Descriptions of audio editors for Windows. Part 1

    With the development of technology, more and more often situations arise in the life of users when they have to deal with multimedia formats. Each of us at least once heard about editing audio, and some probably faced the need for this operation. At first glance, it might seem that processing audio tracks is the prerogative of recording studios. But what about the average user who needs to quickly remove the noise from the sound just recorded on the microphone? What programs to use to cut off unnecessary parts of audio files for later editing? In this review, we will tell you about the available audio processing software options.

    WaveLab 7


    The latest version of the popular audio editor and mastering program from the German company Steinberg called WaveLab 7 contains a huge set of tools for professional processing of audio files and mastering tracks.

    The program interface at first glance may seem complicated for novice users. Nevertheless, understanding it is not worth much effort, even if you had not worked with other professional audio editors before. The working space of the program window is adjusted to the personal needs of the user, it is possible to resize and arrange the control panel in the desired order. The Wavelab Control Window function allows you to create a window with its own layout. Each area created by the user is fully customizable, and any options supported by the program can be placed in it. Installation is simple and intuitive. An audio file of your choice can be displayed in wave or spectrum mode.
    The full version of the program has a standard set of effects, but the main advantage of WaveLab 7 is the full-format support for VST-plugins (including new versions of VST3), which literally removes almost all the restrictions on sound processing. There are innumerable plugins of this format. If, for example, you don’t like the noise reduction tools included in the kit, or if you want to apply some specific effect to the audio track, just purchase the required plug-in or find free versions on the Internet. The WaveLab editor is easily synchronized with other programs manufactured by Steinberg, so if you have installed, for example, Cubase on your computer, you can use all the plugins connected to it.
    This or that effect can be applied immediately to the entire track and immediately evaluate the result in real time. However, with complex editing, you need to call a special preview tool to listen to the result. Among other things, in WaveLab there is a function of direct recording from any sound reproducing device connected to the input of the sound card.
    WaveLab 7 exists in versions for Windows and Mac and supports a wide range of audio formats: MP3, MP2, WAV, AU, AIFF and many others. Also, starting with version 7.1, FLAC format support is included.
    The WaveLab 7 program, although it has a 30-day trial version, can be installed only with a digital USB key - USB-eLicenser, which is purchased separately, or with a paid Steinberg product.


    Audacity


    Often, the process of processing and editing audio requires more than just removing unwanted parts or noise. And sometimes you just want to play around with the settings, applying various effects and sometimes getting unexpected and interesting results. Audacity, a freeware audio editor, will help you with this.

    Its main advantages are cross-platform and the ability to work with multiple tracks simultaneously. The program exists in versions for Windows, Mac and Linux, so it is available to a wide range of users. The editor allows you to import an endless number of audio files into one project, which makes it possible in the literal sense of the word to combine disparate files into one ready-made track. The program’s functionality contributes to this - you are free to cut out any part of the track that you do not need, replace it with other fragments, divide the fragment into several parts, distribute the fragments into different tracks, stretch and compress them according to the playback time, normalize the volume level, cut out noise, and also apply various effects. VST plugins are also supported, greatly expanding the range of sound processing capabilities.
    The editor supports many different effects, all of them are placed on a separate tab - it is impossible to miss. The simple Audacity interface is a mute rebuke to eminent developers of expensive audio editors: anyone who wants it will be able to achieve the desired result from the first steps. The disadvantages include the impossibility of superimposing effects on the track in real time and the lack of support for ASIO drivers, which affects the level of delay during recording.
    Audacity results can be saved in various formats, the most popular of which are WAV, MP3 and FLAC.


    Free Audio Editor 2011


    Free Audio Editor is a free audio editor for the Windows platform. It was created with the expectation of home use and is not intended for full-format information, since it simultaneously works with just one file.

    First of all, it is suitable for processing an audio file already combined into one track - for this, all the tools are present. As in other editors, the audio file for clarity can be displayed in the form of a sound wave or spectrum, which greatly facilitates the work. The user can select, copy, paste and delete fragments of the track, as well as add fragments from other files.
    There are a variety of effects - from the usual echo, mirror image fragment, normalization and attenuation to exotic such as vibrato or frequency regulation. Also available are effects such as noise reduction, compression, modulation, reverb, pitch change and playback time. All of them are located as a list in a separate program window. Each effect has a preview mode.
    The program contains a group of high, low and medium frequency filters, a set of equalizers and a compressor. Such a rich set makes it possible to achieve the desired result without using third-party narrowly targeted software for sound processing. The program supports all popular audio formats: WAV, MP3, OGG and many others. A nice bonus is the built-in program for writing edited files to a CD and a speech synthesizer that converts written text to voice.
    Cons - the lack of support for plug-ins from third-party developers, as well as the complete absence of the settings menu for connected devices such as external sound cards, because of which the user is not able to properly configure the program to work with them.

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