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I'm not sure how many of you are aware of this (I just discovered it now for the first time) but VLC has built-in functionality that allows you to slow down a song without altering the pitch. It does this, like most similar programs, by inserting "space" in the song, instead of stretching the sound (which would alter the pitch).

Step 1: Open song or song(s) in VLC.
Step 2: Click play.
Step 3: Click 'Playback' then 'Slower'.
Step 4: Repeat step 3 if necessary.
Step 5: Practise mad-speed licks at slow tempo ?
Step 6: Be awesome.
Step 7: Thank Norio ?

I love VLC even more now!
    err... at the risk of getting lynched... whats VLC?
      It's great. You just install it and it plays just about anything. From DVDs to AVIs and MP3s to FLAACs.

      Google it for more info and download links. (Oh and it's free - opensource)
        VLC Media player is amazingly versatile.
          VLC is amazing, I have used it to stream music in our Company for many years now.
          Cool find Norio, I did not know that ?
            I've been trying amplitube for this. The added cool feature in that is it allows you to select an A and B point and then loops between them. You're trying to work out some lick, and you can't quite get it. So you set the A/B before and after the lick and then it keeps repeating as you play along trying to get it, slowing it down if necessary. A lot easier than continually replacing the record needle ?

            But it's very cool that a freeware program like VLC allows you to slow down too.
              We discovered the slo-mo in res back in first year, but not for guitar training purposes. Think C.J. from Baywatch running, but reeeeaaaalllly slooooooow. :?
                LOL Chaz! ?

                Another cool tool is Audacity. I use it for basic editing or recording ideas down quickly and easily. It also has a slow-downer built in but it's a bit of a pain to use. I think it'd work quite well to snip the lick you need out of a song using Audacity, save as a new MP3, and then use VLC on loop to practise it. Haven't tried it yet tho, so let me know how it goes if one of you guys do it first ?
                  Audacity is a great program ....... Vlc is the best damn video player klaar ..... And repear as a daw . And the best thing is all of the programs are free aswell ..... Now if only music was open source
                    Another free DAW to look at is Ardour. I'm no pro but it's very good. It took a while to understand it but, once you get the basics, you're A-for-Away and, in the right hands, and on the right hardware, I'm sure you can get very good results with it!

                    Oh and did I mention that it's free? ?
                      Tailon. wrote: And repear as a daw . And the best thing is all of the programs are free aswell ..... Now if only music was open source
                      Last I looked, Reaper isn't open source - unlimited trial and cheap when you do play, but not open source.
                        Alan, is correct. Reaper is not free, about $220 for the full license.
                          inflames wrote: Alan, is correct. Reaper is not free, about $220 for the full license.
                          But there is an unlimited trail period.
                            inflames wrote: Alan, is correct. Reaper is not free, about $220 for the full license.
                            $60 if it's for personal use
                              I use VLC for EVERYTHING - it even makes tea for me in the mornings. Another handy tip, if you need to rip DVDs for backup (I also like to put concerts on my laptop for travel too) and they have the new 99plus title copy protection, VLC tells you which title is playing (the one with all the chapters in the correct order) which makes backup with (also brilliantly free) rippers like Handbrake easy.
                                Windows Media Player has a similar feature.
                                  No Bob Windows media mangler can not slow down The FLV files of John Petrucci that we pirate off you tube so that you can see the extra hands of his conjoined Siamese midget twin popping out of his shirt sleeve during one of his uber fast solos. :-\
                                    Renesongs wrote: No Bob Windows media mangler can not slow down The FLV files of John Petrucci that we pirate off you tube so that you can see the extra hands of his conjoined Siamese midget twin popping out of his shirt sleeve during one of his uber fast solos. :-\
                                    Oh well then. It's not much use is it?

                                    ?
                                      5 days later
                                      I must be missing something but I'm not sure what,

                                      Installed VLC ...really nice, tho' I don't have the option under playback to slow things down ???

                                      I can slow things down using the slider for playback rate in the status bar but this affects the pitch also.

                                      Any clues .... running it using ALSA and sometimes JACK, ver 9.90a on Ubuntu.

                                      TIA
                                        I'm running 1.0.2 so maybe it's a newer feature? I sure didn't notice it before!