14 DAY TRIAL // There's plenty of talk about web apps and their future. Google would have you believe that you're not going to need much more than a web browser soon enough, in fact, it wants to get rid of the operating system entirely. But the fact is, web apps today rarely come close to what traditional desktop software can offer.
And, while some may be the best in class, Gmail is one obvious example, there are plenty of categories of apps that many say are simply can't be done with web technologies.
Audiotool is here to prove all them wrong. The audio creation tool has been one of the best examples of what a talented team can achieve with what is readily available on the web and in web browsers today ever since it launched a few years ago.
But with the recent launch of Audiotool 2.0, even the biggest critics will have a hard time deriding the web. Audiotool had already been offering an interesting and rather complete set of tools for beginners or even more experienced musicians looking for something new and different.
The original Roland TR 808 and TR 909-inspired drum machines, the TR 303 bass synth, the Tonematrix and the newer Pulverisateur vintage synth along with the Rasselbock effects box and the latest entry the Machiniste drum computer along with an ample selection of effects provided plenty of tools to get a track going.
Add to this the web-based sample library and the timeline/sequencer and you've got a pretty complete set up. Audiotool 2.0 takes to a whole other level though with several big additions.
First and foremost, Audiotool 2.0 adds support for MIDI controllers, a feat seemed only a pipe dream not very long ago. The advantages of this can't be overstated, editing with your mouse and keyboard works well enough, but if you're going to do any serious work done, you can't beat a true hardware controller.
Another very useful addition, especially in combination with a MIDI controller is the ability to record any changes done to parameters on the fly. It gets better, Audiotool 2.0 finally enables users to load, or record from a mic, their own sound samples to use instead of the library ones.
Finally, since mixing all of the new devices and effects was becoming increasingly difficult, there's the new Centroid, a full 16-channel mixer with everything you'd expect from such a device.
All in all, Audiotool is a complete digital workstation that works in any browser and is available to anyone for free. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it's now (mostly) on par with professional software that costs hundreds of dollars. If ever you were even modestly interested in making music on your computer, there's never been an easier way.