Good Times / Bad Times – A Tale of two recording softwares – Tuesday VO Studio Tech Tip

A Tale of Two Software Updates: Twisted Wave and Audacity

Two software updates appeared recently. One unveiled new features which functioned as they should and will likely improve efficiency in countless voiceover production workflows. The other changed core tools with little advanced warning, breaking established automations and causing panic, frustration, and extra effort to correct.

There’s a reason that “Rule 1” in any voiceover recording studio continues to be “Don’t be an early adopter!” If a production studio works reliably, then there’s simply no compelling reason to upgrade any of the software that it relies upon every day. The corollary of that rule is especially important: “Don’t change anything when you have a project underway.”

It’s easy to engage in an errant click of the mouse, simply selecting “Update” in a small popup window. But that can have significant effects which might stop your workflow cold. When you see that tantalizing (or annoying) enticement, take a breath, step away from the computer, and keep your hands away from the mouse. If projects are underway or you don’t feel there’s an extra few hours (or days) in your immediate schedule to untangle potential problems, let others go first.

In my case, I have a non-mission-critical computer that can test an update. It’s often possible to rename the existing version of the application so that it doesn’t get overwritten by the new one. Fortunately, in the case of the Audacity issue outlined below, there is a verified repository of previous versions available so you can “roll back.” Not all software developers react to reported bugs as quickly as Thomas from Twisted Wave, so it’s important to have a fallback strategy if things stop working. 

Good Times: Twisted Wave v 30 brings new features

In the case of Twisted Wave, Thomas put out a survey several months ago in which he asked users to share their wishlist. Many users submitted multiple ideas which he took under advisement. Version 30 of Twisted Wave added a dozen new features (and it has been followed up with a few minor bug fixes). I’ve been experimenting with new functionality could help my workflow and already found four that just made me smile

Twisted Wave v 30 – Four New Favorites

There’s now a “History” window that can be viewed next to any active audio file, showing every processing step and command that you have done in sequential order. The History window then lets you step back immediately to any prior state in the opened file, simply by clicking on one of the previous steps. It’s essentially a list of everything in the Undo window, but lets you immediately jump to a specific point in your process. I particularly like it so that I can remember if I ran Mouth DeClick before sending a file off.

The “Save As” dialog allows you to choose what file formats appear in the list. This simplification is great for any of us who basically use one of two options. There’s an easily accessible menu where you can check everything you want to appear. I immediately reduced my options to WAV and MP3, which covers my needs completely. (Though there is that one client who wants FLAC files… but as much as I appreciate the nostalgia, I’m unlikely to need to provide a Sound Designer II file.)

“Find Peak” now shows the measured value for the wave, which is an elegant addition to this tool. Just one of those things that suddenly removes the need to write something down.

For anyone who uses the robust and powerful Batch Processor, it now gives a “Processing Complete” message when done. Previously, there had always been that moment of trepidation when I’d close the Batch Processing window.

Bad Times: Audacity Version 3.6.x Rewrites Compressor and Limiter – Breaks Macros

If you are using Audacity as your recording app, the most recent update to version 3.6.x could break functionality in your processing workflow. The Audacity developers have rewritten the native Compressor and Limiter in the app, which means that any macros that rely upon them will not work in the new version.

(Note – if you are using third-party Compressors or Limiters, such as the Melda Productions or Loudmax Effects, this should not affect your workflow).

If you have any work in progress, stick with the version you are currently using. When you open any earlier version of Audacity, you’ll see a splash welcome pop-up encouraging you to install the update. You do not have to do this, and can actually click the box to prevent the pop-up from appearing.

If you already downloaded the new version and accidentally overwrote your working version, you can download and reinstall earlier versions from fosshub – https://www.fosshub.com/Audacity-old.html

One other trick is to rename any current version before you download a new version. You will need to be out of the application to do this, but adding a “v3p5” or any additional text to the application name will maintain the current one when the new one installs.

Have you tested your studio’s audio quality to make sure it meets professional standards? For a free review of your vocal recordings, please use the upload tool on my Audio Review page.

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