Nullsoft Winamp 2.72
One of the first MP3 players available for the PC, Nullsoft Winamp continues to be one of the most popular. Its straightforward design, simple controls, 10-band graphic equaliser, and broad selection of visualisations make it an excellent choice for audio buffs who don't want to become bogged down in technical complexities and don't need a player to burn CDs or support their portable audio devices. Best of all, it's free.
Maybe you couldn't care less about burning CDs, listening to Internet radio stations, or managing your music files from within your jukebox program. After all, you may prefer to do these things in other, more specialised programs. Perhaps you're more interested in a program that just plays audio files -- and does that job extremely well. If this is your view of the perfect jukebox program, you should feel right at home with Nullsoft Winamp 2.72. It was one of the first Windows MP3 player programs available for the PC, and it continues to be among the most popular.
Winamp supports a basic group of audio file formats, including MP3, Windows Media, and CD audio. It also lets you create simple playlists. You can have it search for all compatible audio files in a directory and each of its subdirectories, and you can perform elaborate searches by file type or keyword, much as you can with a more full-featured jukebox program. The 10-band graphic equaliser includes a number of presets, so you can experiment with settings that represent different musical styles and sizes of rooms. You can also add a mini-browser window, which while doubling the size of the onscreen program, provides easy access to Internet radio stations, extra skins, and extra plug-ins.
Just because Winamp was one of the pioneers in this category, don't think for a moment that it hasn't kept up with the times. Like competitor Lycos Sonique, Winamp has an army of fans who take advantage of the program's open architecture to create stunning visualizations and eye-popping skins. Winamp also supports plug-ins that add new, and unique, audio features to the program. For example, one third-party plug-in (titled DFX) adds a 3D ambience effect and boosts the bass. Another, titled Pacemaker, let's you independently adjust the tempo, pitch, and speed of your music.
If some of the visualisations seem familiar, it may be because there are similar visualisations available for Sonique. And while Sonique's skins are definitely more impressive, the quality of the visualizations is about even between the two. Winamp, on the other hand, easily wins the competition for most unusual plug-ins. For example, the Infrared Receiver plug-in lets you use an infrared receiver to control Winamp from a standard remote control. And the Pig Pen plug-in lets you play a Pac Man-style game complete with rampaging cows, chickens, and horses.
With its simple and colourful interface, basic format support, and lively community of plug-in developers, Winamp is an excellent choice for audio buffs that don't want to be bogged down in technical complexities. And the price is tough to beat.
Company:Winamp
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