Which audio software is being used besides the professional Protools and Nuendo?

Gene Gajewski · April 27th, 2009, 11:53 PM

I think the whole topic of this thread boils down to what combination of jobs you normally do -whether you're doing composition, mixdown, mastering, and/or video editing.

My Evxperience is with CoolEdit/Audition, Vegas and SoundForge - so I can really only comment, on the audio side, of mixing and mastering. Vegas does pretty well for mixing and mastering - it's only shortfall is that it doesn't do discrete audio waveform editing. That's usually where SoundForge come in. Audition does mixing and has a built-in waveform editor plus a few other features. I used to use Audition primarily for audio but started using more and more of Vegas's audio tools just because it was simply easier to do things in one place. Familiarity with Vegas's filters and effects (and the presets I've made over time) just made it natural to use SoundForge for wave editing and non-realtime audio work - so Audition doesn't get used as much anymore.

But like I said, audio/music composition is a whole 'nother animal amd there are better tools for that.

Ken Campbell · April 28th, 2009, 12:49 AM

Well, from what the OP originally described, I gather a perfect one-stop-shop solution doesn't really exist in his budget range. I am not sure if Nuendo has audio restoration capabilities, but I would think that is the best bet. Unfortunately the price tag is way out of his (and my) league.

Even though I am a musician, I would never think to do an original score for a video. I tend to use SonicFire with smartsounds 9 out of 10 times, and sometimes use my small collection of Digital Juice Stack Traxx. I usually export the individual loops out of SonicFire and break up the Stack Traxx into loops in Reaper. I also have a large collection of Acid Loops and I mix and match as needed to get the score. Reaper then allows me to arrange the loops into a custom sore.

Trying to do original scores means access to many sounds, usually through VST instruments, which are often very pricey. Just finding a good sampled piano can run into the hundreds. The Vienna Symphony samples are over a thousand.

A complete smartsound song costs 20 bucks. You can get 5 Stack Traxx DVDs for 80 bucks. Put them in Acid Studio for 30 bucks and do custom arrangements. If I have a client who wants a custom score, I would outsource it to a starving composer/musician.

Floris van Eck · August 15th, 2009, 11:49 AM

I am looking for a good program for audio restoration (clicks/pops/noise/hums/ambient noise) and to do final mixing of audio under my video. I am on a Mac.

I own Final Cut Studio but I really don't like Soundtrack Pro and it keeps crashing on me with larger audiofiles/projects. I really don't want to waste my time on it.

Which programs do you recommend? I understand many of you use Pro Tools. Will Apple's own Logic also be a candidate?

Jim Andrada · August 15th, 2009, 05:51 PM

Best reasonably priced audio repair/restoration package I know is Izotope RX, but that's all it is - just audio restoration.

I had good luck with Bias Sound Soap as well, but I really like the way RX lets you work in the spectral display.

April 27th, 2009, 11:53 PM	#31
Gene Gajewski Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Edgewood, NM Posts: 162	I think the whole topic of this thread boils down to what combination of jobs you normally do -whether you're doing composition, mixdown, mastering, and/or video editing. My Evxperience is with CoolEdit/Audition, Vegas and SoundForge - so I can really only comment, on the audio side, of mixing and mastering. Vegas does pretty well for mixing and mastering - it's only shortfall is that it doesn't do discrete audio waveform editing. That's usually where SoundForge come in. Audition does mixing and has a built-in waveform editor plus a few other features. I used to use Audition primarily for audio but started using more and more of Vegas's audio tools just because it was simply easier to do things in one place. Familiarity with Vegas's filters and effects (and the presets I've made over time) just made it natural to use SoundForge for wave editing and non-realtime audio work - so Audition doesn't get used as much anymore. But like I said, audio/music composition is a whole 'nother animal amd there are better tools for that.

April 28th, 2009, 12:49 AM	#32
Ken Campbell Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Milan, Italy Posts: 140	Well, from what the OP originally described, I gather a perfect one-stop-shop solution doesn't really exist in his budget range. I am not sure if Nuendo has audio restoration capabilities, but I would think that is the best bet. Unfortunately the price tag is way out of his (and my) league. Even though I am a musician, I would never think to do an original score for a video. I tend to use SonicFire with smartsounds 9 out of 10 times, and sometimes use my small collection of Digital Juice Stack Traxx. I usually export the individual loops out of SonicFire and break up the Stack Traxx into loops in Reaper. I also have a large collection of Acid Loops and I mix and match as needed to get the score. Reaper then allows me to arrange the loops into a custom sore. Trying to do original scores means access to many sounds, usually through VST instruments, which are often very pricey. Just finding a good sampled piano can run into the hundreds. The Vienna Symphony samples are over a thousand. A complete smartsound song costs 20 bucks. You can get 5 Stack Traxx DVDs for 80 bucks. Put them in Acid Studio for 30 bucks and do custom arrangements. If I have a client who wants a custom score, I would outsource it to a starving composer/musician.

August 15th, 2009, 11:49 AM	#33
Floris van Eck Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 993	I am looking for a good program for audio restoration (clicks/pops/noise/hums/ambient noise) and to do final mixing of audio under my video. I am on a Mac. I own Final Cut Studio but I really don't like Soundtrack Pro and it keeps crashing on me with larger audiofiles/projects. I really don't want to waste my time on it. Which programs do you recommend? I understand many of you use Pro Tools. Will Apple's own Logic also be a candidate?

August 15th, 2009, 05:51 PM	#34
Jim Andrada Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 2,211	Best reasonably priced audio repair/restoration package I know is Izotope RX, but that's all it is - just audio restoration. I had good luck with Bias Sound Soap as well, but I really like the way RX lets you work in the spectral display.