Artists letting you rethink or destroy their work? You bet — Trent is at it again.

When Nine Inch Nails released their single The Hand That Feeds in GarageBand 2.0 format, it was a huge hit. Hundreds of fans posted remixes in the first week after the release. But Windows users — and even GarageBand 1.x Mac users — were left in the dark.

Now, Trent Reznor is back with another NIN single, ready to remix / mash-up with raw tracks, but this time he’s got the multi-format thing down. The new single, Only, is available for users of several Windows/Mac DAWs:

Mac: Apple GarageBand 2.x or later (also compatible with Logic Express and Pro 7.x)

Mac/Windows: Ableton Live (hurrah!)

Mac/Windows: Pro Tools (HD, LE, M-Powered)

Windows: Sony ACID (Xpress/Pro)

I’m not going to pull any punches: I’m psyched about the Live version more than any of these. Sure, Pro Tools is the software NIN used to make the track, but Live’s remix tools are without par among these options, so if you’re ready to really radically remix and mash this one, Live is the way to go. That said, I’m equally excited this isn’t an exclusive of any one app: if experimentation is the aim, having choices is great. More on this story and artists letting listeners remake their music:

The Hand that Feeds – analysis of previous single, and why this track wasn’t produced in Logic as some had speculated

Beatmixed on the previous single (and why it was a pain for Windows users

Remix-friendly songs in the near future?

Audiohead goes inside NIN’s studio

Digidesign.com on the new single

I’ve been playing with the Nine Inch Nails track (reported by many, many sites in the last few days: NIN made their new single available in GarageBand 2.0 format). I have to say, this is a lot of fun. To me, the song sounds better with more tracks muted: the lesson here is, all of us are loading way too much into a mix. (I know, I know, it’s NIN: but listen to just the vocals alone and tell me it’s not a lot more interesting bare?)

Trent Reznor suggests he wanted us to be able “to create remixes, experiment, embellish or destroy what’s there.” And what did Trent’s posse do with it? From the readme: “All work effectively stopped for a while – it’s fun to mess around with. I’ve now heard a country version of the track as well as an abstract Latin interpretation (thanks, Leo).”

So it wasn’t just me adding banjo. Do I think more songs should be released this way? Yes, I do. Being able just to turn off certain tracks makes the CD more live, lets you hear things you wouldn’t have heard.

For the record, I’m guessing NIN did not use Apple Logic Pro as some have speculated on the Web. Trent, for his part, says in the readme they used Pro Tools. It’s no surprise Logic showed up in the creator codes: Logic supports OMF import and GarageBand export, so they went that route to get the file from PT to GB. Too bad: Trent, give Logic a try the next time you fire it up. (I can see it now — Trent’s Dub remix!)

The normal release of the NIN single The Hand That Feeds
is, of course, on iTunes — in audio, not GarageBand format. (Missed opportunity, Apple?)