Publisher's Description
From Audiofile Engineering:
Rax turns your Mac into a virtual rig for live performance, slaving instruments and effects from another app or offloading DSP to a second computer. With its streamlined UI, this is the easiest way to play AudioUnit instruments and process live audio through your AudioUnit effects. One-touch record lets you capture a great riff without delay.
Rax comes with many features such as multiple synths per rack, flexible effect routing including insert, send and master effects, a 16 channel mixer, and support for live audio inputs.
MIDI features include layering , keyboard and velocity splits, multiple inputs, host based MIDI learn for AudioUnit controls and external MIDI clock sync.
What's new in this version:
- fixed a bug selecting a set with no songs
- fixed an intermittent bug that would disable the audio stream while changing the buffer size
- fixed a bug loading racks that referenced SoundFonts
- removed splash screen
- fixed a bug with OnStage in Leopard
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All versions:
3.9 starsout of 7 votes
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Current version:
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Results 1-6 of 6
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"Has GREAT potential, abandoned by developer?"
Version: Rax 3.0
Pros
Great concept: bring all of your software instruments and effects into a live performance environment
Great feature-set, ways to route MIDI controllers to mix features, flexible mixer environment.
VERY logical interface and concept. Great ideas for built-in support, etc.
Seems very efficient on CPU.
An affordable alternative to Apple's MainStage (which requires a Logic license).
Has recording features, audio playback, and simple sample playback
Create "repertoire" with a master song list and as many "set lists" as you need
"Songs" load as quickly as your plug-ins can.Cons
Well over a year since the last revision (June 2010) has the developer given up?
Not enough sales?
Two bugs have been on their forum for months:
Level faders don't work (on my rig)
initial AU scan fails (workaround: reboot computer and restart)
all that would take is a little window on first launch recommending restart before next launch.
Remote controls are ONLY global, there isn't a way to have remotes that only apply to a specific song
You cannot view forums unless you own the software-- now that I own the software I can tell you there are old bug reports that are unanswered and unresolved. That's all you need to know.Summary
I really need this program to work. For live, you want a program that is solid (i.e., not buggy) that you can count on for an important gig.
UPDATE:
It looks like it is not a very popular program so the developer does not appear to be actively working on it. That didn't stop them from charging me $79 for cripple-ware.
I had no way of knowing --prior to purchase-- that Audio-Engineering will happily sell a program at full-price that they are no longer supporting/developing.
If I hear from Audio-Engineering in the next few weeks and resolve this issue, I promise I will return and update this review. If not, you might think twice before kicking down $79.
Updated on Dec 23, 2011
After a couple weeks, support said the fader issue is a conflict with NI's Kontakt, which breaks Rax's faders. Rax must be relaunched sans Kontakt to work again.
FYI, Apple released MainStage2 in the App Store (as a separate app from Logic Pro).
At $29, MS2 is feature-rich & flexible. Without purchasing Logic Pro, MS2 includes ALL of the amazing Logic VI's & FX plugs! Steep learning curve. Good docs. Fixed velocity for on-screen kybd.
Rax ($79) is user-friendly, intuitive/logical, and easy to use. It is a live host for your own AU and VST instruments & plug-ins. The program needs only a few fixes & tweaks to be a viable alternative. The user who likes uncompromised simplicity program will like Rax. Support and development are slow.
For me, Rax was a disappointment, as I paid full-price for cripple-ware. Still, I managed to use it on a series of gigs, so it wasn't a complete bust. Unless Rax fixes the fader issue sometime soon, I'll just reconfigure my sounds in MS2. -
"Simply ridiculous"
Version: Rax 2.1.2
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
This is one of the most ridiculous pieces of software I have ever tried. I run clean system, no third party utilities whatsoever. Everything works perfectly on my MacBook Pro. I have been performing for over twenty-five years, heavily rely on music software for my gigs (experimental classical, electroacoustic) and am quite happy to use even the least expensive shareware programmes such as the marvellous Audio Hijack Pro. But when I see a piece of software which informs me on launch that my Audio Units "failed to validate and will be ignored" I begin to see red. Stay away from this terrible joke of a programme. Spend few more bucks, but get something really reliable and behaving the way software should. Fifty dollars for this? They should pay me fifty dollars for the time I wasted trying to launch that thing. Horrid. Zero stars, period. -
"good support"
Version: Rax 2.1.0
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
I wrote the comment below the day after a terrible gig. In the next two weeks I had conversations with one of the developers and helped them to find the problem. I haven't been able to use Rax again (my trial is over), but I have been assured that the bug has been fixed. I look forward to trying it again in the future! -
"Horrible experience."
Version: Rax 2.1.0rc3
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
If you don't have time to read this whole review, you should at least know that I used Rax for 2 days and it crashed more than 25 times.
Rax has really good features, but it ruined my gig. I have to stress that this software ruined my gig. I have about 10 "library files" with various setups that threw errors at some point, became unstable, and didn't ever reopen. My setups were not complicated. One of them was just two DLS synths. None of these setups would open once I got on stage, even though my equipment was setup exactly how it had been during sound check and rehearsals. The worst thing is that Rax wouldn't even work if I created a new library with DLS synths, even after a restart. Yesterday was a horrible time. I don't suggest buying Rax until it is actually usable. -
"Rox"
Version: Rax 2.0
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
Finally... a universal binary, interface overhaul, and a limited but interesting ability to host MIDI files as well as AudioUnits. Check out the demo tracks... you will be impressed with what Rax can do with just Apple DLS synths and matrix reverb. Add a sequencer and some spiffy AUs like Automat and the Expert Sleepers set, and Rax would be shareware music nirvana. As it is, it does all it used to do and a bit more, but now on your Core Duo. :D It also seems to be less of a CPU hog than version 1.2.x. Kudos to plasq -- I had thought this was abandonware. -
"Can't wait for the next update"
Version: Rax 1.2.3
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
Rax is all it's cracked up to be and more, although it still has problems with erratic CPU usage and some soft synths, including some that are listed as being compatible on the Granted web site. The docs are just okay and support seems to be non-existent. I hope these guys are still in business, since I liked it well enough to buy a copy. For what Rax is and does, you can't beat the price.
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