TRACKTION 2 MUSIC PRODUCTION SOFTWARE REFERENCE Revision A 3/16/05 GUIDE TRACKTION 2 MUSIC PRODUCTION SOFTWARE Note: 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). So sit back, imagine yourself overlooking an English moor (or in an English pub if you prefer), and enjoy Tracktion! *People who use Tracktion Don't forget to visit our website at www.mackie.com for more information about this and other Mackie products. Part No. SW0195 Rev. A 3/05 ©2005 LOUD Technologies Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2 Tracktion 2 LOUD TECHNOLOGIES INC. END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT Tracktion 2.0 By clicking on the "I Accept" button, installing, copying or otherwise using the Software, you agree to be bound by the terms of this License Agreement. If you do not agree to the terms of this License Agreement, click on the "I Do Not Accept" button and/or do not install the Software. 1. License. YOU (either as an individual or an entity) MAY: (a) use the Software on a maximum of two (2) computers; (b) physically transfer the Software from one computer to another provided that the Software is used on no more than two computers at a time and that you remove any copies of the Software from the computer(s) from which the Software is being transferred; and (c) install another copy of the Software in the event that the first Software installation is unusable. YOU MAY NOT: (a) distribute copies of the Software or the documentation to others; (b) modify, rent, lease or grant sublicenses or other rights to the Software; and (c) use the Software in a computer service business, network, time-sharing, multiple CPU or multiple user arrangement without the prior written consent of LOUD Technologies Inc. 2. Copyright. This License is not a sale of the Software or any other copy. LOUD Technologies Inc. and Raw Material Software retain title and ownership of the Software and documentation, including all intellectual property rights. No title to the intellectual property in the Software is transferred to you. You will not acquire any rights to the Software except as expressly set forth above. 3. Reverse Engineering. You agree that you will not attempt, and if you are a corporation, you will use your best efforts to prevent your employees and contractors from attempting to reverse engineer, disassemble, compile, modify, translate, or otherwise alter the Software or any associated LOUD Technologies Inc. hardware in whole or in part. 4. Limited Warranty. LOUD Technologies Inc. warrants that the media on which the Software is furnished will be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase. If a defect appears during the warranty period, return the diskette/compact disk to LOUD Technologies Inc., and you will receive a free replacement. This Limited Warranty is void if failure of the Software has resulted from accident, abuse, or misapplication. Any replacement Software will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period. The foregoing is your sole and exclusive remedy for breach of warranty. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS THAT VARY BY JURISDICTION. 5. No Other Warranties. LOUD Technologies Inc. AND ITS LICENSOR(s) (hereafter collectively referred to as "LOUD Technologies Inc.") DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE LOUD Technologies Inc. SOFTWARE NOR ANY THIRD-PARTY SOFTWARE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD (collectively the "Software") ARE ERROR FREE. YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION ARE PROVIDED "AS IS." LOUD Technologies Inc. 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SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. Reference Guide 3 7. Term. This Agreement is effective until terminated. You may terminate this Agreement at any time by uninstalling the Software together with destroying any copies in any form. This Agreement, including the license to use the Software, will terminate automatically if you fail to comply with any term or condition 8. Upgrades. LOUD may at its discretion release upgrades to the Software. LOUD has no obligation to offer free or discounted upgrades to any end user of the Software. 9. Governing Law and Severability. This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington and will be interpreted as if the agreement were made between Washington residents and performed entirely within Washington. If for any reason a court finds any provision of this License unenforceable, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent possible, and the remainder of the License shall continue in full force and effect. 10. Entire Agreement. This is the entire agreement between you and LOUD Technologies Inc. AND supersedes any prior agreement, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter of this Agreement. No amendment or modification of this agreement will be binding unless in writing and signed by a duly authorized representative of LOUD Technologies Inc. 4 Tracktion 2 Table of Contents Chapter 1: The projects page ----------------------------- 7 1.1 The project list--------------------------------------------------------------7 1.2 The search tool ------------------------------------------------------------ 9 1.3 The control section------------------------------------------------------ 10 1.4 Project properties --------------------------------------------------------12 1.5 Edit properties ----------------------------------------------------------- 14 1.6 Audio item properties ---------------------------------------------------15 1.7 MIDI item properties---------------------------------------------------- 18 Chapter 2: The settings page -----------------------------19 2.1 The audio devices tab--------------------------------------------------- 19 2.2 The audio output device properties----------------------------------21 2.3 The audio input device options -------------------------------------- 22 2.4 The MIDI output options ---------------------------------------------- 24 2.5 The MIDI input options ------------------------------------------------ 25 2.6 The plug-ins tab --------------------------------------------------------- 26 2.7 The key-mappings tab -------------------------------------------------- 27 2.8 Installing external controllers---------------------------------------- 28 2.9 The miscellaneous settings tab--------------------------------------- 29 2.10 The colour editor--------------------------------------------------------31 Chapter 3: The edit page ----------------------------------33 3.1 The input section -------------------------------------------------------- 33 3.2 The arrange area--------------------------------------------------------- 34 3.3 The track options-------------------------------------------------------- 36 3.4 The filter section -------------------------------------------------------- 39 3.5 The control section -----------------------------------------------------48 3.6 The transport section -------------------------------------------------- 50 Chapter 4: Timing, snapping, and synchronisation - 54 4.1 The time-line bar, and the tempo properties ---------------------- 54 4.2 The "timecode" button ------------------------------------------------ 56 4.3 The "snapping" button ------------------------------------------------- 57 4.4 The "click-track" button----------------------------------------------- 58 4.5 The video window------------------------------------------------------- 59 5 Reference Guide Chapter 5: Audio clips -------------------------------------61 5.1 Working with the clip tools-------------------------------------------- 61 5.2 The audio clip properties ---------------------------------------------- 62 5.3 The right-click options ------------------------------------------------- 65 Chapter 6: MIDI clips ------------------------------------- 66 6.1 The MIDI clip tools and MIDI editor ---------------------------------66 6.2 The MIDI clip properties----------------------------------------------- 67 6.3 The right-click options ------------------------------------------------- 71 6.4 The selected note properties----------------------------------------- 72 6.5 The groove editor ------------------------------------------------------- 73 Chapter 7: Automation ----------------------------------- 74 7.1 The automation pop-up menu, and the curve properties ------- 74 7.2 The "automation" button---------------------------------------------- 76 7.3 Using the Mackie Control Universal with Tracktion ------------- 78 7.4 Using the Mackie Control C4 with Tracktion ---------------------- 85 Chapter 8: Freezing and rendering --------------------- 90 8.1 Freezing --------------------------------------------------------------------90 8.2 Rendering ----------------------------------------------------------------- 91 Chapter 9: Rack filters------------------------------------ 92 9.1 What are rack filters? --------------------------------------------------- 92 9.2 Managing rack filters --------------------------------------------------- 93 9.3 How to build rack filters -----------------------------------------------96 9.4 Racks, tracks, inputs, and outputs -----------------------------------98 9.5 Working with multiple output VSTis--------------------------------99 Chapter 10: Importing and exporting -----------------101 10.1 The import options --------------------------------------------------- 101 10.2 Exporting project and edit archives------------------------------- 103 10.3 Exporting audio files--------------------------------------------------105 10.4 Exporting MIDI files --------------------------------------------------106 Final words------------------------------------------------- 107 6 Tracktion 2 Chapter 1: The projects page Hello and welcome to Tracktion! If you have not already read through the Tracktion User's Guide, may we suggest you start there. The User's Guide is specifically designed to get you up and writing music with your new Tracktion software as fast as possible. Note: If you have not yet registered your copy of Tracktion, and you are looking for assistance on how to do so, jump to Section Three of this chapter. The description of the "about" button contains specific instructions on registering Tracktion. Whilst there is no reason why you shouldn't read this Reference Manual from cover to cover, we are confident that you will find Tracktion so easy to learn that you will mostly want to turn to this Manual when you have specific questions. As such the Reference Manual is structured into broad sections that relate to specific areas in Tracktion. Each of these areas is detailed with explanations of the options you will find, and hints to related options or controls that you may find useful. 1.1 The project list Figure 1.1.1 The project list is not, as it may at first appear, a list of all projects on your hard-drive. Instead, it shows those projects that are currently open. An open project can be thought of as a book-marked project. It isn't open in the way that a document may be open in a word processor, rather it is marked as being a work in progress. All newly created projects, or unpacked archives (archives are discussed in Chapter 10.2), are opened by default, ready for you to work on them. Projects that you have previously closed, however, need to be reopened before they can be edited. The project-list is comprised of two folders. The first of these folders is the "active projects" folder, and this is where all of your current projects will be shown. The second folder is the "library projects" folder, and whilst it is broadly similar to the "active projects" folder, it has a few special properties. The o ...