BTW, I did go to the Computer Music site and hoped to find the full
version of Samplitude 9. No such luck! Thanks tho!!
Samplitude is for-pay software.
I have been recommending it for ten or more years now to my recording
friends with a PC, but always with the warning that it takes six months to
really nail it. Until then nothing seems to work properly, you make
dreadful mistakes that lose important tracks, it's really
frustrating. Then suddenly, after six months everything works just fine
and you are in their groove. Every single friend of mine who has adopted
the software cursed me for six months and now uses it with great pleasure,
as it really is immensely powerful.
The software was originally created for the Amiga computer in the 1980's by
a couple of programmers whose day job was programming missile guidance systems.
When I first got it in 1996 I was appalled at the interface, which was very
non-Windows-standard, and not especially coordinated within its own
rules. I talked to the support people and they told me that German
software is different because though it starts out being very difficult,
they feel that's the way you really see its power.
In other words they treat all users as adults. Probably not such a good
thing. I used to teach software at a software school, and I am certain
that most people will not put up with being treated like an adult by
software. But if you're a geek, it's a serious trip.
I was a beta tester for them years ago, and I described an idea I had for a
way to a/b a bunch of takes in the same region, and make your selects
easily. They implemented my idea and improved it, calling it the Take
Manager. I thought for years that I might be the only person using it, but
there are lots of good Samplitude tutorials on YouTube, and sure enough the
tool is being used by others.
The company has been sold since I had any contact with the developers.
I recommend Samplitude for all PC people who have already worked with
ProTools, because they work in very nearly the same way. The first time I
worked in ProTools I showed the engineer some editing tricks he didn't know
were there. I learned them in Samplitude and KNEW they had to be in
ProTools, too, and they were.
I also recommend it for people who love to roll up their sleeves and learn
how to use a very rich and powerful computer interface. It's not quite as
rich a toolset as Photoshop, but it's pretty amazing. It will allow you to
produce professional results after a relatively short apprenticeship.