Soundstretcher, from UK company Stretch Audio Ltd, is a compact audio sampler optimised for transcription, music analysis or aural training. Up to five minutes of audio can be recorded from a CD/MP3 player, or a microphone/pick-up, thanks to the wide-ranging input-gain control. Playback speed can then be varied down to one eighth of the original tempo, without changing the pitch.
Soundstretcher’s real innovation, however, lies in its ‘pitch analyser’ display, which consists of a matrix of LEDs above a piano-keyboard graphic, helping the user to visually identify individual notes as they are replayed. The virtual keyboard displays just under three octaves, but its ‘window’ can be moved up and down over an eight-octave range. A band-pass filter tracks the keyboard range, to assist in isolating the wanted instrument, to a degree, within a mixed track.
Zero-travel ‘virtual’ buttons control the tape recorder-style transport functions and also allow the user to set and nudge the cycle-playback loop-start and loop-end points. All audio connections (Line In; Line Out; Phones; Mic In) are via 3.5mm jacks, with power input for the supplied adapter (9V DC) via standard, centre-positive 2.1mm socket.
On-board memory is non-volatile (your recorded audio is retained once the unit is powered down), so you can resume trying to nail that killer phrase at your next practice session without having to resample.
Soundstretcher can be bought directly from Stretch Audio, and sells for £149.99 (including VAT), plus £5.99 postage and packaging.
