Any Ratings / Reviews of Slow-Downers or Guitar Trainers?

**aequity** · 06-02-2009, 06:10 PM

Hello Friends: Replies to my other thread about devices to slow-down backingtracks etc have been very productive. I've done alot of web searching and come up with the following Shareware and wondering if anyone has any experience with this stuff, favorable or unfavorable, OR if you use any other programs/devices not listed here.

My primary objective is a program to slow down the playback speed of an audio file so I can play along with it, but I've noticed there's a whole category of "guitar trainers" out there that do this and alot more, so your comments/ experiences would probably be very helpful to alot of us... Here's the list I've come across so far (alpha order):

Amazing Slow Downer for Windows
Guitar and Drum Trainer 2
mTrax
Phrase Trainer
Riffmaster Pro
SlowGold
Transcribe! for Windows (also for apple, linux, etc.)

**aequity** · 06-03-2009, 02:19 AM

Here's another Jazzguitar.be forum thread I found that has some similar Q&A:
https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/recor...nversions.html

**Paul Dillon** · 06-03-2009, 05:33 AM

Hi,
I have got a Tascam MP-GT1 guitar trainer and I love it. See: TASCAM
It allows me to set A-B repeat zones, speed up, slow down, you can mix your guitar against the background tune and apply various amp models, effects etc. It also fits in your pocket. I wouldn't be without mine.
cheers

**peterk1** · 06-03-2009, 12:13 PM

I've been using the Amazing Slow Downer for about 8-9 years.
It's simple, but does what it is supposed to do and I consider it almost essential now.

I've learned tunes on sax and guitar with this thing that I would never have even bothered attempting otherwise.

**Drumbler** · 06-03-2009, 02:18 PM

Transcribe is an excellent slowdowner.

Band-in-a-Box is a must have program for jazz.

**Silence** · 06-22-2009, 03:36 AM

I second Transcribe!

The quality of sound is retained to a greater degree than that of amazing slow downer; I used ASD first because I didn't know of any other programs. that and it is a lot easier to select a particular section to isolate as you can see the sound waves.

Transcribe all the way

**dlparker** · 01-30-2014, 01:41 AM

Another vote for Transcribe! It is truly cross platform, with versions for windows, MAC, and linux.

**GuyBoden** · 01-30-2014, 04:39 AM

I've used transcribe for years, it's a good program and it's written by an English programmer, but Song Surgeon slows down songs equally well and has a better key changer, the pitch change is much more accurate than Transcribe.

Try the Demo here and hear the results for yourself.

http://www.songsurgeon.com/?gclid=CJ...FZShtAodO2AAXw

**dlparker** · 01-30-2014, 05:00 AM

Originally Posted by GuyBoden

I've used transcribe for years, it's a good program and it's written by an English programmer, but Song Surgeon slows down songs equally well and has a better key changer, the pitch change is much more accurate than Transcribe.

Try the Demo here and hear the results for yourself.

http://www.songsurgeon.com/?gclid=CJ...FZShtAodO2AAXw

Looks good for those running mac or windows. For folks like me who run linux, Transcribe! is the only game in town..

**Jehu** · 01-30-2014, 05:52 AM

This thread is 5 years old, so hopefully the OP has sorted things out by now. But fwiw, VLC now has slowing-down functionality. The sound quality goes down but hey, you can't argue with the price.

**Jehu** · 01-30-2014, 05:54 AM

Open source and works on linux, too.

**basinstreet** · 01-30-2014, 08:14 AM

Slight Hijack,

Does anyone know if any of these programs use the space bar as the start/stop function? My ear is poor so I also find it helps to stop right after the note you are trying to hear, and a big button to whack helps.

I loved transcribe otherwise. Can you change transcribe to make the space bar pause/play?

After using cubase for many years, this sadly is part of my main criteria.

Cheers

**Franklin52** · 01-30-2014, 08:25 AM

Originally Posted by Jehu

This thread is 5 years old, so hopefully the OP has sorted things out by now. But fwiw, VLC now has slowing-down functionality. The sound quality goes down but hey, you can't argue with the price.

It's even possible with the windows mediaplayer

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...#1TC=windows-7

**targuit** · 01-30-2014, 01:12 PM

Franklin - Appreciate the link to MS re Media player. But I tried it with my Martin Taylor video of six Jimmy Van Heusen songs. It slowed the DVD down alright, but the sound would not play. Too bad. On the other hand, I have come to realize that what really works for me is actually simply to write down the chord progression measure by measure noting specifically in what fret position the chords are executed. Now I realize that a sequence of notes in a single measure may start at the seventh fret position and finish at the third fret. But if I note where the phrase starts and where it ends in terms of fret position, I can easily play the phrase. This is all aural, and much faster that even sight reading the notation, which is provided as well.

Martin's DVDs are great, btw, even if the slow-down MS trick in this case didn't work. No big deal.

Jay

**Jehu** · 01-30-2014, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by basinstreet

Does anyone know if any of these programs use the space bar as the start/stop function? My ear is poor so I also find it helps to stop right after the note you are trying to hear, and a big button to whack helps.

Yeppers, works for VLC. Best media player around, IMO, I've been using it for years to play damn near anything.

**TOMMO** · 01-31-2014, 06:19 AM

I have a TASCAM GT-1 guitartrainer and I use it quite a lot - especially for practicing when my wife watches TV in the adjacent room. Great little tool.

For slowing down tracks and pitch adjustment I use audacity freeware.