User guide

Tracktion 4 Reference Manual

Select quick control parameter: You can assign a quick control parameter to a

lter. A quick control parameter is a parameter of the selected lter that is shown

as a slider on the lter surface (Fig. 3.4.4). You can use this slider to make quick

changes to the parameter with your mouse. Some lters, such as the volume/

pan lter, that already have an interactive lter surface, do not support quick con-

trol parameters. In such cases, this option will be greyed out.

Clear all automation curves for this lter: This option allows you to remove all

automation data for this lter. If no automation data exists for this lter, this option will be greyed out.

Display an active automation curve: If you select this option you will be show a list of active auto-

mation curves for the current lter. Select a curve from the list to have it shown on the track view. If no

automation data exists for this lter, this option will be greyed out.

Replace this lter: This option allows you to select a lter with which to replace the current lter.

Wrap this lter in a new rack lter: This option will replace the current lter with a new rack lter. The

current lter will be placed inside the rack, with all connections made automatically. This can be a han-

dy way of creating racks for multiple-output VSTis. Place the VSTi on a track that you will be using it on,

select this option, and then copy the new rack to other tracks as required. If multiple clips are selected

on the same track (CTRL + Click [CMD + Click for Macs]), it is possible to use this function to wrap

them all in a rack lter. This is particularly useful for creating pre-set channel strips, as the rack can be

saved as a pre-set, which can be easily called up and unwrapped on tracks as needed. To add multiple

lters to a rack in this way, the lters must all be on the same track, and must form an uninterrupted se-

quence. Rack lters are described in detail in Chapter Nine.

Delete this lter: This option removes the lter from the track, or audio clip it is located on.

Keyboard shortcut: DELETE or BACKSPACE.

The Mute / Solo Buttons

Each track has a mute / solo control, located at the far right-hand side of the lter section. These but-

tons can be used to temporarily silence a track, or hear it in isolation.

Clicking the “M” mute control temporarily silences a track. When a track is muted, the mute button

will be highlighted. Mute can be used to hear a mix without a given instrument. It can be very handy

when trying to locate sounds that do not complement each other. Clicking the mute button again, un-

mutes the track.

Clicking the “S” solo control temporarily silences all tracks but the current one. This is often useful

when making changes to EQ, or compression on a track, as subtle changes may not be easy to hear

when the full mix is playing. When a track has been soloed, the “S” button will be highlighted, and all

non-soloed tracks will have a large cross shown on their mute/solo control. Clicking the solo button

again, un-solos the track.

Tip: It is useful to note that when tracks are muted, any lters contained on the track will cease to

use to processing power.

Tracktion has two solo modes, cumulative and exclusive.

When cumulative mode (the default) is selected, soloing a track does not un-solo currently soloed

tracks.

When exclusive mode is selected, soloing a track when one or more other tracks are already soloed

simply un-soloes the other tracks before soloing the current track.

The mode can be changed in the user interface group on the settings tab, and can be temporarily

overridden by holding down the CTRL, or ALT keys (CMD, or CTRL for Mac users) while soloing an-

other track.

Figure 3.4.4