6 min read
Simpler than Pro Tools: five file jobs that should take under a minute
If a task is mechanical, the interface should be one page, one drop zone and one export button. Here are the five that qualify.
Complexity in a DAW is a feature. You get routing, buses, plugin slots and automation because a mix needs them. The cost is that every trivial task inherits the same interface. Here are five jobs that should never require a session.
1. Split a poly WAV into mono stems
Drop the file, read the track names pulled from the recorder metadata, export mono files in one ZIP. No import dialog, no channel matrix, no bounce queue.
2. Merge mono files back into one poly
Up to twelve mono files, each renameable with its own gain, written back into a single multichannel WAV in the order you set. In a DAW this is a session, a routing setup and a bounce.
3. Map or reorder channels
Channel order mismatches break imports more often than anything else. Reordering is a matrix, not a mix, and takes seconds when the tool is built for it.
4. Downmix surround to stereo
A LoRo stereo downmix with a level slider per channel gives you a usable review stereo without opening a surround-capable session.
5. Convert sample rate, bit depth or format
48 kHz to 44.1 kHz, 24 bit to 16 bit, WAV to MP3 or AIFF, with the source values shown so you know exactly what you are changing.
The rule of thumb
- If the task has no creative decision, it should be one page and one button.
- If the task needs listening and judgement, open your DAW.