Steinberg announces WaveLab 8.5

Steinberg Media Technologies today announced WaveLab 8.5, a purchasable point update for the audio editing and mastering software. Available from June, WaveLab 8.5 includes new and easy file conversion and batch processing, A/B comparison between encoding formats, AAC encoder implementation and convenient multi-format rendering.

"This update marks an important step forward for the eighth iteration of WaveLab, focusing this round on encoding and processing audio files in a most efficient way," said Timo Wildenhain, product marketing manager at Steinberg.

Top features in version 8.5:

• Watch Folders: Drag-and-drop automated offline-processing feature, using standard folders of the operating system to process and render audio files.
• Encoder Checker: Compare and contrast codec quality and settings on the fly without perceivable latency and with up to three streams simultaneously, such as MP3, AAC and OGG Vorbis.
• Multi-format rendering: Render to multiple audio file formats simultaneously and save encoding chains as presets.
• AAC Encoder: Encode straight to AAC formats, such as HE-AAC, HE-AAC v2, HD-AAC and 3GPP, for compatibility to Apple products, such as iTunes, iPod and iPhone.

The new automated Watch Folder rendering feature applies processing to all audio files drag-and-dropped into designated folders. Users can now assign tasks, such as dithering, normalization, plug-in rendering and audio file format conversion, to any number of Watch Folders without having WaveLab open. Putting a big emphasis on working with codecs, WaveLab 8.5 sports the new Encoder Checker plug-in for real-time comparison of codecs and settings, with an FFT graph allowing for a precise analysis of the compressed sound quality. WaveLab now also supports encoding to the AAC file format to ensure compatibility with iTunes and related Apple hardware. Introducing new multi-format rendering capabilities facilitates exporting files to various formats simultaneously, and with much more ease than in previous versions.

Availability and pricing

The WaveLab 8.5 full retail version will be available from June 2014 as boxed version from authorized Steinberg resellers and through the Steinberg Online Shop. The suggested retail price is €549, including German VAT.

The WaveLab 8.5 update from WaveLab 8 plus further updates and upgrades will also be available from June 2014 as download through the Steinberg Online Shop. The suggested retail price for the WaveLab 8.5 update from WaveLab 8 is €49.99, including German VAT.