The frequencies are displayed logically: the lower frequencies at the bottom of the spectrogram, the higher frequencies at the top. Personally, I prefer the colorized version because, for me, it's easier to read: it ranges from black/ purple for minimum intensity to red for maximum. This opens a colorized or monochrome spectrogram (your choice, via the "Spectrum Options" menu, activated by clicking on the downward pointing black arrow at the bottom right of the screen!). To access this powerful editor, click on the "Spectrum selection" icon at the top of the screen. The time and frequency resolution will be displayed in the lower right part of the menu. "Resolution" selects the size of the frequency analysis but be warned: the higher the value, the more frequencies will be analyzed but the results will be less accurate in the time domain. "Audio gain for analysis" is my favorite option because it allows you to, non-destructively, boost the gain to find low-level artifacts you may want to remove. With "Range", any dB level below what you pick will not be displayed, which allows you to concentrate on the more audible dB areas. And, frequently, the higher frequencies contain the useful coloration you will want to manipulate.
However, the manual suggests using the "linear mode" instead because higher frequencies are better displayed over a larger region. "Logarithmic frequency scale" displays each octave of the frequency-range equally spaced vertically.
"Style" allows you to choose between a monochrome or colorized representation. Within the Spectrum option, you are offered a number of choices. It is not meant to replace these but to give an exacting form of editing that uses very powerful filters for creative SFX. It is important because it approaches editing waveforms in a new way that is an important addition to the conventional editing approaches. The SPECTRUM EDITOR is a very exacting and finite editor for manipulating short events within the frequency and time domain.
Therefore, I will concentrate on the most notable features that I was able to test and that I found significant. I would have to write an entire book in order to cover all of them. Steinberg claims that there are over 120 new features in Wavelab 6.0. I and others have reviewed previous versions of Wavelab so I won't repeat what has already been described, except where it intertwines with the new features.Įven without skimming the manuals, the GUI was very familiar and it is largely based on the same familiar conventional recorder transport controls from previous versions.
Both manuals are clearly written and both contain helpful hints to help you start using this powerful program ASAP. If you are a previous Wavelab user, however, you will recognize most of the GUIs and various drop-down menus and the new features will be very easy to master.
If you're new to Wavelab, or this kind of software in general, you would probably benefit from skimming through the printed/ online manual to give you a better idea of how to "connect the dots". When the program is running, all you need to do is to click on the "Help/ Operation" drop-down menu and you will access the online '.pdf' version of the manual that contains even more pages of information: 818 pages, excluding the index! But, these manuals are well written and very easy to understand. If you're a first-time user, be warned: the manual is a whopping 756 pages long…excluding the index! However, don't become overwhelmed! In my case, getting started was about giving the printed manual a quick look. Just follow the online prompts and, within a couple of minutes, this massive program is loaded and ready to go. Wavelab 6.0 installed without any problems as have all the previous versions I have used.