What is the difference between Peak and Deck?

Peak and Deck are separate, but complimentary programs. They can be used individually for specific audio projects, or be used side by side as a complete audio production environment. Although both programs work with audio, their functions and features are designed for different kinds of audio projects. This article will explain the main differences between the two programs and why you would want to choose one, the other, or both.

What is Deck and what is it used for?

Deck is a multitrack recording and mixing environment. What that means is you have multiple tracks that you can use to layer and arrange audio files relative to each other. For example, if you were recording a band or ensemble, you could record each instrument on separate track. This gives you a lot of flexibility because you can adjust one portion of the recording without affecting other portions. Maybe one person in the band is playing quieter than the rest and you need to make just that instrument louder, or you want to put reverb on only one instrument. By having the audio on separate tracks, you can make edits to one section without affecting the entire recording. Another way Deck is useful is for post-production for video. For people who use iMovie or Final Cut Pro Deck can be a great way to quickly and effectively create a multitrack soundtrack for your video. You can have dialogue on one track, music on another track, and add sound effects to several other tracks. With control over each individual track you can create an overall mix of the sounds for your video production.

Some common uses for Deck are:

What is Peak and what is it used for?

Peak is an audio editor that deals with individual mono or stereo files, commonly known as a two-track editor. Because Peak deals with audio at the file level, it is a great tool for quickly making precision edits on individual audio files. Many people find Peak to be the perfect complement to their main media production application. Peak can do everything from basic cut, copy, and paste editing, to more complex sound design editing, to preparing and burning a redbook compatible CD. If you have an individual file, or group of files that need to edited separately, Peak is a great all-purpose editing tool.

Some common uses for Peak are:

Why would I need Deck and Peak?

Deck and Peak are complimentary applications. Using them together gives you much more power and flexibility than using them separately. By combining the two you get the multitrack mixing capability of Deck, and the precision editing and mastering tools of Peak. Taking the band example used in the Deck section above—you’ve recorded your band, but now you need to turn that recording into something that can you can deliver to someone else. You can use Deck to turn your multitrack mix into a stereo file, and then open that stereo file in Peak. Once it is in Peak, you can boost the levels of the audio, create CD track index points, burn a CD, and convert to mp3 to be posted on the Internet. Using Peak on your Deck recordings allows you to make edits to the whole mix and finalize the file for delivery. This process is commonly known as mastering and gives you a much more professional sounding result.

For more information about Peak, Deck, or any of our other products, please visit the product pages of our website.

You can also download fully functional, 14 day trial versions of Peak and Deck.

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