14 DAY TRIAL // Audio conversion, much like image conversion can be done in one of two ways: the casual way, when you only need to convert a file every once in a while, and you can use just about any tool you feel comfortable with; and the heavy duty way, when you need to convert lots of files, tens at a time, and you need specialized tools to do just that. When I first read the description for Sound Grinder, I imagined it would be more of a quick slap up of a GUI for some behinds the scenes program that actually works with text commands, little did I suspect that it is indeed quite a powerful and versatile tool that has a little something for everyone.
Audio Conversion, need I say more? Sound Grinder is indeed an audio conversion program, but it goes beyond the select file, select destination, and then press convert.
The large number of codecs supported, batch capabilities, quick convert options, as well as the advanced features make this program a tool that can ease your work by loads.
Metadata Sound Grinder offers a host of information about the files you import into it. Furthermore, it can import and export metadata of the supported file formats as well as edit it. Whenever you are converting from one format to another, the program will do everything it can to ensure that the metadata is kept in place, regardless of the differences in metadata handling of the two formats. Furthermore, it has support for importing and exporting of both Finder and Spotlight comments.
Good for mixed media Besides audio files, the program can also open and work with movie files. While it does not let you actually change the video, only to view it for reference purposes, it will let you do whatever you want to the audio track contained in the movie file.
Movie files are handled in the same manner as any other audio file, with the one exception being that for these you can also preview the video part.
Many supported formats The program has support for a large number of audio formats, each with their own afferent codecs. 'Out of the box' Sound Grinder supports AIFF, AMR (Narrowband), Au, FLAC, OGG, QuickTime Movie, Sound Designer II and WAVE, but you can also add MP3 support by manually downloading the LAME component and adding it.
To make things easier, it lets you create presets that you can quickly use to alter the encoding settings with just one click.
Do things quickly One of the best things about Sound Grinder is the quick convert option. The program adds a submenu to the Finder's contextual menu, letting you select files and send them to be quick converted using the default settings. Additionally, you can opt to adjust the changes to the setting before sending the file. Another thing you can do is to simply drag the files onto the dock icon while holding the option key.
This feature makes it easy to convert as you browse for files that need converting and it works perfectly well on individual files, selections of multiple files and even folders.
Advanced options Sound Grinder has some very discreet but superb options that you can use to take full advantage of it.
The first is the ability to save sessions, letting you create large workloads, which you can then revisit if you need to convert to other settings. This also lets you carry the workload along several sessions and even across several users.
The second great feature is how it can batch process, and, if anything goes wrong and for some reason it cannot convert a file, it will log the error and continue the work.
Another lifesaver is how it can retain the file structure when working on a folder. This means easy conversion and replacing to get the converted files in place in a heavily structured, multi program and stage workflow. Without it, you would have to recreate the file hierarchy every time you did a conversion job.
Last but not least, it can work with split audio files, which are two separate files for the left and right channels.
The Good Sound Grinder does a good job at being a program everyone can use for any type of task. Well written and well documented, it makes sound conversion fast and easy no mater whether you need to convert one file or several thousand.
The Bad It is a little bit pricey for a sound converter, making it less attractive for those who would have only the most casual of needs for it.
The Truth While not exactly a professional sound application, it does go a long way from being just another sound converter while still maintaining the ease of use. The demo period is quite generous so you have plenty of time to try it and decide whether it is worth your money.
Here are some screenshots, click to enlarge:
