Cool Edit Pro versus N-tracks

[Jack Russell]

Has anyone used both Cool Edit Pro and N-tracks? If so which do you prefer and why?

[Here's a poll for voting also]

[Jack Russell]

Or for that matter, if you have other digital audio editing programs that you think are all the rage, please share.

There don't seem to be a lot of people who have used both.

[laptoppop]

I've paid for and used both. For my $, CEP (Audition) is the more robust program with a lot more attention paid to interface and details and sound quality. N-Tracks has more feature, but was a lot less stable.

N-Tracks is much more concerned with multitrack work than just editing. Audition has a great full editing capability.

Just to confuse the water, if you really want primarily editing and $ is an issue, don't forget Audacity -- its free and pretty darn good.

I use Sonar for primary multitrack work, and Audition for editing.

-lee-

[Jack Russell]

I've paid for and used both. For my $, CEP (Audition) is the more robust program with a lot more attention paid to interface and details and sound quality. N-Tracks has more feature, but was a lot less stable.

N-Tracks is much more concerned with multitrack work than just editing. Audition has a great full editing capability.

Just to confuse the water, if you really want primarily editing and $ is an issue, don't forget Audacity -- its free and pretty darn good.

I use Sonar for primary multitrack work, and Audition for editing.

-lee-

Sorry to sound dense here, but can you please elaborate on what you mean by 'multitrack work' versus 'editing'?

After all, I'm one who voted on option #3 above...

[laptoppop]

Its actually quite a reasonable question.

When I talk about "multitrack work" I'm talking about core recording and mixing -- applying non-destructive effects, mixing, adding automation, etc. Sonar is a lot more powerful in this regard than Audition.

When I talk about "editing", I'm talking about destructive editing on a particular audio file, such as noise or hiss reduction, or taking out a cough using Auditions frequency space editing, etc. Audition is VERY useful for these things -- when you want to edit the actual sound, as opposed to the work done while combining it with other sounds.

-lee-

[Jack Russell]

Thanks for the explanation.
The terms 'destructive' and 'non-destructive' are alien to me. I see them used in N-tracks.

I have N-tracks, but I haven't used it, as I'm building a studio in all my free time. So I've been out of the editing thing for awhile.

[laptoppop]

"Destructive" editing is where, when you click "save", the original file is changed -- i.e. destroyed. (using a typical "destructive" editor, Save As is your friend! )

"Non-Destructive" editing is where the sound changes when it is played back, but the original file data is still there and able to be accessed. For example, in Sonar, I can chop off the front part of a sound file and if I want it back later, its trivial to drag it back out.

-lee-

[Jack Russell]

Thanks again, Lee. That is very helpful.

[Havoc]

IF I have to choose between only those 2 then I would go for CEP/AA. But it is a very limited choice. There are other apps that can get about the same job done.

[tulsa]

Well I'm going to cheat a bit... I don't use N-track for recording I record to my Boss recorder. I use N-track for mixing, track grouping, some editing and application of some effects and then I send to Sound Forge for tweaking and applying track portion effects... a little reverb here a little delay there etc. then back to N-track to apply track group compression/limiting/panning or some kind of enhancement.... bounce down to 32 or 24 bit stereo wav... send to Sound Forge for the Ultramaximizer - done.
So I guess I'm saying, the Sound Forge/ N-track combination fits the bill perfectly for me for production and finishing.
I have always found Cool (which is definitely a good product) to be cumbersome and a memory pig so I dropped it.

regards,
tulsa