Twisted Wave
A lightweight audio editor designed for voiceover recording and editing
Overview
Twisted Wave is a streamlined audio editor built with voice recording and editing in mind. It offers a clean interface focused on the tools voice actors use most, without the complexity of full-featured DAWs.
The software supports recording, editing, noise reduction, and file export in standard formats. Its simple workflow makes it fast to learn and efficient for processing VO files.
How It Works
Twisted Wave is popular among voice actors who want a dedicated VO editing tool rather than a multi-track music production suite. It is available for Mac, with a browser-based version also offered.
The desktop application costs approximately $80 as a one-time purchase. The browser-based version offers a free tier with limited features and paid plans for expanded capability.
Who Uses It
A great choice for voice actors who want a simple, affordable editing solution without the learning curve of professional DAWs. The one-time pricing makes it an economical long-term investment.
Pricing & Plans
Twisted Wave's desktop application for Mac is available as a one-time purchase at approximately $79.90, with no ongoing subscription fees or recurring charges. The browser-based version offers a free tier with basic editing features and limited file length, plus a paid plan at approximately $5 per month that removes restrictions and adds advanced functionality. An iOS version is also available for approximately $9.99, providing mobile editing capability for voice actors who need to make quick edits on the go. The one-time desktop pricing is particularly attractive compared to subscription-based alternatives like Adobe Audition at $23 per month, as Twisted Wave pays for itself in roughly three and a half months compared to an ongoing subscription. Updates to the desktop version are included with the purchase, though major version upgrades may require a separate purchase at a discounted upgrade price. The Mac-only limitation for the desktop version means Windows users must rely on the browser-based version or choose a different editing solution entirely.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
Twisted Wave's interface is specifically designed for voice recording and editing workflows, stripping away the multi-track, MIDI, and music production features that make professional DAWs overwhelming, and presenting only the tools voice actors actually use in a clean, intuitive layout. The learning curve is remarkably gentle — most voice actors can be productively recording, editing, and exporting files within minutes of installation, compared to the hours or days required to become comfortable with Adobe Audition or Pro Tools. The one-time pricing model provides long-term cost certainty and eliminates the ongoing subscription overhead that eats into freelance margins month after month. Built-in noise reduction, normalization, and compression tools handle the most common voice audio processing needs without requiring separate plugins, keeping your workflow simple and contained within a single application. The software is lightweight and launches quickly, making it ideal for the kind of rapid-turnaround editing that voiceover work frequently demands — open a file, make your edits, export, and deliver. The browser-based version provides a convenient fallback when you need to edit audio on a computer that does not have the desktop application installed, ensuring you can always access your core editing tools.
What Could Be Better
The Mac-only availability of the desktop application is a significant limitation that excludes the large number of voice actors working on Windows systems from the best version of the software. While Twisted Wave's simplicity is a strength for basic voice editing, it lacks the advanced features that some professional workflows demand, including sophisticated multi-track editing, spectral analysis for detailed noise removal, and the plugin ecosystem that professional DAWs support. Voice actors who work on complex projects requiring multiple tracks, layered audio, or intricate post-production processing will quickly outgrow Twisted Wave's capabilities and need to invest in a more full-featured application. The browser-based version, while a useful alternative for Windows users, does not match the performance or feature set of the native desktop application, and requires a reliable internet connection to use. The relatively small user community compared to Audacity or Adobe Audition means fewer online tutorials, community forums, and third-party resources are available to help you learn advanced techniques or troubleshoot issues. Some voice actors find that starting with Twisted Wave's simplified interface makes the eventual transition to a professional DAW more difficult, as the skills and workflows learned in a simplified tool do not directly transfer to more complex environments.
Our Recommendation
Twisted Wave is highly recommended for Mac-based voice actors who want a dedicated, affordable editing tool that is purpose-built for voice recording and editing without the complexity of a full digital audio workstation. It is the ideal choice for voice actors who primarily do straightforward recording, editing, and delivery work — commercial spots, narration, e-learning modules, and similar projects where the workflow is record, clean up, normalize, export. If you are on Windows, consider Audacity as a free alternative or Adobe Audition if you need professional-grade capabilities and are willing to pay the ongoing subscription. Voice actors who anticipate growing into complex production work involving multi-track editing, sound design, or audiobook post-production should consider starting with a more capable tool like Reaper or Adobe Audition to avoid the cost and disruption of switching later. For budget-conscious Mac users who want something more polished and reliable than Audacity but do not need a full DAW, Twisted Wave occupies a perfect middle ground that delivers professional results at a fraction of the cost of subscription alternatives.
Pro Tips
Create a custom editing template in Twisted Wave with your standard settings for sample rate, bit depth, noise reduction parameters, and export format pre-configured, so you can start editing immediately when a project comes in without manually adjusting settings each time. Learn the keyboard shortcuts for the actions you perform most frequently — cut, paste, undo, normalize, and export — as keyboard-driven editing is dramatically faster than mouse-based workflows and will save you significant time on every project. Set up a noise print from your recording environment that you can apply consistently across all recordings made in the same space, ensuring uniform noise reduction quality without manually adjusting parameters for each file. Use the batch processing feature to apply consistent normalization and format conversion across multiple files simultaneously, which is particularly valuable for audiobook chapters or e-learning modules where dozens of files need identical processing. Back up your Twisted Wave preferences and custom settings periodically so you can quickly restore your configured environment if you need to reinstall the application or set up a new computer.