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Test Bench: Magix Samplitude V8 Classic Audio Editing Software

Sampling Sound

If you're in the market for a Windows digital audio workstation, there aren't too many choices these days; Adobe, Avid and Sony have most of the media editing locked up. There are some freeware and shareware alternatives, but none claim the kind of stability and support offered by the big boys. Let me suggest another name to add to your shopping list: Samplitude. Distributed these days by Magix, Samplitude is a mature audio platform with history and a track record -- it's just been flying under the radar for a few years. Some high-end mastering and production houses have adopted it as their platform of choice, so it must be worth a look.

Ugly Duckling

Let me just get this out of the way up front: Samplitude V8 Classic doesn't install, upgrade, look, feel or act like any media production software you've ever used... period. Nevertheless, it is a highly capable, professional package that can accomplish virtually any audio task you throw at it. We installed Samplitude on a 3GHz P4 with 1GB RAM and dual-head graphics -- nothing fancy, but more than the recommended minimum system. Installation time was short, but got stuck on our first try. The second attempt worked fine. Samplitude uses a security system in the form of a USB key containing your authorization information known as a dongle. The key must be installed before you launch the program and an Internet connection is required for first-time activation. After that, you can use the software without being online, but you'll have to keep the dongle attached to your system. We know Avid Xpress Pro and a few other programs still use these but, frankly, they are a major turn-off in our book.

Software registration isn't exactly straightforward either. There were some hoops to jump through but, ultimately our registration failed because the software directed us to a non-existent web page. Then, we discovered that we could "register" Samplitude online by filling out a form and waiting for an email. You must register Samplitude to be eligible for updates and patches, but don't expect the ubiquitous update wizard -- you'll have to go to the Samplitude website and download and install them you…