Hit’n’Mix RipX DAW PRO

RipX PRO offers high‑quality stem separation and an intriguing suite of tools for audio editing.

We’ve taken a couple of dips into Hit’n’Mix’s RipX in recent years (see the April 2023 and September 2021 reviews), but AI moves rapidly and Hit’n’Mix have now released v7 of RipX. This release brings a more straightforward dual version approach with RipX DAW and — with some additional advanced options — RipX DAW PRO. The core functionality of earlier versions remains intact but, of course, the latest releases bring refinements and new features. Let’s explore...

When Is A DAW Not A DAW?

For those new to RipX, a brief discussion on terminology is important to place the product in context. Digital Audio Workstation is a very broad term. The most common type of software referred to as a DAW tends to be audio and MIDI recording and mixing applications such as Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic, Reaper, DP and the like. However, there are other types of software‑based environments for working with digital audio that offer different sorts of functionality and are designed for different types of tasks. Audio editing environments such as WaveLab or SpectraLayers (both by Steinberg) or iZotope’s RX would be obvious examples; all three let you work with digital audio, but they are DAWs that focus on audio editing tasks.

RipX DAW offers audio editing and elements of music production and/or creation, so it certainly fits in the broad category defined by the term DAW. However, in the same way that WaveLab, SpectraLayers or RX provide workflow and functionality different to that found in Cubase or Logic, so does RipX. Indeed, in the world of DAWs (in that broad sense of the term), given both the workflow and feature set, RipX is somewhat unique. To misquote a well‑known line from Mr Spock, it’s a DAW, Jim, but not as we know it...

Fix It In The Unmix

As well as quality improvements, the stem separation process is now more efficient.RipX first caught general attention for its ability to separate a stereo source file into a number of instrument‑based layers (stems). When you drop a suitable audio file into the Rips panel, a dialogue lets you choose which stems you wish to extract, with Voice, Bass, Drums/Percussion, Guitar, Piano and Other available as options. While there are a number of tools that can now perform this type of stem separation task very well (including SpectraLayers and RX), the quality of the separation processing within RipX has always been a highlight of the software. It remains so in this release and Hit’n’Mix have continued to refine the process further,...