Slow down software for Mac

[Marcus Kaufman]

Hello,

This is my first post on the cafe so I hope I am in the right forum. Can anyone give me a recommendation for slow down software for use on a Mac? I have a Celtic tune I am trying to learn for Christmas, Angelus Ad Virginem, that is too fast for me to figure out.

Thanks,

[Jean Fugal]

the simplest thing is to convert it to a mp3 and open it with quicktime
open a/v control panel and slow it down.
Also downloading the trial version of amazing slowdowner will work
there are many others but these two are easy and free

[Rod Freeland]

I recommend you download and try (for 30 days free) the program "Transcribe!" It is a fabulous program, in my opinion, but don't take my word only. Take a look at feedback from users at
http://www.seventhstring.com/xscribe/reviews.html

[bobcoe]

I use the free software Audacity, available at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/.

Works great.

Bob

[PhilGE]

I recommend you download and try (for 30 days free) the program "Transcribe!" It is a fabulous program, in my opinion, but don't take my word only. Take a look at feedback from users at
http://www.seventhstring.com/xscribe/reviews.html

What Rod said. I've used it for years and it's only gotten better. Worth every penny.

Quicktime will work, but sound quality degrades quickly. It's also limited to reducing speed to 50%. Transcribe! will drop speed to 5% with noticeable sound quality reduction at that point. It can also increase speed up to 200%. Quicktime will take it up to 300%, but it's impossible to hear any distinction between notes at that point.

[thirdstation]

I second the recommendation for audacity. I recently used it to learn a new tune and it worked great for me. It does a lot of things, most you won't need.

This video from YouTube shows most of what you'd need.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHhXQu3knco

There are also a lot of tutorials to help you find your way around. I have a PowerBook (PowerPC) and it works fine for me so far.

-Mark

[mandopete]

Not to muddy the waters too much, but I use Amazing Slow Downer from Roni Music on my Mac. It has a number of different algorithims for slowing things down and I find I can get down to 20% of tempo and it still sounds pretty good. You can also loop on a section to work on a particular passage.

[John Malayter]

No offence to the other posters but that is WAY to complicated.

If your mac has garage band, open up Itunes and Garage band then select and drag the song you want to learn from Itunes to the open track for GB. That track will be orange. Anyway, hit Control-Option-G and click anywhere in the track.

This will turn the track purple, then on the bottom of the GB screen, click the scissors, this will open up the region screen click "Follow Tempo and Pitch" Then all you have to do is click over the tempo screen and this will allow you to change the tempo without changing the pitch. You can even fool with the tuning and timing from here too.

I found this in the I-Life 06 book, feel free to PM me for furthur confusion.

I ain't got nothin if I aint got confusion.

jm

[Jean Fugal]

I fully agree on the points taken for transcribe, slowdowner, audacity, and garage band. I have them all. LOL. Still, If I just want to slow a new piece down a bit or change the key one note up or down, I go to quicktime. It is FREE and easy. Only if I want to loop it, or adjust otherwise, do I go to the bother of loading it in the other programs.

[Marcus Kaufman]

Thanks everyone for the tips. I'll try GarageBand first since apparently I already have it (news to me!)

Cheers,

[Bigtuna]

No offence to the other posters but that is WAY to complicated.

If your mac has garage band, open up Itunes and Garage band then select and drag the song you want to learn from Itunes to the open track for GB. That track will be orange. Anyway, hit Control-Option-G and click anywhere in the track.

This will turn the track purple, then on the bottom of the GB screen, click the scissors, this will open up the region screen click "Follow Tempo and Pitch" Then all you have to do is click over the tempo screen and this will allow you to change the tempo without changing the pitch. You can even fool with the tuning and timing from here too.

I found this in the I-Life 06 book, feel free to PM me for furthur confusion.

I ain't got nothin if I aint got confusion.

jm

Thanks!!!