FAQ

I have an older version of Sound Studio. How do I upgrade?

Purchase Sound Studio 4 directly from the Mac App Store. The upgrade policy for Sound Studio 4, as of July 2011, is dictated by the policies and limitations of the Mac App Store which Apple sets, and that means that there is only one price in the Mac App Store, regardless of whether you're upgrading or a new customer. We've set the price to be what the upgrade price would be normally, and it's lower than what the upgrade price was for version 3.

How much is the full price for a license?

The official price for the Sound Studio 4 app is $29.99 USD in the Mac App Store, but it's subject to change without notice. Generally, we try to keep the price the same, but we still reserve the right to change it. The price is the same whether you're a new customer or upgrading, because the Mac App Store does not allow for special pricing for people upgrading or coming from outside the Mac App Store.

What is your return or refund policy?

First, please contact us at ss@felttip.com in order to resolve any technical issues you may have. The refund policy is set by Apple's Mac App Store, which means that you should request a refund through the Mac App Store and not through us, because we cannot initiate or otherwise make refunds. Please see the Mac App Store FAQ for information on how to get a refund.

Can I use one license on multiple computers, say a MacBook for travel and a iMac at home or in an office?

You should be able to do that, as long as the same Apple ID is signed in on all computers. Please see the Mac App Store FAQ for more information.

Do you offer site licenses or multiple-seat licenses?

You can purchase multiple licenses on the Mac App Store. We also offer a site license that covers all seats within an organization on a site within a 100-mile radius. ​​​​​​​​​​​ For more information on site licenses, please email us at ss@felttip.com.

Do you offer an educational discount?

Yes, please email us for more information at ss@felttip.com.

There's an update to Sound Studio, but it doesn't appear in the Mac App Store. Why?

Apps and updates to apps must be approved by Apple before they can be released in the Mac App Store. It can take up to a week or more to see the update to Sound Studio in the Mac App Store. To check out the latest version of Sound Studio, please download Sound Studio 4 directly from our Downloads page.

I downloaded Sound Studio from the Felt Tip website, but it won't detect that I've already purchased it from the Mac App Store. What do I do?

Delete all copies of Sound Studio from your computer. Download the Mac App Store version first (you won't be charged again if you've already purchased it). Launch the Mac App Store version to make sure it works. Then download the trial version and launch it directly from your Downloads folder. Do not rename the app or move it until you've launched it to make sure it is fully activated and does not show up as the trial version. You can then delete the Mac App Store version since you won't need it anymore. If you have any problems with this process, please contact us at ss@felttip.com.

The latest version of Sound Studio won't let me save in MP3. How do I fix this?

Because of Mac App Store regulations, we can no longer link to the LAME framework to allow saving for MP3s. We have kept the ability to save in MP3s in the app downloadable on our Downloads page. After you download and launch the app, it will automatically detect that you've purchased it from the Mac App Store and will be activated as the full version. You'll continue to get updates to Sound Studio within this app. If the app fails to detect that you've purchased Sound Studio from the Mac App Store, please see the question above.

Where does Sound Studio store its temp files?

By default it stores temp files in the system-provided temporary items folder, which is not in a fixed location.

Can I open Quicktime movie files (.mov) in Sound Studio?

Sound Studio doesn't support .mov files, but you can export the audio from a .mov file into a file format that can be opened and edited in Sound Studio. To do this, open the file in Quicktime Player, go to File > Export, and choose Audio Only.

Do you plan to add the ability to edit AAC files losslessly?

No, I don't have any plans to add the ability to edit AAC files losslessly. If you are editing AAC files multiple times, it's best to either use a lossless format, or to save at the highest bitrate possible, to minimize the loss of quality when saving in AAC.

Does the app support Windows Media Audio (WMA) files?

No, Sound Studio doesn't support Windows Media Audio (WMA) files. That is a proprietary Microsoft format and I have no plans to support it. If you need to open these files in Sound Studio, you need to convert the files to a format that the app recognizes such as Wave or AIFF. To do the conversion, see these instructions.

Does Sound Studio come with any noise-removal or de-essing capabilities?

No, but you can purchase AudioUnit plug-ins from other companies which provide those features. I suggest using proper microphone technique and keeping the source audio as clean as possible instead of trying to clean things up after the fact. For how-to tips, please see our Getting Started page.

Does the app do multi-track recording or overdubbing?

No, the app is not meant to record multiple tracks at once and cannot play back and record audio at the same time.

Does the app do timer recording?

There is a timer recording function that you can set up by creating a new document, and then selecting Audio -> Timer Recording.... There you can set the start and end times for a recording. When you click OK, the open document will be set to record at that time. However, there's no visual indicator that it's recording, and you have to make sure you don't close that window or quit the app or it won't record. It's not really designed for timer recording and the UI could use some improvement. If you have suggestions, please let us know.

Can I use the app to record the sound output from another app, such as Skype or iTunes?

You can record from the system sound output such as the audio from iTunes or Skype into Sound Studio if you also install a piece of software that lets you re-route the audio output from the other app into something that Sound Studio can see in its Preferences. Try LineIn or Soundflower. We also have a tutorial on recording Skype audio using Sound Studio.

You can also use apps such as Audio Hijack Pro or Nicecast (both from Rogue Amoeba) to record directly from the other app into a file.

When updating Sound Studio, I get this error: "Update Error! An error occurred while installing the update. Please try again later." What should I do?

This error occurs if you've renamed the Sound Studio application, such as renaming it from "Sound Studio trial" to just "Sound Studio" because you've entered your license code and didn't want it to say "trial" on the app. If you rename the application, the Sparkle updater is unable to update Sound Studio when the app name is different from what it expects. The workaround is to rename the app back to its original name, run the updater, and then rename it to what you'd like. Another option is to download the non-trial version of Sound Studio, but you'll need to enter your license code and set up your preferences again, since it uses a different Bundle ID.

My AudioUnit plug-ins don't show up. What's wrong?

Most plug-ins only work in 32-bit mode. To run Sound Studio in 32-bit mode, quit the app, and use the Finder's Get Info on the app icon on the disk, and select "Open in 32-bit mode". When you relaunch the app, the plug-ins should appear. We can't support all third-party plug-ins, but if you have any problems, please let us know at ss@felttip.com.

I updated to Version 4.5 and can no longer scroll-zoom with my trackpad or mouse. How do I turn this option back on?

Turning on the vertical scrolling gesture to zoom is now an option in Sound Studio Preferences. Go to Preferences and check the box for scroll wheel "Y-axis controls waveform zoom" to turn on this option.

How is this related to Freeverse and Sound Studio 3?

Freeverse was the publisher of the previous version, Sound Studio 3. Freeverse stopped selling licenses for Sound Studio 3 at the end of 2010. I've taken back the rights to the app and am now publishing it under Felt Tip Inc.

Can I get a version that runs on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger?

Sorry, but we don't support Tiger anymore. Sound Studio version 3 supported Tiger, and if you need it, you can find a copy of version 3.5.7 here.

Does the license code for version 4 work in version 3?

No, versions 3 and 4 use completely different license code systems, so you can't use a license code from one version on another.

How do I retrieve my version 3 license code?

License codes for version 3 are time-sensitive. Please send your email address and old version 3 code to ss@felttip.com and let us know you're requesting a new version 3 license code.

Where can I download Sound Studio 3?

Sound Studio 3 is the old version, but if you need it, you can get version 3.6.1 here.

Where can I purchase a license for Sound Studio 3?

Sound Studio 3 is officially unsupported and is no longer available for purchase.