WavePad

A simple editor for music, voice and speech

Published by NCH Software, WavePad edits music, voice and other sound on both Windows and Mac. The publisher describes it as a package for home users and for professionals, offering a plain way to work on audio without a steep learning curve.

Cutting, copying and pasting recordings

The basic work is cutting, copying and pasting parts of a recording. Once a section is arranged, users can add effects such as echo, amplification and noise reduction. The editor also records audio directly, so a session can start from a fresh recording rather than an existing file. Its aim is to be intuitive, which is why the publisher stresses ease of use alongside the range of tools.

Format support and MP3 editing

WavePad supports a wide range of audio formats, and the publisher presents it as a professional MP3 editor. Users can open and save many of the common formats, so files from other sources can be worked on in the same program. This makes it practical for people who collect audio from several places and need a single tool to tidy it up.

Ringtones and effects

The program can be used to create ringtones from existing audio. The same effect tools that clean up a recording can shape a short clip for a phone or other device. The focus is on sound rather than video, so the tool suits people who need to clean up a voice recording, adjust a piece of music or prepare a short sound file for a specific use.

Part of the NCH product range

WavePad sits within a wider set of NCH applications. The publisher's site lists MixPad for audio mixing, Express Burn for burning CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs, Switch for converting audio files and SoundTap for recording streaming audio. Other products in the range cover video editing and conversion, photo editing and image conversion, PDF tools, diagrams, invoicing and file compression. People who need several of these tasks can download the tools from the same publisher, with versions for Windows and Mac.

Who it is for

The publisher describes WavePad as the powerhouse of sound editing software for Windows and Mac, and it recommends it among its audio editing products. It is aimed at people who want a practical editor for their own recordings, whether those are music, speech or other audio, and who prefer a single program that covers the core editing tasks without a steep learning curve.