Looking into apps for Mastering/CD prep etc. What are the competitors for WL8?
Why is WL8 better?
On OSX BTW but would prefer a dual platform app
Thanks
Hm, looks like no one is biting on this one. My simple answer is that I ran without it for a few years and thought I had everything I needed in Cubase. After I finally understood what WL does and can do, I realized I should have done this years ago. It’s a great program — HOWEVER - YOU have to learn how to use it properly. But you can do it!! 
I’m reluctant to advertise a competitor’s product on a forum provided by Steinberg.
I came to WaveLab from Audition (well, CoolEdit, its earlier version) because its montage and CD writing were better, among other things. However, the recent versions of Audition have features that I use which are absent from WaveLab (handling of multi-channel files); but their new marketing model (it can only be used on a continuous payment basis) means that I will never again upgrade it.
I think you’ll find that a lot of us are die-hard WL fans here so you may have to be patient until someone arrives who has had the time/money to try other options. This could mean that, once you’ve gone WaveLab, you don’t go back … 
If you plan on mastering professionally, a quick search of professional mastering studios will reveal that there are basically a handful of programs commonly used. These include WL. I, too, am reluctant to ‘advertise’ a competitor’s products on this forum but your search will will also see Sequoia and Sadie … both of which are PC only.
For reasons that I have never really understood, they are significantly more expensive. I actually think WL 8 is underpriced for what it is (although I am sure not many here would agree). Apart from multi track capability (important if cutting vinyl on a lathe or maybe if you like to work a specific way with hardware outboard) it would be hard to argue that either are ‘better featured’ than WL.
FWIW, I have used one of these other programs … as well as PT … before moving to WL. So, for me it wasn’t so much about the money. I honestly prefer WL for my personal workflow preferences.
Once you come to grips with it … and IMHO that is certainly not hard to do … WL provides an elegant, well thought out, professional and integrated solution.
It is a mastering specific program. So don’t expect it to do what Nuendo does as a multitrack mix environment. But that’s also exactly why I like it: it is designed to be a professional mastering solution and that is what I do … master records.
The edit and montage concepts are nicely implemented and very, very powerful. An example of this is the integrated spectral edit function (not a plugin).
I particularly like how WL is soooo easy to customise to how YOU want to use it and how YOU want it to look.
And utilitarian things like metering, for example, are nicely implemented.
It makes and imports DDPs which is really essential these days as DDP is the ‘deliverable’ for most labels and preferred by most replicators (at least in my jurisdiction). WL automatically generates the MD5 checksum which is nice.
We run PC only in the studio and WL 8 on Windoze 7 professional is rock solid stable.
Hope this helps … Good luck!
Sony Sound Forge Pro 11 is still in x32bit and no VST3 support? What’s up with that? 
I don’t even have any x32bit plugins install on my computer except for Virtual Guitarist 2 x32. And some of the plugins like Waves, SPL, elysian etc. I don’t even have the x64 2.4 VST-version even install only the VST3 x64 versions.
Do they expect us to install outdate x32bit VST 2.4 version to be able to use their audio editor? Get real! 
So if you are working on a x64bit platform like the majority of us do its no brainer to choose Wavelab 8 x64.
Wavelab 8 is x64 and support VST3 too. Also Wavelab is better more functions and better workflow then Sound Forge Pro 11.
If you just want to edit some audio files, make mp3, Pre-master your songs and make CDs you can easily buy Wavelab Elements 8 that cost almost the same as Sound Forge Pro 11. The best thing is that Wavelab Elements 8 has almost all the feature as you find in professional edition of Sound Forge Pro 11 but with x64bit and full VST3 support.
Sony should be embarrassed that they still only deliver a outdate x32bit softwares as Sound Forge Pro 11 in year 2013 almost 2014. 
My two cents…
Best Regards
Freddie
Sound Forge also has no montage. However, it does handle multichannel files (up to 64 channels), which has its uses for me - WaveLab is stuck at 2-channel files, even simple 6-channel surround files have to be broken up by an import routine.
Fyi. I cut lacquers using Wavelab 7, I tweeked the surround montage it works well.
Regards
Cool!
That may be true on the PC, but on the Mac is actially the other way around
[quote"Sound Forge Pro Mac 2: Technical specifications/Effects"]
• AU plug-in support (64-bit only)
• VST plug-in support (64-bit only) [/quote]
There’s no word on the program itself, but I seriously doubt that a 32-bit application would only support 64-bit plug-ins.
The major problem with WaveLab is that there is only two versions: WL, which is loaded with super high-end features that are only of use for professional mastering houses and the scientific community. Then there is WLE, that is so limited that it’s only of use to the casual hobbyist. There is no version that is aimed at the the professional musician and semi-pro studios.
Steinberg has left this whole market segment to their competitors. I’m sorry but I have to say that, featurewise, Sound Forge is much better suited for this market segment than WLE. Steinberg should really look into producing a Wavelab Artist version, to fill this huge gap.
It has been tried with Wavelab Studio (during the WL5/6 era, IIRC), and apparently Steinberg did not agree with your view. And they have the sales numbers to back it up I guess…
In my opinion there are many interesting things you can do with Elements equipped with the right set of third party plug-ins…
Anyway I would upgrade to an intermediate version, if I had the chance
Samplitude works and functions like a regular DAW but it has better metering, red book, burning CD capability and other things that are required for mastering. It does some things in a nicer way than Wavelab, including no VST delay, but in some ways Wavelab is better.
You’re correct, up to a point. It took me a long time to track down a dithering plug-in that looks usable (forget the toys that Steinberg provides). And because the dithering must be the last process in the chain “the right set of third party plug-ins…” is pretty useless.
As you can see I use WLE. However, I do all my mastering (eq, dynamics, etc.) in Cubase. I only use WLE as a CD-burner!
Thanks fellas. Ive been doing all the Mastering chores in StudioOnePro to this point. Just looking around if you will
I DL’d WaveLab Elements 8 to check out. Im shocked that WLE 8 DOESNT have DDP? Thats nuts. I guess that moves you up to the $500 marker if you want that
until recently DDP export in a program would have cost you a lot of money so when it was implemented in Wavelab it made it a very worthwhile buy. That’s probably the reason its not in elements. I looked into the whole DDP thing a few years ago and you were looking at £2000 for a program that would do it.
I use it now for the odd mastering job and DDP is the way to go.
MC
Hello Shanabit,
I just watched a video from computer music magazine with there tutorial on mastering. Here’s what I saw. The guy made a track in ableton and after finished imported the final mixdown track to Presonus Studio One. What you think?
If you do some reading you will find out the current outdated release of Sony CD Architect is a mastering quality software for Windows systems. That version 5.2 was considered much better than WaveLab4-5. Now that WaveLab has continued to update the progress of their software they are more popular because NEW sells, right? Sony does in fact promote their Sound Forge software more than CD Architect.
In my search for the perfect post processing software I see now the future of mastering is turning into a process that can be done from within the DAW. Unless you use Ableton.
Let’s be clear in understanding the highest floating bit rate when processing audio is 32bit not 64bit and that seems like an invalid argument.