If you're a musician who likes to learn new songs and techniques by listening to the same piece of music over and over but wish that the music could be played a little slower, then you'll enjoy Amazing Slow Downer. You can repeat any section of the music at full speed, slow it down or even speed it up by stretching the music by -50% to 400% without changing the pitch!
You can also change the pitch up or down in semi-tones or fine-tune in cents (100ths of a semi-tone) to suit your instrument.
This PowerPC program works with your CD-ROM drive or any MP3/AIFF/Wave file on your harddisk and does all processing in real-time - no time wasted on recording or processing!
The program requires at least 4 MB of memory and runs on PowerMacs having System 8.1 or later.
Note: The unregistered version of Amazing Slow Downer has some minor limitations.
By registering you will receive a password that converts the program to a full version.
When registering, you must supply your user ID. The user ID is the code displayed at the top of the window. After ordering, you’ll receive a personal password based on this user ID. This entitles you to use the software on your computer.
Basics
Amazing Slow Downer is actually two programs in one - a CD Player and a File Player that share the same user interface. You select which one to use with the pop-up menu button top left in the main window screen.
With some exceptions, the transport controls work the same way as ordinary tape recorder controls.
Clicking the Play button starts the playback from the start position shown in the locator boxes.
Clicking the Continue button starts the playback from the position shown in the time display.
The Stop button is used to stop the music. It's possible to automatically rewind a bit whenever the Stop button is clicked - see Button Settings dialog.
The Eject button is used to open and close the CD-ROM door (CD Player section only).
If you check the Loop item, the current track will loop between the time positions in the locator boxes.
The locator boxes displays the start and end position of the music in minutes, seconds and frames. A frame is 1/75 of a second.
You can enter a new position by clicking the appropriate up/down arrows or by moving the slider below.
Note: With some MP3 files (VBR encoded - Variable Bit Rate), the displayed length will not be correct.
Keyboard shortcuts
Start slider: Decrease/increase position - Numeric keypad [4] and [6].
End slider: Decrease/increase position - Numeric keypad [1] and [3].
The marker buttons, labeled [ Start Pt. ] and [ End Pt. ], next to the locator boxes let you select a section of audio while it is playing through. Keyboard shortcut: [M] and [N] or Numeric keypad [2] and [5].
Presets
You can store and recall up to ten presets with the help of the alpha keys [0]...[9]. The start and end positions, the current track number (CD player only), stretch/pitch/mix and loop settings as well as the text in the text box below the start slider are stored. You can enter comments for each presets by clicking in the textbox provided.
The program automatically remembers to what CD or MP3/AIFF file the settings belong. The settings are stored in two files in the preferences folder.
Press [Command] + alpha key [0]...[9] to store your settings, alpha key [0]...[9] to recall your settings and [Command] + [C] to clear the current preset.
Track/File selection
CD Player - to select a new song, just click in the tracklist.
File Player - open a new file (File menu - Open). The file will show up in the tracklist. The tracklist will display the most recent used files for easy acces to them whenever the program is started.
The Open... button below the tracklist is a shortcut for the File menu - Open command and the Remove button lets you remove a file from the tracklist.
You may also use the Up and Down arrows on the computer keyboard to select another file or track.
Double clicking on a track/file starts playback.
Stretch
The slider labeled Stretch adjusts the Time Stretch (slow down factor). This is were you select the amount (expressed as a percentage value) by which the recording should be stretched. A positive value will slow the music down while a negative value will play it back faster.
100% means that the time is stretched by 100% and the music will be played back at half the tempo.
Holding down the Option key while clicking on the slider toggles between full-speed and the previous stretch value, keycommand [T].
Pitch
The slider labeled Pitch adjusts the Pitch Change.
A Pitch setting of 1.00 means that the pitch is raised one semi-tone. A Pitch setting of -0.23 means that the pitch is lowered 23 cents (23 hundreds of a semi-tone). With this you can fine tune or change the music to a key that better suits you or your instrument.
Raising the pitch an octave is sometimes useful when transcribing bass lines and low pitched instruments.
Holding down the Option key while clicking on the slider resets it to a zero position.
Mix - Left / Right
This slider adjusts what channel, or mix of channels, you are listening to. Normally you use both channels (mono - center position). However, sometimes the instrument you are transcribing is more prominent on one or the other of the channels. You may then choose to listen to only the left, only the right or any mix of the channels you like. The music is always sent to both the left and right channels of your speakers.
Holding down the Option key while clicking on the slider resets it to a center position.
[T] - Toggle between full-speed and previous stretch value.
The current settings are shown in the status bar at the bottom right of the window.
The Graphic Equalizer lets you boost or cut the volume at different frequencies. For example, you can boost the mid-range to hear a particular instrument more easily.
The graphic equalizer has seven preset frequency bands ranging from low bass to high treble. Moving the slider upward boosts the selected frequency band, moving it downward cuts it. Boosting the audio signal too much may result in clipping or distortion.
Holding the Option key down while clicking on a slider sets the volume of the selected frequency band to a flat position.
Holding the Option + Shift keys down while clicking on a slider sets all the sliders to a flat position.
The equalizer increases the processor workload. If you don't need any equalization, turn it off by un-checking the EQ button, keyboard shortcut [Q].
The Calculator Keypad
To be able to control the software easily, you may use the calculator keypad for the most common functions.
Note: The spacebar key toggles between Play/Stop or Pause/Continue depending on the settings in the Button Settings dialog.
The Menus
File Menu
Open
Opens a MP3, AIFF or Wave file for playing. The file will show up in the tracklist for easy access to it the next time you start the program.
You may also open a file by double clicking on it in the Finder or drag it over the Amazing Slow Downer icon provided the file type and creator of the file are correct.
If you’re an experienced Macintosh user, you may use ResEdit to edit the file type and creator of the file. Recognized filetypes are: 'AIFF', 'WAVE', 'MPEG', 'MPG3' and 'MP3 '. The creator code for the Amazing Slow Downer is: 'AMS3'
An easier way to do this is to use a dedicated program such as FileTyper for quickly changing types and creators codes. FileTyper is shareware and may be downloaded here:
http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~dazuma/filetyper/
Convert MP3 file
Converts a MP3 file into an AIFF file. The new AIFF file will use about 10 times more diskspace than the original MP3 file, therefor you have the option the reduce the size of the new AIFF file.
By accepting a minor loss in the sound quality, you may elect to save the file in mono, lower the sample frequency to 22050 Hz and/or reduce the bits per sample to 8. When using all three at their lowest settings, you will end up with an AIFF file about the same size as the original MP3 file.
The file will show up in the tracklist if you enable the "Add to file list after converting" item.
Note: The file will not be processed.
Save song as AIFF file
Save the current song displayed in the track list as an AIFF file. Only the portion set with the locator boxes (Start and End) will be saved and the current settings for Stretch, Pitch and Mix is used.
Since the program converts the music into mono, the music will always be saved as a mono recording.
You may however save it as a double mono file (same sound in left and right channel) for easier burning it to a CD ROM (this doubles the file size, so don't use if you don't need it).
Clicking the General Settings button, lets you change the current settings (Sample Frequency etc) before saving.
Note: If you have a slow CD reader (4x, 6x or 8x) that does not work with the program, you may save a CD track or portions of it as a plain unprocessed AIFF stereo file and import it into the File Player.
Quit
Quits the program
Options Menu
Refresh Tracklist (CD Player)
Updates the CD tracklist if needed.
Button Settings
This is where you make the settings for controlling the behavior of some of the buttons.
Spacebar key toggles between...
You may start and stop playing by pressing the spacebar key.
If you want to repeat a certain section over and over, choose the Play/Stop item.
If you want to continue where the music stops, choose the Pause/Continue item.
Rewind when stoping
When clicking the Stop/Pause button, you may automatically rewind the start position shown in the time display for a desired amount of time.
This makes it easier to repeat a short phrase without having to adjust the start position.
Select CD Device (CD Player)
Here's where you make the settings concerning the CD device.
CD Devices
Here you select the CD-ROM device the program should use.
If you only have one internal CD device, chose the Use Apple internal CD device item.
If you have several CD devices, chose the Select a mounted CD device item and select between the available devices.
Note: A CD device is "mounted" when a CD is inserted and the CD icon is displayed on the desktop.
Synch correction
With some CD-ROM drives, every time the music is read, the data comes in slightly shifted. If you hear strange clicks and pops, select a synch width between 1-8 to correct for synch errors. The number indicates the number of frames that are used for sector synchronizing. Start with the lowest number and increase if it still does not sound OK.
If everything sounds OK without sector synchronizing, don't enable it since it uses some of your computers processing power. Reading may even be worse if using a bigger synch width than needed.
General Settings
Here's where you make the settings concerning the playback and processing of the music.
Downsample to:
The highest frequency a digital audio recording can reproduce is half the sampling frequency. This means that a higher setting will increase the audio quality but will also increase the time taken to process it.
A CD is always recorded with a sampling frequency of 44100 Hz, MP3/AIFF files may have been recorded with any sampling frquency.
You may here chose to lower the playback frequency and thus decrease the processor work by selecting the 22050 Hz or 11025 Hz items.
The 44100 Hz item leaves the sample frequency of a CD unaffected but may lower it for an MP3/AIFF file.
The No change item does not at all change the sample frequency.
Note: MP3/AIFF files with a lower sampling frequency will not be "upsampled" to the given setting.
Pre-filter
When using a sample frequency setting of 11025 or 22050, you may need to filter out some of the higher frequencies. If higher pitched sounds, such as a hi-hat, sound distorted, check this item. This increases the processor work.
Spacing Factor
A setting to fine tune the sound. Lower settings will make the processing faster but the sound may be grainier.
Bandpass Factor
Another setting to fine tune the sound. Lower settings make the processing faster but the sound level may fluctuate. Higher settings improve the sound quality but require more processor time.
Read Buffer Size
A bigger setting may work better on some computers, a smaller setting makes the program reacting faster for pitch and speed changes.
Help Menu
Password
After registering, enter your password here.
When registering, you must supply your user ID. The user ID is the code displayed at the top window. After ordering, you'll receive a personal password based on this user ID. This entitles you to use the software on your computer.
When the password has been correctly entered you'll no longer see a registration notice when you use your program.
Make sure you have downloaded the most recent update.
Updates may be downloaded from:
http://www.ronimusic.com/download.htm
Keyboard shortcuts
[Command] + [B] Open Button Settings Dialogue
[Command] + [C] Clear current presets
[Command] + [D] Select CD Device Dialogue
[Command] + [E] Eject CD
[Command] + [G] General Settings Dialogue
[Command] + [L] Loop mode on/off
[M] Mark End Position
[Command] + [M] Convert MP3 to AIFF file
[N] Mark Start Position
[Command] + [O] Open MP3/AIFF/Wave file
[Q] Equalizer On/Off
[Command] + [Q] Quit program
[Command] + [R] Refresh CD tracklist
[Command] + [S] Save current song as AIFF file
[T] Toggle between full-speed and previous stretch value
[0] (Num) Start Playing
[ . ] (Num) Continue Playing
[Enter] (Num) Stop Playing
[1] (Num) Increase End Position
[2] (Num) Mark End Position
[3] (Num) Decrease End Position
[4] (Num) Increase Start Position
[5] (Num) Mark Start Position
[6] (Num) Decrease Start Position
[+] (Num) Increase Speed (More Time Stretch)
[-] (Num) Decrease Speed (Less Time Stretch)
[*] (Num) Raise Pitch
[/] (Num) Lower Pitch
[Up/Down arrow] Selects another track/file
[Spacebar] Toggle between Play/Stop or Pause/Continue
[0-9] (Alpha) Recall a preset
[Command] + [0-9] Store a preset
Legal Stuff
No warrantee is expresses or implied. The author of this program is not responsible for any damage or loss of data due to the use of this program.
Roni Music Smafolksgatan 51, S-212 38 Malmoe, Sweden
