Audio Editing

[MacVertigo]

Ok.. I'm looking to do some audio editing. What I'm trying to do, is there is this 4 cd set from the flaming lips that is ment to be played in 4 cd players all at the same time.. I'm looking to find some software to layer them all together.

 

What would work the best? I want something powerful.. I'm always into over kill

[Zulu.Walker]

For windows, use Nuendo, separate all channels into their separate timelines and do your stuff, rechannel your 4 stereo tracks to a 7.1 mix, use the main track for for all channels with slight adjustments and send the other 3 stereo tracks to front/side/back and reprocess main track with LFE to add the .1. Overkill? Nuendo is used for multitrack film scoring with support for everything. Not really popular, but you wanted overkill here it is. Don't forget to use the advanced sound revirtualization to hear all the tracks you want in a complete mix.

 

For Mac, Logic Pro would work with an XSKey. Else, Logic Express would be ok. I haven't personally used Ableton Live! as I don't have the hardware, but I've had some experience with ProTools but haven't tried multichannel audio scoring/mixing with it yet, just a studio recording.

 

It's up to you to read all the pertaining material for you to use these programs to their fullest. I can't help you with your project, maybe it'll be easier for you to encode your stereo tracks using an audio muxer like Scenarist AC3 encoder, but you won't be able to manually adjust the tracks there, just encode.

 

If you haven't used any of these programs yet, good luck. Nuendo has one of the steepest learning curves I've ever encountered with an audio app, but I've no complaints on its functionality. Make sure you have an ASIO2.0 card if you plan to use it, not much fun having skipping audio and sound ramping up in speed.

[solaar]

Nuendo? Man, that would be over-overkill.

If it's for audio only you might as well save a grand (at least) and go with Cubase 4 on OSX. Runs like a champ on an Intel Mac or Hack. Well, you only get 5.1 but come on... :pirate2:

 

btw Cubase is going to keep your grey matter churning if you've never worked with it, trust me...

[DrSupachicken]

Yeah they are both good, but i'd recoment protools you get an interface aswell! And it is the industry standard, but if you were to go for cubase you wouldn't need anything more then sl rather then sx, but that would still be overkill.

[solaar]

Well ok, 'industry standard'... The fact that 'you get an interface as well' is actually one of the greatest limitations in PT since it will only run on their proprietary audio hardware anyway (except for the M-audio M-powered version). All the other apps like Logic, Cubase, Sonar etc... run on virtually any sound card.

 

As for SX/SL, Steinberg has basically discontinued that line and the OSX version is PPC only. If you want to run Cubase on an Intel mac without pulling teeth you need to go for CB4 or studio 4 which are UB. I've seen SL 'running' (or should I say crawling) once on an Intel iMac. Appalling!

[apefist]

There is a bare bones Cubase VST app that usually comes bundled for free with a soundcard or some other hardware, usually on one of the demo disks they always include.

 

Does anyone here read the British magazine, COMPUTER MUSIC? There is always a DVD with loads of free software, demos, plug-ins, etc. They have their own (based on Pro-Tools 4 or 5) "label" studio software racks which include a sequencer, sound editor, soft synths, effects, looper, etc. They are all freeware with no need to register or upgrade. Again, they are bare bones, but would handle such a request as the one made by the individual who posted this thread initially.

 

They also have tutorials for every available audio creation software out there, PC & Mac.Check it.

[jl8080]

*cough*LOGIC!*cough*, but then I guess it's really down to user preference when you're talking about high end audio software. Cubase is nice also.

[XeroGlitch]

For windows, use Nuendo, separate all channels into their separate timelines and do your stuff, rechannel your 4 stereo tracks to a 7.1 mix, use the main track for for all channels with slight adjustments and send the other 3 stereo tracks to front/side/back and reprocess main track with LFE to add the .1. Overkill? Nuendo is used for multitrack film scoring with support for everything. Not really popular, but you wanted overkill here it is. Don't forget to use the advanced sound revirtualization to hear all the tracks you want in a complete mix.

 

For Mac, Logic Pro would work with an XSKey. Else, Logic Express would be ok. I haven't personally used Ableton Live! as I don't have the hardware, but I've had some experience with ProTools but haven't tried multichannel audio scoring/mixing with it yet, just a studio recording.

 

It's up to you to read all the pertaining material for you to use these programs to their fullest. I can't help you with your project, maybe it'll be easier for you to encode your stereo tracks using an audio muxer like Scenarist AC3 encoder, but you won't be able to manually adjust the tracks there, just encode.

 

If you haven't used any of these programs yet, good luck. Nuendo has one of the steepest learning curves I've ever encountered with an audio app, but I've no complaints on its functionality. Make sure you have an ASIO2.0 card if you plan to use it, not much fun having skipping audio and sound ramping up in speed.

 

I'm guessing you mean not popular for doing specifically Audio editing only in the app.

Otherwise Nuendo is popular for Video Production and Music Production on wich i prefer over cubase on Windows to use.

 

Other popular Audio editing software is Wavelabs, Soundforge, Adobe Audition, Audacity and for Mac i haven't used much yet but Soundtrack pro along with Audacity again.