A year ago, Mac music and audio producers were abuzz about a preview of what was then called Soundabout. The idea was to have a powerful audio tool that was always within easy reach in the Mac Finder, for not only previewing audio files, but converting and even editing. Developer AudioEase has finished that tool. It’s now called Snapper instead of Soundabout, but all the features are there:
- Preview with space bar, just like Apple’s QuickLook, but with more control
- Immediately see a Snapper interface with waveform preview when you click a file in Finder
- Drag-and-drop conversions to other file formats or your Pro Tools session (50 file formats, including surround and album covers)
- Integrated with Finder, iTunes, and Pro Tools
- Requires 10.4 Tiger or later (no need for Leopard); Pro Tools 6 for PT integration
Sounds great to me, but if you’re not convinced, there’s a massive 100-day demo.
Windows users, I have to say, not sure the PC has anything to match this, though feel free to let me know if you’ve got a favorite. In fact, the Mac has not only this app, but AudioFinder, too, which has been maturing since the original Snapper/Soundabout release. AudioFinder also has an integrated waveform editor and a few additional sample editing and management features Snapper lacks. With those two choices, you should find something for juggling samples and audio assets — could be huge for remixers, sample lovers, and game developers, I imagine.
Let us know how you’re using these — or other — tools.
Thanks to TheLoneRoger for the tip!