just how cool is cool edit pro?

[rats]

I'm relatively new to the arena of PC recordings, but I've got a few full-on cooledit pro recordings under my belt now. I've been through the process, and I do agree it's pretty fucking cool. My tests runs have been somewhat limited, just trying t get through all the way to mixdown, so I may not be aware of all that the program has in store for me. My recordings have comprised of up to 15 tracks in up to a 5.5 minute song. I haven't come across any problems that I could fix here at this forum.

I'm looking to hear from a few of you that have been around the program to see what you like about it, it's best features, and what sucks. I'm looking to start recording with the whole band on my machine, and I hate suprises when they come up in bad times. I don't see us getting much more than 15 tracks a song, and I have yet to record live drums (used drum machine).

Some things I really dig is "undo", the envelope filters, and some of the crazy delay effects. It's really user friendly so far.

Some things that I'm not digging are the reverbs, and the compressor seems like a bitch to use.

Anyone?

[Whyte Ice]

I love the timed record feature because alot of the time I am the only one recording and its a bitch going back and forth and pressing the record and stop buttons. Too bad it can be done in multitrack view.

In Multitrack view, my favorite feature is probably Punch In since I can fix any of my mistakes I have made in a track.

Cool Edit Pro is the best multitrack program that I have ever used. Even though I have only tried this, Goldwave, Cakewalk Pro Audio 9, and N-Track Studio, Cool Edit Pro beats those down in my book.

[digital8trak]

lets see....theres not much about c.e.p. that i dont like. i have to agree about the reverb and compressor though. being a solo artist, i really like the fact that i can record entire songs and mix them down on the computer, relatively cheap. all i have is a strat, a digitech rp200 a peavy 5 string bass, and a amp i dont even use for recording. so you can probably see why i like the program so much. check out my site, its still very much under construction, but there are 2 mp3s that were recorded in cool edit. if anyone has suggestions on the music, let me know!




http://home.att.net/~digital8track/index.html

[dobro]

I don't like the look of the compressor, so I haven't tried it. I've tried the reverb presets and don't like 'em, but tweaks produce much better results, according to people who use it a lot. They might be radio guys, though, and we all know about radio sound...

Another thing that doesn't work well is noise and hiss reduction. I don't think that's a CEP issue - I think it's true that *no* editor can remove noise and hiss without altering the overall sound bigtime.

Another thing I don't like is having to wait so long for CEP to carry out various transforms - but is that CEP, or is that my slow, slow computer?

And yet, despite all the moaning I've done so far in this post, I really like Cool Edit. I'm guessing Syntrillium will be coming up with Cool Edit V.2 soon, and I'm guessing I'm going to be really tempted to go for it.

Finally, and this is only slightly off topic, I am really grateful for Syntrillium's online forum and presence there. I have received more and better help online and offline from them than any other company I've dealt with in this gaff. As far as I'm concerned, that's a very real, very powerful, aspect of the program.

[Whyte Ice]

Originally posted by dobro
Another thing I don't like is having to wait so long for CEP to carry out various transforms - but is that CEP, or is that my slow, slow computer?

Unfortunately its is your slow computer. I have a really slow processor and it takes forever to apply transforms, etc. to a selection. I went over to a friends house who also has CEP and a very fast processor and the transforms finished processing within 5 seconds.

I brought my computer in to the shop and asked them if they could upgrade my processor and they said my processor couldn't go faster in the machine I have right now and to get faster processing I'll need a new machine so I'm saving up but I want to get better equipment before I get another computer.

[dobro]

I know, it's a bugger, isn't it? You have to lay out a grand for a really good computer, and you keep thinking about all the gear you could get for that money that would make your sound BETTER! All the computer does is keep everything ticking over.

[JuSumPilgrim]

I think CEP's reverb is one of its strongest effects. You definitely need to tweak it but I havent heard any other comparable program come close as far as control, clarity and authenticity. Sometimes though when dealing with a big reverb youll get a synthetic sound if the early reflections are too strong- you have to play with it to figure out where it excels and where it doesnt. Im a big fan of waves plugs and I think CEP's reverb is better than say the ren verb and at least equal to the true verb. As far as CEP's compression- its cool but there are much better options, no matter what you do to it youre not going to get it to sound anything like waves ren compressor. CEP's compressor is good for multiband its soft knee (2:1 and low gain) is very transparent.

[Meshuggah]

I've been working a lot with CEP now.

What I like most about CEP is that it's so easy to use. It's pretty much like a 64track taperecorder, and that's just what I want from it. It have crashed 2 times in 6 months, and both times CEP had everything saved up to the point where ti crashed -> I could keep working from the point it crashed. Wonderful. What I would've like to see is the option of selecting another wave-editor, cause I like SF5.0 a lot better than CEP's editor...

In CEP I really like the pan/volume envelopes (poor mans automation?) and I also like the Echo (with the EQ thing). I don't use CEPs effects since I have Waves Native Gold Pack, which is so wonderful I can't frikking believe it...

I'm thinking about printing the manual (which I have if someone don't) and read it thoroughly to see if there's any cool features that'd be stupid to miss...

[dobro]

Meshuggah, tell me how big that manual is. I bothered Syntrillium until they sent me something, but they sent me Cool Edit 2000 instead. As Blue Bear says: "Sheesh."

[Meshuggah]

It's 1.7MB dobro...