Transcribe! vs Amazing Slow Downer vs VLC vs ???

**HighSpeedSpoon** · 06-19-2015, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by mhch

If by that ["mobile"] you mean using it on a smartphone or a tablet. This and possible solutions are discussed in the Transcribe! FAQ located at FAQ - Miscellaneous Questions about Transcribe!.

Bonjour mhch!

I did mean using it on a smartphone or a tablet. The FAQ page uses the term "iPad/iPhone/Android" if that helps. The issues have to do with a device's operating system and the screen size - all of which is discussed on the FAQ page.

As I said before, I am a long time fan of Transcribe. I mentioned the lack of a "mobile" version for the benefit of the community in general because, like the OP, I myself am not transcribing on a mobile device. (I did not make it clear in the previous post that the mobile device criticism is not aimed directly at the OP's requirement.)

The only solution discussed on the FAQ page to using Transcribe! on a mobile device is too complicated for me. It requires installing virtual networking software on your tablet, connecting your tablet remotely to your computer via the virtual networking software, and using your tablet as a remote interface to a copy of Transcribe running on your computer. This seems a bit convoluted for my taste but perhaps that's just me. The other "solutions" boil down to either 1) not using Transcribe! or 2) not using a mobile device ("iPad/iPhone/Android").

Still, I love Transcribe anyway!

**mhch** · 06-19-2015, 02:56 PM

Bonjour HighSpeedSpoon, Cuillère Grande Vitesse...

You raised a very good point, Transcribe! isn't meant for mobile devices, and I wouldn't consider a second using a network based solution either !

My intent was rather to say that in addition to using Transcribe!, performing a non-trivial transcription also requires a music notation software to be used (unless notating by hand of course. some people do so), and running both simultaneously on a tablet is quite a problem. So I suggest the tiny XPS13 running Windows which can do it.

Of course, one can use a tablet for notation and another mobile device to control music playback.

**HighSpeedSpoon** · 06-19-2015, 03:21 PM

That makes sense to me mhch.

I know some people who use a pencil and a piece of paper to start with. They don't always use notation software until they have polished (refined) the transcription. When the transcription is in final form, they may transfer the transcription into a notation program for publication or distribution to band mates etc.

Over the years, I have used Finale and Sibelius, but I never got fluent enough in either to make annotation less than a tedious task. For this reason, I too like to start out with a pencil and a piece of sheet music - even though erasing is harder, and even though I am at my desk, with all the computing tools one could ask for.

But your point is important in any case. I have heard anecdotal stories of jazz greats who transcribed (copped) off of vinyl records straight into the brain, with no paper in between. But most of us need to write the transcription down, so it is reasonable to discuss transcription and annotation together.

**matt.guitarteacher** · 06-19-2015, 03:53 PM

I've really enjoyed using the Audipo mobile app for the last week or so on my android. Has markers, looping, and speed control in the free version.

Really handy for the listening/singing phase of learning a solo because you can do it while you're out and about driving, at the mother-in-law's, or whatever. Also don't have to edit the song down to put it on your phone.

**marvinvv** · 08-25-2015, 06:13 PM

SMPlayer free also very good at slowing down videos or audio, VLC was good but introduced more artifacts when slowing down making it sound artificial, this could have been the laptop it was installed or that version of VLC.

For me I use SMplayer , i have Amazing Slow Downer on tablet & phone, excellent quality, Transcribe is a good but gunky to use ( probably me )

**HighSpeedSpoon** · 08-26-2015, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by marvinvv

... Transcribe is a good but gunky to use ( probably me )

Could you please elaborate on what "gunky" means?

**ColMc** · 08-27-2015, 09:24 AM

I'm another fan of Audacity.
I found that slowing the selection down by 10 per cent and then slowing it down a few times at that setting, the clip doesn't sound like a 12 string.i.e. not as many artefacts. This is in reference to guitar tunes.

**aleksandar** · 02-05-2016, 10:35 AM

I've tried Transcribe. Didn't like it that much, so for transcribing I am using VLC. It is great, you can also loop sections, so I don't need anything else much. And it is not just VLC, other players can also do the same, like SMPlayer. I don't know if that is installable on Windows and Mac though, since I am a Linux user. There are also some phone apps that can do the same, and that is even more convenient than a pc/laptop app, if you use a paper instead of notation software.

**jzucker** · 02-05-2016, 06:00 PM

transcribe is my favorite. Does videos and audio. How do you slow down in VLC?

**aleksandar** · 02-05-2016, 06:18 PM

From the menu, playback/speed/ and then faster or slower, plus there is a "fine" option for both of them, or you can use shortcuts

15 Best VLC Media Player Keyboard Shortcuts

**aleksandar** · 02-05-2016, 06:34 PM

Here is another cool app from my software center. Check it out, the interface is self-explanatory in terms of what it does.
Transcribe! vs Amazing Slow Downer vs VLC vs ???-selection_001-png

Transcribe! vs Amazing Slow Downer vs VLC vs ???-selection_001-png

Speaking of free software, there is one from Google Chrome's web store, called oTranscribe. It's not intended for music transcribing per se, but it works online and offline, you can play videos and audio from the Internet (YouTube ex.) and from your hard drive. You can play it slower or faster and take notes however much you want, because it is intended for speech transcribing.

**Philco** · 02-05-2016, 07:19 PM

Originally Posted by mhch

Among the hidden Transcribe! gems, there is a nice "navigation" feature across all the set markers.

My usual way of using Transcribe! is the following, not necessarily in the exact same order of operations.

1) set measure markers from beginning to end (of what I'm interested in, or the whole piece), which means hitting "M" on the keyboard while the music is played back,

2) set beat markers by editing the first measure marker to use 4 subdivisions (of the piece is in 4/4 time of course), all the following measures will be also using 4 subdivisions. One can change this division factor along the music piece (for instance if the music piece contains 7/8 and 4/4 section, as in Blue Rondo à la Turk). I rarely use the Transcribe! beat marker feature.

3) possibly edit a few measure markers to change them into section markers (intro, head, solo 1, solo 2, ... extro). Sometimes I also change the displayed measure numbers according to some needs (for instance having each section numbered 1 to N measures). This is done by setting measure number as <number>) for instance default 33 changed into 1)

4) then I focus on what I want to transcribe, possibly fine tuning some measure marker positions. I do not necessarily transcribe in the forward order of sections and measures.

5) Sometimes I use the video to analyse guitar fingerings, I generally use the text annotation feature to keep track of my observations (for instance xx4556)

One of my uses of transcribe is to export several version of a playback track, each at a different speed, which I then load and play on my phone or whatever in increasing speed order. That's a good way to practice tricky pieces of music.

Some great tips here.....thanks.
I wonder if there is a quick way to do this:
I will often put markers above every chord change. This is time consuming but once you've done one full cycle I would love to copy all those markers and move them to the next section....because a lot of the time these chords just repeat. This would save an enormous amount of time and tedium.

Is there a way to do this?
BTW I love Transcribe and it's worth every penny. My only light hearted criticism is that it looks like Windows software from a old school Bank in a country town far far away.

**stratology** · 02-06-2016, 12:09 AM

I did a shoot out between Transcribe and Anytune (Mac OS X, iOS) recently, and ended up buying Anytune. The functionality is almost identical, Anytune costs less, and the user interface is much better, IMHO.

**mhch** · 02-06-2016, 04:06 AM

The VLC equivalent of markers are called "bookmarks", but unfortunately they are just timepoints you can click on in a separate window without a way to give them a name.

Copying markers could be done, although this is not really straightforward and requires to edit the .xsc file using a text editor. There is a marker section in which all created markers are described. Each marker line contains a sample count number which indicates the location where the marker has been created.

Copying markers thus requires to copy existing marker lines, insert them where needed and modify the sample count of the inserted markers (won't detail that any further). I'm quite sure a macro could be created to automate this last task for a given editor.

I reckon this is pretty complicated.

But this is a good idea, and I'll send an email to the author of Transcribe! to suggest adding this feature. He is pretty responsive although Transcribe development isn't his main job.

**rkwestcoast** · 02-06-2016, 05:25 AM

Have used Amazing Slow Downer for the last 7-8 years - very reliable & flexible

**Philco** · 02-06-2016, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by stratology

I did a shoot out between Transcribe and Anytune (Mac OS X, iOS) recently, and ended up buying Anytune. The functionality is almost identical, Anytune costs less, and the user interface is much better, IMHO.

Downloaded the demo.......no video. Game over I'm afraid.
It does look wonderful and manipulates the audio very will indeed.
I wont say I tried extensively but I did try to input some markers and chord names and the results were far worse than Transcribe. In fact I could'nt really name the markers unless I used one of the programs preset chord names and the choices were very basic.

**ColMc** · 02-06-2016, 08:09 PM

I bought Transcribe! because I think it's the best one.
A lot of software will slow down but it's at the really slow speeds the quality shows through. Less artefacts in the sound.

I play the tune until I get to the lick, pause it and place the cursor from the start of that section then hold down the left button and highlight the section I need to loop. Fairly simple way to do it and if you save on closing, the program will reopen up in the same place.

**HansOlthof** · 02-06-2016, 09:47 PM

+1 for transcribe! I find it an excellent piece of software. I invested in a usb foot-controller so I can reduce keyboard interaction. Video support is really handy, but it can be picky about formats.
Hans

**princeplanet** · 02-07-2016, 08:52 AM

No one mentioned Soundslice? Does video and audio, lets you include tab as well as chord names etc

https://www.soundslice.com/tabs/1704...d-clavier-tab/

**Campos** · 02-12-2016, 01:47 PM

My vote to "Transcribe!". Very easy to make loops.
It works very well with video. Very good software. Worth every penny.

**2bornot2bop** · 02-12-2016, 06:19 PM

Another Transcribe fan. It's my favorite for both video and audio work. I bought it years ago and can't recall what I paid for it but for the amount of work I've done with it it's paid for itself times over. Great for breakneck Keith Jarrett transcribing.

**gmek** · 02-26-2016, 07:54 PM

I know you said your on Windows Mark, so you can ignore it.

For Mac I really like Capo Capo - Reverse Engineering Rock and Roll - The future of learning to play

**a2dahz** · 06-10-2016, 06:23 PM

Surprised no one has mentioned Riffmaster Pro #1 Slow down music app for Windows, Mac, iPhone and iPad

They've been around for a while and from what I've read the reviews seem to be positive.