I believe you can do all the things (and much more) that I suggested with Sound Forge. I just read something about it, and it seems to have a good range of distortion filters and other equalizer filters.. I might look into that program..
Acid is good too, but you can't really edit the actual sound too well, just cut it up and layer it.. but you can cut stuff up in sound forge..
The programs shouldn't be TOO hard once you get the hang of
'em.
Another thing not many people know of, is for natural sounds, you can use things that trigger our natural primitive instincts... Remember that crazy 'scream' sound in the matrix when Neo first plugged in? Well I really took notice of that.. searched around, and found that they used a combination of sounds including a warning scream that our primitive ancestors (monkeys) use to warn of danger, mixed with other things..
So, for example.. lets say you have a big explosion or impact sound.. try taking a tiger's roar/growl (or something like that) and mixing it in right before the impact.. or making it deeper or something.. It will make the impact effect much greater.
The guys who made the soundfx for Jurassic Park used sounds from seals, elephants, and other animals, and mixed+edited them together for new unique sounds..
Sorry, I'm probably getting a bit off track here, but this stuff might help someone :-P
