EDM has been bathed in stutter edits for years. Ever since Aphex Twin, glitches and stutters have been the preferred form of interrupting a musical flow for artistic and rhythmic effect. It’s not only easy to do, but really fun when connected to a MIDI controller for instant cut up mayhem. Renowned electronic producer and composer BT has been working on designing his own personal glitch edit hardware and software for years, in what one could say is his quest to find the perfect glitch. He may have struck gold by joining forces with iZotope and producing “Stutter Edit”, a brand new plug-in that is giving DJs more musical destruction power per square inch than a military salvo.
Live effects units have long lacked the ability to intelligently manipulate audio- at most, they source their parameters based on a MIDI clock or auto-detect BPM on a mixer. Stutter Edit, iZotope’s brand new effects instrument, designed by BT, empowers live performers to easily play intelligent and effects that allow realtime remixing and manipulation in your favorite DAW or VST Host.
Stutter Edit is build around a continuously live sampling engine that holds and stores a loop of playing audio while applying to that loop a series of effect and timeline presets, known as gestures. Gestures are triggered by MIDI input into your DAW – at NAMM we saw the plug-in being used with a Novation keyboard, but the possibilities for creative activation of effects are clearly one of the most exciting elements of Stutter Edit (personally, I’m dying to try it out with a custom Midifighter).
Beat Repeat’s gestures range from the likes of a super simple beat repeat to amazingly complex series of echos and pitch-modulations, that happen over the course of the timeline. The included gestures at first use seem to be very powerful and comprehensive- developed by BT and Richie Hawtin, but there’s clearly plenty more to be unlocked and discovered by users who want to develop their own. We can’t wait to see what people do with this thing
iZotope is offering the plugin for $149 until February 14th (Valentine’s Day gift idea, anyone?), after which the price increases to $249. There’s also a free trial on their website.
Not happy with stutter edit dont work with cubase sx no midi input, imageline GrossBeat works perfect and it got a midi input, waves stomp works perfect and got a midi input,,, why stutter dont???? and no automation to??? wird plugin, for a lot of money.
Not happy with stutter edit dont work with cubase sx no midi input, imageline GrossBeat works perfect and it got a midi input, waves stomp works perfect and got a midi input,,, why stutter dont???? and no automation to??? wird plugin, for a lot of money.
Not happy with stutter edit dont work with cubase sx no midi input, imageline GrossBeat works perfect and it got a midi input, waves stomp works perfect and got a midi input,,, why stutter dont???? and no automation to??? wird plugin, for a lot of money.
fuck this shit. learn to play cooler records than the masses
you want a stutter edit in traktor? macro a button to do a fractional beatjump backwards several times then ump ahead the correct amount of time and resync itself.
Its a nice effect, but really its just a delay.
Incoming: Long as hell text.
I have to agree with a lot of people about this thing; Meh.
It sounds bloody great, it looks good and it does some funky (albeit not new) things. And well, just the fact that it’s a real-time playable, glitch-like effect makes me drool a little.
But there’s always a but.
Sure the sounds are great and it’s fun and easy to use, but so is a lot of cheaper and better alternatives. (A personal favourite for me being The Finger, especially since Reaktor probably is the definition of brilliance).
Just the simple fact that the effects don’t chain makes me seriously consider not buying it. I mean, what the fudge? It is tweakable and you can get some nice visual feedback, but that’s like socks not having holes. It’s supposed to be like that.
If you’ve used The Finger and know a little something something about Reaktor, you understand why I’m not that impressed.
Technically, I didn’t notice any CPU-problem, it worked fine like that. No complaints there, but as said, that’s like socks not having holes in them. It’s designed for live use, and since many of us aren’t huge stars who get to carry around desktop-computers, it shouldn’t break your laptop, after all, the point is to be able to use it live on your laptop. Sure you can use it in your studio, that’s fun too, but at that point you don’t focus as much on the CPU as for a live-set. A crash in your own bedroom-studio isn’t something you compare to a crash during a live-set. (Knock on wood, everybody).
Stutter Edit does not do something you can’t do, and for glitch-music (either Aphex/RDJ-like or like the glitch-stuff from for example Ulver), it’s not ideal. It’s too “nice”. The glitch is friendly, it doesn’t blow your mind and mess up and mangle your drums or whatnot etc. I’m not saying that there isn’t a method to the madness in Aphex Twin (’cause there is), but it’s not as simple, friendly and nice as Stutter Edit.
If you want glitch, I recommend The Finger (or perhaps Artillery or the free glitch mentioned in comments here, I don’t have little to none experience with them), preferably with a full version of Reaktor so you can really use it (Reaktor Player and Kore Player do not hold a candle to it).
But if you’re looking for transitions, a little stutter to spice up a loop or two in the mix and playing carefully around with a filter or two, the Stutter Edit might just be exactly what you’re looking for. It’s nice, it’s synced and it doesn’t mess your stuff up. In other words, you can do some rather cool stuff, but it won’t sound too strange. For me, I want strange, that’s what I like to do, it’s fun, but I play at places where that’s a good thing.
Many readers here though might be playing at places where the rest aren’t noise-musicians or other experimental electronics etc, but people who wants to dance and have fun. Depending on the crowd, Stutter Edit might be just perfect, or it might be too “dangerous”, but I suspect most people here will know their crowds, or sense it when playing.
In conclusion;
It is, obviously, the choice of each individual. If you really want to stutter things up, don’t look at this one to begin with. If you want to carefully spice it up a little and maybe impress a few people, sure, it’s not too bad. It’s a little expensive, but the current offer is tempting me to buy it, and I don’t even need it.
Well, that’s my two, digital cents.
… will people in the floor care if you are “legit”?
the only thing that makes you more or less “legit” is how much you know about music, not your own made stutter effects. but this is an old discussion, if you think technical knowledge makes you a “legit DJ” good for you…
I hear some people , saying, then this VST, has lack of Know what key to press , in order to see what effect you will play it…. well I been play around more then I week, and well , seen you can see, what effect you apply and in which key is… if you go and “press manager “… that give you a visual feed , on which key hold , each effect!!!…..
actually, it will take a creativity, time and a little of knowledge , to make this VSt… a great tool once you manage , how to used…. as far on my personal opinion… I just love it!!!
Stutter Edit the best new software??????? what the fuck!!!
Glitch.DLL , effectrix AND Tim Exiles reaktor patch have done the same thing EFFECTIVELY for YEARS. and Tim Exiles FREE patch still KILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLS Stutter edit.
Why is it the best new software then??? No innovation at all.
buying stutter edit is basicly admiting your too stupid to setup a patch in Glitch or reaktor etc. And if you cant make your own stutter effects in a DAW then you need to SIT DOWN and LEARN buy another TOY to fuck with.
expect lots of glitches at clubs if this plug in becomes popular, this is the kind of thing that’s fun for the DJs, not for the audience…
will definetly make em clear the floor if not used tastefully….
I got this vst best thing I ever had. @ pricilla. …….more then trigger
key pads on a keyboard …..I’m master to use my apc-20 and so far works perfectly
Glitch.DLL is free if your a real gangster
Why doesn’t Traktor Use VST’s/AU’s come on NI get it together!
I’ve been using it for about three days now. It’s amazing!!! Using as aVST in Live 8 and triggering w/ a Launchpad. Only thing that sucks is it seems it cant be automated. Like in Live the only automation paremter that shows up is, “device on”. Oh well, I guess it’s meant to be used live which is exactly what I’m gonna do w/ it!
There’s always the Re-Sample function. BT is sick
I believe CC0 and CC1 are the default maps for the automation that you can edit to be other continuous controllers. There are 3 relevant controls that you would use: pitch bend, modulation, and a third for the A&H style filter.
I’ve been triggering all these into some pretty complex sequences by routing a midi track through Live. iZotope did fail to make the controls addressable like other VSTs, which is an annoyance. I do think that it is supposed to be a set-it-and-forget-it plugin though that you can just toss on a master track and toss midi at, modulation of more parameters would just be confusing.
The Finger will automatically chain effects on the fly with one another in a really unique way which the rest of these stutter edit programs do not do. As far as i can tell nor does this VST, the series of effects is setup in a series circuit in this case.
Still keen to try it out though 🙂 But as is stands i have a bit more faith in Tim Exiles work than BT or Richie Hawtins.
too expensive…..and as mentioned earlier lucifer sits right next to it
like juansolo said this is not that new. I think your better off just buying reaktor and you get alot more that just an effect.
I’ve played with the demo for a few days and it’s something I can live without, but I can see how some might like it. Can’t wait till it hits torrent;)
Hmmm im interested. It just doesnt do stutters it does more…i like 🙂
Dear Traktor
Hurry, Please implement VST’s in your software.
You’re the best.
Love
Dan
Price is disgusting. They’re having a laugh.
Is it as good as Devine Machine’s Lucifer???
Lucifer is AWESOME.
I can do all that and more with my midi fighter and Traktor!
Looks promising, but the price is just impossible to justify.
In regards to other comments; I don’t think it’s fair to compare stutter and glitch effects to Auto-Tune. If you are prone to using loops, you can either use a glitch effect or have a gazilion loop variations to keep a loop interesting. Think fills and stabs. Also, these sort of effects are usually tweakable, so if it is sounding “over used” it’s because of of the folks using it one way, and not exploring the sonic potential.
15 cents worth
As for Stutter in particular, I’m gonna give the demo a run and see if I can live w/without it. Thanks for the review!
Greets,
Downloaded this plugin been working it since NAMM.
Let me state my conclusions.
Impression:
I like the plugin, way too expensive at 249$
Tech:
It definately needs the ability to tweak parameters
of an effect, or at least have some macro section like Massive
where the most essential controls can be mapped.
You can obviously create a seperate effect for every tweak
and assign it to a key but Ugh how many octaves will i use.
Ableton must be playin (running meter) for the effect to work
High latency makes the plugin almost unusable.
I have run three instances of the plugin with good results at
24/48 with 256 samples. This was done with JackosX/Live/Traktor.
Each deck had 1 stutter edit, and I made a summation bus with 1 stutter edit.
I can notice a slight delay when an effect is triggered. I
am experimenting with different midi clock skews and pre-built
delay to compensate. Still testing.
If it was 99 bucks, thumbs up.
I’m curious to hear how Stutter Edit would sound in Torq 2.0 along with the crossfade sound fx options. Just worried about how much processing power it would eat up to host it in Torq. I agree with the other comments in this post, the price seems a bit high. $249 for a VST? Ouch.
DJTT should do an article “showdown” of stutter tools. It would also be a good opportunity to show some of these DJ’s who cant figure out how to route audio out of Traktor to things other than Ableton.
Holla at me DJTT, I’d post a video showdown article for you guys. Put in a lil DJTT work, especially for some merch!
+1
This is nothing new at all. Time Exiles “Key Masher” was released years ago, followed by CList’s “BeatLookUp,” followed by tons of other mash up tools created by Reaktor users. Then Tim Exile released, the Finger, and recently TwistedTools released “Buffeater.” Not to mention there is Artillery, etc. BT Stutter Edit, is late to the party, OVERPRICED, and under qualified. Fomr what I understand you cannot manipulate many of the controls via midi, only “gesture” them. There is a thread over at Ableton where many have dissected and de-mystified it’s capabilities.
I’m really surprised this thing is even getting noticed in the shadows of all that came before it.
I’m liking the idea of using this to DJ with. I will definitely grab the trial to check it out.
Now, from what I’m hearing on the previous posts, Traktor doesn’t have native support to add your own VSTs, right? But as a temporary workaround, why not link the MIDI clock in Traktor to Ableton Live and use Stutter Edit in Ableton?
Sure, it’s not a simple plug and play solution but I thought DJTT readers were innovators. I have recently used MIDI Yoke and Virtual Audio Cables to link the MIDI clock between my Traktor Scratch Pro (which controls 2 decks using vinyl control) and Ableton Live (which I use an Akai APC40 to control loops, songs and effects within Live only). If I added this Stutter Edit to Live, it could be a good alternative to Traktor’s BeatMasher.
Yowza !
Checking it out now, but that’s a lot of money for a plug in. I mean, the full price is as much as yer DJ software !
Native instruments has had something very similar, ‘The Finger’ by Tim Exile out for a while now and
I’m pretty sure The Finger will work in standalone mode with N.I.’s free Kore Player. No sign of BT though…….
ThePunk.
[quote comment=”43612″]The Finger is it’s closest competitor, as Artillery doesn’t even come close. I think this plugin takes what Finger can do and go a few hundred yards further. Now, how can we petition NI to get vst/au support in Traktor?![/quote]
Seconded.. Its so frustrating that I can’t use great VST’s like this without running ableton alongside traktor in some (high-latency low stability) configuration. The only drawback I’m seeing with this vs the finger is that you can only use 1 keyboard key at a time for effecting audio.. although that 1 key can trigger some pretty complex stuff so it’s almost a moot point.
The Finger is it’s closest competitor, as Artillery doesn’t even come close. I think this plugin takes what Finger can do and go a few hundred yards further. Now, how can we petition NI to get vst/au support in Traktor?!
sorry but this is the most annoying effect since autotune. definitely don’t need this in a set
U r juss kiddding right. Auto tune is one of the finest effect today. That’s now wonder, everybody is using it.
Autotune was cool in 2000, the novelty wore off by 2001. Now its just being bled to death.
The finger or artillery anyone. Artillery kicks major ass.
looks like it does a lot of the same stuff that Reaktor does (did) but it’s all preconfigured. This plus Max4Live will give you pretty much everything you need to destroy beats and come up with some awesome transitions. looks like a really great product.
That sounds awesome!So many options..you could really get creative with this thing.Can i use it with any dj software or it is standalone product?
So that is was Eli Manning does in the off season. Way over priced for a VST, lower the price to say $99 and they would make a fortune.
Really cool plugin (though a bit overpriced IMHO). I created a small demo track with 3 loops from the NI S4 Xmas sample packs and the demo of Stutter Edit in Ableton Live :
http://soundcloud.com/chronicalschizophrenicg-1/kappa-persei-wip
Obviously not the banger of the year, but it was amazing how easy and quick it was to apply effects on the different tracks.
Thanks for the news Ean, and great job Izotope !
seems just like NI’s The Finger…
Damn that’s sweet! Now someone march down to NI and tell them that Traktor better start allowing VST plug-ins ASAP!
eeeeeexactly
… but i dont think it will happen any time soon, it would be too amazing !
Hey ean, great article, interesting read. It looks like an amazing plugin. The only thing that is stopping me from potentially buying it is if it can be used in “standalone mode”.
I had a look on the website and i couldnt see any such information available. Sure it would be great to use for productions and such and would greatly reduce the amount of manual editing i have to do in some songs, but what id really like to know is if it could be used say with TSP.
This is what i mean by “standalone mode”. Since Traktor doesnt have VST or plugin support it would be nice to know if you could run the plugin seperately without a host, and sync it to traktor via midi clock or something.
sure you could run traktor’s output into logic, with the plugin set on traktors input strip, but with 4 decks running + logic & VST’s, it might be a little processor intensive.
If anyone knoes if this would be possible, let me know. Otherwise ill contact the website when i get back from the snow.
i am planning to use the stutter with ableton i guess its not as heavy as logic.
Donwload soundflower have some virtual cables going form traktor to ableton then open stutter…
This is cool for electronic dance musc, but besides that I don’t think I could use it
this plug-in is amazing. it’s a must have for anyone creating or performing with electronic dance music. buy it now.
awesome tool to have!
I got the demo going briefly with my midi fighter the other night. First impression was very promising though I only spent about an hour with it. Now that understand the program a bit better I’m pretty psyched at the possibilities.
[quote post=”10383″]RCUS
January 19th, 2011 at 1:52 am Quote
I got the demo going briefly with my midi fighter the other night. First impression was very promising though I only spent about an hour with it. Now that understand the program a bit better I’m pretty psyched at the possibilities.[/quote]
There are so many poor auto bpm things out there that this is obviously kicks those products down. i want to try this for vocal and bass in a live setting and if i am successful i will post video.
hmm, that looks interesting, gonna have to check the trial to see how heavy of a load it is. thats one problem ive had with using vst plugins, my laptop isnt exactly a studio machine with craptons of ram and processors, so running a vst or 2 drains resources surprisingly quickly. wouldnt be kool to get stuck halfway through a track while playing out.
also for those interested in this type of stuff, theres a pretty neat vst galled glitch, i think its got 9 diff destructive effects, its not as configurable as this thing, but on the plus side i think its free. its a pretty nice vst, especially if you take the time to figure everything out and map it and all that stuff.
I was checking out the izotope website the other day… I find it really interesting for live performances! It would be really cool to integrate this in Maschine!
p.s.
did you guys delete a post? I’m sure I read a post with various interviews from NAMM a couple of days ago, but I can’t find it anymore!
Maschine 1.6 will support plugins, so you may get your wish. You can always use a combination (on windows) of LiveProfessor and LoopBe1 to route maschine audio data to it loaded in LiveProfessor and send midi data from maschine via loopBe1 to control it. Hmmm… I just gave myself a good idea in real time.
You can use Stutter Edit in the new Beta 1.6 Maschine
very cool