does anybody know, or can they point me to a link, of what is likely to be added to version 5?
I wasn’t really considering v5 when i bought v4, as i liked v4 the way it is. It does everything Sonar did for me, at a fraction of the upgrade cost of sonar. Now that i know i’ll be entitled to a free upgrade, i’m curious to know what avaits in September.
Personally, i’de like to see some work done on groups/aux channels. I don’t really like the input/output routing. Maybe i’m just not used to it yet.
I’de also like to see some general work done on the GUI. I think n-track is a bit ugly and outdated. I find my workspace gets really cluttlerd very quickly.
Hi minn:
The anticipation of downloading the new versions of n-Track goes way back… I was here when Flavio posted v1.0… I still have the same audio hardware… That’s frightening… 
I still use n-Track with '98SE… and a P-111 800mhz Intel processor and 256 meg of ram… and a 32 meg graphics card.
I guess I fall into the “Camp” and, I hope he doesn’t add anything into the v5 that requires huge amounts of computer resources to interrupt the “Streaming” of data from the hard drives… If the appearance of n-Track requires graphics card resources, then I would rather see Flavio keep the “Look” just where it is…
I like anything new that he can add to n-Track that helps me create an “End” product that doesn’t affect the ability to hear and see an uninterrupted likeness of the tracks I’m working on…
I guess I fall into the “camp” that it’s not what you use…
It’s what you get used to using…
If Flavio adds any new features into v5 that helps the rendering of the multitracking I do here… Then I’m all-for-that…
Bill…
Amen Bill
hmm i didn’t think about that demographic. There must be a point where software designers have to move on and not be forced to program for people with crusty-old computers. 32MB graphics card 
. Utilizing the resources of new hardware can greatly increase productivity, and i want to buy software that isn’t designed for obsolete computers.
Of course taht is just one side/ poit of view. I see your point completely and i would be in that “camp” if i didn’t have this new computer the school bought for me 
. There is something to say about smartly-designed software that is all performance, and wastes nothing on eye-candy.
Improving the GUI aside, i am looking forward to seeing what flavio will implement in v5. Hey Bill, what did you think when v4 required the use of .net2.0? did that put a performance hit on your 98SE machine? just curious.
Hi minn:
I hear you… The old audio hardware I have has drivers that was written up to and including 2000… I never did install 2000 on any machine here. I went from '98SE to Dual-Boot machines… with one bootable drive with '98SE and one Bootable drive with XP. That solved the step from '98SE and on into the XP operating system. I use the old hardware for tracking only… But I use the latest n-Track builds as Flavio posts them. I have a third party Net Framwork installed on the '98SE drives… It satisfies installing n-Track builds that require Netframwork on the '98SE operating systems, so I can continue installing the latest builds on '98SE… I also had to install workarounds for the later/newer “install fixes” to install these applications. I think they are call Windows “Hot-Fixes”… However, n-Track wasn’t the only applications requiring these workarounds. There are Plug-ins DX and VST and a number of other applications that needed all this re-worked software. Mark A (in the UK) and phoo (out on the West Coast), as well as a number of other posters who are members on this Great Board gave me lots of support and help to point me down the path to keep this old stuff working. One day… and I can see it comming I’ll have to trash this great working A/D and D/A converters and great sounding analogue audio hardware for the want of computers and operating systems that may not support this old stuff… What I’ll have to replace it with?? I shudder to think… The time for IT is fast approaching… I’m leaning toward “Turn-Key” audio hardware… We’ll see… But as much as I can for-see… n-Track will continue to be the Multi-Track Editor… At least for the forseeable future… That is, if n-Track’s new versions will support the Broadcast Wave, file extension/audio files… and a “Sample-Accurate” time-line… as-well-as a “Soft-ware” version of a Durrough’s VU Meter…
I know I have a link… but you guessed it… ??
Specs…
Specification
For Models 40-A, 10-A, 20-A, 12-A, 240-A, 280-A, 380-A, 400-A.
Input Parameters
Input Z 20k Ohm balanced, 10k Ohm single-ended, +/- 2%
CMRR 80 dB at 60 Hz, 60 dB at 20 kHz (balanced mode)
Input Sensitivity -10 dB for full-scale display
Maximum Input Level +24 dB before clipping
Signal Path Parameters
Signal Path Bandwidth 10 Hz - 25 kHz, +/- .25 dB
Signal Path Distortion Less than 1% THD at 1 kHz, +24 dB input
Sum Error Less than 0.1 dB at 1 kHz
Difference Error Less than 0.1 dB at 1 kHz
Display Parameters (All parameters apply to AVERAGE, PEAK, and PEAK HOLD display elements.)
Display Resolution 40 LEDs, 1 dB/LED except model 60D, +/- 0.25 dB.
Step Size Error +/- 0.25 dB
Absolute Error:
Full Scale -39 dBu
- 59 dBu
+/- 0.25 dB model A,B,C
+/- 0.25 dB model D
Drift +/- 0.25 dB
Average Time Constant 600 mS, +/- 6%
Peak Acquistion Period 10 uS, to full-scale, sine input 25kHz
Peak Attack Period Virtually Instantaneous
Peak Decay Period 180 mS, from full-scale to all LEDs off (models A, B, C)
Display Update Rate Approximately 10 mS
Display Duty Cycle Display Time, AVERAGE, PEAK HOLD - 75%
Display Time, PEAK - 100%
Miscellaneous Parameters
Power Supply Input Range 117/237 VAC RMS, -20% to +10%, 50-60 Hz
Calibration Controls None needed
User Controls Left/Right input sensitivity
Option DIP Switch
A) Peak Auto [ON]
B) Difference Mode [ON/OFF]
C) Over Level Alarm [ENABLE]
D) Under Level Alarm [ENABLE]
E) Auto ARMP
User Port DB-9 Connector
A) Alarm relay closure contacts 1 form C, 1A, 30V AC or DC
B) Mode control switch (user supplied)
C) PEAK function switch (user supplied)
****
I knew I could find the link… Dorrough VU Meters
Sorry for the guys who have no interest in this…
A software version of Durrough VU Meters that would react correctly to wave files on an n-Track timeline would place n-Track Head-and-Shoulders above any other multi-track editor…
There are other features that I know would place n-Track on the “Lead-Track” but a lot of you guys have shown little-if-any-interest…
Anyway, enough of this for now…
Bill…
[EDIT]
I forgot to place in my post…
I know I’ll get it from some of you guys…
If n-Track will work on out-dated DAW’s (with linited resources) and out-dated operating systems, then isn’t that a good “Test” for getting n-Track to work on the latest DAW’s and operating systems?
| Quote (minn @ Aug. 17 2006,17:23) |
| Utilizing the resources of new hardware can greatly increase productivity, and i want to buy software that isn’t designed for obsolete computers. |
Can… but it mostly just contributes to superfluous features and useless eye candy. I’d rather have a simple interface and reliable piece of software that has the bugs worked out instead of some bloated buggy piece of crap that has had new features continually jammed on top of buggy code just because computers were getting fast enough to run the latest version.
Hey Bill,
Maybe off-center to our topic here, but I’d be interested to hear what you have in the way of ideas for making n-Track a better app. Are you maybe talking about plug-ins that could be added, for instance, to v3.x?
When I get my PC back from an upgrade, I’m going to load V3.3 back into it. I’ve got a small studio with just the basics, and I’d like it to be streamlined, elemental, and more or less no-frills. My work isn’t that complex, mostly, and there’s nearly no MIDI involved.
Anyhow, I’m more interested in taking small solid ‘components’ and putting them together for the features, etc. I want to use: n-Track for tracking and ‘rough-in’ mixing (I like the EQ), Cool Edit for extensive editing, arranging, and maybe T-Racks or Ozone for finishing. That kind of thing.
I’ll be back into the general swim here with mixing my reggae band’s demo (we did it on my Tascam 788), soon as my PC’s up and working again. So you guy’sll be hearing from me, Benedict Sloom, again…
And I have to agree that stability and real usefulness is the thing. I find that the GUI, although you have to have one(!), isn’t going to make my material sound different- knowing what to do with my gear and music is. How many colors does your favorite hardware mixer come in? 
Too much focus on this, I think.
Hi Sloom:
You may be exactly right… That Meter could very well be a Plug-in… If it could be written thatway… Then the choice could be to negate the n-Track meters when remixing/editing and any “Post Work”… When mixing 15-20 tracks the difference in a few tenths of a DB on some tracks is the sum of a clip on a two-track mix… A nice/accurate meter can work hand-in-hand with the “Clip” feature on these n-Track later builds.
I’m almost holding my breath to see if Flavio will work-up the ability to render “Groups” in the next series of builds…
You see Gents… I’ve never used or installed any other multi-track editor other than n-Track… The only other pieces of software I use in this operation is Polderbits and GoldWave… I keep both of those applications current and up-to-date… But I use them very seldom… The Polderbits utility will only recognize 16 bit res. files or mp3 files. so it sees very limited activity around here, anymore… I’ve been trying to interest Rudy, the owner of Polderbits to re-code his application to recognize 24-bit wave files… But he seems indifferent to that idea…
The next idea I’d like to see Flavio write into n-Track is, the ability for n-Track to network/sync files/folders between Hard Drives on DAW’s that are networked… I run several computers here in my operation/setup and it gets confusing when I’m in the editing mode and looking for a particular rendered wave file only to find it on another computer on my network… So most of the time I have to run computers and keep my network powered up all the time… when I’m re-rendering tracks…
It’s not what you do… it’s what you get used to doing…
Bill…
[EDIT]
If I remember back in build 1516… I think it was v3.3??
I think my old Lexicon audio hardware was the most stable for tracking… But it all seems so long ago… There are things in the later builds that if they were available in the newer versions, that would be the Bee’s Knee’s for me…
I guess you can’t have everything… Can you??
I may consider installing build 1516 back on that '98SE boot partition… That I run the Lexicon hardware on… Just for Tracking…
I don’t really care one way or the other about colors/graphics/etc., but a less cluttered interface (like Tracktion or the new MS Office Suite - every option/utility is always readily available, very few “popup” dialog boxes/windows) would be very welcome.
Not sure if I’m going to upgrade though… Although it’s a great program, I’m using n-Track less and less these days. MIDI notation view sure would change my mind though!!!
| Quote (Former Member Gone @ Aug. 19 2006,21:14) |
| MIDI notation view sure would change my mind though!!! |
Heck yeah… though I have to have to have to have a DAW that handles VSTis well. I have a few now that simply crap out in N and I have to crack open the cheese ball version of Cubase that came with my sound card. I have pestered Flavio on these, but no response… I think it is to the point now that even many of us old fan boy loyalists are starting to really question stability and Flavio’s commitment to working that out. 5 or 8 years ago Flavio was very present here and now he is never on the forums or interacting with the customers like the days of old, so that sort of absense worries me. I surely hope he has stability as a top priority as I can think of quite a few old timers that have moved on from N as the stability was never quite the same after 2.x and less so after 3.3. I don’t buy the “but he is only one guy with limited means” argument any more as we have seen with Tracktion and Multi Track studio, and now Reaper, it can be done even with small one man operations. I have high hopes and my fingers are crossed.