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Cool Edit Pro 2

A long-awaited update to a favourite multitrack recorder. Ian Waugh looks at the pros and cons of Cool Edit Pro...

Building on the success of its Cool Edit audio editor, Syntrillium launched Cool Edit Pro over five years ago. It essentially added a comprehensive multi-track recorder to Cool Edit's already-comprehensive audio edit facilities.

Cool Edit Pro 2 has been a long time coming. It sports a natty new look plus a list of new features that run to several pages so we only have room here for edited highlights.

The program is divided into two sections. Multitrack View supports up to 128 digital audio mono or stereo tracks at up to 32-bit resolution. In the Track Controls section you can select the input and output for each track (the program supports multiple multi-channel sound cards), select Record, Solo and Mute, and access the effects rack.

At the left of the screen is the Organizer which lists audio files which you can simply drag onto a track. This window can also show the available effects and you can store favourite presets here, too.

 The Edit View is essentially Cool Edit complete with a host of edit and processing functions. It, too, has the Organizer window for quick access to audio files, and it has a multitude of effects and processes.

Some effects can be used in both Multitrack and Edit modes while others are limited to just one mode. Edit View in particular has some very interesting effects.

These include four sophisticated effects for reducing hiss, noise, clicks and pops - ideal for transferring cassettes and vinyl to hard disk, and for improving poor recordings. There are also frequency and phase analysers for those who like to get to know their audio data really well.

And what about the Brain Synchroniser! It cycles the audio between the left and right stereo speakers to induce brain states such as alpha relaxation, theta meditation and deep sleep. Scope for experimentation there...

The more traditional effects are divided into five categories and feature all the ones you need for music - and more! They include dynamics processing and limiting for tightening up a track and adding punch; pan/expand and stereo field rotation.

Delay Effects include chorus, delay, echo, flanging, phasing and reverb. There are several types of EQ including dynamic, graphic, parametric and notch filters. You really should not be stuck for an effect to enhance your music or correct a recording indiscretion.

Other effects include time stretch, pitch bend, convolution (this imposes the model of one waveform on another), distortion and a Doppler effect.

There's an envelope follower which applies the volume of one waveform to another, and a frequency band splitter that splits the audio into its component frequency bands.

There's also a vocoder which processes two tracks to create a third. Although designed for vocals, this also works very well with drums.

If you want more effects, Cool Edit Pro supports DirectX plug-ins but not, alas, VST plug-ins.

Rack 'em up

In Multitrack View you can add effects to an effects rack (each track has its own) and apply several different effects to individual tracks in real-time. Too many effects may strain your CPU but there are two workarounds.

There are now 26 busses and you can assign several tracks to a bus and apply the same effects to them all. Alternatively, each track has a Lock button that pre-mixes the effects into the track so you hear them on playback. You can't edit a Locked track but you can Lock and Unlock tracks at will. Neat.

One of the program's great new features is digital audio extraction - or CD ripping as it's more commonly known. Your CD-R must support DAE, and there are many options here supporting older CD-R drives. You can also extract parts of a track. In all, very comprehensive.

Summary

Cool Edit Pro is a powerful program with more features than we can even list here. For multi-track recording and serious editing, it's got everything most folks are likely to need.

If you don't need a box and are happy with an on-disc manual, you can save a few bob by downloading the program from the Syntrillium web site.

We've got a trial version for you to play with - get it here!

Ian Waugh

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