Essential Utilities

Dec 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Len Sasso

           
 

STREAMLINE YOUR WORK FLOW WITH THESE MUST-HAVE APPLICATIONS

Fre(a)koscope lets you choose between linear and logarithmic line graphs and bar graphs with three resolutions: semitones, third octaves, and the 24-band Bark scale.

S(M)exoscope offers free, threshold (rising and falling), and internal retriggering, and you can set the resolution of its 630-pixel display from 32 pixels per sample to 1,000 samples per pixel. High sample-per-pixel settings display larger chunks of audio, which is often useful for analyzing DSP effects.

Lost Memories Music Math 4

How much is enough? Lost Memories Music Math will tell you in virtually any units you desire. You enter values in one of the calculator's seven tabs — Tempo, Transpose, Delay, Tap, Samples, Notes, and SMPTE — and it displays the relevant conversions. For example, if you want to use tape-speed-style pitch-shifting, the Transpose tab will tell you the speed adjustment for the desired semitone shift. To find the LFO frequency in hertz corresponding to a note division, use the Delay tab. To convert times between SMPTE formats, use the SMPTE tab. For MIDI Note Number, frequency, and note-name matchups, the Notes tab has the scoop.

Cycling '74 Soundflower

When Propellerhead ReWire won't get you from here to there, Cycling '74 Soundflower will. It provides both 2- and 16-channel pipelines for moving audio between applications running on a Mac. Combine that with the Mac's built-in IAC interapplication MIDI routing, and you have do-it-yourself interconnectivity. Depending on the targeted applications, you either route inputs and outputs directly to Soundflower or use aggregate devices you create in Audio MIDI Setup.