Podcast Station Reviewer's Comments
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Stop looking, this is it – Podcast Station. Even pros might want to drop their expensive and complicated program for this podcasting software, it is easy to use, yet goes over the top in providing powerful podcast production tools. Podcast Station, by Audion Laboratories fades out the competition and takes our “TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award.”
There are no limitations to this software; it has 30 on–screen deck buttons and 70 on–screen cart buttons available, automatic gain controls, auto cross fades, looping, auto segue and much more. It offers a high level of control through four level controls, cross fade controls between each deck button, timeline editing and unlimited undo and redo.
For publishing it has an RSS publisher/editor with iTunes and ID3 tag support, an ftp file manager and it works with most formats, including aiff, wav, wma and mp3s. And for the cherry on top, it has more effects than any other software we reviewed.
Podcast Station Screenshots. Click to Enlarge
Recording/ Importing:
With this software you can easily record and import from any source. You can capture audio from a CD, from a microphone or pull sound from an auxiliary device. You can also easily import audio files in a variety of formats including Apple’s aiff and Microsoft’s wma.
To make your recordings sound professional, it has recording level controls, cross fade controls and automatic gain controls. We tested the automatic gain controls and the results were remarkable, they can make anyone sound like a practiced radio personality and it could definitely improve interviews.
Editing:
For the price, this software is highly functional and we think that most podcasters will not grow out of this program; it performs all basic edits and more. Podcast Station has a timeline, waveform view that makes it easy to listen to specific segments, zoom in or cut unwanted segments. The deck and cart buttons make recording unique segments, even live segments, fun and easy. You can program jingles, sound effects, interview clips or even full songs into the cart buttons and they automatically re–cue so you can use them again. In addition, there is no file size limit to either the deck or cart buttons.
This program can easily change formats or mix formats (for example the cart buttons do not have to have the same original format to work together). Cropping segments is simply a highlight and click maneuver and it has advanced tools like voice slip, scrubbing, markers, channel volume controls and a VU meter.
In terms of effects it has more than any other program we reviewed including fades, reverse, change rate or tempo, mute, noise reduction, change pitch and it even has a “bleep” effect, so you can “bleep out” profanity before publishing. Its advanced effects include compression, distortion, echo, flanging, parametric equalization and two kinds of reverberation.
Publishing:
Publishing podcasts is easy with this program; it has a publication wizard that is compatible with all popular tag types. Of course it can help you formulate the xml snippets that RSS feeds use and you can store your RSS files, so you can have a different file for every publication or use parts of a previous one for succeeding posts.
You can publish in most popular formats including iTunes compatible podcasts and wma, mp3 and wav. In addition, you can adjust the bitrate.
Ease of Use:
Unlike most programs, this software offers everything through one screen, so navigation is easy and confusion is minimal. It even offers an on–screen “remote” for common edits with corresponding keyboard input ability.
We found this program easy to use, considering how many things it does, but it does take some time to learn what everything does.
Help/Support:
Audion Laboratories posts a user guide online as well as FAQs and tutorials or you can contact them by email.
Summary:
We really liked this program and can’t think of a single reason why we would recommend another podcasting program above this one.
©2008 TopTenREVIEWS, Inc.
