Publisher: NCH Software
Version: Master's Edition
WavePad Review
The TopTenREVIEWS Silver Award for audio editing software goes to WavePad by NCH Software. WavePad is a well-designed, intuitive program that offers all the editing tools and features you need and more audio effects than any other application we reviewed. WavePad doesn’t have the ability to edit multiple audio tracks at a single time, which is a large drawback for some users.
It also lacks the bright colors and the captivating design that we found in our higher-ranked audio editing software choice. But aesthetics aside, this application has an incredible feature set and is very easy to navigate. We give it our full approval and recommend it to any audio editor, small or tall.Audio Editing:
Whether you are a musician looking to refine and improve tracks, a journalist looking to trim or extract vocal clips or a marketer looking to add voice narration to a multimedia presentation, WavePad offers a unique range of tools, making it accessible to users with audio editing software needs related and unrelated to music production.
With batch processing, you can quickly convert a variety of audio file types at impressive rates, depending upon the number of tracks you select. This one-stop-shop approach greatly reduces the steps necessary for converting tracks to an editable file type while rendering them accurately into waveform expression for precise editing and track embellishment. With additional features such as FFT spectral analysis, you can make edits and embellishments with an even more detailed blueprint which, when coupled with drag-and-drop functionality, makes for accurate and precise edits every time.
WavePad also has dozens of automated and manually applied effects, including echo, delay, reverse, amplify, reverb, distort, loop and others. This editing software also includes song formatting features such as auto-trim, fade-in/fade-out, a normalizer, an equalizer and a sample rate converter, among others. Moreover, it gives you an option to preview effects before they are actually implemented into the track you're creating.
When using the mixer to combine two audio tracks, you can view both files mixed together or view them separately as the music plays. You can apply special effects to each file separately or to the combined mix. We were very impressed with the simplicity of this tool.
This program features an entire tool set dedicated to sound restoration and improvement, including tools specifically designed for noise reduction and hiss and pop removal.
Recording/Burning:
It is easy to record with this product. You can record anything off the internet or from a line-in, and you can rip from a CD or extract audio from a video file. It can also work with many formats, and the manufacturer is always adding new formats through updates. The program will work with most WAV and MP3 type files, as well as other compression types like FLAC, Ogg-Vorbis, GSM, VOX, Real Audio, AIF and others. It also includes CD burning software. WavePad also offers tools to export completed or converted tracks to an iPod or PSP, and you can even use the software to make ringtones for phones with the proper technology.
The great thing about this software is it combines so many tools in one place. You can download, edit and burn through one program. Not many other software packages that we tested had these capabilities, not to mention the quality that NCH Software has implemented.
Ease of Use:
Its greatest strength lies in its intuitive, user-friendly interface and overall simplicity. While it might lack effects-chain options and certain other advanced features, these hardly seem losses given the program’s impressive flexibility and range. The interface itself sets the groundwork for much of this. It can be customized to meet the needs of its users but never loses its simplicity and organization. And with hover text captions for all buttons, users can skip over the manual and go right to the task at hand.
To open audio files, you simply click “open” in the menu bar. You are then able to listen to the file and make the appropriate changes. A feature that we really liked with this audio editing software is the ability to preview any changes. This allows you to customize the file and view the outcome without having to wait for it to download and undo if corrections are necessary.
Help and Support:
NCH offers comprehensive documentation and technical assistance. The help tab located within the software provides instant access to a variety of online help portals. There are FAQs pages, discussion forums and an email contact page for issues and topics not addressed in the other areas.
The video tutorials will be a great asset to any novice in the world of audio editing. They give brief demonstrations of the software and help clear up confusion.
Summary:
WavePad strikes an incredible balance between high-end and low-end, advanced and beginner audio and sound editing software programs, giving users of various skill sets and program needs an incredible range to work with. Best of all, it does so without over-simplifying its interface or limiting users to only a handful of tools. It has a daily usability that most – if not all – specialty programs lack.
Source: http://audio-editing-software-review.toptenreviews.com
