Editing/remixing Software, Freestyle type tape-editing on the Mac Options

[keybie]

I'd like to get started "tape style" editing on my Mac, but so far haven't found much software for this kind of thing.
By editing I'm thinking about the same sort of thing people back in the days used to do with reel-to-reel recordings, splicing tape, repeating small bits and pieces etc. You'd often hear it in 80s "Freestyle" music.

Anyway, I've understood that what I need is software that allows you to divide the song file into sections, or a grid, so as to easier divide the sections you want to edit.
I've found one application which does this called Wave editor, but it costs US$ 250 and seems very advanced and complex, so I was wondering if there is other software available which will do the same sort of thing?

I'm also considering buying Logic express, for multi-track recording my own music, but I suppose it doesn't handle the above kind of editing as well, does it?

This post has been edited by keybie: Tue 20 Mar 2007, 15:45

[banevt]

Yeah any of the software mentioned here can do what you are referring to it's just learning the way to do it. Most of them have a "grid" function that is at the tempo of the song you're recording but you can cut, copy or paste anywhere you need to outside of the "grid" just the same way they cut, copied and pasted tape loops. What is a helpful function in pro tools is something called "tab to transient" which moves your cusor to the beginning of a transient or beat like a kick or snare. From there it's really easy to cut a piece and paste it on a transient where you want your copied piece to be.

[keybie]

Most of them have a "grid" function that is at the tempo of the song you're recording but you can cut, copy or paste anywhere you need to outside of the "grid" just the same way they cut, copied and pasted tape loops. What is a helpful function in pro tools is something called "tab to transient" which moves your cusor to the beginning of a transient or beat like a kick or snare. From there it's really easy to cut a piece and paste it on a transient where you want your copied piece to be.

That sounds useful if it works, because wouldn't relying on transients be unreliable as the software could mistake another sound than the kick or snare to be a part of the actual beat?
Perhaps there's a way you can manually define where say a 1 bar 4/4 beat starts and ends (i.e. a perfect 1 bar rhythm loop), then tell the software to duplicate this definition throughout the rest of the song.
If the song has a steady beat (e.g. a drum machine) that should work fine. Otherwise the measurement definition could be repeated only for a certain part of the song, then re-defined. This is just an idea I have in my head and there might be other, better ways of doing it.

But getting back to ProTools which you talk about, once the "tab to transient" function has been turned on, can you then choose how high resolution that "grid" or "ruler" will have (so you can see bigger or smaller parts of a beat) and then select a "block" of audio instead of carefully aiming the mouse to get at that precise section of audio?
Now THAT would be a helpful tool: If I could divide the whole song up into perfectly correctly length sections according to the beat, then just shift and/or copy them around as I like

Does ProTools have an advantage over other software applications (such as Logic Express which I'm wondering if I should get), or do all major DAW applications allow for this sort of thing?