Software Review: Guitar Tracks Pro 4 USB from Cakewalk

Part of: Sounds from the Attic

Guitar Tracks Pro 4 USB is the latest release of Cakewalk's Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that is designed for guitarists and singer-songwriters. It is a multi-track recording system that provides precise editing tools to allow you to put together musical compositions using prerecorded tracks and loops, as well as giving you the ability to record your own guitar or vocal tracks.

The core component of Guitar Tracks Pro 4 USB is the engine that is based on Cakewalk's SONAR premier DAW product. Guitar Tracks Pro 4 targets an arsenal of tools with which you can record, edit, and mix your guitar and vocal work and then burn to CD or upload to the Web.

What do you need to run Guitar Tracks Pro 4 USB?

  • Windows XP (32-bit), Vista (32-bit)
  • Intel Pentium 4, 2.8 GHz or higher; AMD Athlon XP 2800+ or higher
  • 1 GB RAM (2 GB Recommended)
  • 1024 x 768 with 16-bit color (1280 x 960, 24-bit color or higher)
  • 500+ MB for core program (6 GB for full program and content)
  • Windows Compatible MIDI Interface
  • Windows Compatible Audio Interface
  • DVD-ROM, DVD+/-R, or DVD+/-RW Drive for installation CD-R or CD-RW capability for CD audio disk burning
  • USB Port for the USB version which includes the UA-1G Audio Interface

Guitar Tracks Pro 4 USBGuitar Tracks Pro 4 is part of the Cakewalk product line of integrated MIDI and digital audio sequencers for the Windows platform. It has a very rich feature set that allows you to compose and explore musical composition from your computer. It has an intuitive interface that makes it easy to create your own musical pieces. More importantly, you don't have to be a professional recording engineer to create high quality tracks.

The main component is the multi-track recording software interface. On one side you have the bus pane where the track controls exist. These expand and contract to show or hide additional functionality for controlling your composition. On the other side is the track pane that you can either drop loops on to or, using an audio interface, you can record the track.

There is also a virtual mixer that lets you take control of your mix with controls like mute, solo, pan, EQ, FX, and more. In this view you can combine the sounds on all of the different tracks to create the final mix of your project. Here you have the ability to adjust the levels of sound levels, add effects, and more.

There is a staff view in which you also have the ability to create, edit, and print your own notation and tablature from any MIDI file or MIDI track. You can download MIDI files and learn to play along. There is a fretboard view that makes it easy to match notes to the guitar neck. The Loop construction view lets you create and edit groove clips—loops that "know" the tempo and key in which they were recorded.

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Article Author: T. Michael Testi

T. Michael Testi is a writer and a photographer out of Edmond Oklahoma. You can see his photographic and art work at T Michael Imaging.

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Article comments

  • 1 - Gazelt

    Nov 14, 2011 at 8:53 pm

    I recently purchased this product so I and a couple of friends could record our practice sessions and remix. For all the positive features of this software, there is one major flaw: it can only record from one "in" source at a time. In the case of my fancy E-mu sound card with individual left and right jacks for each of four channels, that means one half of one channel . Not even a guitar and mic at the same time! With a stero jack and splitter you could get two channels max. Still a big drawback if you want to see how your live vocal blend sounds. To cakewalk's credit, they upgraded me to Sonar X1 when I complained and wanted to return the product. X1 is a great product, but I miss the simple interface of GT. If they'd just fix that one thing with GT...

  • 2 - michael3158030

    Jul 20, 2012 at 1:59 pm

    It's absolutely imposible to connect input in GT pro, it's not sharing drivers with another software and you need to be computer gick to be able to use this worsless software! Do not waste your money!!!

  • 3 - michael3158030

    Jul 20, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    O, most interesting that you will have NO SUPPORT AT ALL FROM VENDOR, YOU ON YOUR OWN!!!

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