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Frank F · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:28 am Post subject:

Audition is now Mac compatible,

Frank F
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todd ellis · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:37 am Post subject:

i've been playing with the mac beta of audition for a while now and haven't broken it yet. really, it combines the FEW good things about soundbooth with the great things from audition. BUT i'd imagine sooner or later they're going to turn off the free version.

clicky linky
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Bruce · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 7:42 am Post subject:

There are a number of good programs for Mac. Our engineering friends seem to be recommending Adobe's Soundbooth, and Twisted Wave.

I use a MOTU interface and have been using their included Audio Desk software which works fine, and is clean and fairly simple to use. The only problem with their software is there are fewer plug-ins available, but I don't use very many so it's not a big deal.

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ballenberg · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:05 am Post subject:

Good options--thanks all

Bish · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 10:08 am Post subject:

I've been looking at a small Mac Mini based system for when I manage to re-vamp my environment. My current plan is to get a used Intel model and replace the HDD with a SSD. A suitable Core 2 duo can be had for about $350, and a 128GB SSD for a little over $150 (if you shop around).

As far as the external drive is concerned, I would probably not need another one as any files can be dropped over the network to the main rig. However, the best way to reduce the noise from an external drive is to move it to a remote location. In my current set-up, I can somewhat mitigate the Mac Pro noise, but I just couldn't deal with a four-drive Drobo with an obnoxious fan! I punched a small hole in the wall, fed through a USB cable, and put it in an adjoining utility room where it now sits with a small collections of (effectively silent) external drives.

Software... if you're looking for a simple solution, then Sound Studio 4 (now in the Mac a Hobo Tounge

store) is as good a choice as any for basic (i.e. not multi-track) recording. It's never crashed on me.
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Pam · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:01 am Post subject:

I'm on a 17 inch MBP still using PT 7 on a mbox2. I'm probably going to switch to Soundbooth in the near future (Once I have the time to take the Lynda.com course to learn all about it) as it seems perfect for VO's. Or maybe i'll record to PT and then edit in soundbooth. I'm enamored with the spectral analysis function of SB which audition also has.
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Billy James · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 8:08 pm Post subject:

GarageBand and Twisted Wave have both worked for me. Using a full-blown studio DAW like ProTools to record a single dry mono voicetrack has always seemed like overkill.

BTW, there's a cross-platform a Hobo Tounge

called Hindenburg Journalist that looks interesting. It's a multitracker designed for radio reporters, but could be useful for VO as well. The GUI for automating level changes and crossfades is quite elegant, and Apple should adopt something like it for GarageBand at their earliest opportunity, because the rubber-band thingy they're using now is teh suck.

Hindenburg basic version is free, full version is around 65 bucks, and there's an iPhone a Hobo Tounge

version too.

http://nsaka.com/products/hindenburg-journalist

And BTW -- the "Hindenburg" in the name doesn't mean it crashes spectacularly. But I'm sure they get that all the time.

edmace · Joined: 26 Mar 2011 Posts: 1 Location: RI

I've been struggling for at least a couple of months regarding an upcoming decision to purchase an iMac for VOs.I too have read the horror stories and seen the YT videos which make a case for fan/hard drive noise levels.i love the look and feel of the 21.5 iMac but don't want to shell out big bucks only to find I can't record in the manner to which I've grown accustomed (mic- in my version of the Harlan Hogan foamed box- 1 1/2 feet from monitor and about 1' above the very quiet PC tower). Technically speaking,I am a neophyte. Give me a mic,simple recording software and a quiet environment and i'm fine. Ask me what's in my pC at the moment-I'd have to look it up for you. Is iMac noise the result of processor type,RAM or something else? Would I be better off getting a Mac mini for my noise concerns? Would anyone consider these iMac specs overkill?

2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB
500GB Serial ATA Drive

Thanks for any suggestions and advice.
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danbrantley · Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:42 pm Post subject:

I'll put my vote in for Twisted Wave. For me the learning curve was incredibly short, it worked the way i wanted it to work, clean recording, easy set up, easy export.
I've got Reaper for when I need multi-track capability,
I tried Pro-Tools but just resented being forced to use mAudio products to make it work..That and I found it to be overkill for recording single voice tracks as Billy James mentioned.
I also tried Audacity, Garage Band and Wavepad. I would choose Twisted Wave over any of them. And there are iPhone and iPad versions as well.
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ConnieTerwilliger · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:10 pm Post subject:

I don't have anything to add to this (I'm a PC), but I wanted to say how nice it was to see Frank here!
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captain54 · Lucky 700 Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 744 Location: chicago

danbrantley · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:45 pm Post subject:

Bish · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:55 pm Post subject:

I do understand the overkill issue.

It is a common mistake that we all (including me) make at times. We assume that if something is easy for us, then it must be easy for everyone. I can drive complex software. I'm perfectly happy using Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Audition, complex drawing and project management software... and I've even been known to write code for fun!

But... I know a number of people who barely know how to turn on their computer. I know someone, who is a well-respected, published academic, that just can't get his head around the concept of folders on his computer. All documents are filed in "My Documents" and all mail resides in the inbox.

Some people, who may well have the skill set to drive Audacity, Twisted Wave or Sound Studio, will be totally intimidated by the complexity of something more advanced. The "power tool" or "appliance" argument doesn't really work... I know people who are scared of power tools, and to say Pro Tools is as easy as programming a microwave oven is, I think, misleading.

We all have our own areas of doubt and uncertainty...

Cheers
Peter
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captain54 · Lucky 700 Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 744 Location: chicago

I understand not all of us being of equal comprehensive technical savvy

I, for the life of me, cannot figure out how to hit a golf ball any other place but to my extreme left or extreme right. the skill eludes me. That doesn't mean that I diss golf ball hitting as impossible and a waste of time. I'm in the minority

melissa eX · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:22 pm Post subject:

I have a client who only has PT. He sent me a job consisting of 400+ short files. He told me he didn't want me to spend hours recording and naming all those individual files so I should just record one long file and he would deal with cutting it up into separate files one by one. I said no worry - threw the script into word2wave and sent him off all 400+ files. He was very grateful. A bit later in conversation he mentioned how it was taking him so long to finish the job because he had to add a specific amount of milliseconds to each file. Individually. I went back into my files and threw the whole folder into Sound Forge's batch processor and set it to add the ms.

With all the conversation about PT being overkill, why don't I hear anyone talking about all the things it CAN'T do?