New Features
The following list informs you about the most important improvements in WaveLab Pro and provides links to the corresponding descriptions.
Thank you for purchasing WaveLab Pro and embracing audio editing and the art of mastering. Welcome not only to the number one choice for mastering professionals, but also to a community of passionate users who are true masters of their craft.
Platform-Independent Documentation
The documentation applies to the operating systems Windows and macOS.
Help System
You can access the help system in several ways. The documentation is available online, on steinberg.help.
Documentation Structure
In our documentation, we divide information into three different types of topics, according to their content.
Typographical Conventions
In our documentation, we use structural and markup elements to present information according to its purpose.
Once you have set up your system, the Startup Assistant provides easy access to common workflows and the related information, so that you can instantly start working in WaveLab.
Startup Assistant Window
The Startup Assistant allows you to choose the working environment that suits your workflow, to create and open files, and to establish your audio connections. In addition to this, the Startup Assistant offers you WaveLab-related information and news and provides useful links.
Before you can start working, you need to set up your system.
Audio Cards and Background Playback
You can run WaveLab Pro together with other applications, granting the currently active application access to the audio card.
Latency
Latency is the delay between when audio is sent from the application and when you actually hear it. While a very low latency can be crucial in a real-time DAW application such as Steinberg Nuendo or Cubase, this is not as relevant for WaveLab Pro.
ASIO-Guard
The ASIO-Guard allows you to pre-process all channels as well as VST plug-ins, which prevents dropouts and allows you to process more tracks or plug-ins.
Defining Audio Connections
To be able to play back and record audio in WaveLab Pro, you must specify how to connect the internal input and output channels in WaveLab Pro to your sound card and indicate the device to be used for audio playback and recording.
CD/DVD Recorders
For general instructions on installing internal recorders or on connecting external recorders via USB or Firewire, refer to the user manual of your computer or recorder.
Remote Control Devices
You can remote-control WaveLab Pro.
We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the general concepts of WaveLab Pro, to ensure the highest possible efficiency when using the application.
General Editing Rules
The common editing operations apply to any Steinberg product.
Basic Window Handling
WaveLab Pro adheres to the basic conventions for the Windows/macOS interface, which means that standard Windows/macOS procedures apply.
Selecting Audio
Almost all types of editing and processing that you perform in WaveLab Pro take effect on an audio selection. There are numerous ways to make an audio selection.
Value Editing
In various areas of the application, you can edit numerical values by using a combination of text fields and dials.
Sliders
In various places in WaveLab Pro, you can change parameters and the respective values via slider controls.
Renaming Items in Tables
You can rename items in tables in the Markers window, the Album window, and the Clips window.
Tab Groups
With tab groups, you can view the content of different files, tool windows, or meters at the same time, without having to navigate through different windows. Each tab group has its own content and tab bar.
Peak Files
A peak file (extension .gpk) is automatically created by WaveLab Pro each time an audio file is modified or opened in WaveLab Pro for the first time. The peak file contains information about the waveform and determines how it is drawn in the Audio Editor or in the Audio Montage window.
Ancillary Files
Ancillary files (extension .vs) contain view settings for audio files.
Contextual Folders
You can set contextual folders, which are not tied to specific media locations and can therefore be reused across different projects, as the target location of your rendered audio.
Processing Precision
WaveLab Pro can load audio samples in many formats. Internally, it processes them as 64-bit float samples.
EBU Loudness Standard R-128
The EBU loudness recommendation R-128 establishes well-defined methods to measure loudness, dynamics, and peak values, and also defines reference values to achieve for these measurements. Though the reference values are intended for the broadcast world, the measurement methods are helpful in any application dealing with audio and loudness control.
Resetting Default Answers
In WaveLab Pro, you can set some dialogs and warning messages to Do not show again. To show these dialogs and messages again, you must reset the default answers.
The Workspace window provides a range of editing and playback environments whose functions are tailored to the specific purposes of particular file types.
Audio Editor
The Audio Editor provides tools and functions for sample-accurate audio editing, high-quality analysis, and processing.
Audio Montage
In the Audio Montage window, you can assemble audio clips to create a montage. You can arrange, edit, and play back clips on an unlimited number of stereo or mono tracks.
Batch Processor
The Batch Processor allows you to batch process any number of audio files or audio montage files using the plug-ins and presets of the Master Section, offline effects, and other plug-ins that are unique to batch processing.
Script Editor
In the Script Editor, you can write and execute scripts.
Control Window
A Control Window allows you to assemble multiple tool windows and meter windows in one place, so that you can easily access them.
Tool Windows
WaveLab Pro offers various tool windows that allow you to view, analyze, and edit your audio.
Docking and Undocking Tool Windows and Meter Windows
Tool windows and meter windows can be used as docked windows, as floating windows, or as slide-out windows. You can freely drag around the windows and dock them to various locations.
Slide-Out Windows
Slide-out windows are hidden in the frame of the Workspace window. When you hover the mouse pointer over the window name, the window slides out. It is hidden again when you click anywhere else.
File Tab
The File tab is the control center of WaveLab Pro.
Info Dialog
The Info dialog provides information about the active file and allows you to edit the audio properties of audio files and audio montages.
Command Bar
The command bar at the top of the editor windows allows you to create, open, and save files, and to undo/redo changes.
Status Bar
The status bar at the bottom of the Audio Editor and the Audio Montage window shows information about the active window using the units specified for the rulers.
Context Menus
WaveLab Pro offers various context menus, which contain commands and/or options pertaining to the active window.
Context Options Bar
When you perform actions with the mouse, in some contexts, the Context Options info bar displays key commands that are available to you at a particular stage in your workflow.
Managing Tabs in the Audio Editor / Audio Montage Window
A tab that is situated in the Audio Editor or the Audio Montage window is a container for a file in WaveLab Pro. There are file group tabs and file tabs. You can open several tabs, but only one can be active at a time. The Tabs context menus of the file group tabs and file tabs offer tab-related options.
Activating Full Screen Mode
You can use WaveLab Pro in full screen mode.
Log Window
This window allows you to view log messages that have been issued by WaveLab Pro.
In WaveLab Pro, you can handle files in various ways. For example, you can save file settings that you regularly use as templates, rename files using naming schemes, or create a list of favorite files.
Opening Files
WaveLab offers multiple options for opening files, either before or after starting the application.
Closing Files
You can close a single file, multiple files, or all files but the selected one by closing the file tabs.
Saving Files
You can choose to save files under an existing name, in the same location, or to specify a new name, location, and file format when saving.
Deleting Files
You can delete active files from within WaveLab Pro.
File Renaming
You can rename a file and update all references automatically. For example, if you rename an audio file named India to Sitar, all open files that reference the file India are updated to reference the file as Sitar.
File Browser
The File Browser window allows you to navigate to files from within WaveLab Pro.
Switching Between Files
You can have multiple files open and switch between them.
Naming Schemes
When rendering audio files or audio montages, you can create multiple files and name them according to a naming scheme.
File Groups
File groups are part of WaveLab Pro projects. Each project can contain multiple file groups.
Recently Used Files
All files that you have recently used in WaveLab Pro are saved in a list. This gives you quick access to recent projects.
Temporary Files
WaveLab Pro creates temporary files to save intermediary results of the audio file processing, and for the undo/redo functions. You can specify where WaveLab Pro saves its temporary files, and you can set the processing precision of temporary files.
Favorite Files
You can add files that you regularly use to the list of favorite files.
Undoing and Redoing Operations
You can undo and redo as many operations as you like, even after saving the file. The only limitation is the available hard disk space.
Drag Operations
WaveLab Pro requires you to use drag-and-drop techniques to perform various operations, some of which can only be performed in this manner.
Zooming
WaveLab offers you a wide range of options and tools for zooming in the Audio Editor and in the Audio Montage window.
Presets
You can create presets to save your preferred settings.
Templates
You can save your preferred file settings as templates, which saves you time and effort when creating new audio files, audio montages, projects, or batch processors.
Work Folders vs. Document Folders
WaveLab Pro distinguishes between two types of folders: work folders and document folders.
Copying Audio Information to the Clipboard
You can copy information about the name and location of the selected audio file, including any selection information and the cursor position. This information can be pasted into an external text application.
Setting the Focus on the Current File
When you are editing inside a floating window or a tool window and you want to switch the focus back to the Audio Editor or the Audio Montage window, you can use the Set Focus on Current File option.
Navigation Sync
Navigation Sync helps you to compare audio material by synchronizing different views of audio files and audio montages, so that any navigation actions you perform in one of them are automatically applied to the others in real time.
In WaveLab Pro, projects serve as containers for references to all files that are associated with a particular WaveLab Pro session, allowing you to manage and recall entire sessions.
Creating Projects
You can create empty projects or projects that are based on a template.
Presets in Projects
When saving projects, you can save presets either globally or locally.
Saving Active Projects
Saving an active project includes saving any references to project media and the project settings.
Saving Sessions as Projects
You can save an entire WaveLab Pro session as a project.
Project Menu
The Project menu offers a range of options for handling projects.
Project Consolidation
The Consolidate function helps you to keep track of the files associated with a project, and to manage them.
Project Backups
You can create backup copies of your WaveLab Pro projects.
Project Window
The Project window gives you access to all project files in WaveLab Pro and allows you to edit them.
WaveLab offers you a wide range of options for playback and transport.
Transport Bar
The Transport Bar allows you to control the playback of an audio file or an audio montage, to navigate to various positions in your audio, and to open the Recording dialog.
Starting Playback From the Time Ruler
You can use the time ruler to jump to a position and start playback from there.
Playing Back Focused Audio Channels
During playback, you can alternate between playing back the left/right, mid/side, channel clusters of multichannel audio files, or both audio channels.
Playing Back Multichannel Files
You can play back multichannel files according to your audio device setup.
Playback Scrubbing
Playback scrubbing helps you to find a specific position in an audio file by restarting playback repeatedly while you click and drag on the time ruler during playback or using the Play tool.
Timecode Window
The Timecode window can display the recorded time, the time offset in relation to various positions, and dynamic colors, based on the context.
Jog and Shuttle Functions
The Jog and Shuttle functions allow you to play back audio forwards or backwards, at any speed, which can help you to find exact spots in the audio file and audio montage.
Scrolling During Playback
You can determine how to scroll the view in Play mode.
Playback in the Audio Montage Window
Controlling playback in the Audio Montage window basically works just like in the Audio Editor, aside from a few features that are exclusively available for audio montages.
Speaker Configuration
You can configure up to eight speaker setups and switch between them without latency. In addition to this, you can link individual speaker configurations to specific playback plug-in chains.
Audio file editing encompasses opening, modifying, and saving audio files.
Audio Editor Window
The Audio Editor window displays audio files graphically. It allows you to view, play back, and edit individual audio files.
Loudness Overlay
You can overlay the Waveform or the Rainbow view of the Audio Editor with an RMS Loudness view and adjust the transparency of the overlay.
Waveform Overlay
You can overlay the Spectrogram or the Wavelet view of the Audio Editor with the Waveform view and adjust the transparency of the Waveform overlay.
Channel Control Area
The channel control area to the left of the waveform in the Audio Editor allows you to select channels, and to mute and solo single channels of multichannel audio files.
Magnetic Bounds in Audio Files
Some positions, such as markers or selection edges, can be defined as magnetic. Dragged elements can snap to these positions. This makes it easier to position items accurately.
Zero Crossing
A zero crossing is a point where the waveform crosses the zero level axis. To perform editing operations such as cutting, pasting, or dragging, we recommend inserting the audio material at a zero crossing.
Audio Cue Point Detection
Both in the Audio Editor and in the Audio Montage window, when you select audio by dragging, WaveLab Pro assists you by automatically identifying suitable start and end points for audio segments, which are referred to as Audio Cue Points.
Audio Editor Tabs
The tabs in the Audio Editor give you access to the tools and options you need to edit audio files.
File Handling in the Audio Editor
Before you start editing files in the Audio Editor, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with some basic file handling procedures, as editing in the Audio Editor is not non-destructive, unlike editing clips in the Audio Montage window, which leaves the source files untouched.
Mixing Down and Rendering
You can render regions of audio files or whole audio files to a single audio file format or to multiple audio file formats at the same time.
Changing the Audio Properties
You can change the sample rate and the bit depth of audio files.
Metadata
Metadata consists of attributes that describe the audio contents; for example, the titles of an album, the author, or the recording date of a title. The availability of the data varies, depending on the file format of the selected audio file.
Snapshots
You can save snapshots of your audio files, to capture the current view settings.
Silence Generator Dialog
The Silence Generator dialog allows you to add silence or ambience sounds to an audio file.
Replacing Audio with a Beep Sound
You can replace a part of an audio file with a beep sound, to cover up a swear word, for example.
Waveform Restoration with the Pen Tool
The Pen tool allows you to redraw the waveform in the Waveform view, which enables you to quickly repair waveform errors.
WaveLab Pro includes a comprehensive set of tools for analyzing your audio and for detecting errors.
Analyze Tab
The Analyze tab allows you to analyze your audio. While some of the analysis features can be accessed both in the Audio Editor and in the Audio Montage window, a few tools are exclusively available in one of them.
Loudness Analysis
The Loudness Analysis tool allows you to analyze your audio and to compare it with reference material, or to check it against an audio standard. The feature is available for audio files and audio montages, in the Audio Editor or in the Audio Montage window, with slightly different options for each editor.
Visual Analysis: Loudness Profile
The Analysis window allows you to create and visualize a detailed loudness profile of your audio.
Visual Analysis: Spectral Profile
The Analysis window allows you to create a spectral profile of your audio; that is, a visual representation of the average frequency of the audio.
Audio Editor Only: Global Analysis
In the Audio Editor, you can perform an advanced analysis of your audio to identify areas with specific properties. This helps you to find problem areas such as glitches or clipped samples. You can also check general information, such as the pitch of a sound.
Audio Editor Only: Audio File Comparator
You can compare audio files to find differences.
Audio Editor Only: 3D Frequency Analysis
Using the 3D Frequency Analysis, you can view an audio file in the frequency domain.
You can search for unwanted clicks and digital artifacts in an audio file. The detection and correction methods allow you to detect, mark and name, jump to, play back, and remove individual audio errors. The Correction tab in the Audio Editor gives you access to the error detection and correction tools.
Correction Tab (Audio Editor Only)
The Correction tab, which is available in the Audio Editor, provides access to numerous error detection and correction tools.
Detecting Errors in Audio Files
WaveLab Pro allows you to automatically detect errors in audio files. You can then apply different error correction methods.
Correcting Errors in Audio Files
You can correct errors in audio files in the Audio Editor.
Offline processes are useful for a variety of editing purposes and creative effects, for example, if the computer is too slow for real-time processing or if the editing requires more than one pass.
Process Tab
The Process tab gives you access to the offline processing tools.
Applying Processing
Processing can be applied to a selection or to a whole file. For some operations processing the entire file is necessary.
Gain Dialog
In the Gain dialog, you can define a specific gain value to change the level of an audio range, and you can choose from two types of crossfades to ensure a seamless transition from the selection to the surrounding audio material.
Level Normalizer Dialog
In this dialog, you can change the peak level of an audio file.
Loudness Normalizer
You can use the Loudness Normalizer to achieve a specific loudness.
Pan Normalizer Dialog
This dialog allows you to ensure that both channels of a stereo file have the same level or loudness, and helps you to get the best possible stereo balance.
Envelope Dialog
In this dialog, you can create a level envelope which can be applied to a selected range or a whole audio file. This is useful if you want to even-out loud and quiet parts or create a sophisticated fade in or fade out, for example.
Fades in Audio Files
A fade in is a gradual increase in level and a fade out is a gradual decrease in level.
Crossfades
A crossfade is a gradual fade between two sounds, where one is faded in and the other one is faded out, to ensure a smooth transition.
Phase Inverting
Inverting the phase turns the signal upside down. The most common use for this function is to fix a stereo recording if one of the channels has been recorded out of phase with the other.
Reversing Audio
You can reverse an audio file or a part of an audio file as if playing a tape backwards.
DC Offset
DC offset means that there is a too large DC (direct current) component in the signal. This most often occurs due to mismatches between various types of recording equipment.
Time Stretching
Time stretching is an operation that allows you to change the length of a recording without affecting its pitch.
Pitch Shift
Pitch shift allows you to detect and to change the pitch of a sound, with or without affecting its length. This is useful for fixing an off-key vocal note in a live recording, or for tuning the pitch of a kick drum sample to fit a particular song, for example.
Pitch Bend
Pitch bend allows you to change the pitch of a sound over time.
Resampling
You can change the sample rate of a recording. This is useful if the file that you want to use in an audio system was recorded at a sample rate that this system does not support.
Effect Morphing
Effect morphing allows you to smoothly morph from one effect to another, or from an unprocessed audio segment to a processed audio segment.
An audio montage is a multichannel and multitrack non-destructive editing environment.
Audio Montage File Structure
WaveLab generates a designated folder for each audio montage that you create. The essential file of an audio montage, the one with the .mon extension, is automatically saved in this folder, which can contain further files or sub-folders related to the audio montage.
Loudness Overlay
You can overlay the Waveform or the Rainbow view of the Audio Montage window with an RMS Loudness view and adjust the transparency of the overlay.
Audio Montage Window
The Audio Montage window is where you assemble, view, play back, and edit audio montages.
Audio Montage Tabs
The tabs in the Audio Montage window give you access to the tools and options you need for editing audio montages. For example, you can edit the envelope curves and fades in clips, adjust the settings for zooming, analyze the audio, and render the audio montage.
Signal Path in the Audio Montage
The audio signal follows a specific path when passing through the various areas of WaveLab Pro.
Creating Audio Montages
To create an audio montage, you can either take a top-down approach and start with the general setup or a bottom-up approach; that is, use individual files as the basis.
Audio Montage Duplicates
You can duplicate audio montages in various ways. This allows you to quickly create new audio montages using the same properties and audio files as for previously created audio montages.
Audio Montage Properties
In the Audio Montage Properties, you can define the channel configuration (mono, stereo, surround, Ambisonics, multi mono), the audio channel layout, and the sample rate of the audio montage.
Import Options for Audio Montages
You can import different files into your audio montage, for example, audio files, audio montages, video files, and DDP images.
Broken Audio File References
An audio montage consists of references to one or multiple audio files. These references can be broken if you move audio files to another location on your hard disk, for example. WaveLab Pro detects broken references and allows you to specify new file locations or replace the missing audio file with another audio file.
Assembling an Audio Montage
You assemble your audio montage by adding tracks, clips, and lanes.
Multichannel Operations in the Audio Montage
You can open multichannel audio files in audio montages. Each track of the multichannel audio file is organized in channel clusters. A channel cluster is a logical group of channels. It is always one channel or a channel pair.
Clip Editing
All clips are displayed in the Clips window. In this window, you can edit and rearrange clips and drag them into the audio montage.
Source File Management
You can manage the source files of clips that are used in the active audio montage via the Files window.
Super Clips
A super clip is a clip that represents the rendered state of another audio montage (mono or stereo). The source montage that the super clip is based on is a separate, independent audio montage. You can create a super clip from any audio montage, and you can insert any number of super clips into an audio montage.
Envelopes for Clips
For clips in the audio montage, you can create envelopes for volume and fades, for panning, and for effects that are routed to a clip.
Ducking
Ducking allows you to attenuate the level of an audio track so that the audio on another track is more prominent when both tracks are played back simultaneously.
Fades and Crossfades in Audio Montages
A fade in is a gradual increase in level and a fade out is a gradual decrease in level. A crossfade is a gradual fade between two sounds, where one is faded in and the other faded out.
Clip Time Stretching
You can adjust the length of a clip by using time stretching.
Clip Pitch Shifting
You can adjust the pitch of a clip by using pitch shifting.
Effects for Tracks, Track Groups, Clips, and the Montage Output
You can add VST effect plug-ins to individual clips, tracks, track groups, or the output of an audio montage. Clip effects affect individual clips only, track effects affect all clips on a track, track group effects affect all tracks of the track group, and the montage output affects the whole audio montage.
A/B Comparisons of the Audio Montage Output with a Reference Track
In WaveLab Pro, you can perform an A/B comparison of the output of your audio montage with a reference track.
Title Markers
A title in the audio montage, which usually consists of a single clip but can also be a sequence of clips, is defined by title start and end markers or title splice markers.
Album Window
In the Album window, you can define parameters for the creation of an album, such as an audio CD.
Mixing Down – The Render Function
The Render function allows you to mix down the whole audio montage or sections of it to a single audio file or to several files in case of a multichannel audio montage. It also allows you to render to an audio CD, to a CD image and cue sheet, or to a new audio montage.
Snapshots
You can save a number of snapshots of your audio montage, to capture the current scroll position, zoom factor, cursor position, audio selection, and clip selection status.
Loudness Meta Normalizer
The Meta Normalizer is an essential mastering tool for managing the loudness and peak levels in audio montages. It allows you to adjust the peaks of the clips or their loudness levels before you start mastering, and to fine-tune the output loudness and maximum peaks at the end of the mastering process.
Navigator Window
This window displays an overview of the entire active audio montage and allows you to quickly navigate in it.
Notes Window
This window allows you to enter notes about the current audio montage session.
Audio Montage Backups
You can either create backup copies of individual audio montage core files (.mon) or of your entire audio montage data, including all files that are referenced by the audio montage.
Audio Montage Consolidation
The Consolidate option helps you to keep track of any changes to the content of the audio montage folder and to manage the files in it, as well as further files that are associated with the audio montage.
Importing Audio CDs
You can import audio CD files. The imported audio CD opens as an audio montage.
AES-31 Files Export and Import
The AES-31 standard is an open file interchange format for overcoming format incompatibility issues between different audio hardware and software. It can be used for transferring projects from one workstation to another, retaining time positions of events, fades, etc.
You can record audio in the Audio Editor and in the Audio Montage window.
Recording in the Audio Montage Window
You can record audio as clips in the audio montage.
Input Monitoring
Input monitoring means listening to the input signal after it travels through the effects while preparing to record or while recording. This allows you to listen to the effects that your WaveLab Pro setup has on your input signal.
Dropping Markers While Recording
When you are recording, you can click the marker buttons to add markers to the recorded file.
Live Input Rendering
You can monitor and render audio input through the Master Section. Optionally, you can add plug-ins to the live input rendering. You can also render multiple live input streams with different plug-ins and output formats in parallel.
The Master Section is the final block in the signal path before the audio is sent to the audio hardware, to an audio file, or to the audio meters. This is where you adjust the master levels, add effects, resample, and apply dithering.
Master Section Window
In this window, you can apply effect plug-ins, adjust the master level, apply dithering, and render the audio file or audio montage.
Bypassing the Master Section
By default, the Master Section is active. You can bypass it for each file individually or globally. If the Master Section is bypassed, only the Playback Processing pane of the Master Section is active during playback.
Rendering in the Master Section
By rendering the effects using the Render function in the Master Section, they become a permanent part of a file. So instead of performing all processing in real time during playback, you can save the audio output to a file on disk.
Smart Bypass
Smart bypass allows you to compare the original signal to the processed signal with a level correction applied to it. This function is particularly useful when you are making final level adjustments to a recording, for example, during mastering.
Master Section Presets
You can save any settings that you apply in the Master Section as a preset, which can be loaded again at a later point in time.
Monitoring Background Tasks
When rendering, you can monitor the process, and you can pause or cancel tasks.
Dropouts
A dropout most likely occurs when your computer does not have the processing power to handle all used effect processors.
Ambisonics Mixes
WaveLab Pro can read and write multi mono audio files in the formats .wav, .amb, and .ambix. You can play back Ambisonics audio files in stereo or surround via the VST AmbiDecoder plug-in in the Master Section.
MixConvert V6
MixConvert V6 is a plug-in that converts one multi-channel audio source into another multi-channel destination. It is most frequently used to downmix a multi-channel surround mix into a format with fewer channels, for example, a 5.1 surround mix into a stereo mix.
Plug-in Output Channel Layout Dialog
You can specify the output channel layout for plug-ins when you insert the plug-ins to the Effects pane of the Master Section.
Markers allow you to save and name specific positions in a file. Markers are useful for editing and playback.
Marker Types
You can use different marker types to locate certain positions quickly.
Markers Window
In the Markers window, you can create, edit, and use markers while working on an audio file or an audio montage.
Creating Markers
You can create markers in the wave window and in the montage window, in stop mode or during playback. You can generate a sequence of markers or mark a selection range, for example. You can create specific markers if you already know what you want to mark, or create generic markers.
Deleting Markers
Markers can be deleted in the wave window or the montage window, in the Markers window, and in the Delete Markers dialog.
Moving Markers
You can adjust marker positions in the Audio Editor or in the Audio Montage window.
Moving Multiple Markers
You can move multiple markers simultaneously whilst maintaining the relative distances between the markers.
Navigating to Markers
You can jump to the previous or next marker using the corresponding marker buttons.
Hiding Markers of a Specific Type
For a better overview, you can hide marker types.
Converting the Type of a Single Marker
You can convert markers of a specific type to another type.
Renaming Markers
You can change the names of markers.
Selecting Markers
There are several ways to select markers.
Selecting the Audio Between Markers
You can select the audio between two adjacent markers or between any two markers. This allows you to select a section that has been marked.
Binding Markers to Clips in the Audio Montage
In the Audio Montage window, you can bind markers to clips. By doing this, the marker remains in the same position, relative to the clip start/end, even if the clip is moved or resized in the audio montage.
Import and Export of Markers
Markers can be exported into different output formats and imported from XML and CSV files, both into audio files and audio montages.
How Marker Information is Saved
WaveLab Pro can optionally use MRK files as a way to save marker information that is independent of the file format.
Generating Chapters for YouTube and Spotify via Markers
If you intend to upload your audio material to YouTube or Spotify, you can divide it into chapters so that your audience can select and play particular parts of the content.
WaveLab Pro contains a variety of audio meters that you can use for monitoring and analyzing audio. Meters can be used to monitor audio during playback, rendering, and recording. Furthermore, you can use them to analyze audio sections when playback is stopped.
Meter Windows
WaveLab Pro contains a variety of audio meters that you can use for monitoring and analyzing audio. Meters can be used to monitor audio during playback, rendering, and recording. Furthermore, you can use them to analyze audio sections when playback is stopped.
Real-Time vs. Non-Real-Time Metering
Metering can be used to measure audio in real time, that is, while the audio is being played back, or in non-real-time, that is, in stop mode.
Metering Monitor Modes
You can choose which audio source to monitor and select a mode for displaying information in the meters.
Meter Settings
You can set up most meters in the corresponding settings dialogs. For example, you can adjust the behavior, scale, and color of the meters.
Multichannel Metering
WaveLab Pro features 8 audio channels that can be routed to inputs and outputs on a multi i/o audio card. The audio montage supports various surround channel configurations using up to 8 channels.
Resetting the Meters
You can reset the display of some meters, for example, the Level Meter.
Using Presets in the Meter Windows
You can save any settings you applied to a meter window as a preset. By assigning presets to preset buttons, you can quickly switch between different level scales and display modes, for example.
Level Meter
The Level Meter displays the peak and average loudness/decibel levels of your audio file, and the balance between the left and right channels in a stereo file.
Loudness Meter
The Loudness Meter is an audio meter for monitoring loudness, according to the EBU R-128 standard.
Phasescope
The Phasescope indicates the phase and amplitude relationship between two stereo channels.
Spectroscope
The Spectroscope shows a graphical representation of the frequency spectrum, analyzed into 60 separate frequency bands, represented as vertical bars.
Spectrometer
The Spectrometer uses FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) techniques to display a frequency graph, providing a precise and detailed real-time frequency analysis.
Live Spectrogram
The Live Spectrogram shows the last seconds of the audio stream. This allows you to detect disturbances in the spectrogram, and monitor the noise level and frequencies, for example.
Bit Meter
The Bit Meter shows how many bits are used.
Oscilloscope
The Oscilloscope offers a highly magnified view of the waveform around the playback cursor position.
Wavescope
The Wavescope meter displays a real-time waveform drawing of the audio signal being monitored. It can be useful when recording or rendering a file if File Rendering metering monitoring mode is active.
To start the CD writing process, you must have completed all CD writing preparations. Refer to the section about the Album window for a description of the preparations before following the instructions here.
Write Audio CD or DDP Dialog
In this dialog, you can write your audio CD project and audio montage to audio CD or DDP image.
Erase Optical Media Dialog
In this dialog, you can quickly or fully erase an optical disc before writing.
Write Audio Montages
You can write audio montages to an audio CD or a DDP image.
Writing an Audio CD from a DDP Image
You can write a CD from a DDP image that you have previously created with WaveLab Pro or another application.
Audio CD Formats
Knowing background information on the CD format helps you better understand how to create your own CDs.
Spectral editing allows you to edit and process individual frequency ranges instead of the full frequency spectrum.
Rainbow Display
In the Audio Editor or in the Audio Montage window, the Rainbow display assigns colors to the waveform, based on the frequency content.
Spectrogram
The Spectrogram in the Audio Editor shows the frequency spectrum in relation to the time.
Wavelet Display
The Wavelet display shows a higher time resolution in high frequencies and a higher frequency resolution in lower frequencies.
Spectrogram Options Dialog
The Spectrogram Options dialog allows you to set parameters for displaying the frequency spectrum in the Spectrogram and in the Wavelet view.
Spectrum Tab
The Spectrum tab allows you to use high-quality linear-phase filters to process a spectrum range selection for audio restoration and processing.
Spectrum Processing
Spectrum processing can be used to process audio regions of up to 20 minutes offline. This type of processing can be used to reduce, remove, or replace unwanted sound artifacts in the audio material with great precision.
Audio Inpainting
The Audio Inpainting algorithm allows you to remove or attenuate sounds in the spectrum. Audio inpainting restores a spectrum selection based on the content of the surrounding region.
Spectrum Watermark
You can transcode text and pictures in the spectrum and thereby define a watermark. Other spectrogram applications are able to display the watermarks. The watermarks are compatible with lossy encodings.
Master Section Processing
Master Section mode allows you to process an individual frequency range via the Master Section.
The auto split function allows you to automatically split audio files in the Audio Editor or clips in the Audio Montage window according to specific rules.
Auto Split in Audio Files
You can use the auto split function, for example, to split a recorded audio file into single takes, to split a drum loop into its individual drum hit samples, to output individual tracks from an album master file, or to silence the regions between audio information in an instrumental take.
Auto Split in Audio Montages
You can use the auto split function to split the active clip. You can use the auto split function in many situations, for example, to split a single clip of a recording into separate takes, to split a drum loop into its individual drum hit samples, to output individual tracks from an album master file, or to silence the regions between audio information in an instrumental take.
Looping a sound allows you to repeat a section of the sample indefinitely in order to create a sustain of unlimited length. Instrumental sounds in samplers rely on looping organ sounds, for example.
Creating Loops
You can loop the audio selection or use loop markers and tweak the loop during playback.
Loop Refinement
A basic loop can contain clicks or abrupt changes in timbre at the turning point. To create a seamless loop, you can refine the loop. Use the Loop Tweaker dialog to tweak an existing loop selection so that it loops perfectly or use it to create a loop from material which is not perfectly suited to create a loop.
Looping Audio Which Is Not Very Well Suited for Looping
Sounds that constantly decay in level or continuously change in timbre are difficult to loop. The Loop Tone Uniformizer dialog allows you to create loops from these kinds of sounds.
Sample Attributes
Sample attributes allow you to define settings for an audio sample before loading it into a hardware or software sampler.
In WaveLab Pro, you can generate synthesized sounds and DTMF or MF tones.
Signal Generator
The Signal Generator allows you to generate complex synthesized sounds in mono or stereo.
DTMF Generator
With the DTMF Generator you can generate DTMF (Dual Tone Multi Frequency) or MF tones as used by analog telephone systems.
You can read titles from regular CDs and save them as a digital copy in any audio format on your hard disk.
Import Audio CD Dialog
In this dialog, you can import one or multiple titles from an audio CD.
Importing Audio from an Audio CD
You can import audio from audio CDs into WaveLab Pro projects.
Searching Title Names on the Internet
You can search for information about your CDs using the gnudb database of CD information.
Submitting Title Names to the Internet
You can submit information about an audio CD to the gnudb database of CD information.
Ultra-Safe Mode
Sometimes, a small bit of a title is not properly retrieved, which results in unpleasant clicks and pops in the audio. This depends on the quality of your CD drive. To solve this issue, you can activate the Ultra-Safe Mode in the Import Audio CD dialog options.
Converting Titles of an Audio CD to an Audio Montage
You can convert titles of an audio CD to an audio montage.
WaveLab Pro allows you to add video files to your audio montage. You can play back video files in various formats from within WaveLab Pro, extract the audio from a video file, and edit your audio alongside the video.
Video Track
The video track in the audio montage allows you to add video files to your audio montage.
Video Clip Editing
A video clip is created automatically when you import a video file to an audio montage.
Video Window
If you import a video to your audio montage and start playback, the video plays back in the Video window. You can resize the Video window and undock it to place it on another screen, for example.
Video File Compatibility
When working with video files in WaveLab Pro, you must make sure that the video file type is supported.
Video Frame Rates
WaveLab Pro supports different video and film frame rates. The video frame rate must match the audio montage frame rate.
WaveLab and External Applications
There are several ways of combining WaveLab Pro with external applications, such as DAWs.
You can use WaveLab Pro as an external editor for Cubase Pro, Cubase Artist, and Nuendo, and vice versa.
WaveLab Pro as an External Editor for Cubase/Nuendo
You can open Cubase/Nuendo events in WaveLab Pro. This allows you to use the editing capabilities of WaveLab Pro and apply them to Cubase/Nuendo events.
Cubase/Nuendo as an External Editor for WaveLab Pro
When you are working on an audio file or clip in WaveLab Pro, you can open the project of the audio file in Cubase/Nuendo. This allows you to correct issues that you have identified during mixing and correct these issues in the audio file in Cubase/Nuendo.
To optimize cross-application workflows, you can easily insert any audio range from WaveLab into any other audio application by performing simple copy & paste and drag & drop operations.
Copying Audio Ranges to Other Audio Applications
WaveLab offers a special copy-and-paste feature that allows you to transfer your audio material to other applications and to continue working on it without interrupting your workflow.
WaveLab Pro can be integrated into various external audio applications that support the ARA interface and VST 3.
WaveLab ARA Extension Features
The WaveLab Pro ARA extension offers a wide range of common features and elements of the WaveLab Pro Audio Editor.
Batch processing in WaveLab Pro allows you to process any number of audio files or audio montage files with Master Section plug-ins and presets, offline effects, and other plug-ins that are unique to batch processing.
Batch Processor Window
This window allows you to process any number of audio files or audio montages with Master Section plug-ins and presets, offline effects, and other plug-ins.
Offline Processors
There are several different types of plug-ins that can be applied to a batch process.
Working with the Batch Processor
You can batch-process audio files or audio montage files with Master Section plug-ins and presets, offline effects, and other plug-ins that are unique to batch processing.
Watch Folders
Watch Folders can be used to automate batch processing tasks. By copying files into a Watch Folder, a predefined batch processor is automatically applied to these files.
XML Files in Batch Processing
WaveLab Pro can read information from XML files, such as the audio file location and metadata.
You can convert multiple audio files simultaneously to another format. If no processing is needed, this can be done using the Batch Conversion dialog.
Batch Conversion Dialog
This dialog allows you to convert the file format of a group of audio files.
Batch Converting Files
You can convert multiple audio files to another format in a single batch operation.
With the batch renaming functions, you can batch rename multiple files, markers, and clips. You can convert, remove, format, import, and insert text. This allows you to batch rename file names according to user specified rules.
Batch Renaming Dialog
The pages of the Batch Renaming dialog for files, clips, and markers share most features, with some differences.
Batch Renaming Files
You can batch rename multiple files according to specified settings.
Batch Renaming Markers
You can batch rename multiple markers in audio files or audio montages according to specified settings.
Batch Renaming Clips
You can batch rename multiple clips according to specified settings.
Renaming Operation Categories and Types
On the second page of the Batch Renaming dialog, you set up the renaming operation that you want to perform for clips, files, or markers.
List of Renaming Operations
In this section on the Operation page of the Batch Renaming dialog, you can create, delete, and arrange renaming operations.
Preview Section
In this section on the Operation page of the Batch Renaming dialog, you can preview the result of the selected renaming operation.
Range Parameters
The range parameters on the Operation page of the Batch Renaming dialog allow you to specify where in the name the operation is performed.
Previewing and Performing All Renaming Operations
On the last page of the Batch Renaming dialog, you can see how all the selected file, clip, or marker names are changed before you start the batch renaming. Note that if the name contains a random item, this item name will most likely be different in the preview.
Regular Expressions
A regular expression is a formula composed of characters that have special meanings (called operators). Other characters are plain letters and numbers that are searched for. The search engine browses the target text one character at a time and stops as soon as it finds a sequence of characters that matches the regular expression.
A Podcast is an episodic series that consists of audio files. Users can stream or download Podcasts to their device and listen to it. WaveLab Pro with its audio editing tools and effects allows you to create Podcast episodes and upload these episodes to various host services.
Podcast Host Services
Podcast host services allow you to host and distribute Podcasts. WaveLab Pro allows you to directly upload your Podcast to various host services.
File Encoding before Uploading to Host Services
If the audio file or audio montage that you want to upload to a host service is a non-encoded audio file, you can encode the audio file. Some host services only accept encoded audio files. Encoded audio file formats are MP3, MP4, M4A, or MP2, for example.
Uploading a Podcast Episode
You can upload the audio that you have created in the Audio Editor or in the Audio Montage window as a Podcast episode.
Publish Tab
The Publish tab allows you to select the host service to which you want to upload your Podcast episode. You can select different host services and select the encoder for the audio file that you want to upload.
Customizing means making adjustments to ensure that WaveLab Pro behaves and looks the way that you want it to.
Workspace Layout
Workspace layouts are used for creating various work displays for different situations.
Customizing the Audio Editor and the Audio Montage Window
You can set up the Audio Editor and the Audio Montage window by adjusting colors of waveforms, backgrounds, cursor lines, etc., and changing the look of the ruler and other details.
Customizing Shortcuts
In WaveLab Pro, you can control many functions via shortcuts to speed up your workflow. You can edit existing shortcuts and create new shortcuts.
Customizing Command Bars
You can hide or show individual command bar buttons. This way you can customize command bars by removing unwanted commands.
Plug-in Organization
WaveLab Pro comes with various plug-ins, and additional plug-ins can be added. To retain an overview over the plug-ins that are relevant to your project, you can organize your plug-ins in groups.
Variables and Text Snippets
You can define and use custom variables and text snippets, or use auto variables in various places in WaveLab Pro, for example, in the Metadata dialog.
Scripting
WaveLab Pro contains a powerful scripting language to help advanced users create their own scripts to automate tasks. Using basic scripts can be useful for automating repetitive editing tasks such as trimming and cropping a file at specific times, for example.
Touch Bar (macOS only)
The Touch Bar at the top of your keyboard gives you shortcuts to the WaveLab Pro functions. The Touch Bar changes automatically based on where you are in WaveLab Pro and offers a subset of the available options. You can customize the Touch Bar according to your needs.
You can configure WaveLab Pro according to your needs.
Global Preferences
Global Preferences are preferences that apply throughout WaveLab Pro. Before you start working with WaveLab Pro, it is recommended to edit these preferences according to your needs.
Audio Files Preferences
This dialog allows you to define settings for editing in the Audio Editor. However, these settings also affect other parts of WaveLab Pro. You can choose defaults for editing and playback, adjust the visual appearance of the waveform displays, and determine how WaveLab Pro works with audio and peak files.
Audio Montages Preferences
This dialog allows you to set up general parameters for all audio montages or for the active audio montage only.
Synchronizing WaveLab Pro Settings on Several Computers
You can make some reference settings available to other WaveLab Pro installations. These settings can then be used by other WaveLab Pro workstations to keep the settings synchronized on several computers.
Multi-User Settings
If you use multiple WaveLab Pro stations in your studio or in your school, for administration, etc., you can set up one WaveLab Pro station to be the master station. The shared preferences and presets of this station can then be used by other slave stations.
External Editors
You can integrate external editors, for example, SpectraLayers, Melodyne 4, or Izotope RX, into your WaveLab Pro workflow. This allows you to modify audio files and clips in one or more external editors directly from within your current WaveLab Pro session.
Alternative External File Browser
By default, WaveLab Pro uses the file browser of your operating system when you browse for audio files, for example. However, you can specify an alternative external file browser in the Preferences.
External Tools
You can configure external tools to work with WaveLab Pro. You can pass command line arguments on to the external tools so that they can process the current file/folder on which you are working, or the settings folder of WaveLab Pro.