Requirements:

• G4, G5, or Intel-based Mac (>400MHz processor recommended)
• Mac OS X v. 10.4.3 or higher — including Leopard (contact BIAS for compatibility with earlier versions of Mac OS X)
• Minimum 1024 x 768 screen resolution
• 256 MB RAM (512 MB or more recommended)
• 330 MB available free disk space
• 18 ms hard drive (average seek time) or faster
• QuickTime 6.0 or later
• Support for third-party audio hardware may require compatible Core Audio drivers

CUSTOMIZING YOUR PREFERENCES

Let's take a look at some of the most useful features and see how they might help your audio workflow. The first thing that you'll notice is a different look from the old version. The interface defaults to a sleek, glossy black screen, but using the Preferences menu, you can easily change the scheme with the Colors button.

There are many ways to customize how Peak operates, from how the audio auditions to which shortcuts you would like to use on which keys.

IN THE LOOP

One of the most daunting tasks in audio production is making sound loops. This is a area where Peak Pro 6 really excells. Peak is a extremely powerful tool for for creating perfect audio loops and will save you hours of frustration and countless headaches. Just choose the audio you'd like to work with. Next, highlight the selected section and select ‘Loop this Selection' from the Action menu (Action > Loop this Selection). You'll see a marker at the beginning of the loop and one at the end, and by pressing the spacebar... you're in business. A nice touch is that while the loop is playing, you can drag the markers in real time and Peak will adjust accordingly.

Once you've found a loop that works, choose ‘Select Loop' from the Edit window and then ‘New Region' from the Action menu. You can then name the region and set aside for later use.

There's also a cool feature in Peak 6 called Loop Surfer. By placing your cursor where you want the loop to start and selecting ‘Loop Surfer' in the Action menu.

By choosing the tempo, the bars and beats, and meter, then choosing Start Surfing, it will close the dialog box and extend the selection from the cursor to the calculated point. If you don't know the tempo, you can even use the Guess Tempo feature under the Action menu.

By selecting a portion of audio and then choosing Guess Tempo, Peak will calculate them tempo then offer you a dialog box to ‘Loop it'. After you select ‘Loop it", the Loop Surfer will appear with the newly calculated tempo already entered in. A great feature for making loops with live drum mixes where you're not working with a click track.

Another useful looping function is the Loop Tuner (DSP > Loop Tuner). Using the scroll bars and zoom magnifier at the bottom, you can easily find a smooth crossfade point in real time and create a seamless loop.

PODCAST PRODUCTION

While most users rely on Peak for loop editing and master disc preparation, Peak Pro 6 can also be used to create and publish podcasts. Once a podcast has been assembled, you can then either post a new podcast or add an episode to an existing one.

As you can see, there is plenty of information to enter including Episode Information, Publisher information and info for iTunes extensions. Once you click the ‘Publish' button, you're published!

If you want to add a new episode to an existing one, simply uncheck the ‘New Podcast RSS' checkbox on the Publish Podcast screen. You will then be prompted to locate a local copy of the podcast's RSS feed. Peak will let you know that you're writing over the original RSS feed, then it will have you open an application such as NewsFire and navigate to the podcast in your library. Then just click the refresh button to download the new episode.

NEW FEATURES

Some of the other new features in Peak 6 are the ability to export Playlists (groups of songs that usually comprise a full CD or collection) directly to iTunes. There's a New Playlist option for creating and editing cross-fades, either as an Album/Song Compilation or as a Classical/Take – where the edits between takes are seamless.

There's also new Horizontal zoom buttons, metadata editing in MP3, FLAC, AIFF, WAVE/Broadcast WAVE files, support for Frontier Design's Tranzport, Voiceover Ducking for automatically lowering background audio under the voiceover and finally, customizable volume envelopes.

Peak 6 Pro volume envelopes

Aside of the features mentioned above, there are many other small touches which let you know the people who make the program use the program. There's even a “Recover Audio File" tool included, which lets you attempt recovering audio data in a damaged file. As the manual notes, there are a few pieces of information Peak needs to try this – sample rate and bit depth, byte order and audio data location. If the tool finds sectors that are corrupt in your media, it will write over them as silence in the new audio file.

THE BEST NEW FEATURES IN VERSION 6 Customizable volume envelopes. Playlist export directly to iTunes. Classical/Take editing mode option. Voiceover Ducking. Ability to create and publish Podcasts. Cool new look. The ability to customize key commands. MP3 exporting. Keyless authorization.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, Peak Pro 6 is a total winner. Whether you're a musician, composer, sound designer, audio editor, podcast/multimedia producer, or mastering engineer, you will find Peak Pro feature rich, yet flexible and friendly.

I like the fact that they include a 368-page printed manual and that authorization is ‘keyless', using the BIAS Authorization Manager. Certainly, it's all about the program itself, and Peak manages to offer a huge amount of flexibility and functionality without overcomplicating itself.

Peak Pro 6 runs at an MSRP of $599, but an XT 6 version is available for $1199, that includes Peak Pro 6, SoundSoap & SoundSoap Pro (for cleaning up audio) and a fully loaded Master Perfection Suite (plus DDP 2.0 Export). New purchasers and select upgrade's (see website for specifics) also get the Peak Pro Production Pack, which includes things such as SoundSoap LE, Reveal LE, WireTap Pro (Ambrosia) for capturing internet or computer audio, AMG's ‘ONE' software sample player, audio loops from PowerFX and even production elements from Sound Ideas. You defenitly get the biggest bang for your buck with Peak Pro 6.

This item is available for purchase from Amazon.com BIAS, Inc., a privately held corporation based in Petaluma, California, is an established leader in cutting-edge audio software technology. BIAS' award-winning product line — which currently includes Peak Pro XT, Peak Pro, Peak LE, Deck, Deck LE, Master Perfection Suite, SoundSoap, and SoundSoap Pro — can be heard on numerous hit recordings, Hollywood and independent feature films, television productions, websites, video games, and other productions. For more information, check out: http://www.bias-inc.com/ Rating: Requirements: see above Manufacturer: Bias