Web Audio Review: Audio Maker Pro

NOTE: This is not a sales letter. This is a critical review and analysis of this web audio program.

What it is: Audio Maker Pro is a web audio program that records from your microphone, line input, or other sound input, converts the audio into a high-quality SWF file, and links a Flash button to it.

Computing Platform: Windows only

Who created it: Miles Baker of St Louis, Missouri.

How it Works: You start the built-in recording software to record your audio message. Then you choose a button (from a good variety of choices), and the program converts the audio and button to Flash SWF movie. One SWF file is created.

I found Audio Maker Pro an easy to use program that gives out good sounding Flash Audio. I like that the program generates one SWF file (a Flash movie with sound embedded inside) and gives you the necessary HTML code at the end. You can then FTP your SWF file to anywhere you want ... into a subfolder, or even to another site, as long as you change the HTML code appropriately to point to the file.

The main drawback I see is that there is no provision to load pre-recorded MP3's or WAV's for conversion. The only way to process audio through the program is to record it fresh each time. If you are using a microphone, this isn't so bad, especially if you find you'll need to do multiple recordings. However, if you are using a prerecorded audio file (WAV or MP3), you need to take an extra step to get the audio into this program.

To bring in a prerecorded file, you need to do the following: First, you need to cue up the audio file in your favorite sound player program. Second, make sure your Windows "Recording Control" has the "mixer" selected as shown below. This will feed the audio of your sound player into Audio Maker Pro.

Third, click the Record button in Audio Maker Pro, and then quickly press the Play button on your sound player program. The WAV or MP3 will play out of the sound player, through the mixer feed, and into Audio Maker Pro. This process is a little cumbersome, so I feel that the program would benefit from offering a choice to the user as to whether to import a file, or to record from the microphone.

The program has a wide variety of button controller choices, too, which I found attractive. They are all Flash movies, and the triangle in each "Play" button either rotates or fades in and out as your audio file plays.

Overall, I give Audio Maker Pro a positive review. It's an easy to use program that creates good sounding Web Audio. Since the program generates only one file, I think it would be especially useful to anyone with a site that has FTP upload restrictions (as can be found in sites hosted with Site Buildit and others). It's also easy to change the HTML coding to point to the correct location of the sound file.

Cost: $97.00 (one time fee)

Website: www.audiomakerpro.com