AudioRetoucher

Sooner or later, any musician will need to slow down music or transcribe a song to the different key. I was curious about which software is used these days with the least amount of artifacts. Many programs that I used before (for example, BestPractice) have not been developed for a long time. But there were several new programs that deserve your attention.

Main features

I tried this program to change the tempo and key of the song a long time ago and the quality of the processing did not impress me at all. With the release of the new version 5.0, everything has changed. Processing speed decreased slightly, but the sound quality has increased significantly. Virtually no artifacts. The developers did not specify which DSP library they use, but it is at the level of the best algorithms from Zynaptiq and Zplane. Looks like they got their DSP guru?

The number of supported input audio formats is quite large, and there are only three output formats. Do not be upset about this, because MP3 and FLAC will most often be used. The main drawback of the program, as well as 5 years ago, is the lack of work with loops. C’mon, guys, 2019 in the yard!

Interface

The program interface is simple and concise, like any modern audio player. The main problem with the old version was the lack of support for Hi-DPI displays. On my 4k monitor, the program interface was the size of a credit card. The new version perfectly scales for any screen resolution. I tried changing the display settings to 125% and 150% and each time the interface looked great.

Additional features

Automatic BPM detection in the program works quite accurately, but not perfectly. Alas, this problem (octave error) is peculiar to all programs, without exception. The ability to boost the bass or treble in this program is secondary. I don’t think anyone wants to add even more artifacts using them.

Conclusion

I can, with a clear conscience, recommend this program to my friends. It uses probably the best algorithm for time compression/expansion and pitch shifting on the market. If the guys from Abyssmedia add the ability to work with loops, the program will be almost perfect.