Sound Byte

Sound Byte is a complex application, designed to offer similar functionality as the 'cart machine' used at commercial radio stations. It offers plenty of features, but they are packed into a rather outdated and unwieldy user interface.

On application launch, you are presented with a window containing numerous 'carts'. You can load an audio file in each one, by dragging and dropping items from your file explorer.

Sound Byte allows you to assign shortcuts to each cart, enabling you to play an audio file with a simple key press.

However, while you can view a progress bar for each sound file, it cannot be displayed at the same time as the volume slider. This means that you cannot easily navigate through songs and adjust their volume at the same time.

Sound Byte allows you to create numerous playlists that can be run at the same time as the sound effects in the cart rack. This allows you, for example, to play a list of songs and insert advertisements or announcements at specific times.

You can add delays between tracks and specify their duration, as well as have playback pause automatically at a certain point.

Sound Byte's interface design is uninspired. Each function, such as the cart manager or playlist, is opened in a separate window within the application. However, there is no easy way to switch between them.

Also, if the rack window is maximized, opening another window automatically minimizes it. As a result, it is difficult, for example, to keep track of a playlist and the cart rack at the same time.

Various functions are difficult to access, as they are arranged in a very unintuitive way within the context menus.

Moreover, while the included drag and drop functionality is useful, it would help if there was an easier way of loading large amounts of files.

Sound Byte is a useful application that can help you create playlists and enhance them with various sound effects. However, it does lack some important functions and features a badly-designed and cumbersome user interface.