Audials One has been updated! Read the Audials One V8 Review for more information.
Introduction
This multi-talented media software suite impressed us with its depth of features when we reviewed version 2. Now at version 3, and with the addition of Audials TV, we take an in-depth look to discover if Audials One is the ultimate tool for your media needs.
Pros:
- Improved interface
- Tighter integration of tools
- Extensive tool set makes Audials One an excellent all-rounder
- Cost effective solution for your entertainment needs
Cons:
- Perfect Audio mode is slow
- No way of recording Audials TV
Audials One – Getting Started
System Requirements:
- Operating system: Windows XP / Vista
- Minimum Processor: 1GHz
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Software: Windows MediaPlayer 9+ / iTunes 6+
- DSL Internet access
Installation and Configuration: Installation takes approximately 350 Mb of hard drive space, although 1 Gb is recommended to comfortably use the software. Once installed there is a good range of configuration options for each of the components. Incidentally, most of the options were left at their default settings which enabled us to start using the software straight away.
User Interface: Audials One's interface has been improved since version 2. The arrangement of the controls, and the addition of new ones is more logically arranged which has made the software more intuitive.
Audials One - Radiotracker 5
Radio: Radiotracker records streaming music from the many radio stations on the Internet. You can pick a genre to start recording, or by using MusicFinder (see below), you can specify your taste in music for a more granular search. On our test, Radiotracker's Autorip feature found plenty of music and recorded several audio streams in parallel. If you like listening to Internet radio and want to record it, then you'll find Radiotracker an indispensable tool.
MusicFinder: Also working in conjunction with MP3videoraptor, MusicFinder helps you to buildup a wish-list of artists and track names to record when searching for music. It functions as a kind of meta-search engine and can even be used with your existing music collection.
Image © 2009 Mark Harris - Licensed to About.com, Inc.
Podcasts: This works in a similar way to the radio tab by using a displayed database; you can subscribe to and download podcasts. You can also add URLs that aren’t present in the database.
Audials One - MP3Videoraptor 3
Music Search: MP3Videoraptor's primary method of recording music and video from the Internet is its Music Search function. Simply by typing in an artist or title, you will immediately start to see results. You can also filter the results depending on what you need - audio, video, artist, track, or any other keyword. A nice new feature that has been added is an audio preview button that enables you to check a song before hitting the record button.
Autoload: If you want to get the maximum out of your network bandwidth when downloading music and video then use Autoload. This super-charged beast is built for speed and its comprehensive database gives you an efficient way of quickly building up your media library. The speed is very impressive - so watch your hard drive space!
Surf and Catch: The last time MP3videoraptor was reviewed, this component restricted the user's choice of Internet browser; only Microsoft's Internet Explorer could be used to view and grab Web video and streaming audio. The new version of MP3videoraptor now has support for Mozilla Firefox (versions 2 and 3). There are now ten Web sites that MP3videorator is compatible with; popular sites such as YouTube, MySpace, Sevenload, Veoh, and Godtube.
Audials One – Tunebite 6
DRM Copy Protection Removal: The main function of Tunebite is to legally record DRM copy protected media to produce DRM-free files. Audio and video files can easily be converted by either dragging and dropping files onto Tunebite's target area, or by using the Add button. There's also a virtual CD burner that can be installed to enable software such as iTunes to burn to a virtual CD. The installation of the virtual CD burner is much improved - previously the installation link was hidden in the Windows programs menu.
Perfect Audio: This new mode guarantees a perfect copy of your original files. Two copies of the original file are recorded at the same time which are then compared for errors. This method is slow but produces good results. If you've got a lot of files to convert then you may want to leave this option off.
Audio Formats: Tunebite 6 now has an increased number audio formats that it can work with, these are:
Video Formats: There are now 7 supported video formats in Tunebite:
- 3GP, AVI, MPEG4, Sony PSP, WMV7, WMV9, XVID
Surf and Catch integration: Originally Tunebite only supported two sources of streaming audio (musicload.de and Yahoo! LAUNCHcast radio). Now, the Surf and Catch component of MP3videoraptor is also accessible from Tunebite which makes Audials One even more tightly integrated and efficient to use.
Read the full Tunebite 6 review for more in-depth information.
Audials One - Additional Tools
Image © 2009 Mark Harris - Licensed to About.com, Inc.
Audials TV: You can use this program (free to download from the Audials Web site) to watch Internet TV by selecting a station via its database. There is a good selection of channels to choose from and the video quality is good. The downside though is that it's not integrated into Audials One and so you can only view with it.
Ringtone Maker: If you fancy creating your own ringtones for your cell phone, then Ringtone Maker can work with existing MP3 files, rip a CD tracks, or record from auxillary sources (microphone, etc.). You can transfer the ringtone via WAP or download it to your computer.
CD Burner: Now with DVD support, this integrated burning program enables you to burn Audio CD, Data CD and DVD discs.
Tagrunner: This automatically adds cover art, ID3 tags, and lyrics to your music collection by using Internet CD databases (CDDB).
Conclusion
RapidSolution Software has improved Audials One in many areas to produce a media software suite that is more powerful, and even easier to use than before. Whether you're looking for audio or video, Audials One represents excellent value for money. The only criticism about the installed software is that Audials TV isn't integrated into Audials One. This isn't a bad thing, but it would have been nice to record Internet TV. That said, Audials One is a comprehensive suite of software programs that will satisfy most peoples needs in the search for free and legal media. For existing users, there are enough improvements to consider upgrading. Highly recommended.
