Transcribe! vs. Amazing Slow Downer

[jjtko75]

I want to know people's opinion of each of these transcription tools
for the purpose of choosing one to recommend to my guitar students. I
use Transcribe! and I love it, and recommend it to my students. I
have friends (really!) who use both, and each gets high marks.

One student asked me about the Amazing Slow Downer and whether it was
"as good" as Transcribe!. I had to say that I didn't know since I
have no experience with ASD.

I went to the Roni Music site and read about ASD. I believe that ASD
cannot work with video files like Transcribe! can. Is this true?

So, which one is better?

Thanks!!!

John

[Rick Stone]

Hands down TRANSCRIBE! is the better product for musicians. I had
purchased Amazing Slow Downer and used it for a while and it's just not
that easy to work with. Transcribe! is designed in a way that makes
MUCH more useful. It lets you to mark sections, measures and even beats
(handy sometimes if you're dealing with odd time and just trying to
figure out how things lay). This allows you to map out the whole form
of the thing you're transcribing in a very visual way before you start
diving in and dealing with the notes (makes the whole process more
efficient). And then of course, being able to work from a video is a
real plus in these days of Youtube. There are plenty of ways to
download flash video, then all you have to do is convert to mp4 and load
it into Transcribe! It's got a TON of other options which I haven't
even mentioned.

After transcribing solos for over 30 years, I really can't imagine not
having Transcribe! on my computer. This thing is IT! PLUS, once you
purchase it (for a modest $49) they give you EVERY upgrade for FREE!

Here's a little blog post I wrote on transcribing that somebody will
hopefully find useful:

http://www.jazzguitarlessons.com/ricks-licks/2010/9/18/learning-from-the-masters.html

--
Musically Yours,
Rick Stone
Website: http://www.rickstone.com
Recordings: http://www.cdbaby.com/all/jazzand
Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/jazzand
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/rickstonemusic
EPK: http://www.sonicbids.com/rickstone

[uiop99]

>
> So, which one is better?
>

It may be worthwhile to search the google groups archive, there was a
thread about this not long ago.

[Gerry]

Ditto:
>
I use Transcribe! though I initially used ASD.
--
-- Gerry

[Bob Russell]

Transcribe, hands down. More features, more useful, low price.

[Jason Shadrick]

I have tried Transcribe and ASD. Recently, I had the chance to check
out the new version of Capo. After spending some time with all of
these programs, I thought Capo was the most intuitive and easy to use.
Might be as feature rich as ASD, but Capo is really aimed at
guitarists. Here is a link to my review:

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2010/Dec/SuperMegaUltraGroovy_Software_Capo_2_Review.aspx

[rpjazzguitar]

I use ASD. I bought it before I'd ever heard of Transcribe. All I need
it to do it loop things and slow them down. ASD does this with an
intuitive user interface which requires no learning because it's so
obvious.

Apparently, Transcribe will do this (of course) and a great deal more,
but, the one time I tried it, it seemed more cumbersome. Probably
that's because I didn't know the easiest ways to do things -- and I
didn't know them because the user interface isn't as obvious. That's
probably because of all the additional capability.

From what I understand, a serious player would prefer Transcribe.

Oh, one other thing. To work with youtube videos, I use a website that
strips audio from youtube (google that). That produces an mp3 file and
ASD handles those.

[sheetsofsound]

but I like seeing where the guy is playing it which is why I use
transcribe

[Jonathan (Cleve)]

On Dec 21, 6:05 am, jjtko75 <jjtk...@gmail.com> wrote:

This is why Wes sucks. Prolly picked the wrong transcription software.

[jjtko75]

After checking recent posts, I was still not able to find out if AS
could handle video. This thread has cleared that up.

John

[jjtko75]

> http://www.jazzguitarlessons.com/ricks-licks/2010/9/18/learning-from-...

>
> --
> Musically Yours,
> Rick Stone
> Website:http://www.rickstone.com
> Recordings:http://www.cdbaby.com/all/jazzand
> Videos:http://www.youtube.com/user/jazzand
> Myspace:http://www.myspace.com/rickstonemusic

> EPK:http://www.sonicbids.com/rickstone- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thanks Rick! That's what I wanted to know.

John

[southtexasguitarist]

Hi John,

I've used both and an earlier product by Roni Music as well called the
Musicians CD Player. I've been using Transcribe! exclusively for the
past few years. I seem to recall I had problems with ASD on my last
computer, so I stopped using it and haven't looked back.

Clay

Clay

[Neer]

I use both and each one has its benefits. ASD has much better sound
quality when you slow a track down and that is important. Transcribe
can perform most of the same operations as ASD and it has the benefit
of a waveform view. When sound quality matters I go with ASD; I use
Transcribe when I just need something straight forward and a little
easier to use.

[Rick Stone]

Looping was one of the things that I found really annoying about ASD.
It was much more work to just find a phrase, play a little bit of it and
the STOP (kind of the most important part, since if you really want to
learn something, you need time to hear it in your INNER ear, which is
something that simply doesn't happen if the program keeps looping the
segment). Transcribe puts the start/stop button on the biggest key; the
SPACEBAR. I found ASD to be totally useless. It was much more
difficult to start and stop playback. I don't seem to recall a good way
to mark sections, measures, and beats. Totally unacceptable for even an
amateur, as it just makes the job more difficult.

Good tools make all the difference!

BTW: It's really easy to loop a section in Transcribe if that's what you
want to do. Just highlight the section that you want to loop and hit
the spacebar to play.

[Rick Stone]

Another excellent point. I've started using with videos a lot lately,
and knowing what position the hand is in makes a huge difference.

[sheetsofsound]

On Dec 21, 11:14 pm, Rick Stone <rickst...@rickstone.com> wrote:
> On 12/21/2010 3:25 PM, sheetsofsound wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Dec 21, 3:08 pm, rpjazzguitar<rpjazzgui...@gmail.com>  wrote:
> >> I use ASD. I bought it before I'd ever heard of Transcribe. All I need
> >> it to do it loop things and slow them down. ASD does this with an
> >> intuitive user interface which requires no learning because it's so
> >> obvious.
>
> >> Apparently, Transcribe will do this (of course) and a great deal more,
> >> but, the one time I tried it, it seemed more cumbersome. Probably
> >> that's because I didn't know the easiest ways to do things -- and I
> >> didn't know them because the user interface isn't as obvious. That's
> >> probably because of all the additional capability.
>
> >>  From what I understand, a serious player would prefer Transcribe.
>
> >> Oh, one other thing. To work with youtube videos, I use a website that
> >> strips audio from youtube (google that). That produces an mp3 file and
> >> ASD handles those.
>
> > but I like seeing where the guy is playing it which is why I use
> > transcribe
>
> Another excellent point.  I've started using with videos a lot lately,
> and knowing what position the hand is in makes a huge difference.

especially for stuff like benson, wes, etc...

[rpjazzguitar]

Well, I figured there was an easy way to do it.

Some of this depends on working style. ASD suits mine. I isolate the
part I want, slow it down and loop it. One click starts, one click
stops. Then, I extend the loop a bit.

[Greger Hoel]

På Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:23:44 +0100, skrev Rick Stone
<rick...@rickstone.com>:

> Hands down TRANSCRIBE! is the better product for musicians. I had
> purchased Amazing Slow Downer and used it for a while and it's just not
> that easy to work with. Transcribe! is designed in a way that makes
> MUCH more useful. It lets you to mark sections, measures and even beats
> (handy sometimes if you're dealing with odd time and just trying to
> figure out how things lay). This allows you to map out the whole form
> of the thing you're transcribing in a very visual way before you start
> diving in and dealing with the notes (makes the whole process more
> efficient). And then of course, being able to work from a video is a
> real plus in these days of Youtube. There are plenty of ways to
> download flash video, then all you have to do is convert to mp4 and load
> it into Transcribe! It's got a TON of other options which I haven't
> even mentioned.
>
> After transcribing solos for over 30 years, I really can't imagine not
> having Transcribe! on my computer. This thing is IT! PLUS, once you
> purchase it (for a modest $49) they give you EVERY upgrade for FREE!

Don't hold back now, Rick, tell us how you really feel. :P

> Here's a little blog post I wrote on transcribing that somebody will
> hopefully find useful:
>
> http://www.jazzguitarlessons.com/ricks-licks/2010/9/18/learning-from-the-masters.html

Lots of tips which make sense --- thanks!

--
Sendt med Operas revolusjonerende e-postprogram: http://www.opera.com/mail/

[335]

Transcribe is better. Hands down. It's cheap and powerful, and has
more features. I find it more user friendly than the ASD. Once you
learn a few shortcuts in Transcribe you can work very efficiently.
It's a great product that's well worth the modest cost. FWIW I have no
business connection whatsoever to Transcribe.

[jackh...@gmail.com]

From what I can so-far tell from working with each of them myself:

For practicing with play-alongs: Amazing Slowdowner. (It lets you import a whole gig's playlist and does everything on the fly.)
For transcribing by ear: Transcribe! (It has a wave form window and does everything on the fly.)
For editing files: Audacity. (It has a wave form window and myriad music file editing features.)

I use Amazing Slowdowner for daily practice with a list of play-along files or a CD. I use Transcribe! for picking out notes by ear from a tune on an audio or video file. I use Audacity for turning a 20-second audio exercise file into a four-minute audio exercise file.

Transcribe!, Amazing Slowdowner, and Audacity will all change the tempo and/or pitch, and loop--and they all work with Youtube video files. But each has features that make them better for different purposes. Transcribe! and Amazing Slowdowner have trial versions, and Audacity is free period. So try them each out at various tasks and you'll see what I mean.

[Gerry]

On 2012-12-06 14:01:33 +0000, jackh...@gmail.com said:

> For practicing with play-alongs: Amazing Slowdowner. (It lets you
> import a whole gig's playlist and does everything on the fly.)
> For transcribing by ear: Transcribe! (It has a wave form window and
> does everything on the fly.)
> For editing files: Audacity. (It has a wave form window and myriad
> music file editing features.)
>
> I use Amazing Slowdowner for daily practice with a list of play-along
> files or a CD. I use Transcribe! for picking out notes by ear from a
> tune on an audio or video file. I use Audacity for turning a 20-second
> audio exercise file into a four-minute audio exercise file.
>
> Transcribe!, Amazing Slowdowner, and Audacity will all change the tempo
> and/or pitch, and loop--and they all work with Youtube video files. But
> each has features that make them better for different purposes.
> Transcribe! and Amazing Slowdowner have trial versions, and Audacity is
> free period. So try them each out at various tasks and you'll see what
> I mean.

I just recently got a bundle of files for $50, the MacLegion Holiday
Bundle 2012:

maclegion.com

There were too many things in there not to buy it. But two that were
quite interesting were djay and capo. Both of which had key- and
tempo-identifying abilities and dealt with regular mp3 files. Both
interesting too. I like the fact that with djay I can slow down the
audio ever-so-slightly to pitch in order to play along with Fletcher
Henderson tunes which were recorded at 77 rpm or some damn thing so
they are always sharp of A440.
--
Music is the best means we have of digesting time. -- W. H. Auden

[thomas]

For youtube videos, this is the killer:

http://www.soundslice.com/

[Jeff]

I own both, and I always mean to sit down and learn Transcribe!, but I almost always use ASD. I just find it incredibly easy: Open file, play, click at start of solo or section of interest, click again at the end of that section, done. 2 slider bars for pitch and speed. I know Transcribe! can do video, and I keep meaning to look into it, but never get around to it (I will, I swear!).

I do use Transcribe to hear bass lines - I have an EQ setting to isolate bass, then raise it one octave - this sounds funny but works great.

I have to say, I've heard stuff I'd never dreamed I would hear playing around with this stuff.

Jeff

[Jonathan]

On Tuesday, December 21, 2010 6:05:38 AM UTC-5, jjtko75 wrote:

I've had both, and Transcribe is better. I had ASD first, but my old version wouldn't work with Windows 8 when I went to it. ASD told me I had to buy the software again. That was when I went to Transcribe, which turned out to be a good move.

[TD]

I think the price has since been lowered to about $35. The guy who runs it is very helpful and not greedy. It is excellent if anyone wishes to hone dictation skills without the instrument. Unless we can find another program that gives a free glass of wine with each use, I'd go with Transcribe.

[unknownguitarplayer]

I've tried them both but chose Transcribe for the reasons Rick mentioned. It's a great program, and it gets better with every new version (which I still get for free, even after the original purchase probably 10 years ago).

Having said that, lately I've been using ASD on the iPad. The developer of Transcribe has a note on his website which says that he looked into doing an iOS version, but decided that there were already products on the market that did the job (how's that for refreshing point of view?). The iOS version of ASD works well and is relatively easy to use, and it's very inexpensive. I don't intend to move away from Transcribe, so I guess I'm sticking with both.

[Yebdox]

I have both and have used ASD for years with good success, but I like the simplicity of use, speed, sound quality. Loops are easy to set up. I tend to create a section that I want to reference/transcribe, rather than a shorter loop ("guitar solo" or "sax" as example.)

However, the video feature of Transcribe has led me to try to learn more about it and it seems unwieldy at first glance. The one thing I can't figure out is how to get the space bar to behave the way it does in ASD, i.e, tap it once, the tune pauses and rewinds to the preset interval, which is how I like to learn. So far, in Transcribe, it appears you can only set a loop interval marker and go back to that each time (defaults to the start of the track) or use the left arrow, but after a few thousand hours of transcription in ASD, I'm constantly hitting the space bar in Transcribe and winding back up at the start of the track, then having to negotiate my way back to where I was. Moving the loop markers around everytime i work on a phrase seems tedious.

Does anyone know if I can do what I'm trying to do with Transcribe? The author referred me to the FAQ which just explains how to move the loop marker (red triangle) around. If I could create the spacebar command I need, I would probably try to use Transcribe more, but right now, the video function is the only feature that I choose it for, regardless of the other features.

[David J. Littleboy]

In Transcribe!, the Play command (Play button on the player controls or
spacebar) GOES BACK AND RESTARTS play from the red marker. It does NOT
restart from the current stopped point. Once you get used to this,
Transcribe! is fine. But you have to manually set the place to start from if
you want to change it.

So to work on a short section, you set the red mark and work on it using the
spacebar to stop/restart that section. To work on a longer section, you set
section markers and use the red marker within that section to work on short
subsections.

-- David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan


"Yebdox" wrote in message
news:fcde2e45-3826-4680...@googlegroups.com...

[Rick Stone]

On 12/7/2012 10:24 AM, unknownguitarplayer wrote:
> I've tried them both but chose Transcribe for the reasons Rick mentioned. It's a great program, and it gets better with every new version (which I still get for free, even after the original purchase probably 10 years ago).
>
> Having said that, lately I've been using ASD on the iPad. The developer of Transcribe has a note on his website which says that he looked into doing an iOS version, but decided that there were already products on the market that did the job (how's that for refreshing point of view?). The iOS version of ASD works well and is relatively easy to use, and it's very inexpensive. I don't intend to move away from Transcribe, so I guess I'm sticking with both.
>

And I'll say again (2 years after my last comment on this thread) that I
STILL rely on Transcribe! just about EVERY day, whether it's for
teaching, learning tunes, or actually transcribing solos (something I
don't really do too much anymore). HIGHLY recommended.

All the upgrades are STILL free. Best investment I've ever made in
software, hands down!

--
Musically Yours,
Rick Stone
Website: http://www.rickstone.com

Lesson Site: http://www.jazzguitarlessons.com

Recordings: http://www.cdbaby.com/all/jazzand
Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/jazzand

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rickstone.jazzguitar
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/rickstonemusic

[TD]

Right and I don't know what version others have, but my version stops and starts on a dime where and when I want it to. Don't have to go back to beginning of the piece ( just don't push the stop button; push reverse button), if not needed. It can also be slowed down to 5% and still stay in tune. It's an excellent all around tool. "Andy" at seventhstring.com is extremely accessible and helpful; not a money monger at all. And yes, all the upgrades are free and he notifies you when one is available.

[Rick Stone]

I've taken off hundreds of solos over the years and found Transcribe to
be the best.

Guess it depends on how you work. My workflow is usually like this;

1) Drag the tune from my iTunes library and drop it on the Transcribe
shortcut (which I keep on my desktop)

2) Listen to the whole tune once while tapping the S & M keys (okay,
guys hold off on the sophomoric comments) to mark the "sections" and
"measures." There's also a "B" key to mark beats, but I find this
unnecessary.

3) Decide on the scope of your transcription (now that you know how many
measures you're dealing with is a good time to decide whether you want
to just transcribe the head, a particular player's solo, the whole
arrangement, maybe just certain parts, etc.)

4) Layout your page for the first section on paper or in your notation
software (if you like to work that way). I used to always write to
paper first and then enter into Finale (which I found to be kind of
cumbersome). Nowadays, I often just go straight into Guitar Pro. The
output doesn't look as good as Finale, but it's okay and the work goes
faster.

5) Place the pointer at the first measure you want to transcribe and hit
the space bar. Listen to only as much as you can remember accurately
and completely. This may be a measure, or two or more, but if it's
something really complex, maybe only a beat or two (personally, I like
to work in phrases). When your ears are saturated IMMEDIATELY hit the
space bar to stop the playback; then quietly play the phrase back in
your mind. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR GUITAR (okay, maybe just to tap a note to
find where it starts).

6) Write down what you just heard. DO NOT listen repeatedly non-stop as
this only clutters your mind. If you can't remember it clearly, just
hit play again and then immediately stop. It's really important to
quiet your mind when you do this and absolutely DON'T start trying to
"guess" what the phrase is on your instrument (again, this really
doesn't help and it's the Number One mistake of beginning transcribers!)

7) When writing it down, FIRST get the RHYTHM. Tap you foot and scat
the phrase, even if you're not sure of the notes yet. Listen again and
make sure you heard it right. Then SLOWLY sing each note in the phrase
and write it down. You usually only need to get the starting note, then
just listen to the interval going to each subsequent note. If there are
leaps that become difficult, first try to slow it down IN YOUR MIND and
sing it. If that's impossible, check the note at the piano or guitar
(again, don't "hunt and peck." Just play the note and listen).

8) Move on to the next measure or phrase and repeat the process.

It's important to move through this process quickly. If there's
something that you're "almost" getting but can't quite hear (a ghosted
note for instance), write down what you DO know for sure, make a text
note to yourself about the phrase in question, and move on. Often times
you might hear the same (or similar) phrase later on, and the answer
will become obvious.

Try NOT to use your instrument when transcribing as you'll probably
waste a lot of time trying to "practice" the phrase, and that's not
really what this part of the process is about. It's about LISTENING
(something that 35 years of teaching has proven that guitarists are
notoriously bad at!).

If you're really itching to play, then it's okay to break the
transcription process into smaller chunks (maybe just take off a chorus
today, or even an 8-bar phrase) and spend some time practicing that.
That way you can come back to transcribing the next phrase when you're
ready. But try not to confuse the two activities.

BTW, Transcribe! DOES have some very cool tools for practicing as well.
This is actually where the "looping" function comes in handy (I NEVER
recommend looping when actually transcribing, but for practicing it can
be quite useful). So after you've transcribed a section and are ready
to practice it, mark it as a loop. You can adjust the beginning and
endpoint until the beats line up on the repeat. Then from the "Play"
menu, choose the "Speed Up" function. This will allow you to pick a
starting speed, how many times at each speed, how much to change speed,
and a final speed. EXTREMELY useful.

Lastly (and maybe most importantly) have FUN!

[Bill Williams]

Many thanks for sharing these guidelines, Rick.

Bill

[TD]

Good lesson, besides the tech support, for anyone interested. Many professional ( I don't have to even mention "wannabees") players stay on a treadmill by ignoring ears, because they automatically presume that fingers must be moving on the neck constantly. Suddenly, many years later they might wonder why they become jaded. There is a vast universe out there and it's located in the ears. The brain should know what the ears are hearing. Pissing in the wind only works (still not foolproof) if you are pissing in the same area forever.

[Rick Stone]

On 12/9/2012 10:28 AM, TD wrote:
> Good lesson, besides the tech support, for anyone interested. Many professional ( I don't have to even mention "wannabees") players stay on a treadmill by ignoring ears, because they automatically presume that fingers must be moving on the neck constantly. Suddenly, many years later they might wonder why they become jaded. There is a vast universe out there and it's located in the ears. The brain should know what the ears are hearing. Pissing in the wind only works (still not foolproof) if you are pissing in the same area forever.

Thanks tony for your (as always) eloquent comments on the topic! ;-) LOL!!!

[TD]

On Sunday, December 9, 2012 10:04:28 AM UTC-5, Rick Stone wrote:

I believe that attention should also be brought to additional aspects of hearing via the transcribing. For example, chord qualities and their inversions ( close, open and compound). Also, cadences on in to progressions and the chord voicings utilized. The art of jazz guitar shows an ever expanding sphere as opposed to a deflated balloon lying across a table-top smothered with books on only chord scales and patterns in silence.

[thomas]

I have mixed feelings about Rick's "wait to practice" advice. I understand and agree with his reasoning, however....

With rhythmically interesting music, there are often aspects of the time feel that cannot be easily notated. And the time feel is usually more interesting to me than the notes. I'd rather cop the feel than the lick.

So if the goal is to get the solo written down, then do what Rick suggests. If the goal is to internalize some part of the solo, why not start practicing it right away?

[TD]

Nothing wrong with "copping a feel right away." Bigger the better.

[thomas]

On Monday, December 10, 2012 5:00:55 PM UTC-5, TD wrote:
>
> Nothing wrong with "copping a feel right away." Bigger the better.

http://www.hulu.com/#!watch/102965

[TD]

Right, but all 'seriousness' aside,you can do whatever you wish concerning the ear. For one example, if writing precise rhythms is a bitch, then just write down the notes freely as you hear them. Scratch them out on to the staff paper. Get your pitch from any single note within the improv using your axe. Then put the axe down and use your ear for the remainder as long as possible, than make another "pitch-stop." Rejoice in your mistakes rather than fear them. The mistakes are your friend. All you have to do is correct them until your ear becomes more and more accustomed to hearing where each note leads into the next note. Graduate to entire phrases. Use melodic players like Getz, Zoot, Bird (on ballads), Desmond for criteria. By doing it a little each day (even 20 minutes, but every day), it will get you there. It's a very cool feeling once you begin copping it reasonably well, because you hear what's going on in a fresh new way without being shackled to the bias caused by the exclusivity of the instrument. I believe that it's all about ear and trusting yourself.

[miguel]

I have been using Audacity for transcribing. After reading the reviews, I decided to give Transcribe a try. It is a lot easier to use and seems more powerful.
Thanks to all for your reviews and opinions.

[Greger Hoel]

Kudos to you and Rick for great advice in this thread.

--
Using Opera's revolutionary email client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

[Joe Ryan]

I use both Transcribe and ASD. One thing I do when I am trying to learn the chords is put the pitch control up an octave so the bass part jumps out of the mix into guitar territory where I can easily hear it and work with it.
I find ASD handy for the playlist feature when I am learning a bunch of tunes, I find Transcribe helpful when trying to decipher chords for a horn section like Tower of Power.

[SB]

Wow TD. You just revealed a profound teaching: develop the ear !! If we stop all the theory, patterns, academic thinking and focus on hearing intervals by using Transcribe! then a new part of our brain gets used and developed. After a while Transcribe! becomes less of a crutch and merely a comfort; if needed at all. For me it is more about letting go of the visual patterns and embracing the audio space of not thinking. If one understands your post, then there is no need for this newsgroup to talk about the art of jazz, IMO. Profound. Oh, and I love the "cop a feel' comment... LOL, has me laughing out loud. Haven't heard that one since high school. Thank you.

[Jon Fox]

"TD" wrote in message
news:803d9dd0-813f-4a06...@googlegroups.com...

Worth the price of admission, right there! :-)

*********************************
Jon Fox
Professor of Commercial Music
McLennan Community College
jonfoxjazz.com

[Greger Hoel]

On Sat, 15 Dec 2012 22:03:58 +0100, SB <simon...@cox.net> wrote:

> Oh, and I love the "cop a feel' comment... LOL, has me laughing out
> loud. Haven't heard that one since high school. Thank you.

I hear David does it a lot.