New Pro Audio App?

[MacRumors]

One OSXAudio forum post reports on some unconfirmed rumors circulating about a new audio application possibly coming from Apple.

The new app is reportedly "primarily targeted at engineers more than musicians, and is thus designed to maximize speed, stability, and sound quality."

[AppleMatt]

If only this was a free iApp...

AppleMatt (the dreamer)

[crazytom]

I've been using Bias Deck and they haven't had an update to their program for almost 2 years now. It's a nice program, very useable, but needs a lot of extra features to make it more efficient and functional for me---I'm ready to jump ship to a different program, but haven't found one that fits my needs. I like this rumor!!!!

[marano]

I'm all for a free iApp or perhaps a slimed down version of Soundtrack - Soundtrack Express for $99 anyone?

[mac15]

this should be good, if its anything like FCP it will soon take over and be one of the dominant music apps in the industry

[johnnowak]

An engineer tool? Perhaps a Reaktor slayer? Would be sweet. No way from Apple though...

[~Shard~]

Originally posted by mac15
this should be good, if its anything like FCP it will soon take over and be one of the dominant music apps in the industry

Isn't Logic FCP's audio equivalent?

[~Shard~]

I'd be curious to see exactly what this app is, and what makes it special. We already have Sound Studio, CuBase, Bias Peak, Logic, Soundtrack... What would set this one apart I wonder? If it's a pro app, it is competing with almost all of the apps I mentioned above. If it is an iApp, it won't be for power users, and Sound Studio essentially does everything a casual user needs.

[Grimace]

as long as it can sync up with an ipod to take advantage of the *new line-in recording* introduced at MWSF.... )

[MacSlut]

Originally posted by ~Shard~
I'd be curious to see exactly what this app is, and what makes it special. We already have Sound Studio, CuBase, Bias Peak, Logic, Soundtrack... What would set this one apart I wonder? If it's a pro app, it is competing with almost all of the apps I mentioned above. If it is an iApp, it won't be for power users, and Sound Studio essentially does everything a casual user needs.

No, no, no!

Sound Studio is a nice app for recording and destructive audio editing. What has been desperately needed for over a decade now is a nice elegant multi-track non-desctructive audio editing application.

For years I was forced to use Premiere for this which worked very well except for the lack of being able to view the audio tracks in a large enough size. Finally after 10 years of begging Adobe to give an option of large workable audio tracks, they do so, but then pull out of the Mac market...UGH!

Final Cut Express works, but again, the audio tracks are too small to work with and the timeline doesn't navigate well.

Really this is something that would be easy to whip up and would be very usefull for DJs and others who want to create mix CDs or do more soundtrack work.

[amnesiac1984]

Originally posted by MacSlut
No, no, no!

Sound Studio is a nice app for recording and destructive audio editing. What has been desperately needed for over a decade now is a nice elegant multi-track non-desctructive audio editing application.

For years I was forced to use Premiere for this which worked very well except for the lack of being able to view the audio tracks in a large enough size. Finally after 10 years of begging Adobe to give an option of large workable audio tracks, they do so, but then pull out of the Mac market...UGH!

Final Cut Express works, but again, the audio tracks are too small to work with and the timeline doesn't navigate well.

Really this is something that would be easy to whip up and would be very usefull for DJs and others who want to create mix CDs or do more soundtrack work.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by non-destructive audio editing software, from what it sounds like you want to do couldn't you just use logic? The size of the audio tracks is as big as you want and if you don't want to "destruct" the audio you don't have to.

[copacabana]

Hi,

"destructive" means that all audio files you loaded into a app are altered while working with them. While "non-desctructive" means that you can change stuff as often as you like, since changes are store someplace else and can always be reverted.

Originally posted by amnesiac1984
I'm not quite sure what you mean by non-destructive audio editing software, from what it sounds like you want to do couldn't you just use logic? The size of the audio tracks is as big as you want and if you don't want to "destruct" the audio you don't have to.

Well Logic is actually a descructive app.

[logicat2001]

By default Logic's edits are completely non-destructive. Logic uses audio regions, which are file-references to original audio data.

I can import a track of audio, grab the scissor tool and cut that audio into fifty different pieces. Next, I'll grab each piece and mix it all around by changing the order.

My audio file has never been cut. Only the regions, the pointers to my audio, have changed.

Does that help? If my description wasn't clear let me know, I can try again.

Best,
Logicat

[amnesiac1984]

Originally posted by logicat2001
By default Logic's edits are completely non-destructive. Logic uses audio regions, which are file-references to original audio data.

I can import a track of audio, grab the scissor tool and cut that audio into fifty different pieces. Next, I'll grab each piece and mix it all around by changing the order.

My audio file has never been cut. Only the regions, the pointers to my audio, have changed.

Does that help? If my description wasn't clear let me know, I can try again.

Best,
Logicat

yes but if you want to do any more than just re-arrange audio it will be destructive. Eg if you take a region of audio and normalize, reverse or any other dsp type function on it, the original file will be edited.

As long as you don't do edits in the audio window and only use insert effects and rearranging to change the sound you will have a completely non-destructive audio tool. copacabana, have you used logic much? It is non-destructive until you open the audio edit window which is, if you like, a destructive editor within a non-destructive audio package.

edit: fixed mistakes due to typing in the dark!

[logicat2001]

True. Edits made to your audio in the Sample Editor are permanent. That's what the sample editor is supposed to do.

If you're expecting to change the waveforms of your sounds, either via normalizing or eq'ing or FX, you must do that via a plug-in or you must do it to the original audio file.

This is true whether you're working in ProTools, Logic, DP, Nuendo, etc.

If you want to permanently change a bit of audio data but want a duplicate copy to be saved for whatever reason, you do exactly the same as any other document in an application: you make the change on a copy of your original file and save them both.

[drewm]

http://gearslutz.com/board/showthrea...&threadid=8656


Check out this thread. Supposedly a guy has seen it in action. I'm an engineer/producer and use ProTools. I'm excited by this a bit but also worried that it will further drive Digidesign/Avid away from the Mac. Protools used to be Mac only like Digital Performer but in recent years digi has been brought winblows support up and some say are now leaning that way. I'd hate to have to chose between my Mac and ProTools.

drew

[FlamDrag]

I can't really imagine a Soundtrack Express as it's already pretty "express" as it ships today. When you buy Soundtrack, you're not really paying for the software as much as you are the paying for the royalty-free clips and usage. Without that, it WOULD be a $99 program IMHO.

Please do not be confused; Soundtrack is not an audio editing program like Logic or SoundStudio. Soundtrack allows you to quickly and simply create royalty-free loop-based music from existing audio loops.

That said, it is a FUN little piece of software with which to waste hours and hours of time.

[MacSlut]

Yep, that's the definition of non-destructive.

But what's needed is more than that...err actually *less* than some of what's out there.

What's really needed is a suite that combines something very similar to Sound Studio with an elegant, simple, non-destructive, multi-track mode.

Give us tracks that can be adjusted big and navigated easily like Sound Studio. Give us the ability to do rubber band fades and simple filters.

Think DJs who want to create their own mixes or people who want to make CDs with songs blending together or people who want to mix dialogue with music.

Keep it simple, clean, elegant, functional and bug free.

This has been needed and doable since the early 90s.

Most of all create an interface that borrows upon the non-linear video editing interface rather than a real world audio studio...which most pro audio apps do.

Creating an interface that emulates a pro studio works well for pro audio people transitioning to the desktop, but what is needed is an interface for those familiar to Macs (and PCs) to transition to editing audio.

Apple should create three levels of this:
1) an iApp - free and very simple. Comparable to iMovie.
2) an Express - $99. Comparable to Final Cut Express
3) a Pro which competes with the bottom of the pro market

[StudioGuy]

PT killer, eh? Reading the other linked rumors was quite interesting. As an avid (no pun intended) PT user, this will make the upcoming shows (NAMM and/or MWSF) even of more interest to us audio folks.

Hopefully in the end, PT will continue Mac too and will just get better due to pressure from other solutions like this. A good selection is our best friend!

[VectorWarrior]

It COULD be a post sound program for sound design to picture. There is a bit of a gap in the market for a decent solution to this. Nuendo was kind of made for this but sucks on mac due to bugs. Pro tools is also a bit dodgey for sound design and is lagging behind a bit in the OSX count, it hasn't been certified for use with panther and a lot of the extras you need to work with picture in a professional enviroment haven't even been osx-ed yet.

They could have a nice integration with FCP and claim that macs can do all post production for films in a nice elegant solution. Just think about all those software companies they bought out a while ago that relate to film making software. I could be wrong but i think they are trying to nail the entire post production market: picture and sound editing, compositing, SFX, CGI, etc... As a sound designer i am VERY interested in this product.

[Oirectine]

Originally posted by Macrumors

The new app is reportedly "primarily targeted at engineers more than musicians, and is thus designed to maximize speed, stability, and sound quality."

What, musicians don't care about speed, stability, and sound quality? Am I the exception?

[JSRockit]

I good audio editor for the mac would be nice. PCs have the upper hand in that dept.

[Audacity Works]

Originally posted by JSRockit I good audio editor for the mac would be nice. PCs have the upper hand in that dept.

Huh? No they don't, and they never have. PT is the multitrack editor of choice. Sonic Solutions is the mastering editor of choice. They both run on the Mac.

Or are you talking about Wavelab and SoundForge? I'd take Peak or TC Spark over either of them any day.

[JSRockit]

Originally posted by Audacity Works
Huh? No they don't, and they never have. PT is the multitrack editor of choice. Sonic Solutions is the mastering editor of choice. They both run on the Mac.

Or are you talking about Wavelab and SoundForge? I'd take Peak or TC Spark over either of them any day.

In regards to a 2 track audio editor...I like PC versions better...stuff like Cool Edit, Wavelab, and Sound Forge. I do like and use Spark (and PT ...avail on PC as well by the way)...but I still like the others better. I'm not familiar with the Sonic Solutions App...what is it called?

[tribalogical]

Sounds like you want to check out Ableton's Live....

It isn't an 'audio editor' ala Peak, but it's got most of what you're talking about here...

There's a v3 demo available at http://www.ableton.com

I use it regularly together with Cubase/Logic/Reason, and it's become an indispensible part of my studio...

Definitely worth a look!

peace,

tribalogical

Originally posted by MacSlut
Yep, that's the definition of non-destructive.

But what's needed is more than that...err actually *less* than some of what's out there.

What's really needed is a suite that combines something very similar to Sound Studio with an elegant, simple, non-destructive, multi-track mode.

Give us tracks that can be adjusted big and navigated easily like Sound Studio. Give us the ability to do rubber band fades and simple filters.

Think DJs who want to create their own mixes or people who want to make CDs with songs blending together or people who want to mix dialogue with music.

Keep it simple, clean, elegant, functional and bug free.

This has been needed and doable since the early 90s.

Most of all create an interface that borrows upon the non-linear video editing interface rather than a real world audio studio...which most pro audio apps do.

Creating an interface that emulates a pro studio works well for pro audio people transitioning to the desktop, but what is needed is an interface for those familiar to Macs (and PCs) to transition to editing audio.

Apple should create three levels of this:
1) an iApp - free and very simple. Comparable to iMovie.
2) an Express - $99. Comparable to Final Cut Express
3) a Pro which competes with the bottom of the pro market