‘You can also select an entirely separate metering page and even put any amount of tracks or the whole rig in Input mode to check continuity without putting the computer into Record mode.

There is single-button access to either multitrack output or stereo output with a mixer, 48kHz to 192kHz sample rates, up to 32-bit floating point depth, and selectable audio file types. There’s a visual indicator for how much time you have available on your record drive as well as CPU and Drive Load indicators, plus easy horizontal and vertical expansion of the waveforms. However, it does have a few features found in far more complex systems, such as easy import and export of files and time-code generation. ‘Waves Tracks Live’s signal path is simple, and the GUI is very uncluttered and easy to look at. When you open a new session, it creates an entirely new folder and places all the relevant info and files from the session into that folder, so you won’t have to go chasing down audio files and other info later.’ If you are faced with setting up a recording system very quickly, it will read the amount of inputs available on your interface and automatically open that amount of tracks – just click the Record button, and off you go. On the benefits of using Tracks Live in a live situation, he continues: ‘Tracks Live works with practically any interface out there. A few coax cables and one Cat5E cable are all that’s required.’ ‘For Katy Perry I ran 64 tracks at 96k, all to an internal solid-state drive.

‘Taking advantage of the comprehensive networking capability of the coaxial Madi interface DiGiGrid MGB, I recorded the Patti Smith shows on 52 tracks at 48kHz,’ Keppler reports. Having worked with David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, David Byrne/St Vincent and Katy Perry among others, leading front-of-house, broadcast and postproduction mixing engineer Peter Keppler is now using Waves Tracks Live to record Patti Smith and other top acts.

Waves trackslive