Version 6.0 build 96 of the PolderbitS Sound Recorder and Editor
is now available for download.
If you already own a license for an older version or build number, you can upgrade to
version 6.0 build 96.
Your Access key also activates version 6.0 build 96.
If you don't have a license yet, you can evaluate version 6.0 for free for a period of two weeks, even if
you have installed an older version or build before and its trial time has expired in the
mean time.
You can view your currently installed program version and
build number, by clicking on the little blue Info button in the Sound Recorder or Sound Editor window.
If the little blue Info button is not available, then you have a version older than 1.6
installed.
Version 6.0. Initial release date: December 1, 2007. What is new in version 6.0:
Improved sound source selection in Windows Vista, as well as on other systems having more than one sound card.
Monitoring option while recording, for sound sources or USB devices having no direct speaker connection.
... because we listen to our users in our effort to make the best possible product!
Version history:
Version 5.0. Initial release date: April 24, 2006. What is new in version 5.0:
Faster and more stable than ever.
The Editor window can now be enlarged by dragging at either of the 4 window edges and the edit-point controls are now slightly larger than before.
New automatic track splitter options in the Editor:
You can now determine the length of silence in between tracks to search for and the (background-)analysis of the recording now only starts when the track splitter windows is first opened.
The option to split tracks in the middle of detected silences, or split tracks on the start and end of sound plus an optional fade-in and out.
Split a recording in equally sized tracks.
Split a recording in a given amount of tracks.
Separate left and right channel Wave view in the Editor (through the right-click menu of the Wave view).
The Recorder now displays the percentage of the recording volume setting and warns about saturation when the volume is too high.
The Recording Timer window now has the option to automatically save a timed recording and then exit the Recorder.
New Recorder command-line options for scheduled recording.
Click on Help in the Recording Timer window for the details.
Setting the recording volume with the keyboard up/down keys now uses finer steps.
A new recording that is not yet edited, but directly saved as an uncompressed WAV sound file, is now saved almost instantly when being saved in a folder that resides on the same disk the temporary recording is stored in.
The possibility to Select/Deselect All, or to invert the selection of tracks in the the Save Tracks window of the Editor.
The Editor now remembers the last save-as-type and sound quality for existing recordings you opened for editing.
An ID3V1 mp3-tag is now included in mp3 files when saving multiple tracks, using the given Track and Album name.
Hitting the spacebar to restart recording did not work after a recording was discarded.
To avoid feed-back, the Recorder does not touch speaker volume or muting anymore when the Microphone sound source is selected (to avoid possible feed-back).
If the once selected sound mixer to record from is no longer available, the Recorder now tells you about it instead of silently selecting whatever sound mixer is still present.
In case you reduce the Windows desktop size, both the Recorder and Editor windows now make sure to remain visible.
The Wave view in the Editor would sometimes show red-colored garbage if the "Show removed clicks in red" option was ticked in the Click filter before the Advanced section was closed.
When defining a new Cut-Start point in the Editor, the Cut-End point is now always set a bit ahead initially.
When playback stops at the end of a track in the Editor, clicking on Play again now commences at the start of next track instead of first silently crossing the space in between the tracks.
On the day of switching to or from Daylight Savings Time, the duration set in the Recording Timer now doesn't jump off by one hour anymore.
The Recorder now warns if Skype is running, and opts to close it to stop it from interfering with sound source selections.
Setup now places the Recorder and Editor desktop shortcut icons on the desktop of all user accounts that are used in Windows.
Setup now creates the Program Menu entries on Windows 98 correctly.
Build 94. Release date: December 11, 2006.
The following has changed in build 94 of version 5.0:
Ready for Windows Vista.
A new Help file format that also works on Windows Vista.
Using the Tab key to walk through the tracks list in the Save As window of the Editor, now scrolls invisible tracks into view.
The * and ? characters are now also not allowed in track names, being invalid characters file names.
A combined length of Album and Track name that is longer than 128 characters, is now handled correctly and no longer creates sound files without any name.
Build 93. Release date: May 13, 2006.
The following is fixed in build 93 of version 5.0:
When splitting a Telephone sound quality recording into tracks, the Editor does not close with a fatal error anymore.
The option to save mp3 sound files using the mp3(*.wav) Microsoft sound file format, is re-introduced.
When browsing for a folder, the folder tree now expands to the last selected folder.
When recording from a Microphone sound source, the Recorder now has the option to switch the speakers on or off.
When saving an uncompressed WAV sound file as compressed MP3, or vice-versa, the Editor Save window now proposes the same name as the opened sound file.
When saving a new recording, the Editor now correctly proposes the same sound quality to save the recording with.
Build 92. Initial release of version 5.0: April 24, 2006.
Version 4.0. Initial release date: December 3, 2004. This has been new in version 4.0:
A Click and Crackle filter for cleaning vinyl records
A Noise filter for cassette tape recordings
An Equalizer to enhance the sound quality for all recordings
Build 90. Release date: June 14, 2005.
The following is fixed in build 90 of version 4.0:
Saving recordings in the Editor could crash and close the Editor.
This is due to misbehaving codecs that are installed by certain Ulead products such as Ulead VideoStudio. The mere presence of these Ulead codecs on your system would cause this problem and this is now circumvented in the Editor.
Changing the file type in the Editor Save window would replace the file name with the selected sound quality.
This problem is now fixed.
The playback position in the wave view of the Editor could be set off to the left when one of the filters was switched on.
This problem is now fixed.
Builds 88 and 89 were never released to the public.
Build 87. Release date: April 2, 2005.
The following has changed in build 87 of version 4.0:
On Windows 98 systems, the Wave view in the Editor would not paint correctly.
This problem is now fixed.
Build 86. Release date: March 18, 2005.
The following has changed in build 86 of version 4.0:
Clicking on "Ask all questions again" in the Recorder Info window caused the Recorder to crash.
This problem is now fixed.
Using the filters on DVD-Mono sound quality recordings caused the Editor to crash.
This problem is now fixed.
Sometimes saving an uncompressed WAV file would truncate the output to a random length.
This problem is now fixed.
Some sound cards have a hardware design fault that can cause the entire system to stop responding when recording from certain sound sources.
The Recorder now warns you when this happens and mentions possible causes and solutions.
The Recorder now shows additional controls for the selected sound source when available on your sound card, like "Microphone boost" or "Monitor" for example.
The master volume sliders in the equalizer were also effective when the noise filter was switched on, even when equalizer was not switched on.
This problem is now fixed.
We changed the look of the Help button to stand-out more clearly and also included help buttons in each filter tab to directly jump to the help topic of those filters.
The Editor window now automatically moves up when it doesn't fit on screen after opening the Advanced section.
When saving a recording as mp3 the Editor did not always release all memory it used, which could result in running out of memory after extensive use.
Mp3 files that are too large to open in one piece, can now be opened in parts in the Editor.
Sound file names that are too long to fit in the Editor frame, are now truncated with ellipsis to better help identify the file you opened.
The playback cursor and edit-point markers would sometimes not show up or leave traces of themselves in the Editor window.
This problem is now fixed.
Build 85 was never released to the public.
Build 84. Initial release of version 4.0: December 3, 2004.
Version 3.0. Initial release date: June 30, 2003.
This has been new in version 3.0:
Full built-in support, making use of licensed Fraunhofer/Thomson
coding technology
The Editor now "remembers" the sound file format (WAV or mp3) you last used to
save a new recording
Some minor problems that were identified in build 67 of version 2.0, have now been fixed
Upon frequent request, we have put the Dutch windmill in the info box as well
Build 76. Release date: June 25, 2004. The following has been included in build 76 of version 3.0:
Ready for Windows XP Service Pack 2.
New icons for both the Recorder and Editor.
Easier sound quality selection in the Editor Save window, including user-defined defaults for mp3 sound qualities.
The PC speakers are no longer muted when the Sound Recorder is started, on systems with sound cards having surround sound speaker connections.
Fixed a crashing problem after intense use of Cut points in the Editor.
The recording peak-meters sometimes stopped responding when the recording timer was set.
The recording timer can now be stopped more easily once a timed recording is in progress.
The Recorder now performs a signal check on the selected sound source. If no signal seems to be coming in, the Recorder warns you about it after 10-60 seconds.
Build 75 was never released to the public.
Build 74. Release date: March 11, 2004. The following has been included in build 74 of version 3.0:
Build 72. Release date: September 19, 2003. The following has been included in build 72 of version 3.0:
On certain computers with a sound card having a digital input sound source like SPDIF or
I2S, the entire system would become unresponsive until you connect a digital sound source
to that input. Other than providing a signal to the digital input, a power-down and
restart of the computer was the only way out of this situation.
With build 72 this problem can now be circumvented.
Some questions and messages now have the option "Do not show this message
anymore".
Build 71 was never released to the public.
Version 2.0. Initial release date: December 30, 2001. What has been new in version 2.0:
mp3 support, making use of external codecs.
Recording sound quality selection, other than Compact disc stereo.
The ability to save existing recordings in sound formats and qualities
other than Compact disc stereo.
Cutting out fragments of sound from within the middle of a track.
More control over track naming and numbering.
The ability to reset a new recording.
The ability to determine the location of temporary (recording) files.
And more than can be mentioned here...
Build 67. Release date: February 24,
2003. The following problem is fixed in build 67 of version 2.0:
Build 66 would not install on all versions of Windows NT.
Build 66. Release date: February 22, 2003. The following is new or fixed in build 66 of version 2.0:
Smaller download size.
Larger dropdown menu's.
New trial screens.
Extended help.
On some systems the edit-point controls in the Sound Editor were moving from one side to
the other too slow, when the next track came into view during playback. This problem is
now fixed.
Build 65 was never released to the public.
Build 64. Release date: July 15, 2002. The following problems are fixed in build 64 of version 2.0:
Certain mp3 files that were cut out of a larger mp3 file (using mal-functioning mp3
cutting tools), could not be opened in the editor. (Mal-functioning mp3 cutting tools will
cut an mp3 file in the middle of an mp3 frame, resulting in incomplete mp3 data and lost
fragments of sound)
On certain systems (primarily with Windows XP), you could not select the right sound
sources in the Sound Recorder. Instead of the regular sound sources like Line-In
or Microphone, it would only present Wave, or Hall, Statium and Pub
for example.
Build 63. Release date: July 4, 2002. The following problems are fixed in build 63 of version 2.0:
mp3 files that contain interruptions in the mp3 data-stream, could not be opened in the
editor at all, or only partially.
The timer would not start recording at the set time, if the sound source or recording
quality was changed after the timer had been set.
Build 62 was never released to the public.
Build 61. Release date: May 3, 2002. The following problem is fixed in build 61 of version 2.0:
In some circumstances, the Sound Editor would exit with a fatal application error,
after saving a new recording as mp3.
Build 60. Release date: April 28, 2002. The following problems have been fixed in build 60 of version 2.0:
With some sound system configurations, error codes 18-1024 and 24-1024 would be
reported.
In case writing to disk fails, a more informative error message about the source of the
problem will now be reported.
Multi-track mp3 files could not always be opened and edited beyond the first track in
the mp3 sound file.
Sound source selection and volume control would sometimes not work on single-channel
sound mixers, like digital microphone mixers.
Saving mp3 files now has less impact on the response-time of your system.
Build 59 was never released to the public.
Build 58. Release date: February 10, 2002. The following problems have been fixed in build 58 of version 2.0:
On systems with more than one sound mixer installed, the Sound Recorder or Sound Editor
could use the wrong mixer, after you checked "Don't ask again and use this mixer from
now on".
When recording from an Internet broadcast or other streaming sound source with a
particular sound quality, the Sound Recorder will now automatically detect the required
recording quality.
Build 57. Release date: January 27, 2002. The following problem has been fixed in build 57 of version 2.0:
The presence of mal-functioning mp3 codecs on your system, caused the Sound Editor to
exit with a fatal error.
Build 56. Release date: January 21, 2002. The following problems have been fixed in build 56 of version 2.0:
If a recording did not start with a silence, the automatic track splitter could not find
any track anymore.
On some computers you would get the error message "An error has occurred while
reading from disk" when a new recording was saved.
After saving a new recording, with another sound quality than that of the original
recording, play-back in the Sound Editor sometimes ran too fast or too slow.
Build 55 was never released to the public.
Build 54. Release date: January 9, 2002. The following problems have been fixed in build 54 of version 2.0:
With some sound system configurations, the Sound Recorder would not record from the
selected sound source, giving no reading on the peak level meters, as well as giving a
flat line in the Sound Editor after recording.
On some computers, error code 10512 ("Cannot use the codec that is required to
handle the selected sound format.") was wrongfully reported.
On systems with more than one sound mixer installed:
After you permanently selected an incompatible sound mixer to use for play-back (by
selecting "Don't ask again" in the mixer selection box), there was no way to get
rid of the error message "Your sound card is not able to work with the chosen sound
quality".
Now the Sound Editor allows you to select a compatible mixer to use for play-back, the
next time you start the Sound Editor again.
Build 53 was never released to the public.
Build 52. Initial release of version 2.0: December 30, 2001.
Version 1.6. Initial release date: October 28, 2000.
What has been new in version 1.6:
Automatic and manual track separation.
Separate volume control for the left and right recording channel.
The ability to undo the last 100 changes in the Editor.
More control with the keyboard.
Better overview of a recording in the Editor.
Improved recording quality on an even larger variety of computer configurations.
More responsive indication in the level of the recording volume.
And more than can be mentioned here...
Build 41. Release date: October 15, 2001:
The recording channel problems related to error codes 19-11 and 30-11, which were
reported on some system configurations (especially in Windows XP) are now fixed.
Build 40. Release date: February 26, 2001:
Build 39 could not be installed on Windows NT.
Build 39. Release date: February 23, 2001:
The volume settings of your sound system are now restored to their initial level, if you
exit the Sound Recorder.
If there is more than one sound mixer installed on your system, the Sound Recorder and
Editor now allows you to select the one you want to use for recording and playback.
On some systems running Windows 98 or ME, the access key would not always activate the
program after resuming the system from Power Save, or Standby mode.
Build 38. Release date: February 3, 2001:
Error code 20-11, reported on systems with a Crystal Audio Codec sound card, is now
fixed.
The recording timer is now easier to use.
Now you can also set the desired recording length for manually started recordings before
you start recording and not only when recording is already in progress.
Version 1.5. Release date: January 8, 2000. What has been new in version 1.5:
A recording timer now allows you to start a recording automatically at any given day and
time and you can set the desired duration of a recording in progress.
With some types of sound cards, the Sound source selection did not work correctly. This
is now fixed.
Version 1.4. Release date: October 23, 1999. What has been new in version 1.4:
You are now asked to accept a license agreement, before you can install the program.
Under rare circumstances the Sound Editor wrongly reported that your system did not
respond in time.
The Escape key is now disabled, so that the program does not exit without asking
questions anymore.
On some systems error code 105 was reported and this problem is now solved.
Version 1.3. Release date: September 13, 1999. What has been new in version 1.3:
The Sound Recorder will now function properly, even if you have the shareware program
"Total Recorder" installed on your system.
On some systems error codes 32 and/or 33 were reported and this problem is now solved.
On some systems the Recorder would not start, saying that "The sound card cannot be
accessed".
This can be caused by having certain Windows sound schemes active and this problem is now
solved.
Recording peak level indicators are now available, even if your sound card does not
support peak level indicators by itself.
This allows for accurate recording volume adjustment.
With one click of the mouse you can now select and set the edit points, using
the context menu of the wave view window in the Editor.
The infamous error code 35 is fixed.
Version 1.2. Release date: August 14, 1999. What has been new in version 1.2:
The indication of the amount of available disk space has improved for disks larger than
2 Gb.
With some types of sound cards all sound was disabled after running the Recorder. This
is now fixed.
Version 1.1. Release date: July 9, 1999. What has been new in version 1.1:
Improved support for more types of sound cards.
The possibility to open another sound file in the Sound Editor, without having to leave
the program.
Color schemes other than the Windows default are now respected, such that the buttons
now use your chosen background color.
Improved checking on the required CD sound quality of the files you open in the Sound
Editor.
The opportunity to save a new recording to disk, if for some reason the Sound Editor
cannot be opened after recording.
An extended "Frequently asked questions" section in the on-line help system.
in the Sound Recorder or Sound Editor window.