Stable / Unstable

6.x.x stable ?

I’ve been absent from recording for a few years and now returning. As I remember every nTrack version I had was not very stable after trying on a few windows OS platforms. So I resorted to Power Track which is very stable but has it’s own limitations. I’m now using an XP computer that seems to have very few to no issues. (I keep it clean). I’ve tried my older nTrack version 3.3 in the past few days but already seem to have nTrack crash a few times on normal stuff I would do in Power Tracks with no problems.
Before buying are there any stability issues with the new 6.x.x versio of nTrack?
Thanks for your input.
Toby

Quote: (Tobias @ Mar. 27 2010, 12:13 PM)

I've been absent from recording for a few years and now returning. As I remember every nTrack version I had was not very stable after trying on a few windows OS platforms. So I resorted to Power Track which is very stable but has it's own limitations. I'm now using an XP computer that seems to have very few to no issues. (I keep it clean). I've tried my older nTrack version 3.3 in the past few days but already seem to have nTrack crash a few times on normal stuff I would do in Power Tracks with no problems.
Before buying are there any stability issues with the new 6.x.x versio of nTrack?
Thanks for your input.
Toby

Download the demo and check it out. As with any software, the software can only be as good as the hardware that runs it. There will always be bugs in software and this includes the Airbus A320. LOL! The latest version of n-track seems very stable. Most issues as of late relate to hardware issues outside of n-track. Product support/fixing bugs, adding features, taking feature requests is always a high priority here. There are many experienced users here who can help should you run into any difficulties. All you need to do is ask, and provide as much detail as you can in your post making sure to cover the hardware and software your using.


PACO

I, too, have been away from n-Track for some time and just recently upgraded to the latest version 6.1.2, build 2830. Compared to other audio and video editors that I work with, n-Track is by far the most unstable. Some windows and dialog boxes take longer than normal to open or close, moving events is very tentative and touchy (sometimes jumping to other tracks), docking windows is touchy, the program occasionally crashes, problems come and go by themselves, etc. I look at the current buglist and the regular stream of builds with bugfixes and shudder.

By comparison, my much more complex Sony Vegas Movie Studio (VMS) is rock solid, predictable, and virtually never crashes. Sony VMS typically goes an entire version without the need for a bugfix upgrade. I find myself more and more using the audio functions of Sony VMS for my audio editing projects, especially now that is supports up to 10 tracks which is sufficient for my projects. If the closely related Sony Sound Forge Pro wasn’t so expensive, I would certainly consider it. I also used to use PowerTracks and though its functionality was more limited and the user interface is clunky, it was very solid.

I know it has been said before, but I will put my vote in for n-Track putting more development time into stability and performance instead of the steady stream of feature additions and tweaks.

I’m sorry that you have had trouble with N-Track. And I’m glad you have not had trouble with Sony’s software, because if you have trouble with Sony software you are in for a very frustrating experience. At least, if my experience is any indication.
I use Sound Forge to edit and master (along with Ozone). I first bought Sound Forge at version 4 - and it was great software. Then Sony bought it about version 6. I have had pretty good luck through version 8, but when I bought version 10 things went down hill fast. Without going into detail here is some information:
When you install Sony software it registers it to the specific computer. If you end up reinstalling over a certain number of times, (because it is not working correctly) even on the same computer, you Must call Sony for a pass-code. They are not available nights or weekends.
An emailed question will (usually) result in a return email ( after some delay) that tells you to read a document that quite often does not answer your question or is unclear in its explanation.
If you get someone on the phone, they will be English-as-a second language and if you say you cannot understand them or ask for a supervisor, they hang up.
As for N-track. Many of the problems you read about were for beta versions. Stick to the non-beta and you will have fewer problems. More importantly, when there are problems, they are addressed, and in my experience fixed.
Remember, n_Track puts the beta version out there for the users to test and report on.
BY the way, Sound Forge is not a multi-track program - it is really a stereo editor with great plug-ins for editing and mastering sound. I don’t use n_Track to edit video and it may be far from the best - I don’t know. You may be right that N_track is trying to do too many things, However, if you ever have a specific problem, send Flavio an email and see if he cannot fix the problem for you. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. :)
Bax

Bax, thanks for the comments. I have been an n-Track user since 2004 (version 3.x) and never install beta versions, only full releases. Over the years I have had many occasions to email Flavio with problems I was having with n-Track and, you are quite correct, he quickly provided a build upgrade with the fix. In fact, the way volume envelopes now work was the result of me emailing Flavio with my suggestions to make them behave more like the ones in Sony Vegas. You were part of that discussions in 2006. See http://ntrack.com/cgi-bin…vivona. But, even with the current build, the volume envelopes are still touchy. Sometimes you can drag nodes to where you want, sometimes they stop following the mouse and freeze. You have to go back and coax the node to get it to your intended level. Same thing goes for dragging an audio event in the timeline. It is touchy and inconsistent.

Then, there is the scrub problem that we both discussed in 2007 in this thread http://ntrack.com/cgi-bin…=vivona
Well, the current build still has the problem.

Don’t get me wrong, overall, I do like n-Track and have done a lot of editing with it. It is just that the kind of problems like I mention above are beginning to frustrate me because these are features I regularly use. With Sony VMS 10 now supporting up to 10 audio tracks (previous versions supported 4) I am tempted to abandon n-Track and use Sony VMS for my audio work. I don’t use MIDI and some of the other features n-Track has over Sony VMS.

I have used Sony Vegas Movie Studio since 2005 and have only had to log one support case (how to change default VST folder) and they responded promptly. I am currently on Sony VMS 10 and it is just as solid as version 6 was. They have a very active user forum, just like n-Track, but I rarely have a need to go there.

As to Sound Forge, only the consumer-level “Studio” version is limited to stereo. Sound Forge Pro is multichannel. Though Sound Forge Audio Studio came with Sony VMS, I don’t use it. Instead, for mastering and “sonic surgery” I have used Goldwave for many years. Very solid program.