TRACKTION WAVEFORM FREE THE cm GUIDE
If you’re a regular reader of , you’ve doubtlessly seen talk of Tracktion’s free DAWs in our monthly Freeware News, not to mention our regular round-ups of the best freeware of each passing year. It’s astonishing, really, that the developers consistently offer once-flagship products as new commercial versions are introduced – and yet again, Tracktion serve up another fully kitted-out DAW with no restrictions and no limitations.
This time, however, there’s been a slight modification to the usual plan – instead of simply doling out an already existing iteration of their former ‘T’ series DAW, they’ve provided a new version of their current Waveform 10 music production environment (9/10, 270) that has the power of their previous T7 DAW, with the performance and general UI improvements found in their full version.
Users will find some of the best added features from the Waveform 10 package, including the nifty Vertical Mixer Panel, Enhanced MIDI Editor, Track Loops, Track Presets, MPE support, Range Selection Editing, Quick Render, improvements to stability, auto-save, crash recovery and more besides.
Also making its way over from Waveform 10 is the nifty new MIDI Clip Pattern Generator. This does just what the name suggests, offering up instant inspiration in the form of automatic generation of arpeggiator patterns, chords, melodies and basslines.
Most DAW updates come with a shiny new plugin or two, and Waveform Free is no exception. Indeed, the complement of included virtual instruments and effects plugins gets a significant addition in the form of 4OSC, a powerful subtractive synthesiser with – yep, you guessed it – four full-fat oscillators.
If this sounds like a lot to wrap your head around… it is! But as ever, we’re here to help you get started with this magnificent marvel of music production via a bumper collection of tutorials and tips. Once you’ve followed our step-by-step registration process on the previous page, it’s time to fire up your very own copy of Waveform Free and get started!
Step by step
1. How to install and authorise your copy of Tracktion Waveform Free
1 Open your web browser, navigate to tracktion.com/cmpromo and enter your email address. This will automatically create you a Tracktion account, complete with a unique Waveform Free serial code.
2 Next, continue to the My Downloads page and log in using your details entered in the previous step. From here, download the installer in your chosen format (PC, Mac or Linux) and double-click it to install the app on your hard drive.
3 Once installed, launch the Tracktion Waveform Free app on your computer, hit the Unlock button and enter your Tracktion username and password when prompted. After scanning the plugins already installed on your system, your new DAW is ready to rock!
Step by step
2. Getting started with Waveform Free
1 Over the years, Tracktion has earned a name for itself through its ease of use – all of your production work can take place in just a single screen. However, there are a few other views to investigate. After starting the program, you’re met with the Project screen, shown here.
2 Normally, you won’t spend too much time in Project view, but you need to know a few things about it before digging in. Go to the upper-left and click the arrows next to the Active Projects and Library Projects. They’re currently empty, as we haven’t made any projects yet.
3 There are a few ways to make a new project: click the tab in the top left and choose , or scoot button among the functions, including the ability to open some demo tunes, restore backup, open an existing project or create a folder.
