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I'm thinking of buying it as it is for sale at such a good deal right now. I've heard the company is no longer selling the produce and no longer supporting it. But that being said it may still be a decent product. I have heard of a few problems with it, loading etc. I would like to know if anyone here has it and is it working well.
I am using T-racks on a free 10 day trial basis and I must admit the video tutorials were great and the product is amazing and easy to use for the beginner. It is however pretty expensive.
Last edited by edbulmer; 12/25/10 10:43 AM.
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BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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My take on purchases like this one is simple enough, base on the old adage that if a deal is too good to be true then it isn't true, etc.
So I would tend to think that a product that formerly cost in the neighborhood of hundreds of dollars suddenly being "on sale" for a fraction of that amount is a "closeout" and this should be understood by anyone taking the plunge.
*No updates for any problems are likely to be issued.
*Support for future Operating Systems and other changes will be nonexistant.
*Learning Curve for a new recording software must be considered as well, time is, well, money - and that investment of time may end up all for naught in the near future. Be careful, don't "paint yourself into a corner."
I understand that most are taking advantage of the sale for the plugins and accessories, rather than the DAW software itself, YMMV.
Merry Christmas,
--Mac
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The product is supported marginally. If you are buying it simply to use Final Mix as an alternative to T-Racks, then it is a bargain. Mackie does not claim it is abandonware - they still include it with all of their audio interface products - not the Ultimate Bundle, but rather the core program without all of the add-on software. There are some included plugins that should be usable in any VST host which really put the deal over the top. There's a cut-down version of Garritan Personal Orchestra (I believe 800 MB of samples) that is worth $20. Drumcore - worth $20. etc. There are known issues with the program on some installations of 64 bit OS - ck. the KVR thread listed above. There is an official Tracktion forum at the Mackie site as well: http://forums.mackie.com/scripts/forum/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=17I've used Tracktion 1 and 2 since 2004 time frame with joy. I've used Tracktion 3 marginally on a friend's Toshiba laptop to get him started doing radio sermons for some radio stations in Flint, MI. His came with a USB mixer from Mackie. Had zero issues with it. I made him a template in Tracktion 2 that had bumper music on both ends of the show and an announcer on another track, then he would fill in his sermon in the middle. He was a guy with absolutely zero experience using DAW software. I bought the T3 Ultimate bundle - haven't installed it yet as I'm working on reviving my desktop machine.
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Quote:
So I would tend to think that a product that formerly cost in the neighborhood of hundreds of dollars suddenly being "on sale" for a fraction of that amount is a "closeout" and this should be understood by anyone taking the plunge.
--Mac
It's still being sold for $249 at Guitar Center.
This package is at a reduced price because it was boxed as an upgrade. A sticker has been added to note that it is the full version, with no previous license required. Mailing stickers to their distributors was cheaper than demanding that it be returned, printing and repackaging it in new boxes, and shipping it back out.
I'll give a report once I have it loaded.
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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So far so good. I'm having fun with it and no problems at all. Using RB plug in mode the real tracks drag and drop right in. And the amount of plugs that come with it is amazing. Best $20 I've spent this year. Thanks Scott for the heads up.
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The price is back up to $249. No more $19. So congrats to those who got in on a deal. I think the recent spate of purchases has probably driven the price back up.
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It's all your fault Scott, they should thank you  I almost wonder if that sale price wasn't some kind of mistake. Going from $249 to $19.95 is a real whopper of a discount. Mucho thanks for the tip. Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Hi There! Newbie at BIAB 2011 and I also bought the $20 Tracktion bundle as well as the stealth plug too for my guitar. I guess it was around the same time folks here discovered the same low low prices so I am newbie at that too. Can anyone explain how to marry the two so I can: a. use the loops, sounds, etc from tracktion bundle in BIAB and, b. how I can use BIAB files in Tracktion? I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW: Will BIAB accept input from my guitar via stealth plug with all of the various IK multimedia effects and amps? I am very familiar with PCs but not from a musical perspective. BIG BIG THANKS in advance for your time and willingness to share 
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So far, the Tracktion Bundle has been a waste of 20$.
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The loops that come with the Ultimate bundle are 'acidized' .wav and .aiff files. If BIAB can use those, then you should have no issues.
There are plugins in Tracktion 3 that simply make it an incredible value, if you know what to look for.
For example, there is a channel strip plugin with some presets for male and female vox for condenser and dynamic mics, that quite honestly, work most excellently.
I don't have time this month to demonstrate specifically because I'm in the middle of the FAWM 2011 challenge to write 14 songs in the month of february.
The GPO lite edition that comes with Tracktion 3 is worth $20.
The Final Mix plugin that comes with Tracktion is worth $20.
There's all kinds of parts to it that are worth $20 in and of themselves. Use them just once and you're ahead. Don't know where to go looking for them or how to use them and then it's a waste.
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Quote:
The Final Mix plugin that comes with Tracktion is worth $20.
That plugin (and many others in the bundle) work only in Traktion, so there is a learning curve involved.
I haven't gotten into GPO yet, as there have been too many things going on here lately, but I should have some time for that soon.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Quote:
Quote:
The Final Mix plugin that comes with Tracktion is worth $20.
That plugin (and many others in the bundle) work only in Traktion, so there is a learning curve involved.
I haven't gotten into GPO yet, as there have been too many things going on here lately, but I should have some time for that soon.
That is true - you need to learn how to import audio into Tracktion. Quite a simple process actually.
The piano in GPO is pretty nice.
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Scott, Quote:
There's all kinds of parts to it that are worth $20 in and of themselves. Use them just once and you're ahead. Don't know where to go looking for them or how to use them and then it's a waste.
No doubt that's true. I got frustrated when the authorization codes for AmpliTube LE, Sampletank 2 SE, Cronix 3, RM IV and Alpha 3 wouldn't work. Especially after the excessively long install time.
I also didn't care for the way the way the program opens up and the layout. Of course by the time I opened it, I was already frustrated because the codes wouldn't work.
I'm used to Sonar and Home Studio XL, which look and act like a DAW from the opening screen.
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I didn't have issues with IKMultimedia reg of my products but they have fixed some things. I to got Traktion as part of a bundle. Didn't care for it and didn't find it intuitive.It reminds me of acid and I didn't like that either.
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Bob, there must be something fundamentally upside down with how you are trying to get the authorizations done.
First, there is no authorization code for RMIV. Second, Alpha and Cronox codes worked just find for me. Amplitube works fine, as does Sampletank. I don't like the IK registration process period - it's not unique to Tracktion.
To others that bought this program for $19
As for the workflow, to me it's hand-in-glove. I've never accepted that a computer based music software has to follow a hardware layout for signal flow. It doesn't work that way in my brain - even though in 'real life' I do a whole lot of mixing for live sound and deal with the bus limitations that present themselves in hardware mixers.
There are many people that simply do not like Tracktion's workflow. To those that do, it's a boon. Since it's mainly a modular host - one has to think of music production with a signal flow mindset.
However, if all you do is use it to put some shine on a stereo mix - I still challenge any still reading this post to put one of your 'finished' stereo mixdowns into Tracktion, and then apply the Final Mix plugin and audition a bunch of the presets. You are almost sure to find one of the following presets to put the icing on the cake:
Final Mix
CD
(these are the top two presets in the list)
Country with EQ
Rock
Smoothed Out
and a few others I can't think of off the top of my head.
Before anyone chimes in and says something along the lines that this is kind of cheating, that you can do all of this with a series of plugs, here's what you need to be able to combine:
6 band parametric EQ
3 band dynamics processor with settings for crossover points, thresholds, all the other typical ratio, etc.
6 band parametric EQ
Limiter with soft-knee possibilities, etc.
There's nearly an infinite way to combine those 4 different items of signal processing. Use the presets as a guide. I'm almost always adjusting the first 6 band, but I have absolutely no qualms about using the preset as a starting point.
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I love it Scott. It's a really nice compliment to RB and they play nice together here without a hitch. The tutorial is good. It has a great sound and the plugins are fantastic. It doesn't bother me you can only use them in tracktion because it will import or I can drag in any file I want. The layout is different but it's actually pretty intuitive. I'm excited about learning to do more with it. Every music software/hardware I've ever purchased that included extras had time and/or hassle involved with getting it all going. I've come to expect that frustration. But I had it up and running in an afternoon and only one auth code that came the next day - don't remember which it was now. I did think the loops sucked but I don't use those anyway - not my cup of tea. After playing with it for a couple of months, and I haven't even tried many of the extras yet, it's still the best twenty bucks I've spent. I'd have paid more than that for just the suite of plugins. It also finds and uses my other plugins I like without any issues. I love a bargain and this was a steal.
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