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WavePad - best player on the MAC?


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Hi everybody,

 

as I found out "Wavepad" is widely unknown to this forum. It is only mentioned in one post. That is why I registered.

Apparently nobody around here abused this audio editing software in order to just play music.

To my ears its audio engine is very good; I also have Logic Studio and Audirvana+, but Wavepad presents you all the little details you missed. There is a catch, though. It is not a proper player, i. e. there is no player functionality whatsoever, it is all manual.

 

You can download a trial version for free which will turn into a restricted demo version after a while - still good enough to play your stuff. There is also a PC version.

wavepad download source

 

btw: I am not associated with nch in any way.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi guys,

 

I'm actually wondering what kind of forum this is. 260+ times this thread has been read so far and there is not one reply.

All I claim is that there is a freeware that blows ANY other Mac player out of the water! If you really want to know what your files sound like, you should give this one a try.

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Your first post is hard to distinguish from spam. When I click the link for the free software, this is what I actually see:

 

Screen Shot 2013-03-30 at 10.23.38 AM.png

 

My computer comes with an excellent, free player, which is called iTunes.

 

If that is too easy, and I want something more manual, I can always use

 

/usr/bin/afplay -q 1 <filename>

 

I can also play music files with the file preview function in Finder.

 

I can also play files in the genuinely free audio editing software called Audacity.

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Hi guys,

I'm actually wondering what kind of forum this is.

 

With the greatest of respect that comes across as a bit mean.

 

So, in the spirit of being a bit mean: Maybe this is the kind of forum where most members are too polite (except for ignorant Scots like me who are rude, of course) to point out that the software you're advocating has limited appeal and sets off a few warning bells:

 

1: It's not free, it's a short lived demo version of an editing program, where (if I understand you right) the playback component still works after the demo runs out. This does not match any definition of "freeware" that I am aware of.

 

2: A tiny bit of googling turns up the CNET page for the program, here's a link to user reviews

WavePad for Mac - CNET Download.com

 

Some of the more discouraging comments there are:

"I find the quality of any music format saved in wavepad on a mac is greatly decreased with clicks and pops"

"You must be wary in purchasing from NCH Software."

 

Other comments suggest an extremely complex registration process, and say that the software has to be re-purchased even for a very minor update.

 

Not good, in fact it puts me off even installing the trial version.

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With the greatest of respect that comes across as a bit mean.

 

So, in the spirit of being a bit mean: Maybe this is the kind of forum where most members are too polite (except for ignorant Scots like me who are rude, of course) to point out that the software you're advocating has limited appeal and sets off a few warning bells:

 

OK. Addmittedly, that was mean. Let us call it a teaser.

OK, the web reputation of wavepad is pretty bad, probably for good reasons (e. g. people claim they were charged for minor updates).

I never suggested buying the software, in fact I stated that this is not necessary (the term freeware may not apply though, sorry for that).

Possibly wavepad even is a poor editor, I do not know, I use Logic for editing.

And yeah, itunes is a superb freeware player which has lots of cool features wavepad lacks.

 

But that is not the point.

The point is that its soundengine is better to my ears than that of A+, Amarra, PureMusic and all the rest of them. Wavepad cannot replace any of these players due to its poor functionality/comfort. It can simply show you what your Mac might sound like.

 

It is Wavepad's sound quality I would like to discuss here. Just give it a try!

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“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” ― Galileo Galilei

 

Every genuine test of a theory is an attempt to falsify it, or to refute it. Testability is falsifiability; but there are degrees of testability: some theories are more testable, more exposed to refutation, than others; they take, as it were, greater risks. from: Conjectures and Refutations (1963) by Karl R. Popper

 

How hard can it be? All you need is a Mac, a good-enough audio system, a pair of trained ears and about five minutes of your lifetime...

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“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” ― Galileo Galilei

 

 

See your quote and raise you one:

 

They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright Brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” ― Galileo Galilei

 

Every genuine test of a theory is an attempt to falsify it, or to refute it. Testability is falsifiability; but there are degrees of testability: some theories are more testable, more exposed to refutation, than others; they take, as it were, greater risks. from: Conjectures and Refutations (1963) by Karl R. Popper

 

How hard can it be? All you need is a Mac, a good-enough audio system, a pair of trained ears and about five minutes of your lifetime...

 

Well, since you understand Popper, clearly you understand the importance of objective evidence. Where is yours?

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Your first post is hard to distinguish from spam. When I click the link for the free software, this is what I actually see:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4940[/ATTACH]

 

 

This is what I see:

 

bildschirmfoto2013-03iuy9i.png

 

Since you seem to refuse to put WavePad to the test I do not see the slightest reason why I should outline Popper to you.

Just tell me: "I tried WavePad and I did not like the sound of it". I'd say, you're the man, at least you gave it a try.

Let us discuss Popper once you tried.

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With the greatest of respect that comes across as a bit mean.

 

............................

"You must be wary in purchasing from NCH Software."

.......................

 

Thanks for the warning, since I swear to my self never buy again a piece of software from this "NCH Software" company. From previous experience nothing works or it's very, very buggy.

 

Roch

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Ok. You guys think NCH is a terrible company. Many other people on the web think so, too. From what I have read so far I'd fully agree.

That is why they haven't seen any of my money and they are not going to see any of it in the future.

Personally, all I can say about them is that they do not answer my emails. Also, they do not advertise the excellent sound quality of wavepad, possibly because they do not have a clue about it. I told them about it - no reply.

Their little software Wavepad so far has not done any damage to my computer; it does not phone home, it does not seem to contain any malware and it has not turned my Mac into Godzilla.

All I do is load some AIFF (16/44.1) file into it and listen to the sound.

Better bass definition than A+, more details than A+, better overall sound.

Btw, I really hope that Damien will get 1.5 right, because I am a big fan of A+ and I also like the guy, because he really listens to his customers.

 

Ceterum censeo Wavepad esse audiendum.

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Many of the pro-difference advocates cannot (or will not) say under what conditions they would be willing to accept their hypothesis to be falsified.

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f8-general-forum/audiophile-beliefs-politics-cable-beliefs-15107/index2.html

 

Hey, stumbled upon this one. Don't you think Popper would like that falsify thing?

If I buy you a dram, you must promise not to tell the other boys.

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Since you seem to refuse to put WavePad to the test I do not see the slightest reason why I should outline Popper to you.

Just tell me: "I tried WavePad and I did not like the sound of it". I'd say, you're the man, at least you gave it a try.

 

I did. I successfully refuted your hypothesis.

 

Let us discuss Popper once you tried.

 

No need. I had the good fortune to be able to discuss philosophy of science with him, shortly before his death, when he gave a seminar in Berkeley. But thanks anyway.

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Dear Mr Scott,

 

I promised you a "you are the man" and here it is. I also really like the fact that you switched your avatar, I did not know this photograph of Sir Karl Raimund and I really like it.

Good you finally tried. Unfortunately your report is not too detailed. Could you please tell me a bit more?

 

OK, maybe I owe you an explanation.

I got to know Wavepad in some hifi computer audio player shootout. I was invited to have a couple of drinks in a studio run by a guy I sometimes work for. The "seminar" was about what hifi-lovers are into as soon as they do not listen to LPs. So we set up a proper test. We used some tape on the Studer A80 as a reference point. It is always good to know what your digital file should sound like (which btw is fundamental to my daily work). Then the boss recorded a digital "master" from that in Samplitude, using the Orpheus. To me, it does not make the slightest sonical difference whether I listen to the tape via the AD/DA of the Orpheus or to the tape directly. Then we A/B compared different player programs to the original tape in the mastering room of the studio on KS Digital ADM10, making sure that there were no differences in volume (we even cross-checked with a testmicrophone because about 0,5 dB can make a lot of difference). From a producer's point of view, I want the recording to sound like the original and that is what the ideal player software should be capable of presenting. The guys had set up a Mac and a WIN8 PC with quite a few hifi players, all of them configured out of the box, all playing uncompressed red book formats, no oversampling. Of all of these JPlay and Audirvana+ stood out, i. e. they were closer to the original than others. As a consequence, I purchased A+, because at home I only got Macs (JPlay sounded better to my ears).

Not one sound engine surpassed Samplitude, btw. Funny thing was, that consumer mixing tool Wavepad sounded almost as good - the sound of straight wire, as we say (applies to PC also).

And that is why I thought I might tell the hifi crowd about it, because I thought that someone might like that sort of sound.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Forum,

 

I wonder if somebody else has tested wavepad so far and I would be really interested in your opinion about it. On my system it is clearly superior to A+ (no integer mode supported).

I just had a friend round for a blind a/b test. Took him less than 15 seconds to be absolutely sure…

As I learned, you find that hard to believe, but on my system the difference is bl***y obvious.

Wavepad rules.

 

Btw. I also think that I can spot differences between AIFF and ALAC, but they seem very minor to me (especially compared to the very obvious difference between wavepad and A+) and although I prefer AIFF I might be wrong - and I doubt I could seriously spot the difference in a double blind test.

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*progear, whilst your enthusiasm for Wavepad is impressive, I've just checked the Apple App store. It appears that Wavepad hasn't been updated from v4.55 since May 13, 2011. This makes me very wary, as OS X has undergone significant changes since that time. Compare this lack of updates with the many that have been produced for ALL the top-selling Mac audio players, such as Amarra, Audirvana+, BitPerfect.

 

Why would I buy a Mac audio app that, no matter how good it is, has no recent evidence of author support?

 

Cheers

 

Graeme

Synology NAS, Mac Mini 2011 (with SSD and 16GB RAM), Lampizator L4 Gen4 PCM DAC, Concert Fidelity CF-080 LSX2 line pre-amp, SGR CX4F active speakers, Apple iPad (as remote).

 

Software: OS X Mavericks, Amarra Symphony 3.0 with iRC/Audirvana Plus 1.5.12/, Remoter VNC (on iPad). CAD OS X script v2.2 (to remove redundant processes).

 

OS X Mavericks running from SD card; 8 GB RAM disk for music files.

 

All connected via a snakes nest of various exotic cables! ;o)

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Why would I buy a Mac audio app that, no matter how good it is, has no recent evidence of author support?

 

Hi Graeme,

 

I think you got a point. As I mentioned above the manufacturer has not answered my emails for months and I wonder myself how a company like this could ever fiddle together a piece of software like that. People even report it to be quite buggy...

 

I could go on repeating all the cons brought forward in this thread so far, none of which having to do with sound quality.

 

What I am talking about with quite some confidence is that wavepad outshines any other player on the Mac I know* - in sound quality. On my system, to my ears and also to the ears of every single person who listened to my 16/44.1 a/b presentation.

 

Anyway, trying is for free - on my machine I still use the free version which I downloaded from the manufacturer's page.

 

asdfsa68omi.png

 

As you can see, I have not bought Wavepad and I do not recommend buying it, all I am interested in is to learn about other people's opinions. Maybe there is some catch I did not get, you never know. So far I believed that "Computer Audiophile" might be the right forum for that sort of discourse. Well, I am a real greenhorn when it comes to taking part actively in web forums, but I am not exactly a greenhorn when it comes to professional audio.

 

Best regards

*progear

 

*Since I do not check all the OSX DAWs regularly, my scope may be kind of limited.

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Mostly because someone else brought up this program a couple years ago, and it was horribly unusable, with poor support, and a very dodgy company that was making and publishing it.

 

Moreover, the current audiophile players produce sound that is an order of magnitude better, at least according to my ears. Have you tried them? They all have free demos, except for Bitperfect which is only five dollars.

 

Paul

 

Hi guys,

 

I'm actually wondering what kind of forum this is. 260+ times this thread has been read so far and there is not one reply.

All I claim is that there is a freeware that blows ANY other Mac player out of the water! If you really want to know what your files sound like, you should give this one a try.

Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat DAC.

Robert A. Heinlein

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Moreover, the current audiophile players produce sound that is an order of magnitude better, at least according to my ears. Have you tried them? They all have free demos, except for Bitperfect which is only five dollars.

 

Hi Paul,

 

Of all of these JPlay and Audirvana+ stood out, i. e. they were closer to the original than others. As a consequence, I purchased A+, because at home I only got Macs (JPlay sounded better to my ears).

Not one sound engine surpassed Samplitude, btw. Funny thing was, that consumer mixing tool Wavepad sounded almost as good - the sound of straight wire, as we say (applies to PC also).

 

Yup, I have. Amarra, PureMusic, A+.

I am well aware that these players exist. I really like A+ and I also have read Damien's white paper and I do think he has a point.

Have you tried Wavepad v 5.34 recently?

 

Best regards

*progear

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Hi guys,

 

I'm actually wondering what kind of forum this is. 260+ times this thread has been read so far and there is not one reply.

All I claim is that there is a freeware that blows ANY other Mac player out of the water! If you really want to know what your files sound like, you should give this one a try.

 

The kind where the users know better...

No electron left behind.

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The kind where the users know better...

 

Is this a friendly warning? If you know about things without trying things out you know a trick I do not.

Seriously, I do not want to offend anybody. I'd be happy to read about someone's experience on a different system, that is all.

 

Btw: "Frederich Neitzsche..." do you mean: Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche?

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Oh goody! Are we playing quotations again?

 

For all the many sheep-lovers here in CA (yes I know who you are!) - from Clerks "Hey, F**ko, we like to call it inter-species erotica" - there you go, much better than boring old Freddy Nitsie, Googleleio, and the lovely Karl Popper.

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