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Apple Releases Soundtrack

An anonymous reader writes "Apple have released Soundtrack to retail. The application, which is similar to ACID and FruityLoops on the PC, allows composition of music from a library of over 4000 samples (approx 14GB of data) that can be used royalty-free. It also supports the AudioUnit framework (which has a new logo) and comes with 30 AUs bundled in the box. The application was previously only available bundled in Final Cut Pro 4 and will retail for $299/£249."

11 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Apple's Developer Relations Shift by i0wnzj005uck4 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Currently Soundtrack seems poised to fill a specific void in the mid-range audio production market on Mac OS X. Truthfully, both ACID and FruityLoops on the PC are amazing programs, both simplistic in design and powerful if you take the time to learn them, but there are no equivalent programs on Mac -- you end up paying for Ableton Live, which is strange and IMHO counter-intuitive, or Logic, which is hella expensive.

    Plus, For $299 you get all those samples, royalty-free. That's the single largest free sample bundling I've ever seen with an audio package. I think ACID supplies 250 or 500 loops, and Fruity Loops is about the same.

    My one qualm is that the requirements state you must have G4; I'm hoping that I can still get it to run with less audio tracks on my iBook...

    --
    - Cloud
  2. Re:Apple's Developer Relations Shift by clifyt · · Score: 2, Informative

    More the latter.

    There was never a decent simple to use Acide type application. Live does a sorta decent job, but its as complicated as a lot of the other sequencers like Logic (for which I run the largest users group on the web :-) or Cubase.

    Its a simple to use application and it will allow the non-musicians to do their thing as well as some musicians might find it an easier task to wrap their heads around than the other solutions (not everyone is a techie nor does everything think that being a musician means being as good of a virtual drummer / keyboardist / whatever as you are a real life guitarist -- not everyone can perform all duties well).

    There is a lot of 3rd party work out there in this field and no one is getting squeezed out. Heck, Apple already has a popular music app, and this might scare people over to this one...competition within the same company :-)

  3. Re:Hardware requirements! by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 2, Informative

    It may require a faster processor than Final Cut Pro 4 (350 MHz), but at least it doesn't also require an AGP graphics card. If you have a G4-upgraded PCI Macintosh, you don't want to be paying for the FCP4 bundle when FCP4 can't even be coerced into running on a non-AGP Mac.

    DVD Studio Pro 1.x had a similar requirement, but its installer script could be modified to allow installation and would run, albeit with problems with crashing when tabbing through fields in floating windows. FCP4 will crash before you have a chance to use it on a PCI Mac (with a simple property list edit to allow the package to be launched).

    I'm still concerned about what DVD Studio Pro 2 is going to require. It better not be more than Shake 3's requirements (800 MHz G4).

    --
    Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
  4. Re:Royalty Free Samples by daviddennis · · Score: 3, Informative

    You are not allowed to sell them individually or as part of a library. You can only sell your own compositions made with the samples.

    D

  5. Re:What the heck is that on the box?!? by gryphokk · · Score: 2, Informative

    It's a turntable tone arm (the mechanical gizmo supporting the all-important diamond sytlus). The subliminal -- loop anything!

    --
    And you, madam, are very ugly. In the morning, I shall be sober.
  6. Re:Apple's Developer Relations Shift by denzombie · · Score: 5, Informative

    My one qualm is that the requirements state you must have G4; I'm hoping that I can still get it to run with less audio tracks on my iBook...

    Better pony up the cash for a G4. Soundtrack will not launch if you don't meet the minimum system requirements.

    Voice of experience talking.

    --
    --- Evil robots don't kill people, Mad scientists kill people.
  7. Re:Quick Review of SoundTrack (as used with FCP 4) by Smurf · · Score: 2, Informative
    Well, I was quite impressed by the Quick Tour in Apple's Soundtrack site. But we all know that these demos are actually made by professionals who have a lot of time to explore the software, choose really compelling examples, and make everything look "easy" and almost magical.

    So yes, I would actually like to see your "rookie" experiment. I think it will give us a better idea of what we can do with the software without extensive training.

  8. Similar to Fruity Loops? I think not. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    "Fruity Loops" is designed to work on sequences of looped music. That's it's main purpose and that's what it does best.

    "Soundtrack" is designed to allow music authoring for movies. While this may include using looped sequences, it doesn't even come close to a fraction of the power of "Fruity Loops" when working on looping sequences.

    "Fruity Loops" is an awesome program, as is "Soundtrack" I'm sure. They both do their job well. When it comes to comparing the two, I don't think either one falls into the other's category.

  9. Re:Quick Review of SoundTrack (as used with FCP 4) by go-low · · Score: 2, Informative

    oop's just realised I posted a broken link.

    Try this one instead: http://www.sonicfoundry.com/loop_libraries/default .asp

  10. Re:Question From an Acid User by flipflapflopflup · · Score: 3, Informative

    Try Ableton Live. You can get a demo for free, at least on Windows. I've found it's really goos for loop triggering - I write tunes in Reason mainily now, but for playing live we sample them out, cut them up and paste them into Ableton. After that you can map all your songs, one-offs, loops etc on to a keyboard, and Ableton keeps track of all your timing and shit. Works a treat.

    I never got on with Acid too well, but I find Ableton really good, at least for playing live. I believe you can use it for writing in too just as well.

    hth, FLip

  11. Re:HELP by markomarko · · Score: 2, Informative

    Why is it that the people who troll a mac thread are the laziest trolls to be found? I mean, this is a nice attempt at an update to an old troll post, but essentially the content is the same. This guy and the guy with the obsession with posting the pedophile-macuser stuff have absolutely zero creativity, imagination, or drive. Really, with SCO and the Dept. of Homeland Security out there spreading some serious, quality FUD, and this guy still thinks he can hang with this cut and paste job? FUD has never been more competitive than it is now: I give this troll two thumbs down.