cool edit vs wavelab

[mmr]

I have a G4 and I want to use a program similar to CEP. I dont use midi, and I dont want protools because I have a delta 66, so I want to know if wavelab is like CEP, or maybe there are another better programs for mac (no midi). Which advantages have wavelab? I havent seen it yet.

[HanzZ]

Hi,

I use both Wavelab and CEP. I have to say that I use CEP a lot more because I find it easier to use - but this is also because I started with CEP and later installed Wavelab.

The basic editing functions in both programs are more or less the same (cutting, copying, pasting, inverting, changing gain, normalizing etc.). They also both support functions like: time-stretching / pitch-shifting, eq-ing, batch processing, file converting (both support a load of formats), extensive filtering (although you’ll have to have the right plug-ins in Wavelab) and synchronisation.

In CEP you have a multi-track environment. In Wavelab you have the audio montage environment, which is basically a multi-track environment, but Steinberg really make’s an effort to state that it isn’t – I guess they want you to buy Cubase as well.

Which one of the two programs you choose will depend mostly on what you plan to do with it. I’ll sum up a few advantages they have over each other which, at least to me, are important:

Wavelab over CEP:

1. All the effects come in fancy VST 2.0 plug-ins. Although a lot of effects come in both the VST and the DirectX format (CEP currently only supports directX), not all of them do. And some of the VST effects are really good.

2. It has a built-in audio database, which comes in quite handy if you have a lot of audio files on your PC. CEP doesn’t have this.

3. When normalizing it takes into account the RMS level. This seems a small difference with CEP, but it’s is extremely handy when it comes to levelling the volumes of multiple waveforms. I often make a playlist for a radio show – I use it a lot.

4. Wavelab is compatible with a lot of different samplers – it’ll let you send transmit your wave to an Akai or a Emu sampler.

CEP over Wavelab:

1. I find CEP to be very good when it comes to de-noising, de-hissing and / or de-clicking audio such as cassette or vinyl recordings. Maybe I don’t have the right plug-ins in Wavelab, so others might disagree, but CEP is very helpful in eliminating unwanted hums or clicks and pops. If you plan on doing this a lot I strongly recommend CEP over Wavelab!

2. In CEP you can toggle between a ‘normal view’ (amplitude vs. time) and a spectral view of the waveform (different frequencies have different colours). I find this very helpful to edit frequency bands and to find anomalies in the audio. Of course you can edit frequency bands in Wavelab also, and you can also let Wavelab make a 3-d spectral graph of the wave, but the spectral view in CEP makes you really see what you are doing while you’re editing.

3. The help-file is a lot better than Wavelab’s. This make’s it easier to learn to use the program.

4. You can organise the functions in a separate menu, so you have all the most-wanted functions in one place. This makes the program fast to use.

5. You can preview a lot of effects and functions in real time before processing the file. This also makes CEP fast to use.


Well, these are a few of the things that can be said of the two programs. I would like to state that these are all MY findings; they are all based on what I do with the wave editors. Other users might beg to differ.

Anyway, I hope I have been of any help.


-- HanzZ


[This message has been edited by HanzZ (edited 09-08-2001).]

[Anita]

Hello mmr:

For mastering software you better go for Wavelab 3.04c or Samplitude Master v.6.

WaveLab gives you endless profesional tools above the competition in every single task you will do with your audio files. Specially Wavelab has different tasks for Audio Mastering and CD burning at the highest quality, based on a top-notch optimized audio engine above all the competitors, except Samplitude Master with same quality output.

When you first open WaveLab you will have the option in doing these 5 tasks: Or what is the same; WaveLab has 5 working modes.

New Wave, New audio montage, New CD program, New Project and New Database. Or simply open one of these already saved before.

One of the best features in WaveLab is the CD Montage with endless posibilities to do, and in this mode WaveLab becomes a sort of multitracker where you add audio files(mono or stereo) at your will in different tracks and you will be able to manipulate them with high end profesional tools. Right from there you can aply CD text and all that stuff and burn it to CD.

The Audio Montage is a multi-track non-destructive editing environment, which allows you to arrange, edit, play back and record audio Clips on multiple Tracks. Featuring Clip-based effects, volume and pan automation, wide-ranging fade and crossfade functions, real-time metering, direct creation of CDs and synchronization to MIDI Time Code, the Audio Montage is a great tool for music CD creation, mastering, multimedia work, radio spot production, etc.

WaveLab’s Audio Montage is not a "multi-track tape machine emulator". Rather you should think of it as an audio editing system, or a "workbench" for assembling multi-track audio pieces.

Another superb feature is the CD burning mode with profesional tools at your disposal. Just more or less like "Steinberg Get it on CD" does.

WaveLab has the ability to write red book compatible CDs using many different CD-R drives. This allows you to create real CDs, complete with adjustable pauses, sub-indexes and automatic "PQ-coding".

Making a CD using Wavelab will garanty you that there is no mistakes that you forget to select disk at one, etc, etc; due Wavelab optimize the process automatically to write a pure CD audio ready to go on any CD player, including of course Data CDs which are converted into audio ones.

Another great feature is the Import Audio Files. When you do this, you will have a new window and just from there, you have so many options. For example; in this mode (import audio) WaveLab becomes a CD player and give you the chance to select one or all in order to rip the CD into Wave inside your harddisk. For ripping you have the options in rippong to CD Montage or ripping into CD program and doing so, the ripping process gets very well organized and ready for the task you plan to do.

However the main task in WaveLab is mastering your music in the main window. Done under one of the most optimized audio enginges today and this means; no clicks, no gaps, no artefacts, no nothing while you make heavy editing in real time on the waves files. Of course, it depends also in your PC.
It supports VST and DX plugins for you to do your job. These plugins are in the Master Section which you can also disconect if want o use only the built in hi-end FXs

Waves of course can be converted into high-quality MP3 and other formats and can be open as well as if they are just waves and convert them into waves again without a lose of quality.

It is possible to synchronize the audio playback in WaveLab to incoming MIDI Time Code (MTC). This allows you to play audio from WaveLab together with stand-alone recorders, MIDI sequencers etc. This is probably most useful when playing back Audio Montages, but you can also synchronize playback of regular Wave files.

For MTC Sync to be possible, you need to have a MIDI Interface installed and working!

Wavelab means a lot of power, and you will need maybe a bit longer to get use to, but hi end audio mastering software come at the price to learn it. When you do, then you will never use anything else.

Samplitude Master is another top-notch but this one is much more complexed to use, but it does all what wavelab does, but it does a little more too. Too long to explain in here.

Best in Samplitude Master is that it even sounds better due it is the most optimized audio engined available.

I wish you well
peace
Anita

[papario]

Hello mmr.

I agree. WaveLab is the power horse for mastering. I don´t know Samplitude Master, but I do know and use daily Samplitude 2496 Producer which is the best audio multitracker.

HanZ said in his post refering to CoolEdit:
5. You can preview a lot of effects and functions in real time before processing the file. This also makes CEP fast to use.

Well, in WaveLab you have the Master Section where you can put up to 6 plugings in chain and able to disconnect or connect them all or them some at any time you wish without any problems and you can preview them as well before you click on APLY botton. I am sure you you miss-understood this funtion in Wavelab.

Not only this, you then can undo if later does not sound as you expected.

Mastering in Wavelab is just fantastic. It sounds really sweet and smooth.

peace
papario

[Tim Z]

I use both CEP and Wavelab, and for mastering there is no competiton, Wavelab is by far the better of the two for that purpose. However, the original post doesn't say he wants it for mastering. NOTE: wavelab is NOT a multi-track program, so if that's what you're looking for, then Wavelab is not your program.

Also, and correct me if I am wrong, but I don't believe Wavelab has a Mac version.

So to answer the original post, Wavelab is not like CEP in that it is not a multi-tracking program.

Cheers

Tim Z

[This message has been edited by Tim Z (edited 09-08-2001).]

[mmr]

Thanks to everyone for all your answers. I just realise that I was confused, I thought wavelab was more like a multitack software, thats why I put in the original post "CEP VS WAVELAB" but I was wrong.

I just want to know ¿which program for mac is the closest to CEP?

THANKS AGAIN

[papario]

Hi mmr:

I am into PC though. However, for the Mac 2 great softwares are Logic audio Platinium and of course Digital Performer. I don´t know the last one, but Logic is probably the very best combi Audio/Midi you can have.

If you don´t use Midi, it is not a problem, just use Audio in Logic. Take in mind that Logic is heavy to learn but it is really worth it.

As well, you have the option of Cubase VST which is more or less like Logic in many ways. It is a Midi/Audio aplication which aloud you to use only audio.

I am not sure if Samplitude 2496 Producer v.6 is for the Mac platform. If so...then you are done. This aplication is the most optimized for Audio Editing and it is the reachest in features of all the rest. I will try to find out if it is also for the Mac.

The other option you have and it is almost as great as Samplitude for Audio Editing is NUENDO from Steinberg. I am not very sure that Nuendo is also for the Mac. But I think so.

As TimZ said: WaveLab is for Mastering purposes only.

peace
papario

[papario]

Here is a link to a Mac Forum.
Hope it will help you in the search
of your right software.

Good Luck.
papario
http://www.macmusic.org/forums/

[ears]

Waves of course can be converted into high-quality MP3 and other formats and can be open as well as if they are just waves and convert them into waves again without a lose of quality.

[ears]

Sorry about the previous post; I hit the return button too early. I just wanted to clear up a slight error in Anita's post:

"Waves of course can be converted into high-quality MP3 and other formats and can be open as well as if they are just waves and convert them into waves again without a lose (sic) of quality."

I'm sure everyone here is familiar with the fact that MP3 is a lossy compression format and therefore it is impossible to revert back to .WAVs without some loss of quality. Admittedly most everyday users will probably never notice the difference, but I suspect most of the readers of this forum would have little difficulty in pinpointing the sonic degredation inherent in the reconversion process. If you're looking for a great lossless compression format may I suggest Monkey's Audio: (http://www.monkeysaudio.com/). It can also run many other kinds of compression routines (MP3, MPPlus) once the proper executables are installed in its "external" subdirectory. And its GUI is pretty damn slick.

Best of Luck.

[Dags]

Wavelab has superior sound quality by far. CEP is muddy sounding (all bass/mids - no highs)in comparison.

Record a CD (or acoustic guitar through a good mic)into each program and hear it for yourself.

Regards

[Sonic Valley]

CEP Muddy? What are you using for gear that's adding noise? This is the first I've heard of a editor being "muddy sounding".

[Buckwheat]

CEP Muddy? Not in my experience at all. I have used Wavelab and lots of other software and really hear no differences from just the software. Are you sure you are playing out the same sound card outs in both programs to make this comparison? Also, maybe if you are comparing a file type that is a compressed type (MP3, VOX, ADPCM) then I could see that there may be a slight difference in how one program de-codes the files. But if it's a Windows PCM wav then I can't see where there would be any difference really.

[Dags]

Same Guitar
Same Mixer
Same Soundcard
Same computer
Same Room
Same Mic Position
Same Settings
Same Piece of Music
Same EVERYTHING

To my ears Cool Edit Pro does NOT have the audio clarity of Cakewalk and Wavelab.

Dags

[Dags]

Sonic - what I'm talking about has nothing to do with noise but everything to do with sound quality.

Regards