kgogolewski

Hello. I, too, was enjoying the Master's Edition that I purchased a couple years ago, when suddenly yesterday the Express Burn feature stopped working, telling me that the trial version was over and I needed to upgrade. There were no changes to my computer - the "trial version" message merely appeared. I could not find any way to communicate my problem to the NCH software people - that venue does not exist unless you pay big bucks for their trouble-shooting service. I decided to download their free Express Burn feature, but it didn't work, so I uninstalled it. When I uninstalled it, my original version of the Master's Edition was also erased, which left me with nothing. NCH had an ad with a reduced price for the new Master's Edition good through April (by midnight the deadline had been extended through May 15), so I broke down and bought it and the Express Burn feature, plus an $8 service for 14 days for a total of $76 at the "current exchange rate" (which was quoted to me after the purchase in an email - there was no subtotal before processing my credit card). Now here's the rub: For $76, I got exactly the same version as the free version - it is NOT the Master's Edition - at least not the one I had grown to know and love. And get this: The Express Burn feature, like the free one, does not work. No sound waves are burned onto my CDs when I use it. And I do know how to use these features as I've been working with the product for a couple of years. Also the matter of the $8 service for 14 days? Nowhere have I found information that allows me to use the service. I am left to these forums. My take: I think NCH software marketers are content to take our money without worrying about our satisfaction, unless of course we pay the big bucks.

I just noticed that the April 30th reduced rates have just been extended until May 15. I wonder if they will be extended again after May 15. There is so much fishiness going on (see other posts).

This is copied from my purchase page. I chekced WavePad Sound Editor Master's Edition and Express Burn Plus Edition. I have, however, the free versions: Buy Software Secure Purchase Buy Now for Cheaper Prices - until 15 May only Save around 30% off the normal price if you buy online on or before the 15th of May 2009. * Only valid for Visa and Mastercard purchase option through this page. Qty Select the Software you Need Normal Price Discount Price WavePad Sound Editor Master's Edition Unlimited user license for all Master's Edition features more info... $76 $49.40* Add Bundle Software to Save More Normal Price Bundle Price Express Burn Plus Edition Record CDs, DVDs or Blu-Ray discs under Windows or Mac more info... $57 $19.10* Switch Sound Format Converter Plus Edition Convert 30+ audio file formats with this converter more info... $39 $14.10* Golden Records Professional License Convert vinyl records or tape to mp3 or cd professionally more info... $52

MORE LATER: I purchased the WavePad Masters Edition again for the April Price of 49.40 and the Burn program for 19.10. What I got was NOT the Masters Edition - I got the FREE sound editor. Is this a scam? I know what the Master Edition is like - I owned a copy for two years. And the burn program isn't working. I burned an mp3 file onto a CD, and when I try to play it both in a CD player and in WavePad, there is no sound and no sound waves visible in the WavePad program. I burned the file onto another CD with the same results. I looked to see if I can change the file format when it burns, but I have no options. Did I receive the wrong versions of WavePad and the Audio Burner? What have I paid $76 odd dollars for? I cannot believe I am the only one who has trouble with your service. The product is good (that is - the Masters Edition - the one I had); the service is the worst I've had in a long time. It's so bad that it feels like a scam. What about my $8 dollar fee for come direct communication? The only channel open to me is this one. As for your statement on the registration code email "In accordance with standard practice for online softrware sales and the purchase terms you agreed to when you paid, we are unable to refund payments after a key has been issued under any circumstances," you FIX the terms to appear AFTER the purchase is made and force the buyer to choose the option that he or she has tried the software and accepts it as is. NO STATEMENT OF THIS NATURE WAS GIVEN BEFORE THE SALE FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE BUYER - IT ONLY APPEARS AFTER THE CREDIT INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROCESSED. You are not UNABLE to refund purchases - you are UNWILLING. At this point in the sale, I stopped and spent an hour looking for a way to contact you and ask about it because it was confusing to me. The FREE version was different from the one I purchased, which was listed as your Masters Edition. I thought it was a mistake, but could not find a way to communicate. Finally, I hit the button to agree because I knew you had taken my money, and I thought your company would not be so misleading as to advertise the Masters Edition for 49.40 for April unless you were providing the upgraded version. This is all the more frustrating for me because I HAD YOUR MASTERS VERSION ONLY YESTERDAY.

I purchased WavePad a couple years ago. Today, when I attempted to BURN an mp3 file onto a CD, I received a "trial version" message telling me I must now buy the program. Since I had already bought it and been using all the features successfully, I perused the nch site looking for a way to communicate the glitch, the bug. I then found a free download for the burn program and downloaded it. It didn't work - again I received the "trial version" message. So I uninstalled the Burn program, which uninstalled my Masters Edition. I then had nothing. There was no way to communicate to NCH support short of purchasing an expensive tech support program, which I don't believe I should have to do since I had already bought the program and the glitch was not my glitch. Convenient glitch too, I'd say. Since I needed to complete my work now for a deadline, I was forced to purchase both programs again. So the sub-standard marketing program worked. I noticed the Masters edition is nowhere near as comprehensive as the one I purchased a couple of years ago - it looks like a downgrade!!! I KNOW I am not the only one to feel frustrated with the WavePad support system - there is no way to contact directly for help. I understand paying customers get the attention, but there should be SOME way for customers to report problems/glitches/bugs with the program without having to pay more. Quality, after all, is the responsibility of the seller, not the buyer. I paid an additional $8 dollars for tech support for the first month, but NOWHERE do I see information to contact anyone for this support. Instead the message on my software registration code email states: If you have difficulty using your software, please read the manual...or view www.nch.com.au/support... which merely takes you back to the FAQ and forums like this one. What did I pay the extra $8 for? It's only $8 but I never intended to GIVE it to you. You owe me lunch. Now, I just have to get to Australia. I KNOW NCH software execs have this figured out to extract money without having to give any labor for it. It's obvious. Also, no subtotal or total of my purchases appeared after I checked the programs I wanted. I also tried the email you give in the software purchase serial numbers www.nch.com.au/support/reg.html but again, there is no direct contact available. Even the password to these forums is ridiculously long. It's as if everything is designed to make it difficult to get any kind of help. This is great blog material. If i don't hear from you in a timely fashion (well within the warranty time of my $8 support fee), I will use it on my blog tour.

I would really appreciate some help. The trial version message (that my time is up) is reappearing after I open WavePad. Your suggestions have not worked. Can I start over? Please? Or extend the Key Id # and registration info, whatever it is, so I can get the program to function again. I bought it a year ago. I'm happy to upgrade for Vista, if that's what I need to do, but I have not recieved instructions from the download, so not sure I need it. Kathe Gogolewski kgogolewski@sbcglobal.net Okay. I purchased Wavpad about a year ago and recently started receiving a message that my trial version had ended, even though I'd been using the program for a year. Then, the message disappeared and I was able to use the program, but I couldn't record. I'd click on the record button the same way I always have, but nothing happened. So, I downloaded the trial version of RecordPad Sound Recorder, and still could not record with it. Next, I returned to WavPad, and the cursed trial version message is back. You have verified by email that I purchased the program a year ago, but will not give me the Key Id and registration number. Yes, I should have saved it, and if I'd known I was going to have so many problems, I would have. But I didn't. Could you extend a little good will and give me the Key ID number so I can at least make the trial version message disappear???? Then, I'd like to solve the problem about why I cannot record. Kathe Gogolewski

Hi, I bought the Master's Edition of WavePad about a year ago, and now after using it for a year, I get a message when I try to open it telling me that my trial version is over, and it asks me to enter my Key ID, which I didn't save from my purchase. How do I get the trial version message to go away so I can use the program? Can you provide me with my KEY ID #? Thanks. Kathe Gogolewski kgogolewski @sbcglobal.net

Hi! I purchased the Masters Edition of WavPad about a year ago, and now I must reload Windows on my computer. This means that I will need to reload all my programs. I have CDs for all of them except WavPad. Do I get another download if I've already purchased the program? Is there a CD for this program? I will purchase another computer in about a year...how do I avoid purchasing a new WavPad program every year? Thanks. Kathe Gogolewski

Kathe says: true. It does save to wave file even though I specify an MP3 file. It's one of the reasons I think it's glitchy. The good news? I've learned how to turn off the slow motion feature. All my files were loading with it, though I never clicked on the "Play Slow Speed" under control. I must have inadvertently hit a Function key.

I have the following receipts: On Apriul 7, 2006, I paid 46.00 for WavPad Software (WavPad Masters Edition). On April 10, 2006, I paid 47.37 for NCH SwiftSound (which is Switch Sound Format Converter). The only thing I have on my computer says "WavPad Masters Edition." I think my program may be buggy. I so need to make this work in order to keep a committment. I am ready to recommend the program if I can get it to work. Please respond. I only need to perform some basics. Thank you. KG

Hi, I've lost my opportunity to create a podcast for my publisher, but it's not too late for a writers' conference, so I'm still chasing this. How do I create a small file and keep the sound integrity of the original mp3s (which are small files - aroudn &MB). Also, recently, while trying to learn your system, I saved a test file in every format, and since that excercise, every file I open is heard in slow motion. How do I fix it? It's not the reason my files are so big because they were saving as huge files before this happened. Is it possible to uninstall the program and get a new one from you? I fear this one is glitched. Call me stupid; I don't care...but PLEASE help me. KG

That drop down menu (that you took a snapshot of) appears when I make no changes to the file and click on "save as." I just performed the experiment again, and saing an mp3 file to an mp3 file turned it from a 6.33 MB file to a 50.7 MB file. Too big. I can't email it. Plus, whatever file I load, I hear it in slow motion. How do I fix that? They all sound that way, no matter where I get the file from. Thanks, Kathe G

Hello, Thank you for your response. I have not found any of the items you lis (.wav, .mp3 etc) in a pull down menu anywhere, and I've click on everything I can find. What I do is this: I upload my mp3 file to edit. I edit it. Then I choose "save", and it saves as a file that is ten times bigger than the original, though I've cut out part of the hour long file. So I try it again (load original file and edit), and I try a "save as". I get a blank window under "save format as". There is no pull down menu with mp3 on it. So I type in mp3 and click on ok. Then I return to the windows with a "format" (lists ACELP.net and CCITT A-Law etc.) and Attributes. I don't know what to do with those, so I leave them alone and save. The file is still huge (50-72 MB). The original file is an hour long mp3 file and only 7 MB. And the sound quality is good. How do I preserve all that? I can email 7 MB, but 70 will not fly. And now, after opening all the formats to test them, every file I open is in slow motion. How do I fix that? I hope I can learn about this. If I can, I myself will include instructions for dummies when I talk about it. Kathe G

Hello, Thank you for your response. If I had found an MP3 file in the choices under "save as," I would have used it. There is none in my version, which is a Master's Edition. If it is a wav file, here are my choices in the ":save as" drop down menu: ACELP.net CCITT A-law CCITT U-law DSP Group Ture Speech GSM 6.10 IMA ADPCM Microsoft ADPCM Microsoft G.723.1 PCM Windows Media Audio V1 Windows Media Audio V2 And if I am using an MP3 file and click on "save" to keep it as an MP3 file, it saves as a wav file. The last time I checked in with you, I was asked what format I was saving, so I tried saving a test file in every format to learn about it. Now, no matter what file I open, when I listen to it, the file is in slow motion with an echo. I don't know how that happened from saving in different formats. Plus, the files are still huge. I cannot send them to my publisher through email. I am supposed to create some podcasts for a writers' conference, and I paid good money for your program so I could do it, but I cannot get it to perform the simplest functions. The manual explains none of this. To me, this information should be explained in the manual, unless my program is corrupted. Yes, I know you have a service where I can buy 15 minute phone calls, but what novice with little confidence and a budget would do that? It could easily turn into hundreds of dollars of personal instruction. I call it the "ink model." Buy the printer, and you'll be paying a premium for the ink for as long as you've got it. I emailed someone in your company, plus I used this forum, and it's been a couple weeks since I've heard back from you. I recieved an email informing me that someone in this forum was handling it for me. I sent an email back stating that I had recieved a series of questions, which I had answered but not recieved a response. I can understand this for more advanced problems, but I don't think this is one of them. Perhaps I am not your target market, though I think you're missing out on a potential huge one. There are many people interested in learning about audio files (i.e. authors and writers), and I know they would love to create podcasts to promote their work. I have the potential to reach thousands of writers and talk about your program, but at this point in time, I will not be recommending it. As soon as I find a good solution, I will write my articles and give my speeches about it. Until then, I remain.... Frustrated in Oceanside Kathe Gogolewski

Hi, Thanks for responding. I loaded an MP3 file from an audio conferencing service. It was 7 MB. After I edit the file, I save it, but it doesn't stay an MP3 file, but changes into a Wav file. And the file increases to 128 MB automatically. I tried a 'save as' but had to save it with 16 mHz, 16 bits and mono to get the minimum requirement for sound quality. It still saves as a very big file (70 MB). When I try to attach either one to my email, it loads all day. I had it going 9 hours yesterday before I canceled the action. So my question is - how do I compress the file so that I can send in as an attachment in my email, and still preserve the sound quality? Thank you. Kathe I forgot to add that the file is about one hour long. Thanks, K