Waves Audio has announced the release of TRACT, a plugin that allows you to turn any sound system into a well-balanced foundation for your mixes, quickly and easily.
The TRACT plugin integrates with Smaart, the industry-standard audio analysis software from Rational Acoustics, to auto-correct EQ issues and time-align any sound system.
Just as a painter needs a clean canvas to begin painting, mixers need a well-balanced sound system for mixing. Since every sound system is different and behaves differently in each environment, we need to calibrate the system to smooth out its performance; in a live setting, this is known as tuning the PA.
If not tuned, the system’s frequency response will behave erratically: music may sound different than we’re used to, and our mixing adjustments will not respond as we expect. Worse, if a system is not time-aligned, there may be phase cancellation affecting valuable low-frequency impact. In many cases, access to the system processors is limited and there’s limited time before sound check. At these times especially, TRACT will save the day.
TRACT calculates a corrective FIR EQ curve and time alignment corrections using data from Smaart v8 or Di v2. Quickly take and merge up to 8 measurement snapshots of your system, and select a reference as the basis for your EQ corrections. Four common reference curves are included, or create and save your own reference presets.
Once the FIR EQ is calculated, you can manipulate it by changing the reference curve, limiting its frequency and amplitude ranges, or by supplementing it with up to 8 bands of IIR EQ filters. IIR filter shapes include: Bell, Low/High Shelves, Flat-Tops, Butterworth and Linkwitz-Riley curves, a Tilt EQ with a variable frequency pivot point, and an All-Pass filter.
The plugin includes a minimal-phase FIR component, which works at very low latency and with low phase distortion, as well as a linear-phase FIR component. You can use it in a live setting with any mixing console (via Waves MultiRack), with the eMotion LV1 mixer, or you can use it within any major DAW.
TRACT features
- Auto-correction EQ and time alignment for quickly tuning any sound system.
- Integrates with Smaart v8 and Smaart Di v2 for accurate measurement analysis.
- Can be used live or in the studio.
- Runs within MultiRack, eMotion LV1, or any major DAW.
- Includes minimal-phase FIR and linear-phase FIR components.
- Create a corrective FIR EQ curve to balance your system’s EQ.
- Capture and merge up to 8 snapshots of measured response signals.
- 8 bands of industry-standard IIR filters.
- Create custom reference curves.
- Calculate and add delay to time-align a sound system.
- Sub zoom allows a closer look at the low frequencies while phase-aligning subs.
- Can be used without Smaart as a high-quality 8-band equalizer.
TRACT (VST/VST3/AU/AAX) is now available for purchase for the intro price of $299 USD (regular $399 USD). It is also available bundled with Smaart Di v2.
More information: Waves Audio
