T Racks Mastering Software Review

I've spent a decent amount of money on T-Racks mastering software, purchasing the deluxe suite for $200 and the classic suite for $75. Once installed, I think the software itself is great. There are many different presets that can be easily adjusted by T Rack's user friendly interfaces. The amount of compressors, limiters and equalizers is impressive and can be combined to great effect.

That being said, I feel that the most difficult part of using T Racks is installing it. T Racks is owned by IK Multimedia, who require installing a separate program called Custom Shop after purchasing any of their software. The Custom Shop prevents piracy by verifying purchases, yet adds a level of confusion to what should be a simple installation process. I generally don't have trouble installing video and audio editing software, yet I find the Custom Shop to be confusing and even downright annoying.

Also, upon purchasing the software, the company promises tech support beneath a photo of a phone. Yet if you call the phone number, you are directed to a voice recording that says to go to the website and fill out a form. The form requires filling out many required fields and typing in long serial numbers (again, downright annoying). After filling out the form and waiting for two days, I did receive a reply to my problem. However, the solutions didn't help. So, I asked further questions, which ultimately weren't replied to. I did eventually find a solution on my own, though it would have been easier to make a phone call and have an expert walk me through the process.

To provide a better overall experience, I believe that IK Multimedia needs to provide phone support, especially since they use a picture of a phone when promoting their customer support. Like too many companies today, IK Multimedia probably does not want to spend the extra money on tech support. This is somewhat understandable in a competitive market. However, I think that they would find that convenient tech support would lead to happy customers. This would result in more positive online reviews, adding to their bottom line.