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A great audio-editing app with a PC companion

A great audio-editing app with a PC companion

Vote: (65 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Audacity

Version: 3.2.1

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(65 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Audacity

3.2.1

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Free and distributable
  • Portable
  • Easy installation
  • Extensive input/output flexibility
  • Multi-tracking
  • Easy editing
  • Menu-driven recording control
  • WYSIWIG multi-track editing
  • Automatic crash recovery
  • Excellent tutorial support

Cons

  • Higher recording latency on Windows/Mac than proprietary software
  • Can cause the computer to run more slowly
  • Complex user interface

Far and away the best free sound editor available for download, Audacity represents the open source movement at its best. Audacity’s free, full-featured, multi-track sound recording, editing, splicing, and mixing capabilities now come in a convenient portable version. Slap the Windows, Mac, or Linux version on a memory stick and take it with you wherever you go.

Since volunteers build, improve, and freely distribute them open source software development of applications like Audacity works best when a large population of users and volunteer developers share a common need. Sound editing certainly qualifies. Ohloh, the online platform that collects statistics on open source development estimates that between coding, writing documentation, and testing, the direct voluntary investment in Audacity at about $3.3 million as of July 1, 2014.

That much free work generates a lot of free power for users. Audacity’s developers have loaded the software with too many useful features and effects to list them all, but …

Recording

Audacity records audio on multiple tracks from any digital audio device that you can hook up to your computer. The Audacity website includes tutorials for various devices including MIDI, cassette tapes, minidisks, vinyl turntables, sound mixers, line inputs, firewire devices, microphones, and many other devices. Although Linux systems running JACK produce the lowest recording latency, for Windows systems after Vista, Audacity natively records streaming audio from the computer’s built-in sound card. Audacity’s Device Toolbar manages recording from multiple input and output devices, dubbing, multiple tracks, and timer recording at resolutions up to 384,000 Hz for systems that support it. Built in Level Meters control clipping at all stages of recording.

Import/Export

In addition to live recording using Drag & Drop or the file menu, Audacity imports and exports files stored in a variety of formats including among others WAV, MP2/3, AIFF, AC3, M4A/M4R (AAC), WMA, and Ogg Vorbis. The current version supports on demand import of WAV files to get you working immediately rather than waiting for large sound files to load.

Editing and Effects

Audacity supports unlimited Undo/Redo operations, easy Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete, simultaneous multi-track editing, and synchronization. Envelope and Draw tools permit spot and sample editing as well. In addition to built-in effects like pitch and tempo adjustment, reverb, and echo, Audacity supports an extensive library of VST, LADSPA, Audio Unit and Nyquist plug-ins including Nyquist programmability and batch processing.

Pros

  • Free and distributable
  • Portable
  • Easy installation
  • Extensive input/output flexibility
  • Multi-tracking
  • Easy editing
  • Menu-driven recording control
  • WYSIWIG multi-track editing
  • Automatic crash recovery
  • Excellent tutorial support

Cons

  • Higher recording latency on Windows/Mac than proprietary software
  • Can cause the computer to run more slowly
  • Complex user interface