New features in PowerTracks Pro Audio 2013

PowerTracks Pro Audio 2013 is here with more than twenty new features. We've made looping easier with the new Ctrl-Space Bar command, the Event List has been improved, it’s easier to save files to a favorite folder, and to add part markers in the Chords window. You can import WAV files directly from the Tracks window popup menu without going into the Audio menu, and there’s added support for audio formats like .MP3, .MP4, M4A, and .WMA files, including Jukebox play. You can add multiple songs at a time to the Jukebox play list and stop and start Jukebox playback with new hot keys when you’re in the Jukebox window, or with the space bar when you’re out of the Jukebox window.

Recording is made easier with an Input VU meter on the main toolbar and pre-roll for punch-ins. You’ll also find improvements to the Metronome and the Audio Edit window, and consolidating audio now offers the option to include silence. The new Print-to-PDF button prints your notation in the popular PDF format, ready to upload or email. PowerTracks Pro Audio will now batch convert groups of files in a folder with enhanced batch rendering, and much more.

• Looping tracks is easier the new Ctrl+Space Bar command that will loop the highlighted region of a song (or whole song if nothing is currently highlighted). You can use this feature in the Tracks, Bars, Chords, and Audio Edit windows.
• Improved Event List operation with a new Track combo that lets you set the Event List window to any track number (or all tracks).
• Use the Favorite Folders button on the top toolbar to open or save a file to/from a favorite folder.
• New setting in File Preferences to “Beep after rendering the song to a file.” This tells you that audio rendering of a MIDI file is done and the audio file is ready.
• “P” Part Marker Hot Key When the Chords window is the current window, the keyboard letter "P" is a shortcut for toggling part markers between a, b, and none.
• Added Import Wave File command in the right-click popup menu for the Tracks window. This duplicates the Audio | Import Wave File command (Ctrl+F3) and allows you to import a wave file without the need to go to the Audio menu.
• New Metronome Settings let you specify notes and velocities per beat. For example, you might want to emphasize beat 1 by making it louder. Or, if you have the metronome enabled during playback, you can give it a more musical sounding pattern than just steady ticking.
• The new [Write to Track] button in the Metronome Settings dialog lets you write the metronome to a MIDI track, or to just a region of a track.
• The Track | Consolidate Audio Region command now will offer the option to include silence when consolidating from the start of the song and tracks(s) don't start at the very beginning.
• Jukebox operation has been improved. There are new hot keys for the [Start] (t) and [Stop] (o) buttons within the Jukebox. The hot keys (t) and (o) work when the Jukebox is visible and the currently active window. When playing in JukeBox mode, and you have exited the Jukebox window itself, and space bar is pressed, PowerTracks Pro Audio will remain in JukeBox mode so you can press space again to resume Jukebox play. A Flash message will display when the space bar is pressed.
• The Track Name Combo in the Audio Edit window will now show the track number in addition to the name for non-blank tracks.
• When clicking on the Notation button and the current track is a BLANK audio track, and the song is not playing, then PowerTracks Pro Audio will ask if it's okay to change the track to a MIDI track (rather than opening an Audio Edit window).
• When clicking on the Audio Edit Window button and the current track is a BLANK MIDI track, and the song is not playing, then PowerTracks Pro Audio will ask if it's okay to change the track type to an Audio track (rather than opening a Notation window).
• There is now an Input VU meter always open on the main toolbar, great for keeping an eye on input levels without the need to open a separate VU Meter window.
• The Punch In dialog now has a pre-roll feature that automatically starts playback by a specified number of bars and beats before the start of the punch-in point.
• In the Notation, the Print Options dialog now has a [Print-to-PDF] button that lets you print the notation directly to a .PDF file.
• In the Jukebox you can add multiple songs at a time to the play list when you click on the [Add to Play List] button. This is especially useful for loading a set of songs all at once, or loading all of the songs in a folder into the Jukebox.
• In the File menu, the Save As command now supports saving to .MP3, .MP4, .M4A, and .WMA files. MIDI tracks are automatically rendered to audio and saved in the file. Note that your system must have the codec installed for the type of file you want to save (e.g. MP3).
• File | Open now allows opening of .MP4 and .M4A files. This means that PowerTracks Pro Audio supports virtually all common MIDI and audio formats in addition to its own .SEQ files and Band-in-a-Box ?G? files.
• Batch File Conversion will convert a group of files in a folder over to another file type (.SEQ, .MID, .MP3, .MP4, .M4A, .WAV, .MGU, .SGU).
• You now have the added ability to select a region of the song during playback in the Tracks window and some other windows like the Audio Edit window and Chords window.
• Resizable Lead Sheet - the Lead Sheet window will now adjust the height and width of staves automatically when resized.
• Solo/mute duplicated on the Audio Edit window toolbar.
• Mouse wheel support for horizontal scrolling the row of masters or auxes in the Mixer Window in addition to the row of tracks.
• Jukebox plays most popular audio files. As well as PowerTracks Pro Audio and Band-in-a-Box files, the Jukebox can now play your audio files in the most popular formats like WAV, WMA, MP3, MP4, M4A, etc.