I need a free sample editing program

[awepittance]

 

My problem with Audacity is not that it was crashing too much i just found the interface had a far worse and less intuitive design than something like Soundforge or Cooledit/Audition. Both of those program also have a wonderful set of very bendable and high quality proprietary plugins. Also Audacity is not a single track wave editor, you can use it like one but it doesn't have a different view for single track VS multitrack. This is why i like cooledit so much, there is a distinct different when you use the program to edit a single wave file (editor mode) vs trying to layer sounds on top of eachother (multitrack mode)

 

The only reason i can see to use Audacity is because it's free. Now that audition exists for OSX, Peak isn't the best commercial wave editor for mac anymore. If you're on a Windows system and not opposed to pirating I'd try out Audition 3.0 or Soundforge. Goldwave is good too, haven't used it much to speak on it. Fred McGriff is the goldwave master though, maybe he'll pop into the thread.

 

If I'm pirating why not just get Recycle?

 

because Recycle is pretty bad and featureless unless you want to work with REX files?

There is absolutely no benefit or features that Recycle has over Peak, Cooledit/Audition or Soundforge

 

Cooledit hosts vsts too, I'm just a die hard cool edit proponent. At the same time though I'm glad not everybody is using it because it's effects library is too special to spread to the masses! keep it in the family bra

[Goiter Sanchez]

Audacity is a very capable piece of software. I have made most of my tracks 100% in Audacity which I realize sounds ridiculous but it is very possible (though tedious at times). I would like to learn how to use a proper DAW though.

[awepittance]

I think if you've found yourself adapting really well to an Audacity music making style i think you would find Cooledit, Soundforge or Goldwave really fucking awesome, Audacity is more or less based off of those programs. And all 3 of those have been around for far longer than Audacity and are packed with many more features (especially Cooledit)

no need to move to a 'proper Daw' because frankly no 'proper daw' has 2 track wave editing capabilities that match or eclipse any of the programs I just listed. A lot of people never even touch a 2 track wave editor and instead opt to do audio file splicing in Abelton or Logic, but for me I always need to do a 2 track wave editor with an important sample first

[Adieu]

Ha oh man I remember using soundforge and cracked cakewalk back a long long time ago.

[Adieu]

 

Yes, but also when I am wanting to rip things like youtube videos directly into Reason, and I thought I could just route my cables on my A/I, but it wasn't working.

Ahh, in that case you don't need to do that at all with any cables as the MixControl software allows internal routing:

 

• In Saffire MixControl, set Loop back 1 to DAW 1 and Loop back 2 to DAW 2

• Now, you need to use recording software that supports ASIO drivers. Not sure if Audacity does, I've always used Reaper to do this

• Once you have your ASIO-enabled software, set the inputs on your recording track to inputs 15 & 16, representing the loopback inputs.

• Before you record arm the track, make sure you mute the track first to avoid a feedback loop.

• If you'd still like to monitor the track you're recording to, select Ultra Low Latency Tracking (Zero Latency Tracking) from the Routing Preset menu in Saffire MixControl.

 

 

Ok, so the 2i4 isn't supported by MixControl. Supposedly, it is "not necessary". I still can't record the output of my 2i4 into the 2i4 inputs. I don't understand why this doesn't work? I actually enabled all 4 outputs in Reason, and if I switch the headphone source to outputs 3-4 I get no sound in my headphones. This doesn't make sense to me either, because I have all the outputs enabled it Reason so all of them should be outputting sound. I also get a large amount of fuzz/noise when I do this.

 

I will play reason, which should come out of all 4 outputs, record another track that is set to record both inputs (stereo), and absolutely no sound will show up in the track, even though I can hear it when it is coming through my headphones (set to outputs 1-2, silent when set to outputs 3-4).

 

This is frustrating, because I'm trying to run the output through actual hardware, and record the results.

[sweepstakes]

I don't know whether you're using Windows but I found a trick to make this work on my Audiofire 4.

 

My workaround was to plug the S/PDIF output into the S/PDIF input because I never use them. Then I set the ASIO outputs as the default stereo output for Windows, and set up the outputs connected to my speakers to monitor the S/PDIF input. That way, I can just ignore it most of the time and don't have to fiddle with it.

 

If I want to sample something from YouTube, I open the browser first and start playing some audio to make sure the ASIO application doesn't try to steal those outputs. Then when I open the ASIO application, it gives me a message saying those outputs are in use - good, it shouldn't touch them! Then I can just sample from the S/PDIF inputs. Voila, I can sample without any analog noise.

 

There's probably an easier way but this works great for me. And as a bonus, if I allow the ASIO application to use those outputs instead of the browser or game or whatever, I have the ability to do audio feedback even in applications that won't allow for it. Yay!

 

Oh yeah, and I also wanted to chime in about my favorite audio editors: I'll second Wavosaur (although it crashes on me sometimes) but I love Renoise's sample editor. Unfortunately for me it saves samples in 32-bit floating point format which my Octatrack doesn't like, but otherwise it rules. Nobody should ever have to use Audacity :( I'd rather use Cool Edit 95, which still has a couple of fun tricks up its sleeve...

[hma]

I don't know whether you're using Windows but I found a trick to make this work on my Audiofire 4.

 

My workaround was to plug the S/PDIF output into the S/PDIF input because I never use them. Then I set the ASIO outputs as the default stereo output for Windows, and set up the outputs connected to my speakers to monitor the S/PDIF input. That way, I can just ignore it most of the time and don't have to fiddle with it.

 

If I want to sample something from YouTube, I open the browser first and start playing some audio to make sure the ASIO application doesn't try to steal those outputs. Then when I open the ASIO application, it gives me a message saying those outputs are in use - good, it shouldn't touch them! Then I can just sample from the S/PDIF inputs. Voila, I can sample without any analog noise.

 

There's probably an easier way but this works great for me. And as a bonus, if I allow the ASIO application to use those outputs instead of the browser or game or whatever, I have the ability to do audio feedback even in applications that won't allow for it. Yay!

 

Oh yeah, and I also wanted to chime in about my favorite audio editors: I'll second Wavosaur (although it crashes on me sometimes) but I love Renoise's sample editor. Unfortunately for me it saves samples in 32-bit floating point format which my Octatrack doesn't like, but otherwise it rules. Nobody should ever have to use Audacity :( I'd rather use Cool Edit 95, which still has a couple of fun tricks up its sleeve...

There is "adjust" button on top of the editor (F11) doesn`t it let you change that?

[sweepstakes]

Oh, shit, I think you're right. Cheers!

[nobody]

It's not the most intuitive interface in the world but it's precise.

 

I've been using that program since 2000 or 2001. It's awesome. My first songs were made entirely using Goldwave and this standard-MIDI instruments on-screen keyboard program that came with my soundcard. Unfortunately I don't think any of those survived. They were hilariously terrible.