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Awave Studio is a multipurpose audio tool that reads a veritable host of audio carrying file formats from different platforms, synthesizers, and trackers. It can be used in a variety of ways: as an audio file format converter, an audio editor, an audio and MIDI player, and, last but not least, a wavetable synthesizer instrument editor and converter.
Here are just a few examples of possible uses:
Do you have a strange audio file that you want to use but can’t figure out how to convert it into any sensible format that can be used by the programs you need? Maybe you even have a large number of files that you need to convert or process in some way. Chances are good that Awave Studio can help you.
Are you a composer? Have you ever wanted to take advantage of all those free instruments floating around the web but found it impossible to get them in a format suitable for your synthesizer? Awave Studio reads the instrument formats of most (if not all) commercial synthesizers and sound cards and can also write a fair number of them. It also supports both SDS and SMDI, so you can send samples over MIDI or (really fast) over SCSI using these standard protocols.
Have you ever wanted to play a standard MIDI file song that comes with an “instrument bank” that was created for another wavetable sound card than yours? Awave Studio can make not only high quality conversions between most of the major sound cards; it can also load both the MIDI song and the instruments and play it directly for you.
And that’s not the end of it—it can even write the song to a WAV file on disk for you (which you could later convert to MP3 format and distribute on the web).
Do you need a simple audio editor? You can do such things as resampling, fading in and out, maximizing amplitude, applying effects, and more.
Do you need an instrument editor for your wavetable sound card? Or are you not satisfied with the one you have? It provides full support for all of the features (in fact, a superset) of both the new DownLoadable Sounds level 2 standard and the SoundFont 2.0 standard. You can also customize it for use as an editor for many other formats as well.
Awave Studio can read almost any imaginable audio or instrument file format—over 200 of them in fact. It can also write to about 100 of them.
This program does so many different things.
It can do conversions from about 200 audio-related file formats that it can read (no kidding—you read that right—200 formats) into any of the 100 or so audio file formats that it can write. No other software even comes close to such a wide format support.
It can do quality conversion between the instruments formats most common to PC synthesizer sound cards. Some examples: SB AWE32, SB Live!, all Vortex II-based cards, TB Pinnacle, TB Maui, AVM Apex, Gravis UltraSound, and UltraSound PnP.
It can convert MIDI (and similar) song data between several formats and package MIDI songs together with custom instruments in a single file (e.g., you can convert MOD-tracker modules into MIDI-format accompanied by custom instruments). Or why not convert melodies between different mobile phone ring signal formats?
It can read and write instrument formats for many commercial synthesizers and hardware modules, as well as many popular software synths, including formats from Ensoniq, Akai, Korg, Kurzweil, Roland, Yamaha, Native Instruments, Creamware, and many more.
It can send or receive waveforms to professional synthesizers using standard SDS transfers over MIDI or really fast SMDI transfers over SCSI.
A Batch Conversion Wizard makes converting large numbers of audio files extremely simple (and with optional effects processing).
The Audio Processing Wizard lets you accomplish many common editing tasks, like resampling, fading, cutting and pasting, merging and combining waveforms, and more. DirectShow audio effect filters (aka DirectX plug-ins) are also supported, opening up a whole world of third-party effect processing modules. It can work on multiple waveforms at once just as easily as on a single.
A nice example of a use for the Audio Processing Wizard is the “cross-fade loop” function. Using this, you no longer have to search in vain for that elusive optimal loop point. Just select a likely portion of the waveform and cross-fade it and voilá—you have a good-sounding loop.
The Instrument Processing Wizard helps you in many ways to avoid having to manually do repetitive editing tasks on multiple instruments. The MIDI Processing Wizard gives you tools for doing things like transposing notes or changing the tick rate.
It is a fully featured DLS level 1, DLS level 2, and SoundFont 2.1 wavetable instrument editor. But you can also use it as an editor for many other instrument formats. For some, it is the only PC editor. You can customize the editing user interface for your particular soundcard by using the parameter set feature. Predefined sets for common synthesizer soundcards are available.
It has an easy to use and understand two “panes” layout: a hierarchical instrument “tree” to the left and waveforms to the right.
Graphical editors are available for instrument parameters (e.g., the much applauded loop editor lets you easily find the best loops—refined to perfection based on feedback from our users).
Play MIDI files with custom instruments using the MIDI Player. Works on any computer with a basic sound card and DirectX 7 or later; you don’t have to have a sound card with a fancy MIDI synth. And MIDI songs are guaranteed to sound exactly the same on all computers since it uses Microsoft DirectMusic technology and DLS synthesis (DX 8 required for DLS level 2).
Record your MIDI songs (with or without custom instruments) to a WAV file on disk using the software synthesizer, an all-digital process. This is great if you later want to convert it to MP3 format.
Audition your instruments directly using any of the several natively supported synthesizers (including DirectMusic and the Microsoft software synthesizer or the simpler internal sound mixer). Use the PC keyboard or an external MIDI keyboard to play. Or use the Audio Player (with real-time oscilloscope or frequency analyzer display) to play back audio files; it’s even integrated into the Windows shell so that you can play files with a click of the right mouse button.
Record new waveforms using the Waveform Recording Wizard.
OK, that was a long list, so what doesn’t it do? Well, just to clear up a few common questions: It does not convert WAV to MIDI, it isn’t a MIDI editor/sequencer either, and it won’t perform any acts of black magic. Also, it does not handle really huge audio files (those that are too large to fit in memory), and 16-bit PCM mono/stereo is the internal precision used. But check out our Awave software if you need something to convert stuff (e.g., huge 24-bit multichannel recordings). If you are still unsure that it will do what you want, why not download and try the free 30-day trial shareware version?
So, finally, how does it stack up against competing products?
Awave Studio has now been close to ten years in the making. If you do a point-by-point comparison with other conversion software, you will find that:
It is more versatile (e.g., it not only converts files, but it also has editing features, it can do batch conversions, it can play songs, etc.).
It supports a lot more file formats.
It usually does a better job by converting more paramaters and translating them more accurately.
It has a competitive price.
Of course, all other programs are not bad, but the amount of parameters supported and converted do vary somewhat from file format to file format. So if you are unsure, download the 30-day free trial version from the web site and compare for yourself. With this you can try almost all functionality. But there are certain limitations; as an example, you can try out SMDI transfers by sending from a synth to the program but not the other way around. You can save to all supported file formats, but you can only save once before having to restart the program. While you can save individual instruments, you can’t save a whole loaded bank of instruments. Limiting and frustrating when doing some real work for sure, it should be enough to try the quality of conversions fully. It is, after all, a trial version and 30 days of free full use.
Awave Studio is shareware; it is not free. This means that if you like the program and decide to use it past the 30-day trial period, you must register (i.e., buy it). There are also a number of incentives for registering it:
Removes nag screens and other annoying reminders
Removes save limit
Enables some locked features—copy/paste, saving “bank files,” and “batch convert”
You will receive word about updates and new releases (requires e-mail).
The price is $119.95
What you get:
You get a One Person—One Computer license, valid for the current program version.
You are sent a personal registration code that unlocks the shareware version, turning it into the full registered version.
Note that the license is personal and may not be transferred to another person or institution, and it allows you to have it installed on no more than one computer at a time.
Awave Studio support can be reached at awave@fmjsoft.com.
Awave Studio can Read (R) and/or Write (W) the following file formats:
Ext. | R/W | Format |
669 | R | 669 tracker module |
AIFC | R | Compressed audio interchange file format |
AIFF | R+W | Audio interchange file format |
AIS | R | Velvet Studio Instruments |
AKP | R+W | Akai S5000/S6000 program file |
ALAW | R+W | European telephony format audio |
AMS | R | Extreme’s Tracker module format |
AMS | R | Velvet Studio Module |
APEX | R+W | AVM Sample Studio bank file |
ARL | R+W | Aureal sound bank format |
ASE | R | Velvet Studio Sample |
AU | R+W | Sun/NeXT/DEC audio file |
AVI | R | MS audio video interleave file |
AVR | R | Audio Visual Research sound file |
C01 | R | Typhoon wave files |
CDR | R | Raw Audio-CD data |
DCM | R | DCM module format |
DEWF | R | Macintosh SoundCap/SoundEdit recorded instrument format |
DIG | R | Digilink format |
DIG | R | Sound Designer I audio file |
DLP | R | DirectMusic Producer DLS file |
DLS | R+W | DownLoadable Sounds level 1 |
DLS | R+W | DownLoadable Sounds level 2 |
DMF | R | Delusion/XTracker digital music file format |
DSF | R | Delusion/XTracker digital sample file format |
DSM | R | Digital Sound Module tracker format |
DSS | R @ | Olympus DSS file |
DTM | R | DigiTrekker module |
DWD | R+W | DiamondWare digitized file |
EDA | R | Ensoniq ASR disk image |
EDE | R | Ensoniq EPS disk image |
EDK | R | Ensoniq KT disk image |
EDQ | R | Ensoniq SQ1/SQ2/KS32 disk image |
EDS | R | Ensoniq SQ80 disk image |
EDV | R | Ensoniq VFX-SD disk image |
EFA | R | Ensoniq ASR file |
EFE | R+W | Ensoniq EPS file—should work with all EPS-family! |
EFK | R | Ensoniq KT file |
EFQ | R | Ensoniq SQ1/SQ2/KS32 file |
EFS | R | Ensoniq SQ80 file |
EFV | R | Ensoniq VFX-SD file |
EMB | R | Everest embedded bank file |
EMD | R | ABT extended module |
EMY | R+W | EMelody Ericsson mobile phone ring-tone format |
ESPS | R | ESPS audio files |
EUI | R | Ensoniq EPS family compact disk image |
F2R | R | Farandoyle linear module format |
F3R | R | Farandoyle blocked linear module format |
F32 | R | Raw 32bit IEEE floating point values |
F64 | R | Raw 64bit IEEE floating point values |
FAR | R | Farandoyle tracker module |
FFF | R+W | GUS PnP bank file format |
FNK | R | FunkTracker module format |
FSM | R | Farandoyle sample format |
FZB | R+W | Casio FZ-1 bank dump |
FZF | R+W | Casio FZ-1 full dump |
FZV | R+W | Casio FZ-1 voice dump |
G721 | R+W | Raw CCITT G.721 4-bit ADPCM format data |
G723 | R+W | Raw CCITT G.723 3- or 5-bit ADPCM format data |
G726 | R+W | Raw CCITT G.726 2-, 3-, 4- or 5-bit ADPCM format data |
GDM | R | Bells, whistles, and sound boards module format |
GI! | R | GigaStudio/GigaSampler split files |
GIG | R+W | GigaStudio/GigaSampler files |
GKH | R | Ensoniq EPS family disk image file |
GSM | R+W | Raw GSM 6.10 audio stream |
GSM | R+W | Raw “byte aligned” GSM 6.10 audio stream |
GSM | R+W | US Robotics voice modems GSM w.o. header/VoiceGuide/RapidComm |
GSM | R+W | US Robotics voice modems GSM w. header/ QuickLink |
HCOM | R | Sound Tools HCOM format |
IFF | R+W | Interchange file format |
IMY | R+W | iMelody mobile phone ring-tone format |
INI | R | MWave DSP synth’s mwsynth.ini GM-setup |
INI | R+W | Gravis UltraSound bank setup |
INRS | R | INRS-Telecommunications audio |
INS | W | Cakewalk Instrument definition file |
INS | R | Ensoniq EPS family instrument |
INS | R+W | Sample Cell/II Mac instrument |
INS | R+W | Sample Cell/II PC instrument |
IST | R | Digitrakker instrument file |
IT | R | Impulse Tracker module |
ITI | R+W | Impulse Tracker instrument |
ITS | R+W | Impulse Tracker sample |
K25 | R | Kurzweil K2500 file (Note: KRZ is W also) |
K26 | R | Kurzweil K2600 file (Note: KRZ is W also) |
KIT | R+W | Native Instruments Battery drum kit file |
KFT | R | Kort T-series image file |
KMP | R+W | Korg Triton keymap file |
KMP | R+W | Korg Trinity keymap file |
KR1 | R | Kurzweil K2000/K2500/K2600 split file |
KRZ | R+W | Kurzweil K2000 file (Note: Also works with K2500/K2600) |
KSC | R+W | Korg Triton script file |
KSC | R+W | Korg Trinity script file |
KSF | R+W | Korg Triton sample file |
KSF | R+W | Korg Trinity sample file |
MAP | R+W | Native Instruments Reaktor format |
MAT | R+W | Matlab variables binary file |
MAUD | R | MAUD sample format |
MDL | R | Digitrakker module |
MED | R | OctaMED tracker module |
MID | R+W | Standard MIDI file |
MLD | R | MFi/MFi2—melody format for i-Mode (aka i-Melody) |
MLS | R | Miles Sound Tools “compressed DLS” |
MMF | R | SMAF songs—synthetic music mobile application format |
MOD | R | Amiga and PC tracker module |
MOV | R | Apple QuickTime audio |
MP1 | R | MPEG audio stream, layer I |
MP2 | R+W % | MPEG audio stream, layer II |
MP3 | R+W * | MPEG audio stream, layer III |
MPA | R | MPEG audio stream, layer I, II, or III |
MPEG | R | MPEG 1 system stream |
MPG | R | MPEG 1 system stream |
MSS | R+W | Miles Sound System DLS 1 + XMI file |
MTM | R | MultiTracker module |
MUS | R | Doom/Heretic music file |
MUS10 | R | Mus10 audio |
MWS | W | MWave DSP synth’s instrument extract |
NIST | R | NIST Sphere audio |
NVF | R+W | Creative Nomand voice file |
O01 | R | Typhoon voice file |
OGG | R+W ! | Vorbis Ogg stream |
OKT | R | Oktalyzer tracker module |
P | R+W | Akai S1000/S1100/S01 program |
P | R+W | Akai S3000/S3200/S2000/S2800 program |
PAC | R | SB Studio II package |
PAF | R+W | Ensoniq PARIS audio file |
PAT | R+W | Advanced Gravis Ultrasound/Forte tech. Patch |
PBF | R+W | Turtle Beach Pinnacle bank file |
PCG | R+W | Korg Triton bank file |
PCG | R+W | Korg Trinity bank file |
PCM | R | OKI MSM6376 synth chip PCM format |
PGM | R+W | AKAI MPC-2000/2000XL drum set file |
PGM | R+W | AKAI MPC-3000 drum set file |
PLM | R | DisorderTracker2 module |
PLS | R | DisorderTracker2 sample |
PRG | R+W | WAVmaker program |
PSB | R | Pinnacle sound bank |
PSION | R | PSION a-law audio |
PSM | R | Protracker studio module format |
PTM | R | Poly Tracker module |
RA | W # | RealAudio audio file |
RAW | R | Raw signed PCM data |
RIF | R | Rapidcom Voice/Quicklink Rockwell ADPCM files |
RMI | R+W | RIFF-MIDI file (with or without embedded DLS) |
Rockwell | R+W | Rockwell 2-, 3-, 4-bit ADPCM format |
S | R+W | Akai S1000/S1100 sample |
S | R+W | Akai S3000/S3200/S2000/S2800/S01 sample |
S3I | R+W | Scream tracker v3 instrument |
S3M | R | Scream tracker v3 module |
SAM | R | Signed 8-bit sample data |
SB | R+W | Raw signed byte (8-bit) data |
SBK | R+W | Emu SoundFont v1.x file |
SD | R+W | Sound Designer I audio |
SC2 | R | Sample Cell/II PC instrument (also W as .INS) |
SD2 | R+W | Sound Designer II flattened file |
SD2 | R+W | Sound Designer II data fork |
SDK | R | Roland S-series floppy disk image |
SDS | R+W | Raw MIDI sample dump standard file |
SDW | R | Raw signed DWord (32-bit) data |
SDX | R | MIDI sample dump standard files as compacted by SDX |
SEQ | R+W | Sony PlayStation MIDI sequence |
SF | R+W | MTU/IRCAM SoundFile format |
SF2 | R+W | Emu SoundFont v2.1 file |
SFARK | R | Melody Machine compressed soundfont |
SFD | R | SoundStage sound file data |
SFI | R | SoundStage sound file info |
SFR | R | Sonic Foundry sample resource |
SMD | R | SmdEd/J-Phone mobile songs |
SMP | R | Avalon sample file |
SMP | R | Ad Lib gold sample |
SMP | R+W | Samplevision format |
SND | R | Raw unsigned PCM data (Also W as .UB) |
SND | R+W | AKAI MPC-60/2000/2000XL/3000 series samples |
SNDR | R | Sounder sound file |
SNDT | R | Sndtool sound file |
SOU | R | SB Studio II sound |
SPD | R | Speach data file |
SPL | R | Digitrakker sample |
SPPACK | R+W | SPPack sound sample |
STM | R | Scream tracker v2 module |
STS | R+W | Creamware STS-series sampler program |
SVX | R | Interchange file format, 8SVX/16SV |
SW | R+W | Raw signed word (16-bit) data |
SYW | R+W | Yamaha SY-series wave files (really named W??) |
TXT | W | ASCII text parameter description |
TXT | R+W | ASCII text formatted audio data |
TXT | R+W | RTTTL/NokRing mobile phone ring-tone format |
TXW | R+W | Yamaha TX16W wave files (really named .W??) |
UB | R+W | Raw unsigned byte (8-bit) data |
UDW | R | Raw unsigned DWord (32-bit) data |
ULAW | R+W | US telephony format (CCITT G.711) audio |
ULT | R | UltraTracker modules |
UNI | R | MikMod “UniMod” format |
UW | R+W | Raw unsigned word (16-bit) data |
UWF | R | UltraTracker wave file |
V8 | R | Covox 8-bit audio (also W as .UB) |
VAB | R+W | Sony PlayStation/PS2 bank file |
VAG | R+W | Sony PlayStation/PS2 wave file |
VAP | R+W | Annotated speech file |
VOC | R+W | Creative Labs sound |
VOX | R+W | Dialogic 4-bit ADPCM |
VOX | R | Talking Technology Incorporated file |
VSB | R+W | Virtual sampler bank file |
W?? | R+W | Yamaha TX16W waveform (also see TXW) |
W?? | R+W | Yamaha SY-series waveform (also see SYW) |
W64 | R+W | Sonic Foundry Wave-64 format |
WAV | R+W | MS Windows PCM wave |
WA! | R+W | GigaSampler/GigaStudio compressed wave file |
WFB | R+W | Turtle Beach WaveFront bank (Maui/Rio/Monterey) |
WFD | R+W | Turtle Beach WaveFront drum set (Maui/Rio/ |
Monterey) | ||
WFP | R+W | Turtle Beach WaveFront program (Maui/Rio/ |
Monterey) | ||
WMA | R+W = | Windows media audio |
XI | R+W | Fast Tracker 2 instrument |
XM | R | Fast Tracker 2 extended module |
XMI | R+W | Miles Sound System extended MIDI file |
* R Unrecognized formats prompts user to supply basic info
@ DSS decoding requires Olympus DSS Player v3.x.
% MP2 encoding requires a free third-party DLL (TooLame.dll).
* MP3 encoding requires a free third-party DLL (Lame_enc.dll).
! OGG encoding and decoding requires free external DLLs.
# RA encoding requires free external DLLs from RealNetworks.
= WMA encoding and decoding requires free external DLL
(wmaudsdk.dll).
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