WaveLab Pro 9 and WaveLab Elements 9 now available!

[Compyfox]

Honestly, the up to 4 months postponed demo is annoying.

It's the same download, just needs an issued demo license. But I guess this is another way to get some cash in. Then again, nobody can tell me that they're surprised with back lashing feedback. It's actually a bit beyond me.

[Scotty]

I just bought the Elements upgrade. I like the look of it, much improved but it would be nice if WaveLab shared the plug-in manager Code with Cubase Pro... I have spent a lot of time making settings for my plugins and it is fantastic in Cubase... If Wavelab could see them it would be ideal.

[Guillermo Navarrete]

Hello,

I just bought the Elements upgrade. I like the look of it, much improved but it would be nice if WaveLab shared the plug-in manager Code with Cubase Pro... I have spent a lot of time making settings for my plugins and it is fantastic in Cubase... If Wavelab could see them it would be ideal.

That is actually a pretty good feature request, I will pass it on. Although you already have the favourites folder on the master section, where you can select the ones that you use the most. About the Demo, it is not available yet, but it will be as usual in a couple of weeks.

Best regards,
GN

[rasmusklump]

"as usual" ?
Usual is a couple of months....

[pixel85]

I'm Cubase user for many years but I see one thing that I don't like for some time now. Like this 'new revolutionary mastering suite' which is just collection of previously released plugins, just in new GUI. It's exactly the same like Channel Strip in Cubase: previously created plugins set in channel strip with less control. I hope Steinberg will invest in new create staff to develop new plugin effects because actually it's pathetic strategy of inventing wheel again and again.
I'm on Wavelab 4 and I'm using free alternatives now instead of upgrading. New design looks interesting but all this 'revolutionary' stuff is just marketing

[chk071]

"as usual" ?
Usual is a couple of months....

A couple of months are a couple of weeks.

[Compyfox]

"as usual" ?
Usual is a couple of months....

That has indeed become a severe problem with Steinberg.

Once more the question: If the download for the image is the same, but only the license declares if it's a demo or not... why can't Steinberg issue demo licenses on day one? I really don't understand this. Neither the offset (v .0 up to 4 months delayed, v.5 between 2 weeks and up to 2 months delayed).

Fear of Cubase getting cracked?
And here I thought the eLicenser hasn't been a victim in years.

To me this looks more like a quick money grab and drowning out the criticism during the launch days. Because those that got review copies definitely do not criticize issues. That's up to the users - only to be ultimately smacked down by the userbase "we don't have this issue. Why didn't you wait for the demo?! It's your own fault- shut up".

Not okay IMO.

I just bought the Elements upgrade. I like the look of it, much improved but it would be nice if WaveLab shared the plug-in manager Code with Cubase Pro... I have spent a lot of time making settings for my plugins and it is fantastic in Cubase... If Wavelab could see them it would be ideal.

Actually... additional to that feature request - did Wavelab not get a "search plugin" feature?

If so... man... that's the main issue I have with it - searching for hours what tool I need. I'm so used to "Plugin Search" from other hosts so every time I sit in front of Wavelab I'm like "wait... where was this thing again?!".

I'm on Wavelab 4 and I'm using free alternatives now instead of upgrading. New design looks interesting but all this 'revolutionary' stuff is just marketing

As somebody that is with WL since v3, I can say that it's definitely not marketing.

Wavelab 8 alone has tools from other developers where you'd pay hundreds for it. Examples?
- iZotope MBit+ as upgrade to the Apogee Dither
- MultiRendering on Export incl. HD-AAC (Fraunhofer ProCodec in a "configured" version, from WL8.5+)
- Sonnox Noise Reduction (granted, LE versions but still)
- EBU R-128 Metering, Loudness Normalization and Analysis (initially cost hundreds with tc.electronic or Nugen Audio)
- (unsure on this, as I think WL accesses my Cubase plugin folder) Voxengo CurveEQ

And that is just on the "plugin" side.



Recent Wavelabs also massively improved on CD rendering. Including native DDP export (no expensive extra tool needed either), the capability to (finally) mix/match SRC's and Bitrates in a montage, no forcing to use a specific CD/DVD/BD burner for printing to CD.

The Batch Processor was enhanced/simplified, WL8.x saw "monitor presets" to switch between outputs (and I hope this found it's way into WL9 - loading custom VST Plugins on that slot), WL6 got the K-System metering (finally fixed if I may add), WL7 got VST3 support, and there are still a sh*tload of more improvements that I can't even list since they're such a normal workflow these days.

And now we see the SoX Sample Rate Converter that is the "upgrade" to the shipped Crystal Resampler (not a command line tool anymore, which improves things DRASTICALLY, I've yet to see if there was a Batch Process Module)


Yes, you may loose out on the MP3pro CODEC, yes you may loose out on a more lightweight host compared to modern day graphic fests (but you're stuck with 32bit - which is, you hate to admit, slowly dying out). But even if Wavelab is still buggy here and there - it's definitely day and night from WL4 to WL8 and up.

For the money you'd invest for upgrading, you wouldn't even get half of the plugin suites mentioned above (the Fraunhofer ProCodec alone is 450EUR/street - and you need an iLok2 on top of that).



Just my humble opinion as longtime Steinberg user...
YMMV of course.

[chk071]

I don't quite see the connection between not releasing a demo and "fearing to be cracked". Unless crackers remove the demo restrictions, which in this case would be a full license on the eLicenser, i don't think it has anything to do with it.

[Compyfox]

Then my question remains - why the holdup?

Don't tell me issuing demo keys is such a big deal. Because if it is... then why does it work for .5 versions within 2 months (record was less than 1.5months with C8.5 - still a bit much IMO of other devs issue demo licenses on launch day), while .0's take up to 4,5 months?

This doesn't make any sense at all.

[chk071]

I don't know, i can only think that it's a strategic decision too. Maybe they sell more copies in the first time after release like that. Actually i would think people who shell out a couple of hundreds for Wavelab should know what they want to do with it anyway, and surely know what they are paying for. But, no idea.

[SJ_Digriz]

As a daily Cubase user and a sporadic Wavelab user, I find the new interface worth the upgrade price all by itself. However, I also use Visual Studio and MS Office pretty much every day as well. So, the "Revolutionary new user interface" is what I've been using every day for over 10 years now in other applications. Which makes it very comfortable. I just don't grok how it is revolutionary. Anyhow, the W8 docking system was a nightmare, at least for this non-daily user. I'd fumble around trying to figure out how I accomplished something 4 or 5 months ago. The project setup makes WAY more sense to me now.

The new master plugin thing is pretty cool. Batch setup is easier/faster/clearer. So yeah, I like the upgrade a lot.

[Compyfox]

SJ:
I'm not on WL9 yet (waiting a couple of days for early adopters and their reports) - and since Guillermo Navarrete is still ignoring me (which is actually a nice joke after what he pulled with calling me a "Warez User") - can you confirm that the SoX Resampler is listed in the batch processor as module?

If so, that would be a huge improvement and an essential tool to use.
I recently reached my limits with AudioMove (it randomly refused to convert 96/32 files)

[SJ_Digriz]

I'll check later and let you know

[robotmonkey]

Neither am I interested in a DAW that doesn't evnen alow me to pick and windows theme I like.

THIS! I have not touched Cubase for a long time but when I recently tried it again the first thing I noticed was that it won't run with Windows Classic theme. I was like WTF!? This seems like such a stupid and arbitrary restriction and really made Cubase look like a product of really incompetent programming. And that was the end of it. Maybe I'll try Cubase again in a couple of years.

[SJ_Digriz]

I recently tried it again the first thing I noticed was that it won't run with Windows Classic theme.

That's like putting fake fur covers on your Ferrari hand crafted leather seats.