With both these applications, you can search for and audition the file, then edit a small selection and import that straight into the Pro Tools timeline where you've left the cursor. I often want to use a small section of a long file, and even though I have all my sound effects catalogued in Digibase Pro, it's often a real pain to have to import a long file, find somewhere to park it to trim it down, and then move the trimmed version into the correct place. The real bonus of both these applications is the ability to import only a small part of the selected file. AudioFinder, meanwhile, can preview files at any pitch via MIDI or the built-in keyboard, so you can hear a sample at different pitches using the keyboard. This is really useful when you're auditioning long speech files, as even at 2x speed you can still understand what is being said. Snapper can play files using varispeed, either at constant pitch or true varispeed as set in the Preferences. Likewise, AudioFinder lets you drag the file into the Pro Tools window, or click on a Target icon in the button bar above the waveform to import the selection into Pro Tools at the cursor position. When you've found the file you want in Snapper, you either just drag the selected file straight into Pro Tools, use the Spot feature to snap it right to your waiting Pro Tools cursor, or hit a separate button to import it into the Pro Tools Region List (which Snapper call the Bin). Iced Audio's AudioFinder provides similar functionality to Snapper, but is more oriented towards management of musical samples than sound effects or dialogue.īoth have an auto-play feature, whereby they will start playing back a file as soon as you select it in the Finder alternatively, you can audition a selected file by either hitting the space bar or double-clicking on the waveform. Both also have the option to separate what appears in the window from the Finder selection: Snapper has a 'freeze' option, which leaves the waveform display fixed on a particular file, while AudioFinder's window can be separated from any Finder window. The AudioFinder window can be free to float or attached to the main Finder window. Snapper's window appears attached to the Finder window as long as a file containing audio is selected, but fades away if you select any non-audio file. These windows display a waveform for any selected file that contains audio, allow you to audition it from the Finder and import init to Pro Tools. You can, of course, create Digibase Catalogues - but do these alternatives bring anything new to the table or do things better? Let's see….īoth Snapper, from AudioEase, and AudioFinder, from Iced Audio, add their own windows to Apple's Finder window. This month, we're going to look at a couple of (Mac-only) 'helper' applications that make it easier to manage and audition your samples and audio files, and smooth the process of importing them into Pro Tools. You'd like to use a particular sample or drum loop that's somewhere on your system - but where is it? You wade through different folders looking for it then, even when you do find it, you have to import it into Pro Tools, place it on the timeline and edit it before you can actually do anything creative. You can even convert your audio sample CDs into individual files with just a few clicks of the mouse.For those with a large collection of audio files to manage, we look at two applications that bridge the gap between Pro Tools and the Mac's Finder.ĪudioEase's Snapper works with the Mac Finder to help track down and audition audio files. Necessities like the metaeditor with built-in beat detection and tools for fast trimming, fading, slicing, and dicing your sounds. Speaking of plug-ins, AudioFinder features an advanced plug-in manager and a slew of other studio necessities that will make your workflow flow. Sounds can even be previewed through your favorite AudioUnits. Use it to create custom sets for sound categories and specific projects, with fast file browsing to audition, analyze, process, convert, and move or copy the samples in your library.ĪudioFinder can visualize sounds instantly with the waveform overview and preview them at any pitch via MIDI or the built in keyboard, all in real-time. It gathers all the most useful tools in one quick and intuitive application, enabling you to be more creative by handling all the time consuming tasks that slow down your music production.ĪudioFinder can build a catalog of every sound on your system, save it, and search it instantly to find the sounds you need when you need them. AudioFinder is an audio asset management system and music production hub.
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