The Basics of Digital Music Editing

by Tiesha DiMaggio

Digital music is superior in so many ways — no skipping CDs, no tapes getting eaten and no scratched records. Millennials have the distinct advantage in this new world, but anyone can master basic music editing if they take advantage of some simple and easy-to- use tools and programs.

C

oaches who re to

remember bringing in their vinyl records

for figure sk tinkating practice will surely agree that there has been a lot of change in music technology over the years.

Te landscape of the music world is vastly different than it was and keeping up with technology can be a daunting task. Gone are the days of lining up your records, cassette tapes or CDs on the barrier. Tey have been replaced with cell phones, and at some facilities, music is on key tags that you scan on a dasher board control panel. How far we have come! It is a challenging and frightening world for those who are

not computer literate. Te older generation has had to learn many different ways to cut music for their skaters and programs. Digital music is superior in so many ways — no skipping CDs, no tapes getting eaten and no scratched records. Millennials have the distinct advantage in this new world, but anyone can master basic music editing if they take advantage of some simple and easy-to-use tools and programs.

GETTING STARTED

Te first thing to do is acquire music editing software. Tere are many programs out there that range from a minimal (or free) investment to expensive professional grade music editing software. So the question is, “What do I use?” One thing I recommend to coaches that are new to music editing is to ask colleagues what they are using. If you opt for software that others in the rink are already using, you can rely on someone to help you if you get stuck when you are first starting out. Tere are many different programs that have an easy-to-use

interface with pre-set functionality. Some of the more popular programs that are commonly used are SoundForge, GoldWave, WavePad, GarageBand and Adobe Audition. Many music editors have a trial edition so you can see which one best suits your needs. Tere are many free online tutorials on YouTube and more advanced training on websites such as Lynda.com that can help any coach become more proficient with their music editing skills.

22 ISI EDGE SPRING 2016