The Bottom Line
At $129, Bias' Peak LE Version 5 (for Mac OS X) is a powerhouse software application; with up to 24 bit, 96khz recording, mastering, and editing capabilities, this software package has everything the home recordist and concert taper needs for basic audio editing.
Pros
- Great Bundled Plug-Ins
- Virtual Instrument & MIDI Support
- 24 bit / 96khz Recording & Editing Support (With Compatable Hardware)
Cons
- Limited Simultaneous Plug-In Use
- Unable To Export Regions (For Track Seperation Of Live Recordings)
- Multi-Window Handling Could Be Better
Description
- Up to 24 Bit, 96 Khz recording & playback.
- Compatability with mp3, mp4 (AAC), Quicktime, AIFF, Sound Designer, WAV, and other file formats.
- MIDI Capable
- Many bundled plug-ins for a variety of purposes.
- $129 price tag makes high-quality, professional editing tools available on a home-recordist budget.
Guide Review - Bias Peak LE 5
Bias has released Version 6 of Bias Peak; stay tuned for a review!
Aside from your multitrack recording software, the most important piece of software to have is a basic editor for editing your mixed stereo recordings. Bias' Peak LE Version 5 (for Mac OS X) is a very powerful software application that has capabilities to do simple editing and mastering to a variety of audio file formats (including mp3, aiff, and Sound Designer II (SDII)).
Keep in mind that this is only for editing mono and stereo audio files; Peak doesn't have any multitrack capabilities.
An intuitive interface is the first thing you'll notice; editing is simple, and the large, zoomable workspace screen makes it easy to see what you're doing. My only complaint on the interface is that using multipe windows is awkward at times.
Recording with Peak is a breeze; I ran a recording for over 2 hours with no hiccups, and it saved quickly and perfectly.
For the most basic mastering needs, Peak LE 5 is perfect. Making fades in and out at the start and end of the file, normalizing (increasing the loudness of the overall file to match the volume of it's highest point), and equalizing (with the built-in Bias FREQ plug-in) are all done with great ease, and on my MacBook, processing was very quick.
For those converting tapes or vinyl to CD, Peak LE 5 is a perfect choice. Among the features is the ability to automatically detect and split tracks from a long file, allowing you to go straight to your iPod or CD (which you can burn direct from Peak, too!)
Aside from your multitrack recording software, the most important piece of software to have is a basic editor for editing your mixed stereo recordings. Bias' Peak LE Version 5 (for Mac OS X) is a very powerful software application that has capabilities to do simple editing and mastering to a variety of audio file formats (including mp3, aiff, and Sound Designer II (SDII)).
Keep in mind that this is only for editing mono and stereo audio files; Peak doesn't have any multitrack capabilities.
An intuitive interface is the first thing you'll notice; editing is simple, and the large, zoomable workspace screen makes it easy to see what you're doing. My only complaint on the interface is that using multipe windows is awkward at times.
Recording with Peak is a breeze; I ran a recording for over 2 hours with no hiccups, and it saved quickly and perfectly.
For the most basic mastering needs, Peak LE 5 is perfect. Making fades in and out at the start and end of the file, normalizing (increasing the loudness of the overall file to match the volume of it's highest point), and equalizing (with the built-in Bias FREQ plug-in) are all done with great ease, and on my MacBook, processing was very quick.
For those converting tapes or vinyl to CD, Peak LE 5 is a perfect choice. Among the features is the ability to automatically detect and split tracks from a long file, allowing you to go straight to your iPod or CD (which you can burn direct from Peak, too!)