BarbaBatch 2.3 

from Pro Audio Review April 1998 by Frank Beacham
 

When Waves released its WaveConvert Pro audio batch processor last year, it left out support in the Macintosh version for RealAudio 5.0.  This is an important omission because it deprives Mac users of the excellent ACELP.net codec from Sipro Lab Telecom that boosts RealAudio's quality from 4 to 8 Kover 28.8 modems.

Now, a Waves competitor - Audio Ease- has filled that void with a new version of BarbaBatch, a batch audio converter that allows Mac users to save files directly to the RealAudio 5.0 formats.  Finally, with BarbaBatch 2.3, Mac users needing to process large numbers of RealAudio files can move them with ease to the latest codecs. We know of no other product on the market that can do this.

However, this excellent Mac application doesn't stop with RealAudio.  The new version also includes support for MPEG 1 (layer I & II), AIFC IMA 1:4, Ensoniq PARIS and four Dialogic telephony formats (vox) as well as 24-and 32 bit Sound Designer, AIFF, WAVE and NeXT/Sun A-law files.  In fact, it now supports virtually every digital audio file type currently available.

BarbaBatch 2.3, with a list price of $395, can convert any number of files into one or more file formats in a single pass with conversion settings that include normalization, look-ahead peak limiting, dithering, fade in and fade out.  It can handle sample rate conversion from 1 to 100kHz and is AppleScriptable, allowing unattended, automatic scheduling of conversions.  It can also use any Pro Tools II and Audio Media II cards on 68K Macs.

I was especially impressed with clean, intuitive user interface of BarbaBatch.  Divided logically into three functions, the GUI has input, conversion and output sections.  It leads the user through the entire setup process in a very logical way.  The excellent documentation is full of useful information and leads even the most novice operator to successful results.

Also, what began as a snafu led me to gain a healthy respect for the people behind BarbaBatch, the Netherlands-based Audio Ease and its U.S.distributor, MacSourcery in Escondido, Calif.  Only days after the release of BarbaBatch version 2.2 and upon learning that the software developers kit provided by RealNetworks to them had omitted the RealAudio 5.0 codecs, Audio Ease and MacSourcery went into quick action. In less than a week they released a beta version of BarbaBatch with the latest codecs (version 2.3, expected to be available by the time you read this) This kind of decisive response is rare from a software developer in these days when Mac Users have come to expect second class treatment.

For more information on BarbaBatch, contact MacSourcery at 800-622-7723 or visit http://www.macsourcery.com; or circle Reader Service

(reprinted with permission © copyright 1998 Frank Beacham)