channel. There are 16 MIDI channels available for every physical MIDI output. It is not a rule, but it is convention that MIDI channel 10 is used for percussion.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Chapter 1: The Projects Page Chapter Contents 1.1. 1.2. 1.3. 1.4. 1.5. 1.6. 1.7. 1.8. 1.9. 1.10. 1.11.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 1.1 : An Overview The Projects Page In Brief There is an old office wall aphorism that reads: “a tidy desk is the sign of a sick mind.” Whether or not this is true, losing important work in a pile of clutter is perhaps not the best path to good mental health either. Tracktion has many tools to help avoid the loss of work, as well as tools that can make it easier to find materials for a current project.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Project Management — Opening and Closing Projects. Before we dive into too much detail, let’s take a look at the projects page as a whole. In essence, the projects page is where you manage the songs and edits you are currently working on. It is not necessarily a list of all projects you have ever worked on; rather it is a list of active, or open, projects.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Using Folders To Manage Projects When you first run Tracktion the tree view on the left of the projects page contains two folders, the “Active Projects” folder and the “Library Projects” folder. You can create your own folders here, allowing for greater flexibility in organizing and cataloguing your projects. To create a folder: • Click the create folder.. button in the control section (Fig. 1.1.2). • Enter a name for the folder at the prompt. • Click OK.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Creating New Projects And Template Projects Creating projects is extremely easy; just click the new project... button in the control panel at the bottom left corner of the projects page, and you will be prompted for a project name, project location, and your choice of template. The name will simply be the name of your project. It will also be the name of the directory that Tracktion will create on your hard-disk for your project.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 1.2 : The Projects List, And Project Properties Folder Properties, And Right-Click Options Selecting a folder in the projects list will show the properties of that folder in the properties panel (Fig. 1.2.1). If the folder is one of the two primary folders, i.e., the active projects and library projects folders, some of the options listed below will not be present. These options are noted below. Figure 1.2.1 Name: This field holds the name of the folder.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Open a project or archive: This option allows you to open a previously closed project, or import a Tracktion archive file. You will be prompted for the path to the project or archive file. If you import an archive, you will also be prompted for a folder in which to unpack the archive contents. Archives are discussed in more detail in Chapter Eight. Open multiple projects..: Use this option to open one or more projects and add them to the folder.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Create a new edit: This option creates a new, empty, edit in the current project. This option would typically be of most use if you wanted an empty scratch pad edit where you can try new ideas. If instead you wish to make a copy of an existing edit in the project, select that edit in the item-list and click the make a copy of this edit button in the properties panel.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 1.3 : The Items List An Overview Of The Items List The items list shows the list of items that are associated with, or are a part of, the current project. To see the items in a project, click on its name in the projects list. The items list will update to show the project items. The various item types, and their associated options and properties are described later on in this chapter. This section deals only with the items list interface.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 1.4 : The Control Panel The control panel is located just below the search box, and provides easy access to much of the functionality of the projects page (see Figure 1.4.1). Figure 1.4.1 New project..: This button allows you to create a new empty project. Your project, once created, will be stored on your hard-drive in a new directory of the same name as the project. You do not need to create an empty directory, as Tracktion will automatically do this for you.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Clicking this button displays the following menu options (Fig. 1.4.3): Figure 1.4.3 • Cut: The selected material is added to the clipboard. • Copy: The selected material is added to the clipboard. Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + C (CMD + C for Mac users). • Paste: Material on the clipboard will be pasted into the selected project. If the clipboard is empty, this option will be unavailable. Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + V (CMD + V for Mac users).
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Options: When clicked, this button displays a pop-up menu (Fig. 1.4.4) from which you can configure the behaviour of the items list. Figure 1.4.4 • Show Folders: If this option is ticked, items in the items list are categorized into folders, based on item type. This typically makes large projects easier to navigate and manage. When this option is unticked, the items list will simply be a long list of all items.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 1.5 : The Clipboard Panel The clipboard panel (Fig. 1.5.1) shows the current contents of Tracktion’s clipboard. Whenever copy or cut operations are performed on items within Tracktion, they will be added to, or replace the existing contents of the clipboard. Figure 1.5.1 Tracktion’s clipboard can contain multiple items.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 1.6 : The Search Tool The search tool (Fig. 1.6.1) allows you to quickly find content in your open projects. Figure 1.6.1 Searching is simply a case of: • Click the select projects button, and untick any projects you do not wish to include in the search. • Enter some search keywords in the text box.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 1.7 : Template Projects Templates projects are a handy way to build a collection of pre-configured projects.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 1.8 : Edit Properties When an edit item is selected in the items list, its properties are displayed in the properties panel (Fig. 1.8.1). Various tools and options related to the edit can be found on this panel. Figure 1.8.1 Name: This field shows the edit’s name, as seen in the items list. You can also alter the name here; this does not necessarily affect the edit’s file name, however. See Chapter 2.6 for details on item renaming behaviour.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual You may also be interested in reading Chapter Eight, where you will find more information on exporting and importing edits. Find referenced material: This option lists all of the items that this edit requires. It is effectively the inverse of the find orphaned clips function for projects. Import external files...: It is possible for material to be used in more than one project.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 1.9 : Audio Item Properties The Properties When an audio item is selected, its properties are displayed in the properties panel (Fig. 1.9.1). Various tools and options related to the audio file can be found on this panel. Figure 1.9.1 Name: This field shows the audio item name, as seen in the items list. You can also alter the name here. This does not necessarily affect the audio clip’s file name, however. See Chapter 2.6 for details on item renaming behaviour.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Edit audio file: This button shows a pop-up menu (Fig. 1.9.3) with the following options: Figure 1.9.3 • Create a copy of this wave file: This option creates a copy of the audio file, and places it in the same folder as the original. • Basic editing operations: This option displays a dialogue box that allows you to reverse the sample, change the sample rate, change the bit depth, normalise the sample, trim silence, and convert the audio to mono.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Basic Editing Options Selecting the basic editing options menu-item from the edit audio file button menu causes a dialogue-box (Fig. 1.9.4) to be shown. From this dialogue-box, you can access a number of useful tools for working with audio files. Be aware that these operations are all destructive, so be sure that you wish to make permanent changes to your source audio file! Figure 1.9.4 The operation type field shows a drop-down menu when selected.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Make mono: Use this option to convert a stereo audio file into a mono file. You can opt to merge the two stereo channels together, or to disregard either the left or right channels. This option is not available when working with mono files (Fig. 1.9.6). Figure 1.9.6 Change sample rate: If you wish to have Tracktion convert the sample rate of an audio file to a different rate, you can use this option (Fig. 1.9.7).
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 1.10 : MIDI Item Properties When a MIDI item is selected, its properties are displayed in the properties panel (Fig. 1.10.1). Various tools and options related to the MIDI item can be found on this panel. Figure 1.10.1 Name: This field shows the MIDI item name, as seen in the items list. You can also alter the name here; this does not necessarily affect the MIDI clip’s file name, however. See Chapter 2.6 for details on item renaming behaviour.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 1.11 : Movie Item Properties When a movie item is selected, its properties are displayed in the properties panel (Fig. 1.11.1). Various tools and options related to the movie item can be found on this panel. Figure 1.11.1 Name: This field shows the movie item name, as seen in the items list. You can also alter the name here; this does not necessarily affect the movie item’s file name, however. See Chapter 2.6 for details on item renaming behaviour.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Chapter 2: The Settings Page Chapter Contents 2.1 : 2.2 : 2.3 : 2.4 : 2.5 : 2.6 : 2.7 : 2.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 2.1 : Audio I/O Settings related to your audio input and output devices can be managed from the audio group on the settings page (Fig. 2.1.1). Figure 2.1.1 At the top of this display there is a drop-down list labelled Wave device. This is where you choose your audio device. In Tracktion, the term “device” is used to refer to all input and output hardware, such as sound-cards and MIDI interfaces. Tracktion will normally select a suitable ASIO or CoreAudio driver by default.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Below the input and output device list, there are some extra settings. These settings will vary slightly depending on whether you are using a Mac or a PC. Sample rate: This control sets the sample rate that Tracktion uses for playback and mixing. For audio intended for CD you will typically want to set this to 44100. Opinion is split on whether working at higher rates is worthwhile, as it typically more than doubles the load on your computer.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual PC And ASIO Drivers There are a few extra ASIO related options available for PC users. These options are not relevant to Mac users. Use ASIO direct mode: This option may improve performance with some ASIO drivers. Typically it is benign at worst, and many USB devices will benefit from it, so it is probably worth leaving it enabled. If you are having problems with sound in Tracktion, you should try toggling this setting though.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Enable end-to-end: When end-to-end is active on an input, audio will be received during playback, and not just when recording. If an input is actively receiving input, it will be using some of your computer’s processing power. However, enabling this option would allow you to use Tracktion as an effects processor for a live external audio source, such as a guitar, or vocals.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Record mode: This option controls how the recorded material is added to the edit. There are three modes (Fig. 2.1.3): Figure 2.1.3 • Overlay newly recorded clips onto edit: When this option is selected, recorded audio clips will be placed on top of the existing clips. • Replace old clips in edit with new ones: When this option is selected, new clips will delete existing clips. The existing audio material will not be lost, however, and this operation is entirely non-destructive.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Reset filename: If you have changed the contents of the filename field, you can use this button to restore the default setting. Use the same properties for all devices: When this option is selected, all audio input devices will share the same settings. Changing a setting on one device will apply that setting to all devices. Clicking this button displays a pop-up menu (Fig. 2.1.4) that offers the following options: Figure 2.1.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 2.2 : MIDI I/O Settings related to your MIDI input and output devices can be managed from the MIDI group on the settings page (Fig. 2.2.1). Figure 2.2.1 The list of available MIDI input and output devices will be shown in the main list.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Use MIDI driver for MIDI timing: Tracktion can optionally use a MIDI device’s driver for timing or your computer’s internal MIDI clock. Generally speaking it is better to use the driver for timing, but if you are experiencing jitter you can experiment with this setting. MIDI Input Device Properties When a MIDI input device is selected, its various configuration options will be displayed in the properties panel (Fig. 2.2.2). Figure 2.2.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Set all incoming note velocities to full: Select this option to force all Incoming note velocities to full (velocity value 127). Time adjust: If you find that your recorded MIDI is a little early or late in relation to everything else, try adjusting this value to compensate. Allow controller remapping: Controller remapping allows MIDI controllers, such as a modulation wheel, to control parameters of VST plug-ins.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 2.3 : User Interface The User Interface Options Settings related to Tracktion’s user interface can be managed from the user interface group on the settings page (Fig. 2.3.1). Figure 2.3.1 Username: Set the name of the current Tracktion user. The given user name is stored in the configuration file, and is also stored in edits. Future versions of Tracktion may allow for advanced user based project management tools.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Renaming a clip in an edit also renames its source item: When enabled, renaming clips in the edit page will cause the corresponding entry in the items list to be renamed. Rename mode: This option controls how the source files are renamed when their item names are changed. There are three options: • Always rename source file: Changing the name of an item will always rename the source file, irrespective of where the file is located on your hard-drive.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Filter sort: Controls how filters are sorted in the new filter popup or tree-view. • Sort filters by disk location: By default the new filter lists will replicate the layout of your VST plugin folder, such that plugins that placed in a ‘piano’ folder on your drive will be represented in a corresponding ‘piano’ when adding filters to your edit.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Using The Colour Editor The colour editor (Fig. 2.3.2) allows you to adjust Tracktion’s appearance. Figure 2.3.2 The list on the left-hand side of the window contains all of the modifiable UI elements. When an item is selected, its colour can be adjusted via the colour controls on the right-hand side of the editor. You can filter the list of UI elements by typing part of the name into the text box just below the list.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Blue: You can use this control to adjust the blue content in the colour. In addition you can enter a blue value as a hexadecimal number. Alpha: The alpha value controls how “opaque,” or transparent, the colour is. An alpha value of zero would effectively make the selected element invisible. Correspondingly, setting the alpha slider to the far right (value “FF”) would produce a solid colour that completely hides elements beneath it.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 2.4 : Plug-Ins Settings related to 3rd party plug-ins can be managed from the plugins group on the settings page (Fig. 2.4.1). Figure 2.4.1 The top of this page is dominated by a large list which shows all currently installed plugins and some information about them, such as their type, the number of inputs and outputs they support, their version number, and a category such as ‘synth’ or ‘effect’. Below the list is a button marked ‘scanning and sorting...
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Below the “Scanning and Sorting” button, you will also find the following three options: Always check for new plug-ins at start-up: This option sets whether Tracktion should look for new plug-ins when starting up. When disabled, you will need to initiate a manual rescan after installing new plug-ins. Tracktion may open faster when this option is disabled, however. Enable Rewire: Selecting this option activates support for ReWire applications, if any are installed. Chapter 3.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Move up / down: These buttons allow you to adjust the order in which directories are searched. Directories at the top of the list are searched first. Scan for loops: Searching for loops can be a slow operation, so it is necessary to manually notify Tracktion that it needs to update its loop library. If you have added new loops to your loop libraries, or if you have added new search directories to loop directories list, click this button to refresh the library.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 2.6 : File Settings Various file related settings can be managed from the file settings group on the settings page (Fig. 2.6.1). Figure 2.6.1 Temp directory: This option controls where Tracktion stores its temporary files. Typically the only time you should need to change this path is if you want to move your settings directory to another harddrive.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 2.7 : Key-Mappings Your current keyboard shortcut mappings can be managed from the key-mappings group on the settings page (Fig. 2.7.1). Figure 2.7.1 Tracktion has a comprehensive range of keyboard shortcuts. Learning the shortcuts, and configuring them to your taste can greatly improve your work-flow. The key-mappings page consist of a single list box, grouped into category types. Each line in the list corresponds to a Tracktion function.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 2.8 : Control Surfaces Installing Control Surfaces Into Tracktion External control surfaces, such as the Mackie Control Universal, and the Novation ReMOTE series, can be managed from the control surfaces group on the settings page (Fig. 2.8.1). Figure 2.8.1 Tracktion can support external control surfaces such as Mackie’s Control Universal, and Control C4, devices.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Custom Controllers If emulation is not an option for your controller, you can still create custom controller mappings for your device. Custom controller mappings can even be used with the MIDI sliders often found in portable USB keyboards, making your on-the-road laptop experience just a little easier. To create a custom mapping: • Click the add custom control surface button. • You will be prompted for a name for your custom map, so enter a suitable name, and click OK.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Mackie Control Universal Specific Properties When the MCU option is selected in the list, the properties panel will display options specific to the MCU (Fig. 2.8.3). These options are in addition to the common properties described on the previous page. Figure 2.8.3 Extenders: If in addition to an MCU, you have one or more Control Extenders, set this field to be equal to the number of extenders you have connected to Tracktion. Tracktion currently supports up to three extenders.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Custom Control Surface Specific Properties When a custom control surface entry is selected in the list, the properties panel will display options specific to custom controllers (Fig. 2.8.6). These options are in addition to the common properties described previously in this section. Figure 2.8.6 Hide MIDI input device: For dedicated control surfaces, there is no reason to have the input device be available as a recordable input.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Edit Control Mappings Window Figure 2.8.7 shows the controller mappings window. The mapping editor is made up of two columns. The left-hand column shows mapped MIDI controllers, and the right-hand column shows the function currently mapped to the controller. To create a new mapping, click the box labelled click here to choose controller in the controller column. You will be prompted to move the controller you wish to map. Adjust the controller and Tracktion will detect it.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Chapter 3: The Edit Page Chapter Contents 3.1 : 3.2 : 3.4 : 3.5 : 3.6 : An Overview The Quick Find Panel An Overview The Browser Mode The Loops Mode The Markers Mode The Clipboard Mode 3.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 3.1 : An Overview The edit page is where you compose, arrange, and mix your songs. Before we look too hard at any specific parts of the edit page, let’s take a moment to get acquainted with the basic layout of this page. Figure 3.1.1 shows the edit page, almost as it might appear when you first enter an empty edit. Figure 3.1.1 To help you identify the various components that go to make up the edit page, each will be introduced below.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual To the right of the quick find panel, you will see a vertical strip that contains the names of tracks, as well as a collection of arrow shaped icons (Fig. 3.1.3). This section is called the input section. From this section you can select and manage tracks. In addition, you can assign inputs to them ready for recording. You will learn about working with the track name aspect of the input section in Section Three of this chapter.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The main area of the edit page is called the track section, or arrangement area (Fig. 3.1.5). This section, located more or less in the centre of the edit page, is where you will arrange your songs. It comprises of a number of horizontal tracks, each of which typically will represent a single instrument, or mixer channel. Figure 3.1.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual To the right of the control panel, you will find the properties panel (Fig. 3.1.8). Again, like the control panel, you have probably already encountered this section many times during the course of this manual. You may not yet have realised how fundamental this area is to Tracktion’s work-flow model, however. The properties panel is a context sensitive interface that displays settings and options relevant to the currently selected item.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 3.2 : The Quick Find Panel An Overview The quick find panel (Fig. 3.2.1) is really four tools in one, and we will look at each of those tools in turn in this section. To display the quick find panel if it is not already visible, click the show / hide button (Fig. 3.2.2). When the quick find panel is visible, a small drop down selector box to the right of the show / hide button allows you to select one of the four quick find modes.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual To import material into your edit from the browser: • Navigate to the file you wish to import. • Drag the file into your edit (Fig. 3.2.4). • Note that as the file moves over the track area, a shadow image shows where the clip will be placed, and a speech hint located above the shadow will give the exact insert time position. • When you have the clip located at the target insert point, release the clip. Figure 3.2.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Loops Mode When the loops mode is active (Fig. 3.2.5), the quick find panel can be used to quickly access your loops libraries. Loops are standard audio files that contain special information to help automatically match them to the tempo and key of a song. In addition, may loop files also contain category information, such as genre, and instrument type, that Tracktion can use to help you organize and navigate your library. Figure 3.2.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Markers Mode The markers view (Fig. 3.2.7) allows you to manage and navigate markers that you have created in your edit. Markers are typically used to act as bookmarks for specific parts of a song, or to provide synchronisation guidelines. Tracktion allows for up to 999 markers in an edit, and you can time align markers by either beats and bars, or absolute timecode.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 3.3 : Working With Tracks A Quick Overview Of Tracks And Clips If you look at the edit page, you can see that audio or MIDI received from an input device flows into the arrange area, and from there, it then passes into the filter section. If you were to mentally replace the arrange area with a multi-track recording device, and the filter section with a mixing console, much of what tracks are might start to make sense.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Folder Tracks In addition to standard tracks used for building arrangements, there is a special kind of track called a folder track (Fig. 3.3.2). A folder track is a track that can contain one or more other tracks (including other folder tracks). They are useful for grouping tracks together, and can greatly aid navigation when there are a large number of tracks in an edit. Figure 3.3.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual To create a new track inside a folder: • Click on the name of the folder track to which you wish to add a new track. The folder track will be selected. • Click on the insert new tracks button in the properties panel. A pop-up menu will be displayed. • Select the insert 1 new track option from the pop-up menu. Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + T (CMD + T for Macs). To move existing tracks into a folder: • Click on the name of the track you wish to move. The track will be selected.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Once an edit grows large enough, or is zoomed in far enough that it becomes necessary to scroll the screen to see it all, a horizontal scrollbar will appear (Fig. 3.3.5). This scrollbar provides a third, and extremely fast way of moving through your edit. Figure 3.3.5 Tracktion allows you a great deal of control over zoom level.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual When there are more tracks than can be shown at one time, a vertical scrollbar will appear to the right of the filter section (Fig. 3.3.7). You can use this scrollbar to quickly scroll through the track list. Sometimes it is easier just to fit all tracks on screen, then resize the one you are looking for. You can quickly resize the tracks to fit vertically in your available space, by clicking the “v” button located just below the vertical scrollbar.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Track Properties When a track is selected, its properties will be displayed in the properties panel (Fig. 3.3.9). Figure 3.3.9 Name: This field allows you to view or set the name of the track as shown in the input section. Mute/solo: These options allow the track to be muted or soloed. These controls are duplicates of the mute / solo controls in the track’s filter section. Solo isolate: This option toggles whether the track is in the solo isolate group.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Advance: Sometimes in order for a track to play in synchronisation with the edit, it is necessary to introduce a timing offset to the track. Although this may seem counter-intuitive, there are lots of good reasons why this may be. For example, if external MIDI hardware tends to respond a little late to MIDI messages, you can compensate by adjusting the advance value so that this track plays a little early in relation to the rest of the edit.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Destination output for this track: By default all tracks send their output to the default audio device. If you wish to have audio sent to an alternate audio device, or have the MIDI data from a track sent to external MIDI gear, click the output name to display a popup menu from which you can select the desired destination. You can also send the output of a track, or even a number of tracks, to another track to create sub-mixes and busses.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 3.4 : The Filter Section A Brief Overview Of Filters And The Filter Section A fundamental part of bringing a song to life is the process of setting the volume of all instruments, vocals, and percussive sounds, such that the listener’s attention is drawn to the sounds you wish to emphasise, while keeping other sounds clearly audible. Effects processes, such as reverb, may be used to give sounds a sense of position and space.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Adding, Copying, Moving, And Deleting Filters Tracktion’s filter section follows a logically intuitive insert approach. Each filter processes the signal it receives in some manner then passes the processed signal on to the next filter in line. The arrow shape of the icon helps to show the direction in which the signal is passing. Adding another filter to a track is just a case of inserting it into the chain at a suitable location.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Select quick control parameter: You can assign a quick control parameter to a filter. A quick control parameter is a parameter of the selected filter that is shown as a slider on the filter surface (Fig. 3.4.4). You can use this slider to make quick changes to the parameter with your mouse. Some filters, such as the volume/ pan filter, that already have an interactive filter surface, do not support quick control parameters. In such cases, this option will be greyed out.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual When working with tracks that feed into other tracks, be aware that: • Muting the destination track will effectively mute the source (sub-mix) tracks. • Soloing the destination track will also solo all source tracks . • Soloing a track that feeds into another track will solo both the source and the destination tracks. To quickly clear the mute/sole state of all tracks, simply right click on any mute/solo control and select the option reset all muted/soloed tracks.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The dark horizontal line on the icon surface shows the volume, and the diamond shows the pan. This means you can see at a glance the level and panning of a given track. Even more handily, the pan and level settings can be adjusted directly from the surface of the filter icon. To change the pan, for example, just click on the diamond and move it left and right. Figure 3.4.8 shows the volume/pan filter when the mouse is moved over the filter surface. Figure 3.4.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Level Meter Filter This filter shows the level of the signal passing through it (Fig. 3.4.9). This allows you to see at a glance how loud a given track is. Clicking on this filter will display the properties for this filter in the properties panel (Fig. 3.4.10). Figure 3.4.9 Figure 3.4.10 Level meters can also show MIDI velocities on MIDI tracks. When a level meter clips, red bars will remain on the meter to alert you.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The 4-Band Equaliser The four band equaliser allows you to make tonal changes to your track. It is a standard two band parametric equaliser with low pass and high pass cut-off controls. The filter surface shows the current EQ curve for easy visual reference (Fig. 3.4.11). Unlike the volume/pan however, the filter surface of the four band equaliser is not interactive. Clicking on this filter will display the EQ editor in the properties panel (Fig. 3.4.12). Figure 3.4.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Tracktion Sampler Tracktion has a built-in, light-weight, sampler that, thanks to an efficient userinterface, is extremely quick to use for simple tasks, and uses very little of your computer’s resources (Fig. 3.4.13). The sampler supports key-ranges, so different sounds can be assigned to each note, but it does not support velocity layering. If you want to create highly realisFigure 3.4.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual A drum map could therefore be created by setting: • a kick-drum sample to have a root-note and upper / lower key-range arrow all pointing at C1 • a snare sample to have a root-note and upper / lower key-range arrow all pointing at D1 • a hi-hat sample to have a root-note and upper / lower key-range arrow all pointing at E1 Ignore release: When this option is activated, the currently selected sample will not respond to note-off events.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Aux Send / Return Filters Effects loops, or auxiliary sends, are created in Tracktion by using two complementary filters, the “aux send” filter, and the “aux return” filter. The send filter (Fig. 3.4.16) replicates the rotary send control of a mixing console, and the return filter is used to create a target for any sent audio. How this works in practise is that a track will be designated as a “return” track.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Figure 3.4.19 Enable/Disable all other send/return filters on this bus: Both the send and return filters have buttons to globally enable or disable other send / return filters that are assigned to the same bus as the current one. The ReWire Filter ReWire is a technology by which complete audio applications, such as sequencers, can easily be slaved to other such programs running on the same computer.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Select the ReWire application you wish to use from the pop-up menu. The properties panel will update to show the connection options for the ReWire device (Fig. 3.4.22). Figure 3.4.22 Output channels: Many ReWire applications offer multiple output channels, allowing you to have drums, or instruments processed and mixed separately in Tracktion. You can select which channels will be received by the current track from the left/right output channel boxes.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 3.5 : The Control Section When the edit page is showing, the control section provides a number of tools and configuration options related to working with edits (Fig. 3.5.1). The configuration options available from these buttons differ from those on the settings page in that many of these options are saved with each edit. This means that when you next open an edit you have been working on, it will appear exactly as you left it.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Import: This option allows you to add new material to an edit. Importing material into edits is discussed in Chapter Eight. Export: This option allows you to export content from your edit, or export the edit as an archive. Exporting content is discussed in Chapter Eight. Timecode: This button displays options related to tempo, MIDI, and video synchronisation. This menu is also available by right-clicking the time-line.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual • Auto show MIDI editor toolbar: When this option is disabled, the MIDI editor toolbar will not be shown when editing MIDI clips. Figure 3.5.2 shows a MIDI clip with the MIDI toolbar visible, and Figure 3.5.3 shows the same clip with the toolbar hidden. When the MIDI toolbar is hidden, most of the tools can be accessed through keyboard shortcuts. In addition, it is possible to set a keyboard shortcut that can be used to view or dismiss the toolbar regardless of this setting.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 3.6 : The Transport Section The Main Transport Section Controls The horizontal bar that runs across the top of the transport section (Fig. 3.6.1) is called the tempo and timecode bar. The top-left-hand corner of the transport section contains the ext mtc button. When this button is activated, Tracktion will begin chasing MIDI Timecode from an external MIDI device. Timecode chasing is detailed in Chapter Six.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Auto lock: When this option is active, moving, or copying a clip on a track will automatically move, or copy, any automation points that exist within the clip’s boundaries. Note that the automation does not follow the clip if it is moved to another track that does not contain the same filter. Automation and the auto lock button are described in detail in Chapter 7.3.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual • Because the master effects on your other outputs are using their own copies of the master filters, the amount of CPU power used by the master filter section will be proportional to the number of output devices you are using. If the combined total of filters in your master filter section are using 10% of your processing power, utilising another audio output will double that to 20%, and so on.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual You can of course automate the master volume control to implement a fade, but that requires you to know in advance the final mix levels, and as such, this approach is generally far more elegant. Fade slope: Choose the slope type for the fade in/out envelopes from these icons. In addition, right-clicking on the level meter displays options for setting the metering response: Use peak mode: Select this option if you want the current meter to display levels in peak mode.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Chapter 4: Working With Clips Chapter Contents 4.1 : 4.2 : 4.3 : 4.4 : 4.5 : 4.6 : 4.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 4.1 : An Overview Clips Understanding Clips When you record or import audio/MIDI content into Tracktion, it will be presented in the edit page as a clip. These clips provide tools for editing and working with your audio and MIDI parts, and are a convenient way to arrange audio and MIDI parts into a song. One of the most useful, and most fundamental, aspects of clips is that you can edit and resize them non-destructively.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Clip Tools When a clip is selected, the title-bar at the top of the clip displays a collection of tools (Fig. 4.1.2). These tools provide powerful editing features that make trimming, sizing, and scaling clips a simple and efficient process. With the exception of the fade tool, these title-bar tool are common to both audio and MIDI clips. They are how you define the size of the clip, and the region of the source material that the clip is displaying. Figure 4.1.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 4.2 : Working With Clips Adding New Clips To An Edit There are three approaches to adding clips to an edit: The first is to create an empty clip, and add some content to it; the second is to copy or import an existing clip or item; and the third is to record them. Recording clips is described in its own chapter (Chapter Five). This section will cover only the first two methods. You will probably find that you only choose the first approach when working with MIDI clips.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual • When your clip is correctly positioned, drop it to finish the drag operation. • As with the first method for creating clips, you may be prompted whether the file should be copied into the project folder, or referenced from its current location. To help you navigate your sample and MIDI libraries more efficiently, you can bookmark directories in the quick find browser. Chapter 3.2 discusses this, and other aspects of the quick find panel.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Moving And Resizing Clips In An Edit A few moments ago, we briefly touched on moving clips by dragging them with the mouse. In addition to this, there are a few handy keyboard shortcuts for moving selected clips: When one or more clips are selected, holding down the CTRL key (CMD for Mac users) while pressing either the LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW keys will nudge the selected clips along the time-line.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 4.3 : MIDI and MIDI Clips Working With External MIDI Equipment In the next few pages we will look at how to use Tracktion to control external MIDI equipment. You will learn how to assign Tracks to MIDI outputs, and how to call up different instruments (programs) on your MIDI device by program name. This chapter does not cover recording from MIDI, or synchronising Tracktion with external MIDI equipment. Those two topics are covered in chapters Five, and Six, respectively.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual To set the MIDI channel that a MIDI clip transmits on: • Select the clip(s). • The properties for the clip(s) will be shown in the properties panel. • Set the channel parameter (Fig. 4.3.2) to the desired channel number. Tip: Many different tracks can send to one MIDI output device, so you can assign a track to each MIDI channel for multi-timbral synthesizers. Figure 4.3.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual To edit the preset names in bank: • Find, and click on the MIDI output your hardware is connected to in the list of MIDI devices on the MIDI group page. • Click the edit button. • A dialogue window will be appear (Fig. 4.3.5). • Set the bank name parameter to the bank that you wish to edit (you can also rename the bank if you want). • Select the patch that you wish to rename, and enter a new name for it.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual If you want to experiment with virtual instruments, Tracktion ships with a built in sampler. Chapter 3.4 explains how to use this sampler filter. In summary, to use a virtual instrument, just add it to a track in the same way that you would an effect filter.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The MIDI Clip Properties Select a MIDI clip by clicking on it, to access its properties (Fig. 4.3.9). Figure 4.3.9 Name: The name is shown at the bottom of the clip in the arrange area. Start/end: These are the points on the time-line at which this clip begins and ends. You can adjust these fields manually for precise positioning if you desire. Length: This field shows the length of the clip. You can edit it manually if desired.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual • Set the program for this entire clip: This option sets a program for the clip. The program change will be transmitted at the start of the clip each time the clip is played. Use this option carefully as many MIDI devices require a few seconds for program changes to process, and MIDI notes sent during this transition period may be ignored. MIDI clips used with VST instruments will see the current preset list for the VST instrument.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Groove: Select or edit groove templates. Groove templates are discussed in Section Five of the chapter. Select clips: This button displays a pop-up menu that provides handy shortcuts for selecting groups of clips. Auto tempo: Use this to set the tempo of the edit to match the clip. Clicking this button will display a pop-up menu (Fig. 4.3.12) with two options: • Set the edit tempo based on this clip’s length: Figure 4.3.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual • Move the start of the selected clips to the cursor position: The selected clip will be moved to the current play-head cursor position. Keyboard shortcut: J. • Move the end of the selected clips to the cursor position: The clip to be located before the current play-head cursor position, with its end located at the cursor position. Keyboard shortcut: K. Delete region: Clicking this button displays a pop-up menu (Fig. 4.3.15) with five options for deleting regions from clips.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The MIDI Clip Right-Click Menu When you right-click on a MIDI clip, you will be presented with a pop-up menu (Fig. 4.3.16) displaying the following options: Cut: Select this to perform a standard “cut” operation. The selected clip(s) will be removed and added to the clipboard. Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + X (CMD + X for Mac users). Copy: Select this to perform a standard “copy” operation. The selected clip(s) will be added to the clipboard.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 4.4 : The MIDI Editor The MIDI Editor When MIDI clips are of sufficient vertical size, they display a MIDI editor, or “piano roll.” You can switch to the MIDI editor very quickly by either double-clicking on the clip to be edited, or pressing the Z key when a MIDI clip is selected. Figure 4.4.1 shows the MIDI editor, and associated tools. Figure 4.4.1 To create a new MIDI clip from scratch: • Select the track on which you wish to place the clip.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Adding, Editing, And Deleting Notes When the pencil tool is selected, clicking on the editor will insert new MIDI notes. The note inserted will start at the location where you clicked, and it will have a length and velocity determined by the len and vel parameters. (If SNAP is enabled, the note will be placed at the closest snap position relative to the insert point).
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual When the eraser tool is selected, notes can be removed by simply clicking on them. Keyboard shortcut: E You can also delete selected notes by selecting a group of them with the select tool, and clicking the delete midi notes button in the properties panel. Keyboard shortcut: DELETE or BACKSPACE.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Editing Controller Events To edit controller events, click the control button. A view similar to the velocity editor will be displayed (Fig. 4.4.7). Figure 4.4.7 To the left of the controller event editor is a button labelled type, which when clicked displays a list of available controllers (Fig. 4.4.8). If the current clip contains events for a controller, its entry in the list will be shown in a different colour to the other controllers (Pan position and Hold Pedal in Fig.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Step Entry When the step entry mode is activated, any MIDI note received from a MIDI input attached to the track will be inserted into the clip at the current play-head cursor position. After the note has been added, the play-head cursor will jump forward to the next snap position, ready for a new note to be input. In this way, you can play a part without needing to worry about being able to play the section live. Step entry can also be handy for entering drum patterns.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 4.5 : Quantising And Groove Templates If you have a recorded MIDI part that is a little looser in feel than you would like, you can have Tracktion tighten it up by using one of the quantise tools. If, on the other hand, your timing is just a little too tight, or your MIDI clip was recorded using the step entry mode, you can have Tracktion apply a groove template to it.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual In addition to selecting existing templates to apply to the current clip, you can also edit or create new templates. Select the edit groove templates option, and the groove editor will be displayed (Fig. 4.5.2). Figure 4.5.2 The groove is created by adjusting the vertical bars. Each bar represents a beat division defined by the each note = drop-down list to the right of the editor window.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 4.6 : Audio Clips The Audio Clip Properties In Section One of the this chapter, you saw how to use the clip tools located in title-bar of an audio clip. In addition to these controls, selected clips have a range of options and properties (Fig. 4.6.1). Note that the properties panel has two tabs when an audio clip is selected. The first tab is the standard properties tab, and it is this tab that we will look at in this section.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Auto crossfade: If this clip overlaps another audio clip, this button automatically adjusts the fade in and out envelopes for both clips, to create a cross-fade across the overlapping region. Figure 4.6.2 shows an example of an auto-crossfade. Figure 4.6.2 Stretch: Select the time-stretching mode to use. Normally when changing the speed of an audio clip, both the length and pitch of the clip will change together.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Auto tempo: Use this to set the tempo of the edit to match the clip. Clicking this button will display a pop-up menu (Fig. 4.6.3) with two options: Figure 4.6.3 • Set the edit tempo based on this clip’s length: Select this option to calculate a tempo for the edit from the length of the clip. When this option is chosen, a further menu is shown from which you can select how many beats this clip contains.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Adjust markers: Audio clips can have markers associated with them., which can be useful for marking points of interest. Markers are discussed in Chapter 1.9. Note that markers are a property of the underlying audio item, not the clip. Figure 4.6.6 As such, editing markers in one clip will impact all clips that share the same source audio file in this project. Clicking this button displays a pop-up menu (Fig. 4.6.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Audio Clip Right-Click Menu When you right-click on an audio clip, you will be presented with a pop-up menu (Fig. 4.6.8) displaying the following options: Cut: Select this to perform a standard “cut” operation. The selected clip(s) will be removed and added to the clipboard. Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + X (CMD + X for Mac users). Copy: Select this to perform a standard “copy” operation. The selected clip(s) will be added to the clipboard.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 4.7 : Looping Clips An Overview Of Looping Clip looping is a very powerful tool when working with MIDI and audio clips. The principal is the same for both clip types, but the under-the-surface behaviour is significantly different. We will start therefore by looking at looping in its broadest sense, as it applies to both MIDI and audio clips, then we will look at the specifics for both clip types individually.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Looping MIDI Clips Looped MIDI clips provide a simple method of quickly repeating a clip over a number of bars. Because it is the content of the MIDI clip, and not the clip itself that is being repeated, a useful side effect is that an edit made to any part of the loop will be reflected along the entire length of the loop.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual These settings basically allow you to take an imported audio file that lacks built-in loop information, or one of your recorded clips, and have it gracefully track key changes and tempo changes in your edit. However, this is only half of the story, as you can take the clip and convert it into a loop file that can be added to your loop library for use in your other projects. In this way, you can create your own loop files, and have them be indexed by tempo and genre, etc.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual To manually adjust the loop start and end markers, drag the vertical loop marker bars (typically these will be pale yellow lines located at either end of the audio file display) to the desired point in the audio file (Fig. 4.7.5). Figure 4.7.5 Beat points: Setting beats points helps the time stretch algorithms accurately maintain the feel of the source material, and produce a natural sounding time/pitch shift. Clicking this button displays a pop-up menu (Fig. 4.7.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual To create a new loop: • • • • Adjust the loop start/end markers to enclose just the desired loop. Set the beats field to the number of beats in the loop. The tempo field will update to show the tempo of the clip. Select the root note of the clip, if applicable. For untuned material such as percussive loops, you would typically leave this as . • Click the add to library button. A window (Fig. 4.7.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Chapter 5: Recording Chapter Contents 5.1 : 5.2 : 5.3 : Assigning And Preparing An Audio Input Assigning And Preparing A MIDI Input The Recording Modes Explained Normal Recording Mode Punched Recording Mode Looped Recording Mode Live Monitoring Without Recording Step Recording Mode 5.1 : Assigning And Preparing An Audio Input To select an audio input device, simply click on the shaded input region to next to the name of the track on which you wish to record.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual You can see the level of the incoming audio at a glance just by looking at the input icon, as it has a small level meter. Typically this meter is too low resolution to be useful for monitoring though, and it is of most use as a quick verification that signal is reaching the input without problem. If you click on the input device, the properties will be shown in the properties panel. There you can find a larger meter that is better suited to the task of setting levels. Chapter 2.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 5.2 : Assigning And Preparing A MIDI Input To select a MIDI input device, simply click on the shaded input region to next to the name of the track on which you wish to record. A pop-up menu will be shown, and from it you can select the desired input device (Fig. 5.2.1). If the device is already assigned to another track, you can instead simply drag the input icon to this track. Figure 5.2.1 Input devices can be enabled or disabled by clicking the large red “R” icon (Fig, 5.2.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The other options available from the click track button allow you to set the click to your taste. In particular, you may want to check the pre-record count-in length value, as this defines the amount of time click track plays before recording starts. More information on working with the click-track can be found in Chapter Six. OK, you’re ready to begin recording. Section Three of this chapter explains the various record modes available to you, and how to use them. 5.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Punched Recording Mode When Tracktion is in punched recording mode, recording will start when the play-head cursor reaches in the in-marker. Correspondingly, it will stop when the play-head cursor reaches the out marker. You can position the play-head cursor at any point before the in marker before starting playback. Loop mode must be disabled to use punched recording as the in and out markers are used to define the punch points.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual To access the pop-up menu, click on the special “+” icon that will be shown on the recorded clip. Looped recording can be done for both audio and MIDI inputs. In the latter case, be sure the MIDI input action is set to overlay new clips containing newly recorded MIDI to create a MIDI loop clip. To record in looped mode, simply: • • • • Place the in and out markers at the desired loop start and end times. Disable the punch option in the transport section.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Chapter 6: The Time-line, Synchronisation, And Snap To Grid Chapter Contents 6.1 : 6.2 : 6.3 : 6.4 : 6.5 : 6.6 : 6.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual What this all means in practise is that the snap-to-grid can be relied on to be at the optimum grid size no matter how far you are zoomed into, or out of, the current edit. Tip: To see the current snap resolution in the pop-up form shown in Figure 6.1.2, simply position the mouse pointer over the time-line for a few seconds. You can use your mouse-wheel, or the CURSOR UP / DOWN keys to adjust the current zoom level.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Figure 6.2.1 shows a tempo curve, the current time signature, and the current key. The time signature and key are shown on the left of the image. Once the global track is visible you can also use it to easily add and adjust tempo changes. The curve shown in Figure 6.2.1 is the tempo of the edit. Note that the spacing between the bar divisions is proportional to the tempo at each point on the curve.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual If you click anywhere on the tempo curve that does not contain a tempo change node, you will see the tempo curve properties (Fig. 6.2.3). The curve properties provide tools for copying and pasting tempo changes. Figure 6.2.3 Displace curve: The displace curve control moves the curve upwards or downwards. To dispace the curve, click and drag on the drag control to the right of the value. As you drag, the value will reflect the current displacement value.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual If you click on the time signature in the transport section, or in the global track, you will see the properties (Fig. 6.2.4) for the selected time signature. Time: You can use this field to see, or adjust the location of the selected time signature change. Figure 6.2.4 Time sig: This field allows you to view or change the time signature. Changes to the time signature will be reflected in the timeline ruler. Triplets: This option switches the time signature into triplets.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 6.3 : The Markers Track, And Markers Markers are a convenient tool for structuring edits. Typically they are used to mark sections of a song such as bridge, or verse, or to place synchronisation points when working with video. At their most simple, you can think of them as bookmarks or reference points.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The marker track can also be switched between combined and separate mode. Combined mode shows beats and bar markers on the same track as absolute timecode markers (Fig. 6.3.2). Separate mode shows them on distinct tracks (Fig. 6.3.3). To switch between these modes, simply click the appropriate toggle button in the marker track properties. The third option, hidden, hides the marker track. This is simply a shortcut alternative to clicking the marker show / hide button. Figure 6.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 6.4 : The Timecode Button Options The timecode button (Fig. 6.4.1) displays the following options: Show beats and bars: This option sets the time-line to show bar and beat divisions. When this option is selected, clips will show their position and size in beats and bar metrics when viewing their properties. Additionally, the position of the play-head cursor in the transport section will be shown in beats and bars. Keyboard shortcut: T.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 6.5 : The Click Track, And The Click Track Button Options The click-track provides a metronome for you to play along to when playing or recording live. A number of menu options are available for customising the click-track to your needs. These options can be accessed by clicking the click track button (Fig. 6.5.1). Turn on click track: This option toggles whether the click track is currently enabled. The click-track will only be heard during playback or recording.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 6.6 : Synchronising Tracktion With External MIDI Devices Working With MIDI Clock MIDI clock is the most simple form of synchronisation between two MIDI devices. It carries no time information, just a pulse that effectively stamps out a metronome for other equipment to keep time to. One disadvantage of MIDI clock is that there is no facility for error correction, so it is possible for devices to drift out of time.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual To have Tracktion chase MIDI timecode: • Switch to the edit page. • Click the timecode button in the control panel to display the timecode pop-up menu. • From the sub-menu of the option midi timecode input Figure 6.6.3 device, choose the input that is receiving MIDI timecode. • Activate timecode chasing by enabling the MTC located at the top left of the transport section (Fig. 6.6.3). Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + T (CMD + T for Mac users).
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 6.7 : The Movie Window, And The Movie Button Options If you need to score music or sound to a video, Tracktion offers a synchronised QuickTime movie display. This display will show a QuickTime movie file in frame accurate synchronisation with your work. In addition, you can have the time-line display time in terms of frames and seconds if necessary.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Chapter 7: Mixing And Mix Automation Chapter Contents 7.1 : 7.2 : 7.3 : 7.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual group, process them all, and then send them on to the main LR. In Tracktion, you create sub-mixes by changing the output destination of one or more tracks from an audio output device to another track. For example, if tracks one to four in your edit contain percussive parts, you could designate track five to be the sub-mix master track. In this way, any effects or level changes that are applied to track five will cascade down to tracks one through four also.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 7.3 : Mix Automation Creating Automation Curves Mix automation describes the process of having mix parameters vary along the time-line of your edit. For example, you may want the percussion to drop slightly in level when the chorus starts to make way for an increase in background instrumentation. You may also want to increase the amount of chorus and reverb applied to the backing vocals, during the chorus section.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual With that all said, let’s look at the actual curves themselves. An automation curve is made up of a series of automation nodes. Each node forms a breakpoint on the automation curve. Once a parameter has been chosen by using one of the methods described above, an automation curve will appear on the track. Initially, the curve will actually be a horizontal line, because there are no automation nodes.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Because automation is such an integral part of the mixing process, harnessing the full power of these tools is key to working efficiently. Over the remainder of this section, we will therefore look at the automation editing and recording features available to you in Tracktion. The first thing we will look at is an individual node. You can see the value of the automation curve at any given node point by clicking on it and looking at the value field in the properties panel (Fig.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual This makes it easier to edit automation of parameters with fixed states. The great news is that you can add this functionality to any VST plug-in by creating a *.vstxml file for it. This is beyond the scope of this manual. See the VST 2.4 SDK (Software Developer’s Kit), which is available for download at http:// www.steinberg.net. You can select a group of nodes at once, by either CTRL + clicking (CMD + click for Mac users) on them, one node at a time.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Paste from clipboard: Points that have been previously copied can be pasted into the curve at a different location: • Paste at the cursor position: The copied points will be pasted into the curve at the current playhead cursor location. • Paste into the marked area: The copied points will be pasted into the region between the in and out markers, and will be scaled to fit.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Automation Lock Mode – Locking Automation To Clips We’ve seen some methods for manually copying or moving sections of an automation curve, but there is another handy way of working with curves — the automation-lock mode. When automation-lock mode is enabled, automation nodes from filters on a track will be ‘locked’ to clips on the same track that overlap them. Copying, moving, or deleting clips will correspondingly copy, move, or delete the nodes that the clip overlaps.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Recording Automation Changes Live When the automation record button is enabled (Fig. 7.3.14), any changes made to an automatable parameter during playback will be recorded. It is important to understand that this applies to all parameters, not just those that have visible, or previously created, automation curves. For this reason, the automation write button should always be left in the “off” state unless you are actively recording live automation changes. Figure 7.3.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The controller mapping screen can be accessed by clicking the automation button in the control section (Fig. 7.3.15) and selecting the create MIDI controller mappings option, or using the keyboard shortcut: CTRL + SHIFT + M (CMD + SHIFT + M for Mac users). When this option is selected, a window will appear in which you can select MIDI controllers and assign them to automatable parameters in your edit (Fig. 7.3.16). Figure 7.3.16 The mapping editor is made up of two columns.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Automation Button Options When the automation button is clicked (Fig. 7.3.17), a pop-up menu with the following options is shown: Punch out: When this option is selected, the recorded changes are simply inserted into any existing automation curve. Keyboard shortcut: U. Punch out (to end): When this option is chosen, any automation points beyond the punch-out point are cleared when recording stops. Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + U.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 7.4 : Using Control Surfaces Installing And Configuring A Control Surface Control surfaces provide a great way to add tactile control to Tracktion. Typically control surfaces come in two flavours: the most powerful, but also typically more expensive option, is the dedicated control surface; the second option is a MIDI fader or rotary control bank.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual To install a control surface, or a MIDI controller that will be used as one, in Tracktion: • Ensure the device is physically connected to Tracktion with suitable MIDI cables, or USB leads. Be aware that many devices require a MIDI input and output all to themselves, so only use MIDI pass-thru if you are sure your controller supports it: • Turn the device on. • Open Tracktion. • Switch to the settings page. • Select the control surfaces group (Fig. 7.4.1). Figure 7.4.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual At this point, your device is ready to go. All that remains to do is to decide whether you want to enable the colour selection mode for this controller. When enabled, the colour selection mode causes the tracks, or filters that the controller is currently focussed on to be highlighted. The highlight colour is specified by the selected entry in the palette to the right of the colour selection button.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Hide MIDI input device: For dedicated control surfaces, there is no reason to have the input device be available to the edit page. If your custom controller is purely a control surface device, and there are no other MIDI devices sharing the input with the surface, then you can use this option to hide the input from the available input list.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The parameter options are organized by group: Transport: These parameters allow you to assign transport functions to knobs, faders, or ideally push buttons on your controller’s surface. In this way you have easy access to playback start, stop, and record, for example, from your mixing surface or control keyboard. Typically push buttons on a controller are mapped to note on and off commands, though in some cases they may send MIDI CC events.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Using The Mackie Control Universal The MCU offers eight mixer strips. Each mixer strip contains a motorised fader, which can be used to control the volume of a volume/pan filter (Fig. 7.4.7). In addition, each strip contains a pan control, and options to control the mute/solo and input arm state for the track. MCU devices can be further extended by adding up to three XT extender devices. Each XT adds a further eight tactile mixing channels to your Tracktion experience.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Note: You can quickly arm or unarm all tracks by holding down the MCU’s shift button, and simultaneously pressing the record button. Signal: The MCU’s green signal LED will illuminate in time with a channel’s audio level, in order to show that audio is present on that channel. The light will illuminate solidly when the channel’s signal is at 15 dBFS. Solo: Toggles the track’s solo state. Mute: Toggles the track’s mute state.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual When the zoom button is pressed, it toggles the arrow buttons to zoom mode, allowing you to zoom in and out of your edit both horizontally with the left and right arrows, and vertically with the up and down arrows. Edit: This button puts the four cursor keys into “edit” mode, where they perform the following functions, depending on the currently highlighted screen component: If a track is selected, the up/down buttons move the selection focus up and down through the track list.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Above the transport section, there is a bank of buttons that allow you to conveniently perform a range of tasks from the MCU’s surface (Fig. 7.4.11 and 7.4.12). Figure 7.4.11 Add new marker: Click this to add a marker at the current play-head cursor position. Nudge L/R: These buttons nudge the selected clip(s) or note(s) to previous/next snap point. This is equivalent to the CTRL + LEFT / RIGHT (CMD + LEFT / RIGHT for Mac users) keyboard shortcut.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual ENABLE/DISABLE FILTERS MASTER FILTERS EDIT MARK IN MARK OUT CUT COPY PASTE DELETE SCREEN SELECT FIT ALL TRACKS ZOOM OUT PREV MARK NEXT MARK INSERT TEMPO CHANGE PROJECTS SETTINGS EDIT Figure 7.4.12 Enable/disable filters: Pressing this button toggles the enable/disable state for all of the filters on the selected track. Master filters: Pressing this button toggles the enable/disable state for all master filters.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Using The Mackie C4 The Mackie C4 has 32 continuous rotary controllers, or V-pots, arranged as four rows of eight, and a section of mode and utility buttons. A single row of the C4’s four available V-pot rows is shown in Figure 7.4.14. Each V-pot has an illuminating collar that shows the current rotary position of the V-pot, or the state of a toggle button. Figure 7.4.14 Four mode controls switch the C4 between plug-in mode, mix mode, aux mode, and edit mode.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual • Aux: The aux mode shows the eight auxiliary send buses along the top row of V-pots. Pressing a V-pot will select the associated send, and the remaining three rows of V-pots show the send level for 24 tracks at a time. Adjusting any of these V-pots adjusts the send level for the corresponding track. If the send is a stereo send, then pressing the V-pot switches it to pan mode.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The “editing” options: 1. Cut : Perform a standard clipboard cut operation. 2. Copy : Perform a standard clipboard copy operation. 3. Paste : Perform a standard clipboard paste operation. 4. Delete : Perform a standard clipboard delete operation. 5. Mark in : Set the loop-start marker to the current play-head cursor position. 6. Mark out : Set the loop-end marker to the current play-head cursor position. The “transport” options: 1.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Using the Remote SL Tracktion also directly supports Automapping with the Novation ReMote SL. This innovative product has dual screens with a row of faders, knobs, and endless encoders making it a powerful control surface, while at the same time also remaining a capable midi controller with keyboard, joystick, XY pad, and drum pads. Figure 7.4.16 illustrates the controls referenced in the sections below: Figure 7.4.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Right Screen Controls: The right side permanently controls channel levels, mutes, and solos for eight channels at a time. The right screen up/down arrows will cycle through the channels, eight at a time. Tracktion will display colored backgrounds to indicate the eight channels under control. • Faders Row: The faders control channel levels. Moving a fader, or selecting the fader row will light the fader row button LED.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual • Encoder Row: The encoder row is used to control eight of the plug-in parameters at time. The encoder row select button will change the display to show the names of the parameters on the top row and the values of the parameters on the bottom row. Turning an encoder will also automatically select the encoder row for viewing on the screen. Use the left screen up/down buttons as described above to select the parameters under control by the encoder row.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Chapter 8: Importing, Exporting, Freezing, And Rendering Chapter Contents 8.1 : 8.2 : 8.3 : 8.4 : 8.5 : 8.6 : Importing And Exporting Projects Importing Project And Edit Archives Exporting Project And Edit Archives Exporting Audio Exporting MIDI Rendering Tracks And Freezing Tracks Rendering Tracks Freezing Tracks The Import Button Options The Export Button Options 8.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Exporting Project And Edit Archives Tracktion can create project archives that bundle a project file, edit(s), and all related materials, into a single file or folder. Archives are convenient for backing up your important work, and for transferring projects between computers, or band members.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Export type: Tracktion can output an archive as a single file, or as a collection of files. Typically the single file option is the more portable and convenient method, but the the only way to access files inside the archive is to unpack the entire archive. If you believe you may often need to access audio clips, for example, that are contained in the archive, you may wish instead to choose to export as a collection of files.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual • Don’t delete any unused audio: When this option is selected, and the audio is exported in full. Use this if you believe you may later need currently unused audio material . • Export shortest possible media (no handles): Select this option if you want Tracktion to completely discard unused audio in the archive. This will create the smallest possible file size, and is probably the best option for archiving completed work.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual File: The exported audio will be saved at the location specified here. Tracktion automatically selects a location inside your project folder and names it appropriately based on the edit and the number of exports you have made. Format: From this option you can select the format of the resultant export file. The options available will be dependent on whether you chose to export an audio file or an MP3/Ogg file.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Add ID3/Vorbis info: (Only available when exporting MP3/Ogg files.) When this option is selected, information about your edit, such as the edit name is embedded in the resultant file. This information will be available to music players, and will typically be shown while the song is playing. When this option is enabled, an additional edit button will appear. This edit option gives you a chance to customise the embedded tags if desired (Fig.8.2.2).
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 8.3 : Exporting MIDI To an export an edit as a MIDI file: • Open your edit for editing. • With the edit open in the edit page, click the export button in the control section. • From the displayed pop-up menu, choose the export MIDI file... option. Note: When exporting MIDI for tracks that contain VSTis, be aware that any automation data on the track will be lost. Figure 8.3.1 File: This option controls where the exported MIDI file will be saved.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 8.4 : Rendering Tracks And Freezing Tracks Rendering Tracks Rendering a track is similar to exporting it in that it creates an audio file of the track contents. It is specifically designed to allow for fast bouncing of CPU intensive tracks to an audio file though, and this fact is reflected in the options available when rendering tracks. To render a track: • Select the track. • Click the render button in the properties panel.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Freezing Tracks If you find that your edits require more processing power than your computer can provide, and upgrading is not an option, freezing may just be the the answer to your needs. The freeze function works to free up CPU usage by bouncing frozen tracks into a single audio file. In many ways it is similar to rendering, but is typically easier to use, and can can be less demanding on hard drives. To “freeze” a track: • Select the track, or tracks you wish to freeze.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 8.5 : The Import Button Options The import button (Fig. 8.5.1) can be used to quickly add content to an open edit. It is generally faster to use the quick find browser to locate material, but the import button offers a few options that are not available to the quick find browser. When the import button is clicked, a pop-up menu is displayed. This pop-up menu offers the following options: Import an audio or MIDI file...
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual To the left of each track is a tick/cross icon. When a track is ticked, it will be included in the import. Tracks that are not ticked will not be imported. You can toggle whether a track is queued for recording by clicking the track name. CD drive: Use this option to select the CD drive that you wish to import audio tracks from. Select all: Use this option to queue all audio tracks for importing.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Chapter 9: Rack Filters Chapter Contents. 9.1 : 9.2 : 9.3 : 9.4 : 9.5 : What Are Rack Filters? Track Spanning: Learning To Share Building Blocks: A Modular World Working With Rack Filters The Rack Filter Editor How To Build Rack Filters Building A Rack By Hand The Handy Wrap / Unwrap Tool — Using Racks As Channel Strips Racks, Tracks, Inputs, And Outputs Working With Multiple Output VSTis The Track Spanning Approach The Modular Approach 9.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Figure 9.1.2 So why the need to lower the master volume? If you look at your master level you should see why. Despite the fact that you have dropped the master volume by 6 dB, the level meter will be showing the same level as the level meters on tracks one and two. Because both tracks are receiving exactly what was fed to the rack, with no attenuation anywhere, the level has effectively been doubled.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 9.2 : Working With Rack Filters The Rack Filter Editor To display the rack filter editor, click the racks button at the top-right-hand corner of the edit page, or press CTRL + G (CMD + G for Mac users). The arrange area will be reduced in size slightly and a rack editor strip (Fig. 9.2.1) will be shown below it. If you look at Figure 9.2.1 you will notice three pins on either side of the rack canvas.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Clicking inside the rack filter editor will show the properties in the properties-panel (Fig. 9.2.2). Figure 9.2.2 Name: Use this field to give the new rack filter a name. The name will be shown over the rack filter icon in the filter view, and used as the preset name if this rack filter is saved as a preset. It is a good idea to give racks descriptive names.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual If you choose to import a rack, you will be prompted for the location of the rack file. Note that importing racks does not automatically add them to the preset list. If you want to add the imported rack as a preset, you will also need to “save” it, as described next. Save: This button displays a pop-up menu from which you can save the rack as a preset, or export it.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 9.3 : How To Build Rack Filters Building A Rack By Hand As an example of how rack filters are constructed, let’s extend Tracktion’s delay filter to a true stereo type. To start off: • Open the rack editor (keyboard shortcut CTRL + G, or CMD + G for Mac users). • Click the new rack button, and select new empty rack from the pop-up menu. • Enter stereo delay in the name field (Fig. 9.3.1). Figure 9.3.1 For this rack to do anything useful, we need to add some filters to it.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The final thing you need to do is to make the connections that allow the filters to talk to the outside world. On the delay filter in Figure 9.3.2 you can see there are three pins on either side of the filter icon. Just like with rack itself, the top-most pins are the MIDI input/output pins, and the two lower pins are the left and right stereo channels. Making connections between pins is easy: just click on one of the pins and drag a line to the other.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Handy Wrap / Unwrap Tool — Using Racks As Channel Strips If you right-click on a filter in the filter section, you will see that the pop-up menu contains an option wrap this filter in a rack filter. This option can be used to create a new rack filter containing one or more filters contained on the current track. One handy feature of this method of creating racks is that all internal wiring is done automatically by Tracktion.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Looking again at Figure 9.4.1, you can see that each of the track’s input and output boxes has a corresponding level control. By adjusting these levels you can control how much of the track’s audio is sent to each of the inputs, and how much of the rack’s output is returned to the track. The link inputs buttons control whether the channels act as stereo pairs when adjusting the levels. Above the level controls are two sliders: dry and wet.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual 9.5 : Working With Multiple Output VSTis The Track Spanning Approach We looked briefly at multiple-output VSTis in Chapter Four, but let’s take a closer look at how they work with racks. In addition, we’ll look at an alternative approach to working with multiple-output VSTis. The first method, as described in Chapter Four, uses the track spanning nature of rack filters to effectively place the VSTi on as many tracks as is needed.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual The Modular Approach If you would rather keep everything in one place then you can wrap the entire of the arrangement shown in Figure 9.5.2 in a single rack. This allows you to use only one track, but keep the flexibility offered by spreading the VSTi across a number of tracks. To get started, create a new rack filter, and name it after your VSTi. Drag the “new filter” icon onto the rack canvas, and select your VSTi from the filter list.
Tracktion 4 Reference Manual Appendix A: Tranzport Button-Function Mapping Button REW FFWD STOP PLAY RECORD
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