Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: Nick
Date: 03 Oct 17 - 05:42 AM

If you struggle to sort what you are trying to do drop me a message and I'll see if I can help

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: Mr Red
Date: 03 Oct 17 - 05:40 AM

Audio editing is a learning curve. Audacity, being free, it is frees up the worries of DIY.
Stitching together various recording instances is no mean feat. I have, on occasions, copied words/beats to substitute extraneous interruptions from unthinking bystanders. From the same take. With mixed success. But from differing takes, a lot harder.
Moving verses around in the same take, - depends on the fluency of the song, if there is accompaniment with some silences or the accompanist is metronomic, you stand a chance. I would look at the minutia of the recording to marry alien inserts. Beware altering the tempo, it may show , it ain't rubato. How much time do you have to spare?

I presume from the OP that the recording already exists. Otherwise you would just record anew until perfect.

If the result is for sale/distribution - er............... best of luck.

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: GUEST,John from Kemsing
Date: 03 Oct 17 - 04:55 AM

Download the MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab. It`s worked a treat for me for years.

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 02 Oct 17 - 10:39 AM

Last time I played with Band in a Box wsa 1999.. didn't realise it was still going..

Back then it was handy to use it to turn a computer into the kind of quick compositional & backing tracks arrangement tool
as found in home keyboards and more pro workstation keyboards...

[ think of the cheap yamaha keyboards as used on stage by Frank Sidebottom..]

Better investigate how much more advanced latest version of B in a B is...................................


5 Minutes Later:

Definitely far more advanced in 2017...

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/pg-music-band-box-2017


.. and so are the prices...

"Pro edition £141; MegaPAK £297; UltraPlusPAK £489; EverythingPAK £588; Audiophile edition £702. Upgrades from earlier versions available."

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 02 Oct 17 - 08:26 AM

I have been using "Band in a Box" for over 5 years. The latest version is really nice. You can create nearly anything you desire with actual recorded instrument sounds. In the last 2 years I have created over 100 old standards to use to entertain Seniors in assisted living centers. I love it!

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: Nick
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 04:39 PM

I'd also recommend reaper but it depends how comfortable you are with using software.

What form do the dozen takes exist in? And what were they recorded on?

And perhaps a silly question...

Have you listened to them?

If you have heard them could you not just do it manually and say 'verse 1 and verse 4 from example one's etc?

Would you split in smaller chunks - like line by line?

If they are all the same length I'd put each version on a separate track on reaper and then start listening. Then copy and paste onto a final track.

How much of a rush are you in?

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 01:20 PM

If anyone has tried Tracktion 6 - feedback on pros and cons would be appreciated...

cheers...

Btw.. Tracktion 7 is now included free with certain fairly affordable Behringer audio products...
including the very low cost UCA222 audio interface
...

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: GUEST,Joe G
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 12:13 PM

Above guest was me!

Yes sorry you are correct pfr I meant Traction 6! We'll spotted!

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 11:35 AM

GUEST - do you mean Tracktion 6 ...???


Reaper
is 'shareware' but provides a very generous extended evaluation period for it's fully functional free demo...

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 06:07 AM

Might be worth looking at Reaper 6 which is free now

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: mg
Date: 30 Sep 17 - 04:56 PM

all at same time/place

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 30 Sep 17 - 01:08 PM

When you say "I have a dozen takes of various verses of one song"..

do you mean all recorded at the same session with exactly the same mics and equipment settings,
or at different locations with different gear..???

If the latter.. patching that together and attempting to match the variations in levels, ambience, and audio quality,
wouldn't be that easy a chore for even the best pro engineers...

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 30 Sep 17 - 12:53 PM

You may as well identify those verses by simply noting the from/to times "very roughly" in minutes and seconds, relative to the beginning of your recording/s, as displayed in your ordinary player software. Performing the cuts will be a very quick task for your engineer; if he starts with the last verse, he need not even be able to subtract time codes.

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 30 Sep 17 - 09:41 AM

Yes, Audacity is a good suggestion.

So long as when your engineer says "very rough cuts" he does indeed mean "very rough cuts". Because editing audio like that is a skill in itself, one that I'm OK at, but not brilliant at. Logic and Garageband have tools that make comping takes together easier, but I'm still amazed whenever I see a proper studio engineer doing it seamlessly in about 10 seconds. I would be capable of supplying an engineer with "very rough cuts" but I know what I'm doing; I wouldn't be able (and wouldn't want to) supply him with anything pretending to be a great job at that.

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 30 Sep 17 - 09:38 AM

If you ever tried learning to edit music using reel to reel tape, a pencil, razor blade, and sticky tape...
then you'll understand the value of paying a professional..

But for getting on 2 decades or more, software displaying visual wave forms and employing cut and paste
has made editing accessible for the masses...

But you still need a good trained experienced accurate ear for timing and cross fading...

Selecting and installing the free software is the easy part...

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recording
From: Jason Xion Wang
Date: 30 Sep 17 - 09:28 AM

Audacity or GoldWave

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recor
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 30 Sep 17 - 05:38 AM

There's an inevitable learning curve with any application for editing anything. If the OP's editing job is a one-off, unlikely to be repeated, it would make more sense either to pay the professional or to find a friend who is already familiar with audio editing to do it. But it's well worth learning if you're expecting to do more editing. It's remarkable how much is possible once you find your way round the software.

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recor
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 29 Sep 17 - 08:21 PM

I will "second" the vote for AUDACITY.

Sincerely,
GARGOYLE

However, if you can afford the price "Garage Band" and "Band in a Box" are equally good depending on your system.

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recor
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 29 Sep 17 - 08:08 PM

If you have a Mac, it will come with Garageband; you can record into it or transfer recordings from other devices, edit, share to iTunes, burn CD of your recording, etc. I use an early version of the H4 Zoom for recording.

Subject: RE: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recor
From: Tangledwood
Date: 29 Sep 17 - 06:50 PM

Free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds. http://www.audacityteam.org/
Audacity is a free program written by a worldwide team of volunteers. Audacity is available for Windows, Mac, and GNU/Linux (and other Unix-like systems).

Subject: Tech: can amateurs find software to edit recor
From: mg
Date: 29 Sep 17 - 06:47 PM

is there software that amateurs can use just to shorten the paid editing process? I have a dozen takes of various verses of one song and engineer (new one to me) says it would take a long time to get a good version. It would be best if I could listen first somewhere, make some very rough cuts, pick the verses i wanted to keep and have him get the final good version.