by
Carmel LernerDecember 26, 1998
The rather bland choice of audio from your PC, creations such as low quality *.wav files and midi formats, aren't very admirable, usable nor enjoyable. With the creation of the MP3 though, computer audio has taken on a whole new light. With the ability to create, mix, and convert sounds from endless sources including the handy microphone and the common CD-ROM, into small yet powerful files which hold beautiful, CD-quality sound to be heard anywhere, anytime. From the beginning, one name has stood out as the definitive program for the playback of these MP3 files: Winamp by Nullsoft, Inc.
Quick and Easy
Once downloaded, the gleefully small setup file takes nothing more than a double click to
get started . . . and finished. Within another two or three clicks of the mouse the
program is in and you're taken directly to the setup of the program (if the program is
being run for the first time) or straight to the main window (if upgraded).
The choices you have are endless! You can easily change a wide range of setting for audio quality, memory use, and CPU usage to suite your needs and your PC's capabilities. The setting may seem difficult, but they aren't really intended for an amateur, but rather for the professional who knows exactly what everything means. The difference they make is barely noticeable, and not being too quick on the controls of the setup won't leave you hanging and in distress!
The only way is Forward!
The Winamp series started about a year ago. Since then there have been upgraded and new
versions almost monthly. Most of them were simply filled with bugfixes, but some beheld
superior attractions like the skins feature, around Winamp 1.6. A few short
months ago the long-awaited Winamp 2.05 was released, which possessed an infinite list of
features, options and personalization control. Since then a few other versions have been
released and the program is now standing at Winamp 2.5.
Lets get Personal
The relatively small window seems rather dull and innocent at first But a surprise
came about around Winamp 1.6 as mentioned before - skins.
As expected these are various designs which fit the interface to change how it looks. Since the introduction of skins there has been an uproar in the world of creativity with introduction of some 10,000 skins. Most of which fall under certain categories such as Games, Movies, Celebrities, Hi-Fi Lookalikes, Beers and Cars, but some are to be admired simply for their elegance or abstract beauty. Skins can be found at various websites, and every one I've seen is free. A quick download and extraction, and then choosing the skin can really add fun funk to the program.
The skin-producing community was slowing down until Winamp 2.05 which allowed skins to be made to playlists and equalizers.
Enough jargon. What do all these fancy names mean?
The program is equipped with diverse features, each with its own purpose and brilliance.
Starting off is the playlist. This is simply a list of songs which you add. You can add as
many songs as you want, and from anywhere including your hard-drive or a CD. As the list
is coded as plain text of the location of the songs, a list with 200 songs which you
strenuously sorted to perfection will only accumulate about 10kb of space.
The equalizer is just like that of a hi-fi. If you know your way around the controls, change the settings to perfect the way sounds sound. If you don't, play around and have fun and pretty soon you'll know what each bar represents and and what each barchanges. The equalizer is not a toy though. Once mastered you can unlock the ability to hear songs the way you want to depending on the music or audio genre, speed, and other contributing factors.
Winamp is not called the definitive audio player for nothing. It doesn't only support MP3 playback as one might expect. It's also capable of playing a huge list of other popular audio formats including wav, voc, x3m, and the mpeg series.
The final, and my favorite highlight, is plugins. As expected these are add-ons which perform certain functions.
The slick analyzer which is built into Winamp allowing visuals such as spectrum analyzers and oscilloscopes may not be enough to satisfy the graphic junkies. One type of plugin is the visual plugin which analyzes and reacts to the music much like the common hi-fi graphic equalizer. The list is endless as to the amount of different visualizations created. There are plugins ranging from Bart Simpson skating to the beat of a song . . .
. . . to a baby or softdrink-can dancing to some rhythm . . .
. . . all the way to a plane undulating to the tune of a classic.
Most are simple and fun but some are extremely complex yet bemusing and may have certain requirements such as specificc programs or graphics cards. Some are small and attached to the Winamp window such as unique analyzers or life-like speakers, some rely on a separate windows, while some are used fullscreen.
General purpose plugins are for general ease-of-use of Winamp and control of playback. These just make it easier and more efficient to run Winamp such as docking a minimized tray of controls onto the current window or to free some space while still maintaining full control. Other plugins are made for specific criteria such as one enabling Winamp to be controlled via a joystick, or being able to play the same file synchronously on a network for a real spacious sound.
DSP plugins are for the processing of sound. This is obviously to change the way things sound.
Although there aren't many, most of these plugins are just for fun and aren't intended for professional utilization. These include pitch and tempo controls, and one which creates an ancient vinyl-type effect.
Conclusion
When it comes to audio, many programs are way too large and ugly for everyday use. They
take up too much space both on your hard drive and on your screen, and offer nothing more
than simple playback. Winamp is beautiful in appearance, size, usability and
personalization allowing for maximum enjoyment. Plugins provide hours of gambol and
provide spectacular decorations for your desktop. Winamp
has a 14-day free trial period. Registration is only $10 USA.
A Best-of-the Beat, no other audio program even comes close to this one. I give Winamp five out of five Go Inside Review Lights.
Copyright © 1998 by Carmel Lerner
"Go Inside" is a David Boles Trademark