Simple Recording Software

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If you're a serious musician, podcaster, or budding audio engineer, you care about the quality of your recordings–or you should. And that's why the audio recording programs you use matter.

Free Cam is a very simple free screen recorder with a built-in audio/video editor. The attractive and intuitive interface allows you to create screencasts with the ease of a professional. Even though this software is free, it doesn't place any watermark and is ad-free.

  • The Ultimate Game Recording Software The world of video games is packed with highs and lows, insane headshots and epic raids. Armed with a game recorder, you can grab the best moments of your gaming life and share them online with peers across the planet.
  • Show, don't tell. It's simple enough advice, and screen recording software makes it easier to follow. Screen capture apps record what's happening on your screen, including the movement of your cursor, so you can deliver instructions, describe problems, or share knowledge. Writing out descriptions of such things takes significantly longer.

However, I'd like to add that it's not the software that makes the music. It's your skills as an audio engineer.

To illustrate, I'd like to tell you a story of an interesting email thread a while back. This guy was looking for a home studio, and he was asking around for where to go.

An acquaintance of mine chimed in with his answer, with some details about studios and such but there was one comment that infuriated me:

'You might want to have someone who's recording onto protools. (sic)'

Ugh…

Now, I know that not all musicians are engineers so I should let that slide. And this person is a great musician, but he's a little off in what makes up a great studio.

The thing that bothers me is that software companies are so good at brainwashing the public into believing that their software is crucial to the makings of a good record.

It REALLY isn't.

It doesn't matter whether you use Pro-Tools, Nuendo, Cubase, Sonar Producer, Logic Pro, Digital Performer, GarageBand, Live, or any of the other software that's for sale out there.

It's the least important thing in the grand scheme of:

'hey I want to know how to record my songs or have someone do it for me….what should I buy first?'

The software isn't going to tell you what sounds good. It's not a robot that knows how to engineer a great guitar sound. It can't tell you if you're overcompressing your drums or flooding your vocals with reverb. This is something that the engineer needs to know. This is the skill of the engineer, regardless of what software he's using.

Pro-Tools is not going to make your music sound any better.

Ask yourself:

If you install [insert preferred software here] onto your computer, is it going to make the acoustics in your room any better?

No.

Is it going to make the sound of your pre-amps any better?

No.

Will it walk out of the computer, look at your monitors and say, 'Gee, maybe you should space those monitors a little further apart for better imaging.'

No, it's not some mega nerdy Cylon engineer.

It'll just do what you tell it to do. And if you feed it garbage it will give you trash.

Skills Make Sounds – Not Software

So think more about what skills you need to record a great sound than the software that 'they' tell you that you desperately need to get.

Yes, you need software. But any software is great if you, or the engineer you hire, is excellent at using it. I use Logic. Do I recommend Logic to everybody. Not really.

My philosophy is that any software that you're comfortable using is the best software for your situation. The skills and knowledge of engineering are infinitely more important than any audio recording software that's out there.

Now that we've got that rant out of the way let's talk about what software solutions you have available, both free and paid.

A quick search on Amazon will show you a lot of different options that will give you decision anxiety, so we've compiled a list for you to reduce your hyperventilating so that you can go back to what you set out to do before, make music.

71 Free Shortcuts to Easy Separation and Balance in Your Mixes

If you've been struggling to hear all the instruments in a mix, my EQ cheatsheet will help you out.

  • Learn to clean up your low-end, reduce bleed in your drums and eliminate annoying resonant frequencies from your recordings.
  • Get rid of muddiness in your low-mids, tame the harshness in your mix, and get rid of your boxy sounding drums.
  • Learn where to add presence to your vocals, brilliance to your acoustic guitars, thickness to your keyboards or weight to your bass. These tips are broken down by instrument and help you fix your frequency problems with simple solutions that you can use right away.
Get Your Free EQ Cheatsheet Right Here.

Top 5 Free Audio Recording Programs

Most run-of-the-mill, audio recording apps that come pre-installed on your computer just won't cut it (with the possible exception of GarageBand for Macs, a reasonably high-quality recorder for simple projects), and you also may not be willing or able to spend an arm and a leg for professional grade software.

However, you're in luck. There are some great free tools that actually don't suck and can produce the kind of quality recording that will make anybody who listens to your works of art — or wit if you're a podcaster — it up and take note of what you have to offer.

Here are some of the very best, completely free recording tools that will help bring your sounds to life.

1. Audacity

Available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux

Audacity is the go-to open-source audio recording application, and as long as your goals aren't overly ambitious, it puts an enormous amount of power in your hands. It can record just about anything you throw at it, whether it's from a microphone, through the line-in jack, or live streaming audio (if supported by your sound card), all in a lightweight and clean interface. Many recording enthusiasts, especially podcasters, appreciate Audacity's uncomplicated user experience and ease of use.

Audacity supports recording in sample rates from 44.1 to an excessive 192 kHz, which sets the stage for studio-caliber and even ultrasonic recordings if you have the hardware to handle it. Also included is support for 32-bit floating point, providing ample headroom for your recorded signal.

It comes with effects such as an equalizer with helpful presets, pitch, speed and tempo controls, delay, reverb, compressor, fade in/out, and a noise remover. You can expand this palette thanks to Audacity's generous support of VST, LADSPA, Nyquist and Audio Unit plugins.

Audacity's strength is its simplicity. While you can make it do multi-track recording if you're so inclined, it will never gain centerpiece status in a true recording studio. However, it is beginner-friendly, easy to use for quick edits you need to make on the fly (whether that means filtering out unwanted noise, boosting vocals or other frequencies through equalization, or just cutting and pasting), and extremely well-suited for hobbyist and podcast recording applications.

2. Garageband

Available for Mac OS only

Garageband comes free with any Mac computer and is pretty legit for most recording needs.

Although it can't do major processing like its big brother Logic, it's more than able to do any multi-track recording and minor mixing work.

Simple recording software

Highly recommend for the bedroom recordist that's just starting out and needs a simple solution to lay down some demos.

3. Traverso

Available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux

Traverso, another fully featured DAW that's sure to meet common recording needs, is all about convenience.

This program eschews a traditional 'menu' structure in favor of innovative keyboard and mouse shortcuts, which brings a crisp immediacy to recording tasks. There's no doubt about it–there will be a bit of a learning curve–but the developers claim to have integrated input and execution so seamlessly that you practically learn how to do things as you go along. Furthermore, users have an array of options that make recording demo CDs a snap. You can create tables of contents and burn discs without ever leaving Traverso.

Other features that dovetail nicely with the 'stay out of the way' philosophy behind Traverso include non-destructive editing, or the ability to use plugins and make edits without changing the actual sample, and lockless real-time audio processing, which reduces latency and streamlines performance. Traverso's commitment to intuitive recording and mastering controls makes the program stand out among its similarly free counterparts.

4. Ardour DAW

Available for Mac OS and Linux

Ardour is yet another great free DAW: one that is taking aim at cream-of-the-crop professional software and is promising for real studios with low budgets.

It features non-destructive editing, 32-bit float, supports unlimited tracks, and has extremely flexible routing capabilities. With support for LADSPA, LV2, and VST plugins, you'll be able to make your favorite customizations without a hassle. Synchronization with video is supported, and full handling of MIDI recording, playback and editing are expected with the highly-anticipated release of the third edition of Ardour.

The thing that sets Ardour apart from the rest of the pack is what's under the hood. It runs on JACK, an underlying sound server that facilitates low-latency audio recording and communication among various programs. Although Ardour itself only runs on Mac OS and Linux at present, a Windows port has been conceptualized, and efforts towards building one are in full swing as of June 2012, and JACK is already a true cross-platform utility that runs on the aforementioned systems as well as Windows. JACK is excellent at handling MIDI so that Ardour will take full advantage of that upon the release of the third edition.

Ardour is complex and certainly not for newbies. Some have complained about the potentially confusing graphical user interface (GUI), which is quite inaccessible to someone who's never seen or seriously worked with a DAW before. But if you're an audio engineer of any level of experience and strapped for cash, you may find that Ardour fits the bill for your projects quite nicely.

5. Jokosher

Available for Windows and Linux

Jokosher is billed as the 'musician's DAW' and the Linux alternative to GarageBand, the standard, pre-installed, easy-to-use workstation for Macs. Here, you won't find advanced editing and mastering tools by the names that most engineers know: it's a program that speaks in a music maker's language.

While not as heavyweight as its counterparts, Jokosher takes a lot of the guesswork out of the recording process for people who are new to it. All of the basic, expected editing tools are at the user's disposal. Startup is fast, easy and straightforward. Tracks are called 'instruments,' and you can set them up based on the type of instrument you intend to record. If it's an acoustic guitar for example, simply select 'Acoustic Guitar,' and the track will be clearly labeled as such with a cute picture to boot, providing an excellent visual layout of instruments used in the mix.

Jokosher supports LADSPA plugins only, and as of June 2012 it's still in its early development stages. But for musicians and podcasters who want to record simple products and get a first taste of manipulating tracks in a DAW, this simple program is hard to beat.

Alternative to Pro-Tools That Won't Break the Bank

Most of the big pro studios are using Avid Pro Tools to make all the records going to the radio these days, but it's slowly losing its status as an industry standard due to the quality of its competitors. There are plenty of lower-cost DAWs and a wealth of free and inexpensive plug-ins that bring professional studio sound right to your computer.

Even though Pro Tools is the premier name in the industry, there is really no special voodoo under the hood. It is simply a graphical user interface that lets you move some bits (and thus sounds) around inside your computer. There is no difference in the way Pro Tools sounds and the way any of its competitors sound, period.

So you can comfortably make a foray into saving money by purchasing one of the many alternatives to Pro Tools –none of which will cause even your fans to hear a difference.

1. Steinberg Cubase

There is the perennially popular Steinberg Cubase, which is perhaps the granddaddy of them all so to speak. The German-engineered application is perhaps the Mercedes-Benz of DAWs, offering pioneering technology and reliable performance.

And if you need a guide to Cubase, my buddy Chris Selim over at Mixdown Online has just the training you need. (affiliate link)

2. Logic Pro X

Apple has two DAWs in its stable: Garageband, a veritable staple discussed before, and Logic Pro. In both cases, the quality of these programs is very high and both will work with a wide assortment of audio hardware.

3. Cockos Reaper

Perhaps the best-kept secret in the world of DAWs is Reaper. Reaper is a heads-on contender for any other DAW on the list, including Pro Tools. The best part is that Reaper is not only among the best, it is also one of the least expensive, coming in at only $60 for the discounted license. All the features are there: real-time recording and editing, unlimited track count, VST and DX plug-in support, and more.

4. Studio One

Presonus's Studio One is a great option as well. It contains everything you need to produce music and seems very intuitive and easy to use.

In fact, it's probably the only DAW that might make me switch from Logic. A lot of my producer and engineer friends use it, and they swear by it, citing its ease of use, sound quality, and simplicity with production.

There is nothing wrong with using Pro Tools, of course. But if you can't afford to shell out the big dollars for the industry's biggest name, you still get the great results with the above applications.

Audio Recording Programs for Any Situation

All of the above are solid apps with unique feature sets and strengths, dedicated fan bases, and active support and development teams. The free DAWs don't have the advanced functionality of much more expensive, industry-standard solutions, but depending on your needs I'm sure you'll find something that works for you.

Try them out and decide which combination of user experience and specific features works best for you.

Happy recording!

Parts of this post were contributed by Daniel Kimbrel and Jessica Josh. If you would like to submit a guest post, check out the guidelines here.

Daniel is a movie buff and freelance writer. He contributes to a number of music sites online. Jessica Josh is an Australian freelance writer and blogger. Since 2007 she has been writing about weddings, fashion, and music.

Image by: Shawn Econo

Sound recording is one of the most widely used tools when it comes to working with music or audio files. If you're on the lookout for a certain tool or software which helps to record and edit music files, then the Song Recording Software is the perfect tool to use. This article describes some of the widely used Song Recording Software tools which help to record, edit and enhance songs in the best possible manner.

Related:

Leawo Music Recorder

Leawo Music Recorder provides an easy recording of audio and music from various sources. Features like task scheduler, album cover finder, song filter and music file editing make it one of the best Song Recording Software tool. Use this tool to record Realtek High Definition audio and music from YouTube and other sources.

Sonar Studio

Reinvent the modern sound recording studio using SONAR which comes with a high-quality audio engine. Designed using highly innovative technology, SONAR is definitely a complete package used for getting the audio output of the finest quality. Use this Song Recording Software to record, edit, compose, mix, master and share songs online.

Music Recording Software

Simple Recording Software For Gaming

Samplitude Music Studio is a Music Recording Software which comes with direct multi-track recording, high-quality studio effects, collection of virtual instruments and much more. Other features include audio file exporting, sound recording, mastering, and mixing. This Song Recording Software tool supports various audio or sound input sources and plugins.

Song Recording Software for Other Platforms

Lots of Song Recording Software tools are available for download on various websites. Search Song Recording software, free download to find the various tools that can be used to record music files or songs stored in your device. Choose the best one and install it to record songs on the go.

Song Recording Software for Windows – Song Studio

Song Studio is an application which is specially designed for all music lovers and enthusiasts. Play three different virtual instruments and create unique music using this handy Song Recording Software tool. This tool comes with an audio equalizer feature which enables users to add special effects and get a smooth listening experience.

Song Recording Software for Android – Recording Studio Lite

Recording Studio Lite is one of the highly recommended Song Recording Software for Android devices. It comes with virtual instruments, integrated sample editor, microphone support, music file import options, inbuilt mixer, key editor, stereo displays and keyboard mappings. Record, edit, mix and add effects to your songs using this handy application.

Song Recording Software for Mac – Multitrack Recording Software

MixPad Multitrack Recording Software provides an easy way to mix and record music tracks, audio files. Use this Song Recording Software for professional recording and mixing. It helps to mix unlimited music files, record many tracks simultaneously, add files of various formats, access music library and save recorded file in any desired format.

Most popular Song Recording Software – Presonus Studio One Free

Personus Audio Recording Software is the most popular tool used to record songs and work with music files. This Song Recording Software comes in different versions and can be downloaded as a trial version to test it out. Use this tool to mix music, record audio and create music tracks of your own. You can also see Song Writing Software

What is Song Recording Software?

Song Recording Software can be used to edit, mix, record and optimize audio files to create high-quality songs like never before. These tools come with a lot of useful features which help to record tracks in high definition, convert the tracks into various formats, share the created music files and add effects to the created audio tracks. You can also see Virtual DJ Software

Free Simple Recording Software

Music Recording Software uses high-quality audio features to produce sounds with unmatched precision and clarity. The pitch, depth, and volume can also be modified to record in high quality for various commercial purposes. Use Song Recording Software to record songs and set new standards in the field of music.

Simple Recording Software Free

Song Recording Software tools can be downloaded for free or you can also go buy a premium version for professional use. These tools provide all the necessary editing options which help to record and create songs in high definition. Install any of the above-mentioned tools to record and create songs of your own.

Simple Recording Software For Mac

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