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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."
Is Apple trying to kill off nearly all 3rd party development for their platform or are they trying to fill blanks where 3rd party developers aren't doing as well as Apple would like for them to do?
This app requires a G4/500 or G4/450 dual proc. Is it just me or does this seem like an awful lot to run this app?
I'm using Logic Audio on a G4/350 and it's quite capable of running all the Emagic plug-ins included with Soundtrack.
Has anyone looked at the EULA / licence on those samples yet? What prevents someone from just re-releasing the samples to the public for very little (cost of several DVDs).
I made a short film of my vacation in Rio and decided to use it to learn SoundTrack.
I am absolutely clueless about music, and what I composed to go with my movie is nowhere close to being a great work of art.
At the same time, the movie with music is a great deal more entertaining than the movie without, so I think it achieved its purpose. (I would do this now, but I can't do it from work).
The main problem I found with SoundTrack is that it seems severely weighted towards precussion and specific types of music (vaguely sad-sounding piano jazz, rock of various types), and the selection of loops outside of those categories is extremely limited. So I had literally thousands of precussion choices, about 10-20 of which would have done well with my film, but only three good horn selections, all of which I used, and one of which I used repeatedly. I really wanted to have some good horn selections that would blend together, but I didn't see anything like that.
I'd certainly pay good money for a few hundred horn loops I could use with the already extensive precussion. And I understand Soundtrack is really a version of an already existing sound system, but I don't know where to find the loops.
If I get a couple of replies asking for it, I will put the movie on the web and a link to the movie here, so you can see what a neophyte can do with SoundTrack after about a day or so of fooling with it.
This all being said, it would be nice to learn something of music theory. Can anyone recommend a good book, suitable for complete beginners?
If nothing else, SoundTrack is going to increase people's interest in music composition, which can't be a bad thing. I think it could also be used to provide a draft sound track which could then be worked on with a real composer. Timing issues are very difficult with SoundTrack since the tracks are generally of fixed lengths. You can loop them, but generally you can't reduce their length and get good results.
D
I got SoundTrack with FCP 4 the day before they were released. I have since spent more time making music than editing with Final Cut! I absolutely love SoundTrack. It is exactly what I have been looking for. I have never tried sound editing before and this program was as easy to learn as any I have ever used. I think it may help to understand the GUI of FCP, but everything is pretty self explanatory:
You have a timeline with multiple layers, and you have your stock music. Drag and drop. Much of the supplied music is looped, so increasing the time of a certain sound is as simple as dragging the edge of the sound. Also, there is a loop editor so you can make your own loops! The effects are really impressive too, everything is done on the fly, and I am really impressed with the quality of the output.
I am a complete beginner when it comes to sound editing, so I have never used stuff like Logic. I cannot compare SoundTrack to anything, so I cannot say if it is truly a "professional" app. I can say it is the best add on for FCP (for my needs) that I can possibly imagine. I finally have some audio to lay over my video tracks! Woohoo!
Exactly HOW is that going to happen? Does Linus have a huge catalog of free music samples he'll open up? Is IBM sitting on a sound tool they never bother releasing? Have you written one? Or thousands of free music pieces?
There are probably places that have developed something similar in-house for Linux, though most likely less powerful (read: only as powerful as they need). Why would they release it? If it uses GPL'd code, they won't be able to charge for it. If it uses their own sound library, they surely wouldn't release that for free, and would quickly get bogged in trying to enforce their rights and earn money from it.
R: That voice. Where have I heard that voice before? B: In about 365 other episodes. But I don't know who it is either.
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.
Ahh so you're the one who keeps buying beans by the hundredweight. Remind me to bring along some scuba gear if I ever have to visit your sound studio!
:)
Sapere aude!
SimpleText eh? So you fired up Classic to run an OS 9 program in X just to type /. posts.
I see you've upgraded the specs of the computer that is taking 20 minutes to copy a 20 meg file. Didn't it use to be an 8600 machine running system 7? Did you realise you were trolling specs that you knew nothing about when people pointed out to you that the 8600 is donkeys years old?
Seriously, can I have your address, phone number and other personal info so that I'll know to throw away your CV if you ever apply for a job. Just how do you fund your trolling obsession - you post the same thing in every Mac thread so you must spend a lot of time on the internet (I guess while you're waiting for that file to copy).
You obviously have some intelligence since you seem to be able to type and spell, although I suppose you could have had your minder type that out for you and teach you how to use cut and paste.
Oh, and the solution to your problem is simple - don't use a Mac. Losing you from the Mac user base would be like cutting loose a dead horse that's dragging behind a car.
"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.
It also supports the AudioUnit framework (which has a new logo) and comes with 30 AUs bundled in the box
:)
I didn't know you could sell Astronomical Units in a box !! damn, those Apple folks are good
or maybe I should consider buying reading glasses...
Music is the language of the heart, the sound of the soul. -Joe Satriani
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
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.