NAMM 2016: It's not every day that a software developer makes a serious move into the realm of hardware, so the news that Tracktion Corporation - to date known primarily for its ace Tracktion DAW - is all set to release an audio interface comes as something of a surprise.
Described as "a true audio hot rod", the Copper Reference is a stereo unit featuring - in case you hadn't noticed - a pair of valves, intended to set it apart from the crowd by working "organic vacuum tube character" into the signal path. "Hand crafted" with a solid copper casing, it boasts "all the necessary I/O connections to integrate with any system", and although we don't know what that means specifically in terms of audio ins and outs, we are told that hook-up to the host Mac or PC is done via USB-C.
Of course, Tracktion (the company) would love you to pair its shiny new audio interface up with Tracktion (the DAW), the forthcoming v7 update to which - also revealed at NAMM 2016 - appears to be its biggest yet.
At last eschewing the rather low-budget look it's had since version 1, Tracktion 7 immediately gets off on the right foot with a classy, modern new paint job. More important than that, though, are the new functional features and technologies it's said to introduce without hindering that famously intuitive and fluid single-screen workflow. The headlines include a complete overhaul of the Racks environment; the ability to open multiple browsers at once, enabling auditioning and import of samples from several simultaneous locations; automated setup assistants and project management improvements; all-new DSP effects; and the intriguing Clip Layers (patent pending), which "allow for immersive editing right at the clip level".
Tracktion 7 and The Copper Reference are currently without specified release dates or pricing, but we'll let you know more when we do. Find out more on the Tracktion website.
Tracktion Copper Reference features
- Encased in solid copper and hand crafted
- USB-C connection to host computer
- ESS Sabre Reference DAC and twin AKM5394 ADCs
- Selectable tube-powered customisation circuit
Tracktion 7 features
- Redesigned GUI with a completely new look
- Multiple browsers for auditioning sounds in several folders simultaneously
- Fully overhauled Racks environment
- Clip Layers for deep clip-level editing
- Plugin thumbnails for instant recongnition
- Automated setup assistants
- Project management improvements
- All-new DSP effects
