Compared to the free Wavosaur, this lacks features, usability and an uncluttered interface. Sorry, I like it, and if wavosaur didn't exist I'd probably recommend it as a good free app.

Thanks Mike, for telling us about the free Multitrack recorder TRAVERSO.

#36 asks :

"does anyone know if this handle evp for ghost hunting cause if it does i will use it if not ill pass."

This would be as good as any for Electronic Voice Phenomena, since the spectral "voices" don't show up and normally cannot be heard until the tape (or digital recording) is played back. This software can let you be more precise in playing back such voices, even slowing them down for study.

I did personally download this offering and liked it very much. I found it much easier to use than Audacity, and very intuitive. I only had about an hour to run tests on it and feel I have only touched the tip of the iceberg. And FYI, I use Vista 64 bit, and it loaded and ran very nicely.

Installed not problem on Windows XP SP3.

This is virtually identical to CyberPower, no in fact it is identical. One is either a rip off of the other or these were written by the same programmer. The menus are all the same, the look and feel is the same and neither work with low Hz files.

I work with earthquake sounds and these can be very low Hz rate file. Never above 1000Hz. I have a 400Hz file that neither of these programs can understand - they lock up or don't display anything. There is only a High Pass filter and no Low Pass filter and I need to Low Pass at 6Hz.

For music - OK, but it is NOT a wave editor by a long chalk. Audacity can do all of the above without any problems at all.

#22 Dave Thanks. It worked!

mike is a good guy and enlightener of us! Thank you mike and GAOTD on behalf of many visitors in the gaotd community!

#45 Mike, I appreciate the feedback, but...
"If you're doing voice-overs maybe check out or keep an eye out for apps that can generate a more-or-less generic music background in your choice of styles, tempos, length etc. [e.g. Roxio & Nero suites]. Once you have your fill track(s) it might help to have software that automates the volume level of that background music"...
I said I do this for a living. I don't generate music backgrounds or play with fill tracks. That's for amateurs on YouTube or for my client's engineer. I'm a voice artist. For me and for my clients, I want a clean, dry track with minimal processing (maybe noise gate, maybe normalization, nothing more) that my client can play with and mix all he or she wants. No offense intended, but pro VOs don't play with generated music. The very few that do full production, go to the quality music bed sites and use VST plug-ins for special effects.

This software is almost perfect for the dry reads and basic processing (even basic effects) that 98% of the professional VOs do. And given the bells and whistles, it's worth the money.

Any audio editor is bound to be compared with Audacity, for which, incidentally,(for those who don't know) there are literally hundreds of plug-ins available which can be accessed via the effects menu, which would probably make any other editor redundant. Some dis-information about Audacity creeping in. Number 16 queries a "delete" button. If there is a highlighted part of a track waveform to dispose of, then the keyboard "delete" key does it. Also, the most effective click removal tool (provided the pop or click is not too long in duration) is the pencil tool, which I'm not sure if others have. Expand the waveform until the sample points can be seen and literally re-draw it with the mouse where the click is. Undetectable in most cases, if a little laborious.

I'm a freelance voice over professional who has recommended this software to other voice overs. Some would like to take advantage of this offer on Giveawayoftheday.com, but are concerned about the "non-commercial use" clause. We are not IBM, Microsoft, Google, etc. SO...

What is your policy for a use like ours with the giveawayoftheday.com limited license?

I know this issue come up with software here all the time, but the policies of the various developers are often different. Can Someone clear this up?... preferably someone from the software editor.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

#30: [I tried recording live sound. This program has options to record at a wide range of sampling frequencies...
I’d like top see a multitrack version of this software."

Recording allows setting sample rate but not bit depth, e.g. 16, 24 etc... that didn't use to be much of an issue for most folks, but in 7 some of my inputs are *only* available in 24 bit. A free, multi-track editor to check out would be Traverso. http://goo.gl/bNpdv

* * *

#35: "... I’m a voice over pro and this ALMOST equals Sound Forge and Adobe Audition ... "

FWIW & if it helps anyone at all, as more folks start working with video, slideshows, presentations etc., voice-over friendly features are becoming more common & easier to use. If you're doing voice-overs maybe check out or keep an eye out for apps that can generate a more-or-less generic music background in your choice of styles, tempos, length etc. [e.g. Roxio & Nero suites]. Once you have your fill track(s) it might help to have software that automates the volume level of that background music, making it quieter when you talk -- or just do it the *old-fashioned* way & use envelopes or simply split, crossfade, & set individual volume levels for audio clips on the background sound/music track. For recording your voice-over, purely IMHO, maybe consider one of the handheld stereo recorders that are getting cheap on sale -- stereo adds a lot, but recording stereo from a mic to your PC can be more hassle than I feel it's worth, but that's me.

Finally I decided to give this a try. Installed fine on W7 Home Premium 64bit. Did add a whole bunch of DLLs to autorun. I didn't like that but may be it's normal for that type of software after all.
There is no click and pop removal tools, manual or not there. And it looks like Audacity to me, though someone very truly said that the implementation of the tools may differ sonically.
So it's no use too me. I will uninstall Wavemax.
I tried only trial versions but Adobe Audition seems to be a hands-on winner for sonic transparency and useful tools. It is priced way out of my expectations though. GoldWave is not bad sonically too. Others are more or less the same. Never tried Sound Forge though, cost is high and I am not even sure there's a trial.
Well to boot: there are slight but very real differences in sound quality after a file was processed by any Wave Editor. Even after some very basic editing. So don't hesitate to try for yourself and catch a difference.
Will do the comparison with Wavemax out of curiosity but the limited effects abilities still make it a no-go for me.

Does the vendor have any intention of providing a fix for the error – “Failed to set data for ” “ ?

Can the error message be safely ignored to let the program run correctly or MUST we run as Admin?

The WaveMax Sound Editor is essentially a front end for the NCT code libraries we've seen on a few [much?] earlier GOTD apps. This time a dozen NCT files are added to & registered in Windows' system folder -- this usually is not a problem, but sometimes they don't work [I've read several reports of not working in Vista], & they can take the place of &/or conflict with already installed Direct Show/Direct Sound files [filters]. WaveMax uses most but not all available features/functions available with or in that NCT code -- for example I didn't see anything about volume limiting during recording. Being dependent on the NCT files, WaveMax also has limited import/export &/or conversion capabilities & it won't work with plug-ins. That said, this isn't a pro level app, & doesn't pretend to be, so IMHO comparison with those sorts of tools isn't all that useful -- it's here, now, & if it does what you need, works for you, & you like the GUI, go for it.

As mentioned, installing the WaveMax Sound Editor adds a dozen files to Windows' system folder where they're registered with Windows, & so are pretty much available to any other Windows app that wants to use them. If you already have these NCT files installed, or if you later add an app that uses them, these files & their registry entries in my experience stay the same. WaveMax may also install Windows Media Components -- wmfdist.exe is included & stored in the app's installed folder. That folder takes up ~7 MB with a total of 7 files, & you also get a new folder under User\ Application Data, plus msvcr70.dll is added/registered alongside the NCT files. As far as registry changes go, installation adds a dozen keys for shell integration, context menus etc., an uninstall key, & the app's somewhat large key [lots of stored values], but adding the NCT files brings the total new entries up to a recorded 3.6 k. Older versions of the lame mp3 encoder files are included/used in the WaveMax Sound Editor folder -- with these NCT-based audio apps I've not had any problems replacing them with newer versions, but neither have I noticed any huge difference doing so. According to Process Explorer [SysInternals at Microsoft.com] WaveMax uses both Internet Explorer & Direct 3D -- when/if D3D is emulated in software it can put a fair load on the CPU, which could account for the fairly high CPU load I saw with a wav file loaded but the app just sitting there.

There are a LOT of audio apps available -- it may actually be the one category of software with more alternatives than there are Video Converters... add in all those video apps that do double duty, can handle audio-only projects & the large number of choices grows even bigger... unless you're limited to free apps you can easily afford to be picky. To me then WaveMax on GOTD is a matter of convenience, not unlike grabbing a hotdog at the gas station while you're there, rather than taking the time out for a better meal... BTW there's nothing wrong with that IMHO as long as it's your choice. WaveMax is easier to look at than Wavosaur or Audacity, many other audio apps can leave you feeling dazed/confused the 1st time you fire them up, & much [maybe even most] of the time you might not want or need all the extra FX, bells & whistles that the folks creating music crave. If you're after more OTOH you might want to check out the apps at places like musiciansfriend.com to get an idea what pros & semi-pros use, then with that in mind hit Google/Bing for even more alternatives.

In response to those who have gotten the error "Failed to set data for" upon starting the program, try running the program as an administrator.

If you decide to keep the program then you might want to change the privilege level under the compatibility tab to "Run this program as an administrator."

Followup: Wavemax Sound Editor is using quite a bit of CPU cycles simply doing nothing except for having had a file (MP3) loaded.

This is true on two different machine with two different anti-virus packages (AVG & Avast! -- tried both with "resident shield" turned off) and other "tray" programs terminated.

I tried restarting both machines, but no change.

I have not yet tried running in "Safe Mode" (if Wavemax would even function that way). Maybe I'll try that later.

If this is generally true and you're thinking of using Wavemax on a battery-powered laptop/netbook, you wouldn't be able to work long.

Anyone else notice this behavior?

One issue which almost NOBODY mentions is that no matter how free or expensive these programs are, which codecs do they use? The Lame mp3 encoder is garbage: lame is the perfect word for it. The Fraunhofer encoder is superb. So if you are ACTUALLY expecting to get stellar results, and for whatever reason this is important to you, if you were to investigate Wavelab and such and use the Fraunhofer encoder you would be quite surprised at the difference. Of course if you are only making goofy mp3's to play over crappy earbuds you'll never know the difference. Just sayin'...

After a normal install and seemingly error-free launching and playing of MP3 files, I kept getting a "Busy Error" whenever I tried to perform a custom-value effect like speed change, chorus, etc.

So I went to the NITbits website, chose Support and attempted to search their Knowledge Base (the only available online support showing at http://www.wave-max.com/support_knowledgebase.html ).

Apparently it's set up to Google search the entire web, not just their site's Knowledge Base (a mistake, I hope). Since there are no other means of exploring their Knowledge Base, online support is pretty much useless, at least until this is fixed.

So I stopped using WaveMax for a while while I tried to research the error. Then I thought I'd simply try using one of the "preset" choices rather than entering a custom value for the pitch/speed/etc. effect.

I started WaveMax yet again and voila, it worked. Afterwards entering a custom value also worked.

Still don't know what the "Busy Error" was about...

However, now there's a new wrinkle. For some reason, even when not playing a file, Wavemax is using up to 50% CPU cycle just "sitting still". I wonder whether that will also go away on its own?...

does anyone know if this handle evp for ghost hunting cause if it does i will use it if not ill pass.

This is a great program. Audacity is nice (and FREE) but just doesn't give me the quality of the processing functions of the big audio editing programs. (All programs do not use the same algorithms for their effects. "Noise Reduction" in one can sound completely different and even unnatural in another.

I'm a voice over pro and this ALMOST equals Sound Forge and Adobe Audition (but not Pro Tools). I say "almost" because I need a "Mute" function so that I can select sections where I don't speak (or there is no music bed) and wipe out any ambient noise. "Insert silence" is not the same function... and complicates the editing if used in place of "Mute".

For me, this earns a 98% positive/thumbs up rating.

I like the text-to-speech feature. Conversion speed is impressive; thought I have not compare the same file as with audacity. Overall, I think this is much user friendly than audacity. Both I like now! Thanks

"Failed to set data for" window appears every time I open programme.
Deleting this allows prog to run as normal (I think!) It seems excellent and would keep it if I could get rid of this annoying start-up glitch.

Just installed without any problem :).

But this is not more than any free tools available in market. I've used some Free Audio Editing Tools, and among these, Audicity is the best one.

Effects in this tools are same as those found in free tools.

Overall, it is a very good tools, but I wonder why they are charging for it, if many such free tools are there.

Works perfect for what I need to use it for. Installed perfectly on Windows 7 64bit all updates as well as my windows7 home premium 32bit . I like how eze it is to maneuver around.

Installed fine on a Windows 7 HP Pavilion.

I own Adobe Audition and have worked with Audacity and my initial impression is that this is a worthy program.

I tried recording live sound. This program has options to record at a wide range of sampling frequencies. This program has a bunch of editing options. It looks quite good !!

However ......

issue 1: needs a cancel button during the noise reduction preview option
issue 2: the FFT window comes up as a very small non use-able window. The window needs a re size option. The wave window works fine.
issue 3: Noise reduction seems to take too long to process for a 3 minute recording

I'd like top see a multitrack version of this software.

Same typo with Cyberpower Audio editing lab. "Speciall effects", and same position of "register master's edition".

Wavemax can slow down a song. Audacity can't.

I must add one other note - this is a MASTERING program, so you will not get multitrack recording. For that, I use Studio One Pro, Samplitude Pro or Sonar Producer (all of which I own). I also own Sony Sound Forge 10 Pro, but sometimes a small editor like this is simply more handy. I like the batch automation - something that Sound Forge has, but that is a pain to use. I will be putting this software through its paces.

WaveMax has almost every feature a sound editor could want or need. The only thing I see missing is sample creation (start and end times, root note and looping) - otherwise, this is a massive thumbs up from me!!!!

#2: "I am looking for a free Audio Editor which can do manual click and pop removal from LP transfers (feature so well done in expensive Adobe Audition Suite) and compatible with W& 64bit."

Audacity has your manual click removal. Providing you use an audio editor that can accept them [e.g. Audacity, Wavosaur etc.], you can also Google/Bing for VST & DX plug-ins. Audio editors that come bundled with Creative's Soundblaster cards, &/or those that come with suites like Nero & Roxio traditionally include click/pop noise reduction -- you can often find OEM &/or older versions cheap [I'm not sure what it includes but I still see OEM versions of the Nero 9 suite for $3 shipped].

Far as 64 bit goes, 64 bit Windows handles 32 bit apps fine, which is a good thing since most audio/video FX, filters, & codecs are still 32 bit, & won't work with or inside 64 bit apps.

#9

Right click on the program icon, go to Properties and select Run as Adminstrator.

This will remove the error and the software should then work without problem.

Easy and simple program to use. It doesn't have much of a learning curve unless you don't know how to use a menu dropdown. The effects are fairly basic with some comparable customization functions. Doesn't do multi-track recording and editing as far as I've ventured into the program but for that I'll use Cool Edit Pro. As others have said the GUI is very user friendly. It installed with no problems on Win7 64 bit so I'm happy overall with what I've experienced.

After testing this program for a short time I most certainly would not use this to replace GoldWave v5.16, a much more versatile program.

Almost identical to another Giveawayoftheday item " Cyberpower Audio Editing Lab".

Registastion SEEMED to be OK, but when I restart the prog and look into registration (under FILE and/or under TOOLS tab) the registerdata are gone. I tried over and over again, but without any result. Win XPMode (VM in W7_x64)

Usualy I used Audacity when editing audio files. But WaveMax is better in terms of accessibilty. All the editing functions are listed at the top of the interface as buttons and in the right-click context menu. The affects are also accessible through the right-click context menu as well.

Common options like cut, copy, paste, delete, trim and split and common accects like Normalize, Amplify, Fade and Noice Reduction are listed on the right pane of the interface. I really like the way I just select a region and delete it right away. In comparison, some functions like Delete is hidden in Edit menu in Audacity.

Unlike Audacity, You can also zoom in and zoom out using the mouse wheel, although the zoom button is present.

As for Cons, I noticed that WaveMax has lesser Affetcs compared to Audacity so this program might not appeal to everyone. It doesn't support FLAC and AAC files and You cannot save your work as a project file for later editing.

Despite the minor flaws, I think WaveMax is a good software for quick audio editing.

I've used Creative Wave Recorder for many years (it's free and you don't need a Creative sound card). Sadly, upgrading it loses the ability to save as mp3, there's no batch processing and no in-built CD ripper. I recently started using NCR Wavepad and it's excellent.

This program looks to be very similar with all of the features you might want. It could do with some more 'control' rather than just a pretty interface though - Audacity and Creative Wave Studio are both better in that regard.

installed fine on win 7 32. Thanks GOTD for such a good offering.

Downloaded, installed and registered quick and easy on XP SP3. Just wanted to update my comment regarding asio interface. This software works just fine with my FastTrack interface. It recognizes the installed soundcard and the FastTrack allowing of choice of which device I want to record from. This looks like a nice tool to have for quick single track recording. Certainly nowhere near Audacity and Kristal for multitrack recording and mixing but definitely worth keeping. With the FastTrack I was able to get a decent recording of microphone and one instrument line in on a single track and then import that file into Kristal and Audacity to do a master editing of the vocal/guitar recording. I think most people will find this perfect for general recording but definitely not for advanced multitrack work. Still it is very nice easy to use software.

I am definitely gonna give this one a look. I wonder if it will work with my FastTrack interface that provides asio recording? I do prefer the free Kristal Audio Engine software for my recording and Audacity for some editing.

Nice clean easy to use program. Similar to most other audio editors. I've been using an old version (3.12) of WavePad Sound Editor but will switch to WaveMax if it seems better.

Thanks GOTD & NITbits.

ostrov what your looking for is Spin It Again. Check out Acoustica software and you'll find what you need there.

Opening it comes up with an error - "Failed to set data for " "

Excellent program!

Nothing negative to report, except that the price tag could be somewhat lowered in view of the available freeware (like Audacity etc.).

But I must add that between Audacity and WaveMax Audio Editor (I extensively used them BOTH prior to today's promotion since WaveMax A. E. v.4.5.1 has been around for quite a while without an update) I definitely prefer WaveMax.

Why? Simply because of its nicer (and more intuitive) GUI and also because editing an audio file (not only cropping, trimming but adding a few effects) turned out to be overall a remarkably faster process in WaveMax Audio Editor.

Highly recommended! Many thanks to the developer and to the GAOTD Team.

Downloaded, installed and activated without a hitch on W7, 64 bits.

extremely similar to audacity

You can register the software using your own name.

Hi ostrov
You could try programs like Audacity or DePopper. The secret to eliminating clicks & pops is to get a good sample of the actual problematic sound. Then it's a case of learning how best to utilise the options offered within the chosen program. Sometimes it may be necessary to record a stereo track in its actual single mono track - one at a time, then blend both tracks back into one again. But that's usually only required with very hard to remove clicks etc. A free copy of Magix may still be available - (try searching the web) if so, then its Cleaning Lab will help you eliminate sound clicks etc - relatively easy as it offers comprehensivew DeClicker, Decrackler & Denoiser mastering options. Good luck.

Downloaded, installed, activated, and registered fine on Vista x32 OS.
Contrary to what poster #1 (Kate) says - program does allow user to batch-convert audio files to: wav, mp3, ogg, wma files. Program also has extensive editing features and effects (too many to mention here), and it's very simple and easy to use, especially with included Local Help Menu. Other nice features include: : (1) CD-load, (2) Load tracks from CD, and (3) placement within windows explorer context menu. The $39.99 price, however, is a bit steep, given the many freeware options (Audacity, Handbrake, SUPER - to name a few) that are comparable in features and capabilities. Overall, though, two thumbs up, and a big thanks, GOTD & NITBits, for the offer.

This look interesting. I see that the developers do not mention Windows 7 at all at the Dydtem requirements page at their website.
I am looking for a free Audio Editor which can do manual click and pop removal from LP transfers (feature so well done in expensive Adobe Audition Suite) and compatible with W& 64bit. Please share your comments, GAOTD fellow users!

Installed on a xp pro pc with service pack3 without problems.
Register with the data provided via the drop-down File menu @ Register Master's Edition.
First impression= nice comprehensive tidy audio prog but does it offer anything special in comparison to the many free audio progs out there? IMHO no - not really. However, it is quite nicely laid out and makes it easy for those new to sound editing/recording and it offers batch conversion (although I have not yet tried it), bookmarks , speed and pitch change - handy. Since it's free here today, then some people will no doubt wish to add it to their collection but staunch lovers of Audacity etc may not think it necessary. Nonetheless, it's a handy program so thanks to GOTD & NITbits.