Business Software

When we think of office software, the first thought that pops into mind is work. But take a look at your average day, how many times do you check your email, open attachments, address household budgeting, schedule meetings with friends and colleagues or look up a phone number on your computer at home? Chances are that you do a lot of work on your “office” software while you’re away from the office.

Word processors, spreadsheet editors, presentation software and other productivity tools are the pen and paper of the modern age. We use office software to make our lives easier, even if it often feels like it makes it more complicated. But just think back to the days of balancing a checkbook manually, using White Out on a typewritten draft or firing up a transparency projector. Office software does make our lives easier, if not less stressful.

With a home office software suite, everyone in the family can get work done, plan around obligations and keep organized. Students can email homework assignments directly to their instructors. You can keep tabs on your spending with a spreadsheet budget. Afterhours work and school assignments often come in the form of a PowerPoint presentation.

Whether we like it or not, office software is the shared language of the information age. From our iPhones to our netbooks, office software comprises the core tools we use to create and share information.

MIDI Software has existed for more than 20 years. During this time it has evolved from expensive, limited programs accessible only to big-spending producers with a great deal of hardware, to its readily-available, feature-rich form today. MIDI Software has enabled unsigned and unheralded artists to record, edit and transform one-way MIDI messages into clear, replicable messages that could integrate and even automate various hardware, computer and instrumental components.

There is often a great deal of confusion over MIDI “event messages” and commonly-used audio file formats. MIDI does not, in the literal sense, transmit audio media. Rather, it communicates the “event messages,” which are commands to alter pitch, tempo, volume, vibrato, clock signals and other values and cues that construct the parameters through which audio files and media are filtered. MIDI also differs from traditional audio file formats in the sense that it is much smaller in data size, existing as imperative data rather than compressed or uncompressed audio waveforms.

While MIDI’s roots began on the stage with its quick adoption by performance artists with a sizable synthesizer rack, it has since evolved to find use among both producers and composers. While most MIDI software programs are oriented towards the former, several MIDI software programs, including SmartScore X MIDI Edition, have special features to annotate, modify and integrate traditional notation and scoring features within a software-based, MIDI-intensive environment.

With MIDI Software, producers and composers can expedite compositional and sequencing efforts and expedite the recording process with automated parameter modulation and instrumental cues. Composers can compose entire scores in standard notation or tablature and even print lead sheets with lyrics and instrumental cues for use in an orchestral or symphonic environment. Artists and DJs, who were among the first to take advantage of MIDI, have at their disposal a tool capable of reproducing on stage what could previously only be considered in the studio or executed with a vast array of instruments or with using the difficult “Control Voltage” sequencing.

Just as each tool in your toolbox is suited to a different task; MP3 encoding software comes in different shapes and sizes to suit what you want to do with your audio collection. With all these options in mind, these are the criteria we developed to test these MP3 converters. The best software programs are powerful enough to convert a wide array of audio files. They allow you to manipulate these files to best suit your needs in a manner that is easy to follow and replicate.

Features
The most basic programs will switch your MP3 to WAV and WAV to MP3. Things get more complex when you add batch conversion, simultaneously converting multiple file types, audio players and bitrates. Each file output has different attributes that can be manipulated to affect the size of the end file and its audio quality. The level at which you can manipulate your end files was also considered. Some software can be integrated into other programs and be used as an audio conversion engine within a greater context. Others will delete the source files, eradicating unnecessary duplication. Others show the songs’ identifying information such as artist, album and track tile. Going further, other programs allow you to alter this information, alter the way it appears or even have the software go and retrieve it for you from Internet databases. The programs were judged on all of these factors. How much does each program do, and how well does it do it.

Input
While considering what each program can do, it was a must to take into account which files could be used with the program. While all of the products will work with MP3, what about the other audio file types out there? Will your program be able to extract audio from a video file? Will you be able to import your actual CD collection with this program? Or can you simply add a playlist you created with your audio player? The breadth of files supported ranged from simply MP3 and WAV files to 48; it’s clear that this is an important facet to consider.

Ease of Use
Now that we have ascertained what files can be used, and what we can do with these files, it’s important to understand how easily these programs facilitate the process, from start to finish. How easy is it to find the file or folders you want to convert? Does the encoder guide you through the process? How easy is it to understand what you are manipulating and what effect it will have on the final sound of the file? Could your grandmother use this program? What good is a program that supports hundreds of file types and can do wondrous things if you don’t know how to make it work?

Help & Support
Now that we know how easy it is to use these programs in their ultimate capacity, what happens if you hit a snag? Each and every program has a help function, but what does each program do to make their users feel secure if something should go wrong. How much do the developers stand behind their products and their services? Is it easy to get a hold of the support staff, or do you have to hunt high and low for a measly email address?

Once you assemble all these variables, you end up with a nice program that makes all your audio files work for you. This program will be transparent in its use and features, while providing a user-support system should you run into problems. The best programs make the entire process a breeze, even fun, while the most basic simply allow you to convert some files alone in a vacuum.