2019-07-01_Computer_Music

graphical View Manager), enabling a new
‘compact’ mode for the Control bar and – more
importantly – opening the Waveform UI up to
somefairlyseriouscustomisation.It’sactuallya
seriesofcontextual(butalsonavigable
manuallyviathebuttonsatthetop)control
panels,eachonecontainingthepropertiesand
a defaultsetof‘actions’forthecurrently
selectedelement– Track,Input,ClipandPlugin,
orEditforglobalactions.Thelistedactionsin
eachActionsPanelcanbeaddedtofroman
extensivemenuofmacrosandshortcutsthat
takesinprettymucheveryfunctionand
operationtheDAWhastooffer,aswellas
scriptedUserMacros,shouldyouwanttodefine
yourown.Threeviewmodesofferfilteringof
favouritedand‘hidden’actions,anda favourite
actionspopupcanevenbeassignedtoa key
commandforinstantmousepointeraccess.It all
addsuptoa wonderfullyopen-endedsystem
forpersonalisingtheDAWtoyourownneeds.
Individualandmultipletrackscannowbe
poppedoutintoself-containedTrackEditor
windowsforsimultaneousviewingandediting.
EachTrackEditorisindependentlysettofollow
projectplaybackornot,andaddingtrackstothe
windowiseasy– justselectthemfroma menu.
Therearequitea fewlesserimprovements,
too,includinga marqueetoolforrange
selection,multiple-note/clipMIDIpreviewing,
streamlinedcrossfadeadjustment,automatic
crashrecovery,projectconsolidation,newMulti
Samplerfeaturesandmore.

Ontop’Form
Withitsdecidedlyunorthodoxinterfaceand
uniquemethodology,Waveform/Tracktionhas
alwaysbeena love-it-or-hate-itproposition,and
version 10 doesn’tdomuchtochangethat– not
thatit should,ofcourse.Whatit doesdo,
however,isintegratea goodnumberofvery
solidnewfeaturesthatupitsworkflowgame
considerably,mostnotablytheGrooveDoctor,
theActionPanelandtheTrackEditor.Onthe
downside,Waveformisarguablytheleast

intuitiveofallDAWs,sodocumentationisa

must,andwiththemanualnothavingbeen

updatedforv10atthetimeofwriting,wewere

leftscratchingourheadsattimes– therearea

fewvideos,buttheydon’treallymakeupforthe

lackofa properPDFguide.Hopefullythatwill

havebeenaddressedbythetimeyoureadthis,

though,andultimately,Waveform 10 standsas

animpressiveupgradetoTracktion’s

increasinglypowerfulandflexibleDAW.

Webtracktion.com

Verdict

ForGrooveDoctorisgreat

ActionsPanelfordeepUIcustomisation

TrackEditorisgreat

Auto-TuneAccessincluded

Decentnewsynths

AgainstManualnotupdated

ArtisanCollectionisa bitofa swiz

Waveformtakesanotherbigstepupwitha

raftofwelcomenewfeaturestodelight

seasonedusersandtemptnewones

9/10

Alternatively

CockosReaper 5

224 »8/10»$60

Stillprobablytheclosestrivalto

Waveforminpriceand

‘individuality’terms

TracktionT7DAW

231 »9/10»Free

Ironically,Waveform’spredecessor,

Tracktion7, couldbeitsstiffest

competition,beingfreean’all

Waveform 10 introducesa seemingly

generous 62 new‘Artisan’effects,but

theseareactuallyjustreskinned

versionsofvariousfreeAirwindows

plugins(airwindows.com).Withtheir

circuit-boardinterfacesandfocused

remits,thesemadlittlegadgetsoffera

wealthofcreativetreatments,from

dynamicsprocessing,distortionand

EQtodelays,reverbsandweird

utilities.They’refun,particularlywhen

cabledtogetherasmodulesinthe

Rack,asTracktionsuggest,butwe’re

notfullydownwithhowthey’rebeing

presentedasa majorsellingpoint.

Genuinelyenticing,though,isthe

inclusionofAntaresAuto-TuneAccess

(8/10, 268), which sells for $99 on its

own, and makes a rather fabulous

partner to the also-onboard Melodyne

Essential (also $99).

Over on the instrument front,

Waveform 10 boasts two new virtual

analogue synths. Subtractive is a

hardwired four-oscillator monster with

an 11-saw stack among its oscillator

waveforms, two filters, four LFOs, four

envelopes, four insert effects, an

arpeggiator and a hefty library of very

usable presets.

4OSC is a less full-on alternative to

Subtractive with assignable

modulation, and MPE compatibility for

use with Roli controllers and the like.

New effects and synths

The Groove Doctor takes the form of this slightly awkward but workable ‘wizard’-style interface

Subtractive is a

powerhouse, but

4OSC does more

with modulation

“A wonderfully open-

ended system for

personalising the DAW

to your own needs”

July 2019 / ComputermusiC / 89

tracktion software waveform 10 / reviews <