WavePad: New Look, New Tools, New Features

Change doesn't have to be scary; in this case it’s really exciting: WavePad has a new look. Now, instead of tiny icons and long and packed menus, WavePad uses a ribbon toolbar to organize functionality by category. It really is easier to use than ever before.

WavePad continually receives praise for its user-friendliness. The interface isn’t intimidating to the beginner, yet doesn’t bury the advanced features more experienced audiophiles use on a regular basis. Its feature set includes recording, editing, and effects such as amplify, normalize, reverb, echo, and reverse and is extended by DirectX effects and VST plugin support, and an included royalty-free sound effect library. The new ribbon toolbar organizes all these aspects of the program, improving an already easy-to-use workspace.

Here is the Effects toolbar. Look how the features pop out at you:



There’s more to this latest version of WavePad, including the following features and tools:

• Wah-wah effect, for emulating wah-wah guitar pedals
  
• Vibrato effect, for modulating the depth and frequency of an audio sample’s pitch
  
• Tremolo effect, for modulating the depth and frequency of an audio sample’s amplitude
  
• Doppler effect, for simulating the sound of a passing vehicle from a higher to a lower pitch
  
• Pitch speed profile tool, for changing the speed or pitch of select portions of an audio sample
  

WavePad version 5.0 is a major release, and we want you to experience it yourself. Download your copy of WavePad now.

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Give Your Music a Boost: The WavePad Equalizer

I have noticed a lot of questions on our YouTube channel about enhancing the bass in a song using WavePad audio editor. How is it done? Since the graphical interface of WavePad's equalizer was recently updated, now is the perfect time to review how to use it.

The first thing you want to do is load your music into WavePad. Do this by clicking the Open File icon on the toolbar, browse to your music file, and click Open.

Next, click the Effects menu and select Equalizer. This will open the Equalizer dialog, which might not be what you expect if you were looking for knobs and dials. This equalizer still weakens and strengthens frequencies like knobs on a mixing board, but represents the frequencies in graph form. The graph works logically enough; the low frequencies are represented on the left of the graph, the high frequencies on the right. If there is a point on the graph line that is higher, that frequency will be stonger. If the graph point is lower, the frequency will be weaker.

The easiest way familiarize yourself with this equalizer is to make use of the presets. Don't be afraid to play around with them and to adjust their settings to see how they affect your music--you don't have to commit to any changes until you click Apply.

Let's boost the bass as an example. Click the Play button and then select the Low Pass filter from the list of presets. You'll hear the higher frequencies drop down, giving a boosted effect to the bass. The result probably isn't exactly the sound you imagined, so you can make adjustments based on this starting place to even out the sound how you want. You can do this using the Low Pass Options dialog that opened when you selected this preset, but you'll have more control if you close the dialog and move around the graph points yourself. You can also add graph points by clicking on the graph's line.

For more information about how to use the different equalizer presets, view the Effects topic in the help manual. For more information about frequencies, view the General Audio Concepts topic, also in the help manual. The help manual is accessed by pressing F1 from the program.

To try WavePad and boost your bass, download the program from our website. You'll also want to see the other audio software we have for maximizing your audio production.

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Music Editing for Language Lessons

We recently found a series of videos made by a WavePad user as a guide for people just getting started with audio editing, and for using sound editing software to support use of music in language lessons. While many of the basics are covered in our WavePad video tutorials as well, if there is one thing I have learned, it is that sometimes hearing the same thing in a slightly different way can really help you pick it up. If you are looking for another source to help you ease into audio editing, you should check out this series of 7 videos covering some WavePad audio editing basics:

1. Select and cut
   
2. Splitting and trimming
   
3. Saving files in different sound formats
   
4. Changing audio track speed
   
5. Changing audio track pitch
   
6. Using slower speeds and looping to teach sections of a song
   
7. Copying edited clips to a new file
   

So whether you are teaching or learning songs in another language, or you have any other audio projects, be sure that you have WavePad Audio Editor on hand. You never know when it might come in handy.

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WavePad the Movie

Here is a quick look at the always popular WavePad audio editor



WavePad is an established leader in professional audio editing software. Its diverse editing, effects, and toolset make it well suited for a wide scope of audio projects. And for those of you new to the wonderful world of audio editing you can find three WavePad video tutorials to help you learn the ropes and get started using this NCH classic.

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Software for Musicians

Audio Software is one of our biggest categories, and sound editing is just the beginning; we have lots of tech solutions for musicians too. From music recording software to other handy musician software tools, each program is specifically designed for a particular music related task so musicians can go high tech while tuning, transcribing or even just practicing. Check out a few of our audio software favorites for musicians:

TwelveKeys Music Transcription Software is perfect for any musician trying to learn how to play a piece of recorded music, or for notating compositions. TwelveKeys provides a visual aid for musical transcription using a graphical representation of the music, allowing musicians to notate any orchestration with accuracy and ease.

Crescendo Music Notation Software is a simple way to work with musical notation. Crescendo allows musicians to compose, save and print music from their computer. The wide array of notation symbols, time and key signatures, and text on a free-form layout gives you complete control over musical arrangements.

PitchPerfect is a free guitar tuner that also works great for other string instruments. It automatically detects the note you are playing and lets you know if you are sharp, flat, or perfectly in tune. Performing will be less daunting, having this product to eliminate the need of tuning a guitar conventionally.

TempoPerfect is a free software metronome. Designed to help musicians play in time, this tempo software creates accurate beat patterns for simple or complex rhythms. TempoPerfect provides a clear and precise beat that won't wind down, making it an essential tool for all musicians.

WavePad Sound Editor is designed to be an easy to use audio editing package. Within minutes you will be able to open or record a file and edit it. It has many robust tools including audio effects to amplify, normalize, reverb, a free sound effect/music library, text-to-speech voice synthesis, and a voice changer, just to name a few. Combined with MixPad multitrack mixing software, these two audio applications are perfect for any audio project, from making soundtracks and podcasts to creating high quality demo CDs for your band.

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What you need to know about copying or editing someone else’s music

You might find yourself editing music and wondering, am I allowed to do this? Whether you’re making your own music mashup with the MixPad multi-track mixer, adding a soundtrack to your home videos with VideoPad video editor, or making a new ringtone for your phone with WavePad audio editor, there are some rules you need to know about your music, and how you’re allowed to use it.

What’s mine isn’t yours and what’s yours isn’t mine

That is the legal stance as far as copying or editing someone else’s music is concerned. With the increased popularity of the MP3 music format in the late 1990s, the sharing of copy written music without authorization became much more prevalent, causing an increase in concerns about copyright infringement. Today, copyright infringement isn’t something to take lightly. If you’re caught copying or editing someone else’s work you may be forced to pay heavy fines. Just ask former Boston University student Joel Tenenbaum - he had to pay $675,000 in fines for illegally downloading music.

Copying Music

According to The Copyright Act of 1976, you are allowed to copy someone else’s work if it falls under fair use. Fair use is described as using limited portions of a work, including quotes, comments, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports.

Editing Music

Since it is legal to create software to edit music, shouldn’t editing music be legal? There is a lot of talk about reselling and downloading copyrighted music, but not too much about edited music. The most important thing to know is you can edit music as long as you do not intend to use it for commercial use. Also, once you purchase music you inherit the rights to share that music with your friends, and you are also allowed to edit that music as long as you keep a copy of the original.

For more information see the following articles:

• Legal myths in the battle over peer-to-peer
  
• 10 Big Myths about copyright explained

Using Edited Music on YouTube

For quite some time now, posting copyrighted or edited music to original videos on YouTube has been a problem. However, as of June anyone who wishes to put music behind their videos can, you just have to follow these simple rules. First, it is important to know that YouTube has signed a deal with Rumblefish, allowing users access to a library of music. Therefore, if you use music from this library you can edit it any way you like without worrying about YouTube removing your video. All you have to do is purchase the song for $1.99 and you will have a lifetime license to use and edit that song on YouTube.

Basic things to remember

1. Always purchase music legally either at a music store or online
   
2. If it’s not your original music, using it may be violating someone’s copyright
   
3. If you aren't sure something is copy written, check with the US Copyright Office
   
4. Selling or redistributing music without the copyright owners permission is a violation of the owner's rights
   
5. If you edit or mix song you’ve purchased, you have to keep a copy of the original song
   
6. Only the owner of copy written work has the right to prepare or authorize someone else to create a new version of that work
   
7. When using someone else’s work, even just a portion of it for a video or any other project, it is always a good idea to credit the original artist(s)
   

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Another Impressive Review for WavePad

TopTenReviews recently updated its top ten list for best audio editing software. We were pleased to see WavePad Master's Edition move up in the rankings from last year, winning a Silver award for 2010's best audio editing software. Here are some of our favorite quotes from the review:

"Whether you are a musician looking to refine and improve tracks, a journalist looking to trim or extract vocal clips or looking to add voice narration to a multimedia presentation, [WavePad] offers a unique range, making it accessible to users with audio editing software needs not related to music production."

"The great thing about this software is it has it all. 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."

"WavePad strikes an incredible balance between high-end and low-end, advanced and beginner level audio and sound editing software programs, giving users of various professions, skill-sets and program needs an incredible range with which to work. Best of all, it does so without over-simplifying its interface or limiting users to only a handful of tools."

The review correctly points out that whether you are an experienced audiophile, use audio editing in non-music related professions, or are just getting started in audio production, WavePad has something for everyone. You can read the entire review, and make sure you take advantage of WavePad's free trial to see how well it can work for you.

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Top Mac Audio Editing Software

We are thrilled to add another plaque to WavePad's list of achievements with the recent Gold Award from TopTenReviews, putting Wavepad Audio Editing Software in the number one spot for audio editing on a Mac. The verdict from the reviewers was that "with an easy learning curve and ample tools, NCH’s WavePad makes for a great beginner’s Mac audio editing program." But that is not to say that WavePad is just for the beginner. WavePad also packs a punch with powerful editing tools for the more experienced audio engineer:

"[WavePad] has a lot to offer to the amateur audio editor, while still providing enough tools to make it a useful program for more seasoned audio editors. Therefore, considering the wide range of editing and recording tools, which are a snap to use, it is easy to declare this the best program available in the Mac audio editing software lineup."

– TopTenReviews

You can read the complete review of WavePad Mac Audio Editing Software on the TopTenReviews website. Or even better yet, download WavePad and try it out for yourself and see firsthand how both powerful and intuitive WavePad is and how it can help you improve all your audio editing projects.

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Make your own Glee Music Mash-up

It isn't very often that I get caught up in popular mainstream televisions shows, but I have to admit that I have been completely hooked by Glee. I have really enjoyed watching this weekly musical. Waiting for the next season is going to leave a gap in my weekly entertainment that I can only hope the reruns will satisfy, but with no new episodes, maybe I will take a little time and attempt to put together my own music mash-up and mix two songs together with MixPad audio mixing software. I'm under no delusions that it will be as easy to make one seamless song out of two as they make it appear on the TV show--but with a whole summer of waiting for season two ahead, I think it might be a fun project for when the storm clouds come out. Even if the rainy days are few and far between, there should be plenty of time to get the hang of mixing two songs together.

Here are a few tips to get you started after you have chosen the songs that you want to use in your mash-up:

• It can be helpful to have the vocals separated from the instrumental music. Try searching for a cappella versions of your songs. If you can't find a cappella versions, try using WavePad to help you extract the voice, but note this can be a time consuming step to get it right.
  
• Load all of your clips in MixPad. MixPad can import audio from a wide range of formats and even extract audio from video files, so you don't need to worry about converting your audio files first.
  
• You may need to adjust the pitch of one of your two songs to get them into the same key.
  
• Adjust the tempo of one of your songs to match the other for a common beat throughout your arrangement.
  
• Use a drum sample of one of the songs to make a tempo grid marking the beat for your mix and help you place samples of your two songs.
  

If any of you have put together your own musical mash-ups I'd love to hear the tracks you have put together. And if you have any tips on mixing tracks together, please share what you have learned.

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There’s an iPhone App for that – Coming soon...

It’s been over a year since the release of Apple’s App store for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and the success seems endless. To date, iPhone and iPod touch users have downloaded over 1.5 billion applications. But this wasn’t always the case. In fact, Apple originally said no to outside applications. Can you imagine?

Today there are over 100,000 apps in the store and we are literally getting to the point where there appears to be an app for everything.

Soon you can expect to see some NCH products available for the iPhone and iPod Touch as well. Express Dictate a digital voice recording application, is going to be the first one available and our developers are currently working on getting it ready and new testing plans as we enter the iPhone arena. So any day now iPhone users will be able to record and edit audio with nothing more than their phone using the NCH applications they've enjoyed in the past on their computers and pocket PC mobile devices.

NCH already offers a wide range of software for windows mobile and pocket pc and now with the growing iPhone market and the success of Apple’s App store, migrating some of these popular programs is a natural progression for NCH.

To try to get a sneak peak for what is on the way you might want to take a look at Pocket Dictate which was the springing board for the new iPhone Express Dictate that is on the way.

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By popular demand WavePad Sound Editor returns to classic colors

The newest release of the Professional Audio Editing Software, WavPad (v4.23) has returned to the classic green and black waveform color scheme for better contrast easier audio editing.

Many loyal users of the NCH Software Audio Suite voiced their opinions about the change in the color scheme in the NCH Forums when the change was made and the number of requests to return the waveforms to the display colors of earlier versions was overwhelming. So with this release we are happy to listen to our users and return to the classic green black combination.

In addition to many program improvements including an improved reverb effect with a pre-delay setting and slider-activated preview, middle click functionality to drag the waveform, copy and paste by dragging selections with the mouse, the ability to create new files by dragging selections to the WavePad background, As well as a new viewing window that shows the current viewing area from the main view.

Download the improved sound editing software from http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/index.html

And visit the NCH Support Forums to discuss WavePad and other NCH products with other users at: http://nch.invisionzone.com

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Beware WavePad Imitators

Recently we have seen several would-be WavePad applications enter the audio editing market. While copying is a form of flattery so we are grateful for the compliment, keep in mind that not all sound editing programs are created equal.

After taking a close look at one of these digital audio editors and testing it against WavePad, we found a whole list of WavePad features that are unmatched.

• Sample Editing
  
• Better Noise Reduction
  
• VST Support
  
• Can open an entire folder of files
  
• Can display waveform in +/-, left right, or dual
  
• Temporal frequency analysis
  
• DC Offset correction
  
• Effect Chain
  
• Simultaneous speed & pitch change
  
• Distortion effect
  
• Reduce Vocals effect
  
• Automatic Gain Control
  
• Scrub Feature
  
• Assemble Regions feature
  

In all of these areas WavePad beat the competition in addition to the WavePad download being 8 times smaller.So when you're looking for the best audio editing software, don't be fooled by lookalikes. Visit http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/index.html for more product information and the free download of WavePad, the powerhouse in audio editing software.

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