SAW Plus can be described in a few short words: It's a dream!... If you're doing audio only hard multitrack, such as remixing, CD compilation, or puttin' a track together from scratch usin' sample loops and vocals etc, it's sheer heaven to use. Unfortunately, very few dealers sell this programme, so it may have escaped your attention....But this programme is the dogs nuts !!!
SAW V6 has all the same great facilities, but with only 4 mono or stereo tracks. If you want the power, but don't need so many tracks, this 4 track version is a great bargain... If you do need more than 4 stereo/8 mono tracks with non-destructive H/D for dance music... You're doin somethin wrong.
WE'RE NOT WORTHY BOB !!
Not only does SAW Plus function quickly, easily and intuitively, It also happens to look superb as well... To give you an idea as to how well this thing is programmed.... we're talking a 16 stereo or mono track programme, with realtime multi-fx on all tracks.... Yet it comes in at just 700K !.. Thankyou Mr Bob Lentini... (we're not worthy etc!)
The various windows available, can be arranged in any combination and position on the screen, and then saved in up to 12 locations on the F keys. This allows you to go from say a multitrack view, to a close-up edit window, or to view a directory of regions you have created, at the touch of a button.....WICKED !!
16 STEREO OR MONO TRACKS!
SAW Plus, has 16 multi-track tracks... As in the picture above, except there are 16 of them.... any of which can contain/ record, mono or stereo files. You can record in either the multitrack view window, or the soundfile view window, after which editing is simplicity itself, with a resolution of up to a 50.000th of a second.
Raw soundfiles are recorded, and then regions, (areas) of those files are selected and given names to become regions, so all the editing is non destructive. Regions are then assigned to positions on the tracks, with full drag n drop n copy ability. Regions can also be edited on the multi tracks themselves, relative to each other, and every one of the 16 tracks has a record button, so you can use it just like a multitrack tape. Just record a track of backin for example, go to start, put the next track into record, and do it.......when you stop, there is the audio, on the track in perfect sync ready to play back.....
Didn't like the take ?....No need to rename a new file, and all that bollox, simply hit the Retake Button, and record again from the original start position !!
SYNC
SAW Plus V2.4 and above, can sync to mtc, so you can sync it to Cubase or whatever and it also sends mtc, (and reads and writes smpte, with the mqx32m card). SAW will not however record as a slave, so if you want full midi and SAW for the audio running simultaneously WITH the abilty to record while they are sync'd, you have to get a mqx32m card. SAW then becomes the master as it outputs smpte code, and you can record into it as the sequencer with the midi data playing, chases it around.
If you don't want to buy the mqx32m, there is another way round it.......You can just record your midi backing onto a SAW stereo track, then use that to monitor as you get down your vocals whatever. Once you have all your audio recording done, sync up SAW to the sequencer via MTC and mix the whole thing.
MULTI-TRACK & FX
The multitrack window lays the tracks across the screen horizontaly, descending from 1 to 16.......At the end of those are a further 4 sub groups which assign to up to 4 soundcards.... Givin you the potential with ordinary cards to get up to 8 outs, if you utilise the pan controls.
All these tracks each have:
- A record button
- Fader & pan (realtime)
- Solo & mute button
- FX insert point (realtime FX)
Tracks can also be dragged into any order, and each track can have a choice of several FX in any combination. These include :
- Comp/limiter/gate
- Stereo delay
- Reverse audio
- Paragraphic eq
- Vari pitch/speed (this is not timestretch)
- Center channel eliminator
- Reverse phase
All FX are in real time !!!, and when set to your satisfaction, or when the processor runs out of steam (tryin to process multiple audio tracks as well as fader and FX data), you can mix down to build new audio WAV files that contain all the FX.....AND any relative fader or pan moves.....You can mix down all or parts of any combinations of track regions, and this still leaves your original audio untouched!
SUPER EASY WORKING
Incidently... when the processor does run out of steam, it's a snip to go to the AUDIO BUFFERS window... With a simple mouse click you can increase the buffers... this tells SAW+ to grab more audio chunks prior to playback... so that more of the data is delivered in anticipation of the demand... In practice, this makes for a delay, from hitting play, to audio start... This helps the PC play the required audio, (plus any processing of FX/EQ in real time), if you have not yet made an edit descision about mixing the realtime processed tracks to a permenant processed soundfile.
In a working situation, one usually plays short burst segments of the song during editing... If the PC is getting overworked, the tracks will play for a while before the "PC NOT FAST ENOUGH" flag appears... So in practice, you can edit with the buffers at LOW giving instant start for editing... and then increase the buffers to hear the full piece played back over the series of edits.
SAW Plus also does auto fades in/out, auto crossfade between tracks, (where you can specify the X-fade time/area and also the "0" gravity point... (That is, the point where the two tracks will be the same volume as they X-fade), as well as a heap of other stuff.
FREE DAT BACKUP INCLUDED!
All your songs are stored as EDL's... or Edit List Files... AND GUESS WHAT?... SAW+ also will archive your songs in real time to a standard audio DAT machine... either via the analog audio outs of the soundcard, or preferably with S/PDIF transfer from something like the DAL Digital Only Card D/
EXTRAS!
There is also now available some extra FX Plug-in programmes to enhance SAW+.... "Reverberator" - A reverb processor... A Software Meter Bridge... and a Video Window programme, to allow you to compose to realtime video playback ... There is also a Spatial Placement programme, called "Convolver", which gives different 3D FX, and a "Tube Warmer", to get a Valve Sound FX.
I have Downloaded & tried the "Reverberator" Plug-in, cos really, adding reverb to tracks is the most required thing with a Hard-disk programme without seperate outputs... IT IS GREAT!.... The demo allows you to edit all the presets, and record/mixdown these reverbs & even save the edit list file & .WAV reverbs... The only thing you can't do, is save your reverb edits to the reverb presets list.
So imagine it's like having a hardware rack-mount reverb unit, that you can use to mix a track, but when you switch off, you loose your custom edit......AWESOME.
Some other manufacturers should take a leaf from IQS's book... Especially Steinberg...I downloaded a demo of Wavelab recently, and it didn't even allow you to process a file with the FX,... never mind save it!....So Steinberg have handed out a demo programme that doesn't let you demo anything!... (Tight or what?!).... IQS's aproach lets you really appraise the product, and after using the thing, you will be bound to start reaching for the old cash, as you imagine building loads of wicked reverb fx...and believe me, this thing is the bollox!... Every possible parameter is adjustable, and it even includes comb filters, shelving filters etc etc.... I can safely say, it sounds easily as good as a Lexicon ALEX...If not better!
Anyhow, there's a seperate short review in the sware section.
Well... really I could go on about it all day... It's such a superb program. My number one choice for dedicated H/D audio only program.... NO COMPETITION !... The programme is ROCK SOLID....and never ever screws up, and it looks so good as well, and now there's a 32 bit version which gives more tracks per processor rate, 1/4 dB Fader resolution, and faster general operation, and believe me this thing processes fast as a 16 bit programme !!
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