Wavelab 5 is the perfect format for what I need, but after getting a new computer, I am forced to go to Wavelab 8, is there any kind of upgrade from WL5 to WL8?
Doesn’t look like it: http://www.steinberg.net/en/shop/buy_product/product/wavelab-8.html
Note that there is also a huge change from W5 to W8, in fact it would be easier to regard it as a totally new application. If you approach it with an open mind and spend a little time to learn it properly, you will be rewarded with what is a rock-solid platform.
Hi, Folks!
Haven’t dabbled with WL8 yet, but having gone through WL from version 4 to 7 has been an “interesting jounrey” to say the least! 
Up through WL6, everything remained somewhat “familiar”, but the transition to 7 was major and created a steep learning curve, even for a degreed electrical engineer and Audio Engineering Society life member like me! And WL8, now in a 3rd update, has obviously increased the “incline” of the learning curve as well! 
I’m not sure why Software Engineers like to “improve” GUI’s and interfaces, unless it’s for the edification of other Software Engineers. In most cases, the more sophisticated interfaces cause more issues than they resolve, even for the increase power they might provide to some power users.
I can’t complain about some of the add-ins and newer features, though. The Sonnox tools are brilliant!
But some of the interface features don’t take Human Systems Integration (HSI) into account very well, and might be better evaluated in future, by handing off Beta versions to actual practitioners across the user base. This would assist the designers by gaining feedback and knowledge about what intuitively works for sound engineers and tech users, and what just confuses the daylights out of us!!! 
Checking out WL8, such a huge difference from WL5, I can barely load a file…
what I usually do in WL5 is mixing mono files to stereo, and 2 stereo files to 2 channel stereo.
create a template for 2 mono tracks at 24/48, insert 2 mono files render to stereo, do this twice, then I have 2 sets of stereo files (I cannot figure out how to do this on WL8)
then I create a template for 2 stereo files, and render the 2 stereo files to a 2 channel file…(I cannot figure out how to do this on WL8)
then I can adjust my percentages of channel 1/2 and 3/4 by the amount of gain on each stereo pair…
can someone please help me out with this? Trying to see if I feel like I can work with WL8 before purchasing, but I can completely stuck, and wanted to see if anyone can give me a few pointers for WL8…if anyone can lead me in the correct steps, I would be very appreciative…thanks
How did you do in WaveLab 5? There is little chance you can’t do the same in WaveLab 8.
PG
Thanks for asking…WL5 is the absolute perfect platform for me, I do not need the capabilities of WL8, no studio work here, just rendering mono files to stereo, add fades, paste 2 gig file splits, tracking, dither and resample, batch process…that is all I need…guess I will need to get a new computer and add XP to it…
Just doesn’t feel ethical that I cannot use WL5 on my new computer, and have to switch to WL8…I guess no responses from anyone states my process cannot be completed in WL8…
You don’t have to switch - like you already said, get a PC with XP on it or upgrade the old one and keep on keeping on.
Your process most certainly can be done in WL8 and it works the same as in all previous versions’ audio montages. Maybe you should ask a more specific question about where it actually doesn’t work for you.