> Step by step
3. Getting started on the Tracktion track!
1 Now we’ve had a look at the basic layout, let’s create a track from scratch. From the Welcome page select the New Project tab at the bottom. Then choose the Default template. Finally, hit the Create Project tab.
2 The default option gives us a baseline Edit and you can see the tabbed window at the top of the screen. A bit like a web browser, this tab can be dragged and undocked to create a new window if required, and if you have multiple Edits open this provides some flexibility of how to arrange them on screen.
3 The default Edit launches with eight tracks. Unlike many DAWs, tracks are not function specific, so are ready to become whatever you add to them or indeed record in them. Try adding a blank clip by dragging the red Plus Plugin object onto a track. It will give you a choice of clip types – Audio, MIDI, Step and Edit.
4 The other way to set up a track is to select the input device. Try clicking on the area just below the track name and you’ll get a list of available inputs including MIDI, audio and other tracks in your arrangement, which you can also use as input sources.
5 For our track let’s start with a beat. Head to the Properties section at the bottom, click on the Tempo and use the slider to select your tempo. We’ve gone for 126bpm. Now grab the grey Plus Plugin object in the top right and drag it onto Track 1. From the Waveform Instruments menu choose the Micro Drum Sampler.
6 On the Micro Drum Sampler select the Micro 909 preset at the top and create a MIDI clip on the track as described in Step 3. Position the clip at bar 1 and in the TimeBar, drag the blue markers to create loop points at Bar 1 and Bar 2. Select looped playback in the transport section.
7 Next up, double click the MIDI clip. This opens the MIDI Editor panel at the bottom. You’ll see available sounds are labelled on the piano roll. We can now get started on programming a basic beat. At the bottom of the MIDI Editor, set the note length as 1/8 and grab the pencil tool to draw in some notes.
8 We’ve created a basic beat and also applied the basic 1/8th swing groove from the Groove menu. Now let’s create some variation. First, in the Arrange panel, right click on the clip and select Duplicate. Then select both clips and from the right click menu select Merge. You should now have a single two-bar clip.
9 We’ve added some extra beats and claps and done some more duplication so we now have an 8-bar pattern. To add feel we’ve used some more 8th groove swing. One further option to add feel is to adjust note velocities, and this is easily done in the MIDI Editor by selecting a note and using the velocity option in the toolbar below.