Mackie Tracktion 3 Project Bundle review

Music-production software can emulate a room full of recording hardware for a fraction of the price of the real thing.

This is great news for musicians moving over from hardware to software studios, but the 'virtual hardware' analogy will just confuse anyone who's starting from scratch and isn't familiar with traditional equipment.

Tracktion is one of the few programs that does things differently. There's no virtual mixer, and the plethora of windows that occupy other software are conspicuously absent. The result is a recording package that's much easier for new users to get to grips with and breaks free from some of the constraints that other software imposes. Inevitably you'll still need to get the hang of some basic audio jargon and principles, but that shouldn't prove too hard.

The biggest departure from tradition is the lack of a mixer window. All the components normally found in a hardware mixer - volume controls, EQ, effects and signal routing inputs and outputs - are available as modules that are dropped onto tracks or individual audio clips. Any track might be used for audio or MIDI recordings, as an auxiliary effects channel or as a submix channel. This streamlined approach is more versatile than a conventional mixer, and in some respects it's easier to use, too. However, it requires an organised mind and careful labelling.

Unrestricted access

Mackie clearly takes ease of use seriously. Nearly all functions are achievable using just the mouse, and help is always on hand in a narrow strip of text that changes depending on what your mouse is pointing at. Meanwhile, keyboard shortcuts are clearly advertised and vastly speed up operation. Some of the more advanced features are a little harder to locate, but we found trial and error - or failing that, the manual - provided the answers fairly quickly.

The best thing about Tracktion 3 is that it's not restricted in the ways that other sub-£100 recording software is. Sample rates and numbers of simultaneous inputs, tracks, virtual instruments and effects are limited only the hardware and processing power available. You may never need hundreds of audio tracks, but it's reassuring to know that if your recording projects get more ambitious, Tracktion is already equipped to handle them. It's not lacking in advanced features, either, with audio crossfade options, automation for mix settings that change over time, and comprehensive resource management, including an excellent new sample browser.

Samples and recordings can be time-stretched and pitch-shifted to fit your track, and the quality of the results is much improved in version 3. Quantise options (to correct or adjust timing) are better, too, with the ability to design custom groove templates to apply to MIDI recordings. A Looped Recording mode simplifies the process of recording multiple takes and compiling a best-of version later, although sadly it only works with takes recorded in one burst. We experienced a couple of bugs when copying clips across changing tempos and when splitting audio clips, plus a few crashes during our test period. The previous version of Tracktion was a well-behaved program, so we're hoping these problems will be ironed out soon.

Instrumental breaks

Tracktion comes with a superb collection of effects plug-ins for sculpting polished mixes, but if you want to compose using a MIDI keyboard you'll want virtual instrument plug-ins too. The Project Bundle includes a useful starter kit, with-cut down versions of various high-quality virtual instruments and sample libraries. If you want more, the Ultimate Bundle (£200 including VAT) pushes the boat out with six powerful plug-ins covering everything from classical instruments to analogue synths to drum machines. It's a well conceived package, and the quality and breadth of the sounds are first rate. However, each of these instruments, which are licensed from various other manufacturers, must be activated online before use, an extremely long-winded and confusing process.