iZotope Stutter Edit
Publisher: iZotope Inc.
Platforms: PC & Mac
Description: Audio Editing Plugin
MSRP: $249
Expected Release: Available Now
Official Website: http://www.izotope.com
Samples: Click Here
Demo: Click Here
Special Discount: Click Here
Critique Issue: Issue #76 (06/12)
Critiqued By: Gabe Gibitz
Final Score: 9.1
In 2010, iZotope teamed up with BT, the musical genius behind films like The Fast and the Furious (2001), to create an amazing audio plugin called “Stutter Edit.” BT has been using this plugin in his live DJ sets for years, and iZotope has now released this powerful piece of software to the public for just around $250. The results are astounding.
BT became known worldwide for his creative ability to cut up small chunks of audio and piece them back together in beautiful rhythmic patterns, creating new and fresh music from monotonous drum loops. Over the years, he has perfected this plugin, and iZotope has now packaged BT’s wealth of creativity into an easy-to-use piece of software.
- Stutter Edit’s interface is simple, complex, intuitive, and visually engaging.
Stutter Edit is a set of audio effects rolled into one (a typical plugin design from the great folks at iZotope), and these effects are designed to work together to mangle any kind of audio into a fresh, new sound. This plugin is inserted onto any audio track and is controlled in real time with a MIDI controller. It requires no cutting or pasting of different audio pieces—as was the case with this type of editing previously. With the press of a button, users are able to professionally mangle audio with scores of different flavors.
Stutter Edit has a depth of creative potential for use on anything from pianos and guitars to sound effects and Foley. Let’s take a look at what this powerful little plugin can really do.
Ease of Use
As with most iZotope products, Stutter Edit is easy to use right out of the box.
Once you get this powerful little plugin set up, Stutter Edit is loaded with preset after preset, allowing you start mangling music, sound effects, and Foley right away. If you choose to build your own patches, each distinct audio effect is available on one screen with the option of turning each one on and off individually. Along with instant access to each effect, Stutter Edit automatically syncs to the master tempo of your song, leaving you more time to really be creative.
- Get started quickly with Stutter Edit’s presets.
One of my favorite features of Stutter Edit is the ease of adjusting each individual audio effect. When you try your free 10-day trial, you will see what is reminiscent of the popular 1972 arcade game, Pong. Each audio effect has its own settings, allowing you to watch how each audio effect is mangling your original piece of audio. Instead of drowning in different knobs and sliders, each audio effect in Stutter Edit contains only four sliders. You can then watch—in real time—how each effect is contributing to Stutter Edit’s manipulation of your audio.
While it does take a while to understand how the sliders and bouncing white dots directly affect your audio, this visual representation of each effect is a great perk for the filmmaker, moving the manipulation of audio from something you simply hear to something you both hear and see.
Depth of Options
Users will definitely not get bored with this program. Stutter Edit allows for countless combinations of effects. As mentioned before, the plugin’s name implies that users are able to chop up audio and repeat it in a rhythmic, musical fashion, which it does superbly. On top of slicing audio, Stutter Edit also offers users the option of merging new sounds with the original sample using the plugin’s Band-Pass and Pitch controls. Users are also able to choose between chopping up audio from a 1/4 note down to a 1/1024 note, which is both an ingenious and mind-boggling concept to both the musician and non-musician.
- Visually see what you are hearing with Stutter Edit’s innovative interface.
Because of Stutter Edit’s depth of options, there is frankly no other product on the market like it. It is in a class of its own, offering creative solutions for filmmakers and musicians alike to spice up their creations. The feature that sets this plugin apart from other ‘beat repeat’ plugins is the user’s ability to actually control the end-product of his or her sound. Many similar plugins will repeat slices of an audio loop at random, making it nearly impossible to create what you may be envisioning for a certain scene in your next film. Stutter Edit, on the other hand, allows you to see what is happening to your audio so that you can control every parameter available to you.
For a taste of Stutter Edit’s possibilities, head to iZotope’s Stutter Edit Features page.
Performance
Spending just a few hours with this program will reveal that this plugin has been tweaked and re-tweaked by the best of musicians and sound engineers. Perhaps the most impressive performance feature of this product is its ability to process audio in real time without demanding your processor to work overtime. What once needed to be done by hand in post-production is now able to be done instantaneously, allowing you to actually ‘play’ the plugin while your film is rolling. I am still running my audio software on a 2006 MacBook, and my processor has had no problems keeping up with Stutter Edit’s demands.
The initial set up of Stutter Edit is a bit confusing, especially if you don’t work with audio and MIDI tracks on a regular basis. I would love to see a better integration with audio and video software to make it easier on the user. That said, iZotope gives users step-by-step guides for every major recording programs in which Stutter Edit could be used.
- Take advantage of sets of presets, palindrome looping, and many other features.
In a future release of this product, I would also love to see a “record” feature in which the user could record a pattern of MIDI notes across anywhere from 4 to 16 bars of music. While this can be done within ProTools, Ableton Live, or any other recording program, a tap record feature within Stutter Edit seems like an intuitive addition. While this would have its limitations, this feature would set this plugin even further apart from its counterparts!
Value
Stutter edit will compliment your other audio software and plugins very well. For those that are in the beginning stages of building up their audio effects arsenal, I would suggest some other iZotope plugins before buying this one. This is definitely an ‘icing’ kind of plugin for those doing film work.
That said, Stutter Edit is a powerhouse with a great value. This program will save you hours of post-production time by allowing you to add spice to your film audio in seconds. Whether you have time to be creative or are trying to meet a deadline, Stutter Edit’s ability to change the mood of a scene by instantly mangling audio could be well worth the value of the product. Whether you can afford the plugin in the near future or not, you need to at least download the free 10-day trial. This will give you a solid understanding of whether or not this plugin is worth its price to your next film’s budget.
- Mangle your audio with over 10 effects all on one screen.
Final Comments
Stutter Edit will appeal to filmmakers of all backgrounds. The intricacies of the plugin will entertain the music enthusiast for hours upon hours while the presets will give the filmmaker with little to no musical background the tools needed to create a mood, emphasize a key moment, or produce highly creative Foley in the background. While the specific nature of this plugin may prevent some from purchasing it immediately, this plugin is a great value for filmmakers and sound engineers alike! Download Stutter Edit’s free trial today to see if this product would fit well into your next project.
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Breakdown
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Ease of Use
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9.0 |
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Depth of Options
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9.0 |
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Performance
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10.0 |
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Value vs. Cost
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8.5 |
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Overall Score |
9.1 |
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Gabe Gibitz
Gabe Gibitz is a worship leader and home-recording guru in Lexington, KY. With no formal degree in music, he has learned most of what he knows about recording by reading lots articles, picking the brains of audio masterminds, and delving into the field himself. He plays a blue guitar and loves spending time with Abbie, his wife. You can download his latest e-book and 3 free songs at www.gabegibitz.com.