http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...soundjam.shtml

What do you all think of this? Personally I like SoundJam lot the way it is- Apple will probally re-brand it iMusic and take away the skins.

[MacAgent]

Yep, i noticed that too. I'm in the middle of trying to write an AppleScript to reload AI in netscape every 30 seconds and alert me if there's anything new. Any suggestions? (Note: I don't want to use IEs alert thing)

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[Leonis]

I tried SoundJam for a moment but I find it's quite unstable when playing MP3 and working on other applications at the same time.

I now only use SJ to encode MP3s and use SoundApp to play MP3s.

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My comic web site

I don't use spell checker.

[Cosmo]

I used SoundJam from version 1.0 until about last week, when Audion 2.1 was released, and i found i liked Audion better. Soundjam had been freezing as of late.
Audion also seems far more committed to OS X support...or at least they are releasing better ports.
Audion 2.1 came out for X yesterday, and its far better than soundjam for X...hopefully Apple will improve SJ, turn it into iMusic and make it the very best mp3 application available for the mac.

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Cosmo has left the building...

Long live the AI boards!

[Scott_H]

I've never had any trouble with SJ. I've had it since 1.0

I don't feel "hosed" though. Maybe there wont be any free upgrades but I've gotten my monies worth.

[Zoom]

I haven't done proper scientific research on this, but I think SJ is responsible for crashing my Mac a lot lately. It conflicts with either Toast or MS Word. It forces me to reboot. It's not consistent, I'm not exactly sure what the trigger is, but it always happens when I have SJ and one of those two apps running. Or maybe it's IE. I tend to have that running all the time.

I tell you what, I'm really really tired of the instability. Macs used to be rock solid, but not any more. Okay, different thread...

Apple could do a great job with iMusic, or they could screw it up. We'll have to wait and see. But my hope is that it is better than SJ. I can handle losing the skins, but I hope they preserve that. I know, fat chance.

[Cipher13]

Audion 1.5 is the best mp3 player out there, and as long as Apple leave it alone, I'm happy.

Cipher13

[Mafoo]

I wonder what is going to happen about MP3 player support? Will apple include, and port, it?

My Rio needs sound jam, but all the other time i use Audion as it is far superior.


Mafoo

[crazyjohnson]

Originally posted by Cipher13:
Audion 1.5 is the best mp3 player out there, and as long as Apple leave it alone, I'm happy.

Hi Cipher! You think you can get away with saying Audion is the best. NOT ON MY WATCH! SoundApp all the way . . . even though this is kind of off topic but I had to annoy Cipher.

[rhino_g3]

What do you all think about MusicMatch JukeBox as an MP3 player? I have had it on my computer for a few months and it seems to be a good player.

Yeah, I think Audion (especially 2.1) is a lot better, at least in terms of sound quality. SJ runs into some problems with deep bass.

As for the skinning: isn't Apple planning to allow it for the QT Player? (Hopefully not just in a corporate rebranding sort of way.) They must recognize this as a popular feature of mp3 players

On a side note: if iMusic is going to be about mp3 playing and CD burning, that doesn't make it that creative an application, does it? Not comparable to iMovie anyway. What if it included some sort of home recording/mixing features? Maybe not, I dunno...

[Cipher13]

Hehehe, we've had this argument before
Audion is perfect for me.
The best skins (functionality wise, I don't care how it looks - but they do look the best too), no unnecessary bloat with visual plugins, playlists work beautifully, NEVER skips, ever, great sound... its awesome.
SoundApp is just bulky and ugly... its not a pleasure to use like Audion...

Cipher13

[disectamac]

Ok Think about it for a second.......

I think part of the reason in choosing Soundjam for use in developing iMusic is to try to incorporate as much of the features of the current Soundjam in iMusic. Otherwise Apple could have just purchased SoundApp from some college kid for a couple of grand.

Of course another reason for Apple choosing Soundjam is probably for the software's ability to generate revenue, online and in stores. They bought a very well marketed product that has been distributed to many, and now they get to distribute it all over again. <-----$$$$$

Also note Soundjam's lack of recent upgrades, updates, bug fixes, etc.. is most likely due to the developers efforts being focused on iMusic.

As far as sound quality......who knows what's going on between the developer of Soundjam and the software people at Apple).....we'll just have to wait and hear and see for ourselves...........

I just don't like players that don't have a progress bar ON the skin. Don't know why. I don't use progress bars I just need them. That is my only complaint when it comes to Audion.

[mac freak]

Why does everyone use the bloated RAM-hogging, system-hogging, pretty-looking players? (i.e. Audion & SJ).

I use SoundApp... plays everything, converts everything to anything else, is very un-bloated, plays CD's, posesses a great ease-of-use factor, and to top it all off, is freeware...

Who really cares about the way an MP3 player looks? Don't you keep the app hidden while playing MP3's anyway? I know I do... I don't start up an MP3 and then sit around and watch the little progress bar move! And if you turn them on and then go do other things, well... are you LOOKING at your MP3 player? No.

I used to be into cool skins for Audion and SJ. But I realized it was pointless. All they did was hog my system. Of course, that was before I got a G4; but its a good habbit, I believe. I think SoundApp is really a great program! I've never found a sound it can't play.

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Be Happy.

[Cipher13]

I agree with you, but does SoundApps... 'unskippability' match Audions?
What about playlists?

Cipher13

[AlbertWu]

Will soundjam owners get free copies of iMusic???

That would be cool because I already have a SCSI (sexy or scuzzy) CD-R burner!

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Albert Wu <- No life.
http://web.harker.org/

24/7 Cell phone use can not kill you. I am half-consious proof. (It's not because of the cell phone.)

Caffine is not a mind-altering drug.
It is a life-altering drug!

[Cipher13]

Its sexy!
Well... thats what I used to call it, but I think people found it wierd
So its scuzzy now

Cipher13

[SYN]

Well, looks like I'm the only one not appreciating the fact that SJ won't get any updated anymore. I jumped on ship at 1.6, when they added AltiVec support. Never looked back. Guess Steve_H is right though, I've had my money's worth. However, I loved encoding at over 8x on my G4, and since SJ Carbon can only get 1.5x and Audion 2.1 Carbon 0.35x on the Public Beta... Anyway, I hope iTunes or whatever it's called isn't bloatware, that guy they hired from C&G is pretty smart.

SJ's dead, long live iMusic!

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Soyons r�alistes, demandons l'impossible.

[noliv]

Soundjam not updated... hm... Its name is just changing...

noliv

[dav]

why is apple wasting money on this? i have soundjam. i have jam. i have toast. i have an external cd-r. all are excellent solutions. last time i checked apple stopped rebranding printers, digital cameras, speakers, scanners, etc. i have serious doubts that apple's adoption of these technologies are going to make any improvements. i want apple to spend money on something i can't get, something new, something cool, something i haven't thought of - not providing me with their solution to something that already works, and works great. thanks apple.

Actually, Im quite excited to see what Apple comes up with in terms of 'iMusic'.

I do a lot of audio stuff on my machine and I hve been looking for an single app that will let me do everything, as opposed to using 3-4 apps like I do now.

I use Sound Jam to record via Audio In, Hyperstudio to adjust the levels, clean up the sound and splice the tracks, Audio Catalyst to encode as MP3, and Audion to listen to MP3's. If Apple can come up with a quality app that lets me do all that in one app, that would be great. Save a lot of money too...

It may not be the 'killer app' that Apple supposedly needs, but I think it will be really useful and people will get a kick out of it. If its anything like the quality of iMovie, I think Apple will have a minor hit on its hands...

[Gee4orce]

Well, downloaded iTunes, and Yup, it is SoundJam, with a haevily modified skin. It's rather nice, not included the absent EQ. Nice Quicktime/Aqua GUI, very fast, cool 'browse' feature.

A worthy download - but where's the Carbon version ??

iTunes is a pretty good version of a FREE player... However, if you paid for SJ, then you spent your money well. iTunes CANNOT: Broadcast, equalize, play in OS X, have funky sound plug-ins (Realizer) instead of just visual). As with all apple products, there is no one to email with complaints or bugs, as you can with Casady & Greene.

Don't worry... iTunes maybe be really good for now (which it is), but it IS NOT for the "prosumer" soundjammer.

Like all things labelled i, it's for beginners, the inexperienced, and those who just don't know what's going on.

[Arty50]

What are the terms of Apple's purchase of SoundJam? I ask because C&G is still selling SoundJam MP Plus. You'd think they would pull it if Apple owns it outright. Hopefully this means that we'll still get updates for SoundJam MP Plus. Please?

[This message has been edited by Arty50 (edited 01-10-2001).]