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Add to SafariWhen comparing Tracktion 7 vs Ardour, the Slant community recommends Ardour for most people. In the question“What are the best DAWs? ” Ardour is ranked 15th while Tracktion 7 is ranked 23rd. The most important reason people chose Ardour is:
Ardour is cross-platform and works on Windows & macOS.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Single screen interface
Everything that is needed is within easy reach, no deep diving in menus or pop up windows.
Pro Very compatible
Tracktion 5 is now compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Pro Racks
Self contained modular environment for hooking up processing chains of plugins or instruments in any way you want.
Pro Bundles with Melodyne for no cost
Melodyne is a pitch correction software that now comes free with Tracktion 5. At $60, Tracktion 5 with Melodyne costs about half as much as the standalone version of Melodyne.
Pro Multi-channel MIDI support
Multiple MIDI instruments can be recorded in different tracks at the same time.
Pro MIDI to audio feature
Traktion 5 now has a MIDI to audio function so users can quickly freeze MIDI notes and manipulate them as audio clips.
Pro Compatible with Linux, Windows 7/8.1/10 and macOS
Ardour is cross-platform and works on Windows & macOS.
Pro Open source
Ardour is open source, so it can be downloaded and modified without restriction.
Pro Free version with minimal limitations
Unlike some other DAW's which often limit saving, exporting, or advanced features, Ardour permits you to try all the features for free, with the only limitation being ten minutes of project length maximum.
Demo.
Pro Multi-display support
Pro Linux version has JACK support
On Linux, you can use JACK to freely route audio and MIDI to and from other software as hardware.
Pro Clean linear interface
Pro Inline mixing console
You can view and edit plugins directly from the console's mixing channels.
Pro LADSPA plugins support
Pro LV2 plugins support
Pro VST3 Support in version 6+
Pro Powerful routing
Thanks to JACK support, and the inclusion of built in tools, the routing options of Ardour are limitless.
Pro Excellent support community
Cons
Con Unstable
Crashes quickly and frequently.
Con Cluttered interface, not user friendly
Con Lack of drivers for Linux
There are no official drivers for any multi-channel audio interfaces, putting Linux users at a disadvantage.
Con Too many plugins
It is hard to find good useful plugins. It looks like every developer's plugin has ended up in the list.
Con No support for VST plugins for OS X
Plugins can be used on OS X only if they are downloaded in AU format, which is supported.
Con Builds are paid
Pre-built releases are paid and the only way to get the program for free is to build it yourself.
Con Quirky UI and navigation
Con Not user friendly
Ardour can be difficult and unconventional to use.
Con Relies on JACK
The Linux version relies on JACK to function correctly, and JACK is extremely difficult to install and configure. Ardour should have JACK support, but it should also connect directly and play audio on its own by default.
Con No 'scenes'
Ardour doesn't have 'scenes' like Ableton does (would be very handy for live-preformances).
