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Lunch Bytes: 06


For this Lunch Bytes, I’m keeping the the theme of free apps going and we’re looking at Audacity. But what is it? Well, it's a multi-tracking recording and editing software that will help you with your audio projects. Whether it’s laying down, cutting, enhancing, or exporting audio tracks, this software application has kept its user base happy.

My Audacity 1.3.6 Mix by Roy Blumenthal is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Licensed under GNU General Public License, this open source software is free to the public. It's also supported by major operating systems (Windows, Linux, and Mac OS). The success of this project is the result of a community of developers and audiophiles working together since 2000. Why pay for studio level software, when Audacity can handle your project's needs.

The user interface (UI) is straightforward and intuitive. If you’ve seen timeline applications, it’s just a main panel with a visual representation of sound (waves) by track and allows for easy navigation and playback. If planning to record a single audio track you can use your computer's built-in mic, but for an improved sound, consider purchasing a quality microphone or even a combo mic and headphone set. This software has supported podcasts, soundtracks, post-process projects like mixdowns (of entire music albums), and include onboard effects (compression, fading, and equalization) for maximizing quality. When you're done, you can export files as WAV, AIFF, AU, FLAC, AC3, M4A, MP2, MP3, WMA as well as Ogg Vorbis, which I'll bring up in another post.

Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 2, 2017 at 5:17 PM

    Great find!

    I’ve used this app for years because it gets the job done. Very effective free tool indeed. High praise is granted. I also use Adobe’s Audition and Ableton Live for more involved recordings. Garage Band on my tablet is fun. At work the sound booth is hooked up for Pro Tools. I’m blown away with all the audio technology out now. I play rhythm guitar into an apple music app called Music Memos and it spits out live drums and bass. While not the best thing in the world, it’s close enough to impress.

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