Steinberg today announced the immediate availability of WaveLab Pro 9.5 and WaveLab Elements 9.5.
The new "point" updates of WaveLab focus on spectral editing, offering an overhauled Spectogram with many additional display settings that give a meticulous attention to frequency detail. Both Pro and Elements introduce RestoreRig, a new plug-in suite that boasts three modules: the DeNoiser, DeBuzzer and DeClicker. With its restoration toolset, RestoreRig detects and removes unwanted noise and audio artifacts in real time.
New spectral features exclusive to WaveLab Pro 9.5 include the brand-new Wavelet display that analyzes and displays musical content based on pitch scaling. The Spectrum Editor comes with many new selection tools, such as Lasso, Brush and Magic Wand, as well as additional processing capabilities the likes of spectral watermarking. Another highlight is the implementation of the Audio Inpainting technology into WaveLab, allowing users to remove unwanted noise from any audio material and then filling in the omission by analyzing the adjacent spectral information. The Error Correction toolset has been given some attention, making them overall easier accessible, while the included Live Spectrogram meter delivers real-time spectral information during playback and recording.
Alongside the many newly introduced spectral editing tools, WaveLab Pro 9.5 also offers an array of many more, very powerful plug-ins, either new or enhanced. WaveLab's mastering plug-in suite, MasterRig, has been improved so as to include brand-new algorithms and other functionality, whereas the Tube Compressor, Vintage Compressor, Maximizer, AutoPan and several other plug-ins have been redesigned from the ground up. Two new Batch Processor plug-ins round out the extensive list of audio editing tools: the Audio Mixer inserts an audio file, e.g., a user's individual audio watermark, into another audio file at defined intervals, ideal for creating demo versions of your audio publications; Delay Next Process Activation postpones processing when processes are triggered consecutively.
Both Pro and Elements versions have implemented support for the Apple Touch Bar, and also offer high DPI compatibility, making WaveLab look smooth on today's high-resolution displays. User-requested enhancements and additions include the MP3 Gapless option, Bleep Censor Generator, iXML track name support and much more.
The new DDP Player complements the features introduced in WaveLab Pro 9.5 nicely. It is a standalone application with a separate installer that imports and plays back DDP images, allowing mastering studio clients to listen to the final version ready for publication.
Timo Wildenhain, senior marketing manager at Steinberg, commented: "Over two decades WaveLab has been committed to helping users maximize the full potential of their audio recordings. Now with WaveLab 9.5, we've gone the extra mile to provide dedicated tools for that extra bit of audio refinement, and consequently WaveLab delivers the best possible sound quality."
Key features of WaveLab Pro 9.5:
- Audio editing and mastering solution with up to 384 kHz sample rate support.
- Intuitive user interface based on a ribbon and tab layout with an innovative window docking system.
- State-of-the-art spectral editing functionality including a modern Spectrogram with a Wavelet display, a cutting-edge Spectrum Editor and a live Spectrogram meter.
- Patent-pending Audio Inpainting technology to recreate and/or replace corrupt audio material by logically using the spectral information of the surrounding area.
- Full M/S compatibility provides comprehensive M/S audio editing, processing and monitoring.
- MasterRig high-end mastering plug-in suite including 6 modules, 8 instances and full M/S support.
- Advanced EBU R128-compliant loudness metering, including loudness graph, loudness meta normalizing and true peak support.
- RestoreRig restoration plug-in suite including DeClicker, DeCrackler, DePopper, DeNoiser and DeBuzzer.
- Project Manager and customizable naming scheme.
- Direct exchange of audio files with Cubase and Nuendo.
Key features of WaveLab Elements 9.5:
- Audio editing and mastering application based on the professional WaveLab Pro version with loudspeaker management, batch conversion capabilities and top-end restoration tools.
- Modern Spectrogram offering a customizable view, color schemes with presets, display settings and more.
- RestoreRig plug-in suite including a DeClicker, DeCrackler, DePopper, DeNoiser and DeBuzzer.
- MasterRig high-end mastering plug-in suite consisting of 5 plug-in modules, including EQ, Dynamics and Saturator.
- Global audio analysis providing a comprehensive analysis of your audio material.
- Batch conversion allowing for converting multiple audio files at ones.
- Enhanced audio analysis and error correction functions perfectly suited to improve your audio.
- Professional mixing/editing capabilities such as track and output effects to achieve the best results when polishing your audio files.
- CD burning engine for transferring your creative ideas to CD.
- Extended file and metadata support, including MP2, SD2, AAC write support.
Availability and pricing
Full retail versions of WaveLab Pro 9.5 and WaveLab Elements 9.5 are available from resellers and through the Steinberg Online Shop. The suggested retail price for WaveLab Pro 9.5 is 579 euros, including German VAT, while the suggested retail price for WaveLab Elements 9.5 is set at 99.99 euros, including German VAT.
Various downloadable updates and upgrades are exclusively available through the Steinberg Online Shop.
Customers who have activated WaveLab 7/8/8.5/Pro 9 and WaveLab Elements 7/8/9 since September 26, 2017, are eligible for free, downloadable Grace Period updates to the latest versions, respectively.