The clever bit is that Acid allows real‑time changes to pitch or tempo, so that you can alter the tempo of a whole clutch of different loops to run in sync, simply by moving a bpm slider. Supplied with a huge selection of style‑based WAV loops and single‑shot sounds, you can drag and drop snippets of audio on to a version of the Arrange page already familiar to Cubase users. But thankfully, the only mind‑expanding substance at the Frankfurt launch of Sonic Foundry's new PC software was a cheese buffet! Acid is described as a 'breakthrough loop‑based music production tool', and the emphasis is on creative flexibility and instant results. When you get asked to try acid at a music show, you tend to be wary.

Loop‑based sequencing can involve heavy‑duty time‑stretching and pitch‑shifting, but Sonic Foundry aim to change this with Acid, which allows you to mix multiple sample loops while changing their pitch and tempo in real time. The Acid window, showing the three main areas: the main pattern‑based Track View, the Track List to its left, and the Media Explorer, mixer and effects section beneath.

Sonic foundry sound forge