Review- Fleximusic Wave Editor
Audio,MP3, and wave file editor
When I was approached to do a review of the new Fleximusic Wave Editor I was hesitant. There are dozens of versions of audio, MP3, and wave editing software available for download, so what could Fleximusic possibly have to offer that isn't already available somewhere else? With that in mind I spent a few days kicking the tires on Fleximusic's wave editing software package and can now say that, like music, Fleximusic has a variety of highs and lows.
The installation and setup of the Fleximusic Wave Editing Software is very simple and easy to complete. Upon starting the program for the first time you are asked to choose from a variety of color schemes and then are presented with a fairly standard editing window with a large amount of workspace. The interface for selecting and editing audio is also fairly standard and easy to get used to. One distraction tends to be the large amount of buttons lining the top and bottom of the editing window. On a seventeen inch monitor they tend to be rather small, and I also determined that most of these buttons are duplicated in pull-down menus. Luckily it is an easy task to minimize these extra objects, giving the interface a bit less clutter.
For my first project I opened an MP3 file of a recent concert band rehearsal. Using the tools in the pull down menus I was easily able to compress the audio, remove noise, and perform other standard audio mastering operations. The options seem to be written more for experienced audio enthusiasts than the common layperson, and I would personally prefer to see optional sliders rather than having to type in numbers to adjust the settings. The effects and editing capabilities of the software, however, are first rate. Changes are made quickly and are always undo-able. The interface also offers the user the ability to step back to previous selections, allowing you to easily reselect audio segments that you accidentally clicked out of. Fleximusic also has the ability to scan and remove silence from the start and end of and audio file that you are working on. A simple yet handy addition that any busy musician would appreciate.
For all of its benefits, Fleximusic does have a few quirks that should be addressed. Primary among these issues is the lack of basic keystroke based copy and paste. Control-C and Control-V do not work in Fleximusic, you must instead select these options from a pull-down menu. Another issue is that the "change speed" option also alters the pitch of the music. Most hardware and software based audio editing programs are able to slow down music without changing the pitch, but I was unable to figure out how to do this during my testing. Lastly, you must download additional software if you want to edit MP3 files or rip the audio from a CD. Fleximusic does however provide quick and free access to these additional programs, but I wish they had been bundled with the software to begin with.
At the modest price of twenty dollars, Fleximusic Wave Editor is still a good deal, and the support options should you have problems are very good and fairly fast via email. You can try the full version for seven days. After seven days the saving of edited files is locked out. Fleximusic ranks up there with the bigger names in audio editing, and does the job well. Fleximusic Wave Editor and other related audio editing products are available for download at http://www.fleximusic.com.
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