I'm still using an older (very stable) version of Adobe Audition for my stereo editing. I've tried Sound Forge, but I like the Adobe program because it's the old Cool Edit Pro from the 1990s, updated somewhat. I just don't like subscription pricing.

The recent announcement here that Audacity now has non-destructive editing sent me on a search. Yes, the new version of Adobe Audition CC has it, but I still decided to look for alternatives.

It was a very short search! The only viable alternative I found is Acoustica by Acon Digital (not the same Acoustica that is the maker of the very nice DAW called Mixcraft).

So far, Acoustica looks very promising. The pro version, which supports multitracking, is a one-time purchase of $200.

Anyone else using it? I'm evaluating the trial version.

Check out +++ THIS +++ post by forum user "TheMaartian".

I switched to Acon Digital's Acoustica Premium edition years ago, and happily uninstalled SpectraLayers shortly thereafter. Acoustica is a superb audio editor, and the Premium edition includes a great spectral editor. Also included are the excellent Restoration Suite and Mastering Suite plugins, making the Premium edition an excellent value for the money. The developer is very responsive, almost as responsive as the app itself. It opens lightning fast and has a great GUI. It also now supports ARA2 if you use a DAW like Studio One that can take advantage of that capability. Audacity may be free, and it may be all you need, but money spent on Acoustica is money well-spent IMO. Your mileage may vary.

Thank you! Appreciate the info. I'm liking it so far.

Quick question please. I've written to support, but before I buy, perhaps you know the answer. Does Acoustica support either a MIDI Control Surface (like a Mackie control unit, or my Faderport), or an iPad app for remote control?

There is no mention of these in my demo version and I think the answer to both is No.

There is no mention of control surface support in my Premium Edition, nor any mention of any of MIDI mapping of controls. I have to admit that I'm at a bit of a loss as to how you would use a control surface with Acoustica. One thing I didn't check is if any controls of the Acoustica ARA2 plugin are mappable in Studio One, using whatever control surface you have SO configured to use. But I also don't see the use case for that, either.

Thank you. I can certainly do without. I'm just surprised.

My current editor, Adobe Audition, goes back almost twenty years since they took over Cool Edit Pro. I've used three control surfaces in that time with it (Tascam FW-1884, Behringer X-Touch, and Presonus Faderport now). You can use a fader to draw a velocity control. You can use the transport buttons and jump to markers. You can use the knob to scrub within the file. Essential? No, but convenient.

All these things are of course available in Studio One (I have version 6) so I'll just change my workflow a bit.

Might I ask what you didn't like with SpectraLayers ? What version was it ?

I believe it was version 6. I wasn't really comfortable with the UI, but mostly, it was about who owned it. It's been awhile, so my memory is a bit foggy, but I bought it as part of a package deal that I think was offered when Sonar Platinum went t's up (so much for my lifetime license). Over time, I had developed a disliking for all things Steinberg and when my "fork" of SpectraLayers landed there, I started looking for an alternative. Acoustica Premium offers so much more than just spectral editing, and it has a great user experience.

Ok - for what it's worth, despite the Steinberg branding, SpectraLayers is still developed and owned by me (Robin Lobel) since version 1 to 10. I've also put lots of efforts in ease of use, accessibility and state of the art AI processing and unmixing over the past 3 years, if you find the time to trial SpectraLayers 10 hopefully you'll see the improvements