Lastly, some music software come as mac only, while others both — it’s more likely software and gear are mac-only as opposed to windows-only — something to think about. MacWorld’s article loves the MacBook Pro for music making.
A Recording Studio for Your PC
There has never been a better time to buy digital audio workstation (DAW) software. Twenty years ago, to record a music album at a professional level, you needed a sizable mixing console, several eight-track digital records (such as ADATs or DA-88s), and a good selection of outboard compressors, reverb units, and other effects, plus a two-track deck to mix down to. In other words, you were looking at about $10K to $15K worth of gear to start—and that's before you got to microphones, speakers, and other accessories.
If you were on a budget, you'd probably stick with a tried-and-true Tascam or Yamaha four-track tape recorder and Alesis compressor, get used to bouncing tracks in mono, make peace with tape hiss, and remember to clean the tape heads every week. And you'd be sharply limited in the kinds of projects you could produce. The only easy multitrack recording you could do at the time was with MIDI, with hardware synthesizers or samplers, and maybe with a Mac or an Atari ST computer attached as a sequencer.
It's an entirely different world now. Software packages that cost a few hundred dollars now deliver hundreds of audio tracks and incredibly flexible editing. Some programs are even free. You can create as many instances of effects plug-ins as you want, including spot-on emulations of compressors that cost several thousand dollars each, and attach them to as many mixer channels as you want. It's all nearly unlimited and 'in the box' now.
Choosing the Right DAW
From the standpoint of someone recording 20 or 30 years ago, a DAW today is like a giant candy store; it's as if you can do almost anything. For the newcomer, though, it may seem almost hopelessly complex. Choosing the right audio software can be quite difficult. Most of the famous packages like Pro Tools and Logic have been around for decades. They've grown incredibly powerful, and as a result have user interfaces that are as complex as…well, professional mix consoles.
So how to decide? To help with this task, we went out and tested the most popular DAWs. Numerous venerable (and excellent) recording magazines have reviewed these applications many times over the years. That's great for the existing user base of each DAW, but maybe not always quite as clear for newcomers. In each of our reviews, we did our best to approach each product as a whole, rather than devoting the majority of the space to just the latest features that were added in the most recent point update.
Before we get to the specifics, the simplest program for audio editing is a two-track editor; probably the most famous example here is the free Audacity. While Audacity aspires to some extremely basic multitrack recording with overdubs, its real use is as a solid stereo editor. If you're recording a podcast or editing a clip of your kid's piano recital that you recorded on your phone, Audacity is an excellent choice; you can probably start and stop there. If you need something more sophisticated, read on.
It helps to think about the kinds of projects you want to create. Are you planning on producing beats for hip-hop or fully electronic compositions? Do you want to record multiple musicians playing live instruments at once? Will you be using your setup to score for picture , or creating sound effects and dialogue for TV and video games? Do you need to produce fully polished, printed scores, or otherwise prefer to work with musical notes and staves? Do you plan on tuning the pitch of vocal performances? Working out the answers to these kinds of questions up front will help you narrow down your choices.
What Comes With Each DAW?
The good news is all of the packages can we tested can more or less do all of the above tasks, with a few notable exceptions. The trick is that each program has strengths in different areas, and some tasks may be a bit more complicated in one than they are in another. One overarching rule to decide faster is to look at what your colleagues or friends are using, and then choose the same package. That makes it easier to share tips or even projects between each other, rather than being the lone person using a particular product and then introducing session import issues.
Another is to look at what's bundled with each program. Would you prefer a DAW that comes with a ton of virtual instrument sounds, such as synthesizers, sampled violins, guitars, and electric basses? You may want to look at something like Logic Pro X, Cubase Pro, or Studio One, all of which include many gigabytes of sounds and loops. Do you have or plan to buy your own instrument plug-ins you want to use? Reaper is a fully stripped down DAW at an excellent price, and it makes an excellent host for third-party VSTs. It's also great if you're recording a band full of live instruments and don't need much in the way of virtual ones. Do your tastes lean toward the electronic and synthesized realm? FL Studio, Reason, and Ableton Live are inspired choices with plenty of built-in synths, though you can produce electronic music with just about any of these programs.
Often, it comes down to the details and the editing philosophies. Do you prefer pattern-based recording for electronic music? FL Studio is going to have plenty to offer. Would you rather have a 'do-it-all' DAW with a large built-in sound library at a low price? PreSonus Studio One beckons. Do you want to not just be able to bring projects into major studios, but collaborate online and also open sessions directly as you work on them with others? It's impossible to top Avid's Pro Tools for this. Is the music already done, and you work in post-production and want to produce more professional podcasts or videos? Adobe Audition is a prime contender for these tasks. And if you've got a Mac, it's worth giving the free GarageBand a spin, if only because it's more powerful than it ever was and you already own it.
Animation for mac. Be sure to read through the description of each app before you decide to buy it. You can also click through to see user ratings and reviews for some of the animation apps in the Mac App Store.
How Much Do You Want to Spend?
Closely correlated to the bundled instruments and effects is price, and that's a factor that can cloud the issue a bit. Many of the top-tier packages also have less expensive (or even free), feature-limited editions available. It's not as simple as saying 'Reaper is a budget DAW at $60 and Studio One 3 is a professional-level DAW at $399,' because you can also buy the stripped-down (but still pretty feature-rich) Studio One Artist for $99. What do you lose? What do you gain? We try and touch on this as much as possible within each review.
Which DAW Is Right for You?
In short, read our reviews (linked below) and try some demos where you can. But otherwise, don't sweat it too much. We spent countless hours testing these products and putting together both the reviews and this guide. Despite the complexity of the software here, we've found it's honestly tough to go wrong. It's not like computers or cameras, where you can clearly see that of the latest crop of products, a few perform well and a few don't perform as well as the leaders. These are all mature, well-established products, each with thousands of fans.
As a result, more than half of the packages in this roundup score at least four out of five stars. You can get professional-level results with all of them. Each has some specific workflows that work really, really well for some people—hence the endless 'X is the best and Y is garbage' arguments on the internet—but they all can work for just about anyone.
Even so, we single out two DAWs, one on the Mac and one on the PC, for Editors' Choice awards: Apple Logic Pro X, for its absolutely unbeatable value with its built-in instruments and effects plug-ins, and Avid Pro Tools, for its seamless audio editing and suitability up and down the pro studio chain. But we'd happily use any of the programs listed below for new projects. Choose one, learn its secrets, and get to work creating and editing amazing music and audio projects.
Best Audio Editing Software Featured in This Roundup:
Avid Pro Tools Review
MSRP: $599.00
Pros: Still the cleanest audio editing workflow on the planet. Fast 64-bit recording and mixing engine. New cloud-based project collaboration tools. Robust, useful track freeze and commit options. High-end hardware and support policies are tops in the industry.Cons: Lacks built-in pitch correction. No VST plug-in support or instrument track presets. USB dongle-based copy protection. Monthly fee required for new software patches past 12 months.Bottom Line: Avid stays the course with Pro Tools and maintains its status as the standard cross-platform solution for professional audio editing work for music, film, games, and broadcast.Read ReviewImage-Line FL Studio Review
MSRP: $299.00
Pros: Vector-based interface is attractively animated, and supports 4K, multi-monitor, and multitouch configurations. Brilliant loop and pattern-based MIDI composition tools. Visible automation clips are easy to manipulate. Light memory footprint. Free lifetime updates.Cons: Convoluted, inflexible audio recording (in higher-priced versions). Must manually assign instrument tracks to mixer channels. Built-in sound library could use some updating. Lacks notation editor.Bottom Line: If you want to produce some of today's slickest beats, right up to full electronic dance music tracks, FL Studio could be the ideal key to unlock your creativity.Read ReviewAdobe Audition CC Review
MSRP: $20.99
Pros: Strong audio-restoration, sound-removal, and noise-reduction tools. Excellent stereo waveform editor. Useful visualization tools. Adheres to film and television broadcast standards for audio.Cons: Lacks MIDI support. Only available via an expensive monthly subscription.Bottom Line: Audition is a comprehensive audio editor for video post-production, podcasts, and audio restoration. It's expensive for what you get, though, and makes the most sense as a supplement to a video editor or as part of an existing CC subscription.Read ReviewSteinberg Cubase Pro Review
MSRP: $559.99
Pros: Comprehensive editing and automation support. Robust plug-in bundle. Powerful mixer. Rock-solid stability.Cons: Expensive. Dongle-based hardware copy protection. Bottom Line: Steinberg Cubase Pro is a top-notch digital audio workstation particularly suited to MIDI and virtual instrument composers.Read ReviewAbleton Live Review
MSRP: $749.00
Pros: Inspirational clip-based live and composition workflow. Fast navigation. Powerful automation. Suite version contains plenty of sample material to work with. Cons: No track comping. No notation view. No pitch correction tool. Mixer view could be more robust.Bottom Line: In its latest iteration, Ableton Live is a powerful all-in-the-box solution for composing music, particularly electronic-influenced, but it's not for everyone.Read ReviewPreSonus Studio One Review
MSRP: $399.00
Pros: Fast workflow for music composition and audio recording. Robust included sound sets. Attractive drag-and-drop interface. Powerful free version. Multitouch-enabled on the Windows side.Cons: No notation editor. No easy way to import session data or save I/O templates. MIDI editing is still weaker than the competition. Cluttered mixing console. Bottom Line: PreSonus reinvented the common digital audio workstation in 2008 with Studio One; the latest version is the most inspired yet.Read ReviewPropellerhead Reason Review
MSRP: $399.00
Pros: Versatile array of bundled instruments. Awesome sound set serves as instant inspiration for new electronic tracks. Fast composition workflow. SSL-style mix compression and EQ.Cons: Aging rackmount-and-patch-cable UI idiom. No surround or scoring features. Track editing still lags the competition.Bottom Line: Despite its flaws, it's tough to knock Reason as an all-in-one recording, mixing, and mastering tool, particularly if you're into electronic or hip-hop music and want a tremendous array of sounds and beats right out of the gate. It's still as much fun to use as it has always been.Read ReviewCockos Reaper Review
MSRP: $60.00
Pros: Multi-channel audio recording, mixing, and mastering at a bargain price. Heavily customizable. Fast. Extremely light memory footprint.Cons: No built-in instruments or loops. Uninviting, unintuitive interface.Bottom Line: Reaper offers nearly all of the features and flexibility, if not the ease of use or visual appeal, of powerhouse digital audio workstations like Pro Tools at a fraction of the cost.Read ReviewApple Logic Pro X (for Mac) Review
MSRP: $199.99
Pros: Excellent value. Stunning array of bundled instruments and effects. Terrific interface. No copy protection, unlike many competitors.Cons: A few older plug-ins still need a UI makeover.Bottom Line: Apple Logic Pro X 10.4 is a tremendous update to an already-excellent digital audio workstation, and if you own Logic Pro X, it's free. Read ReviewAudacity Review
MSRP: $0.00
Pros: Free. Lots of editing options ideal for dialogue, sound effects, and trimming music tracks. Supports multitrack audio and batch processing.Cons: Destructive editing only. Multitrack audio support is exceedingly basic.Bottom Line: If you're looking to get started in podcasting or recording music, it's tough to go wrong with Audacity. A powerful, free, open-source audio editor that's been available for years, Audacity is still the go-to choice for quick-and-dirty audio work.Read Review
Best Audio Editing Software Featured in This Roundup:
Avid Pro Tools Review
MSRP: $599.00Pros: Still the cleanest audio editing workflow on the planet. Fast 64-bit recording and mixing engine. New cloud-based project collaboration tools. Robust, useful track freeze and commit options. High-end hardware and support policies are tops in the industry.Cons: Lacks built-in pitch correction. No VST plug-in support or instrument track presets. USB dongle-based copy protection. Monthly fee required for new software patches past 12 months.Bottom Line: Avid stays the course with Pro Tools and maintains its status as the standard cross-platform solution for professional audio editing work for music, film, games, and broadcast.Read ReviewImage-Line FL Studio Review
MSRP: $299.00Pros: Vector-based interface is attractively animated, and supports 4K, multi-monitor, and multitouch configurations. Brilliant loop and pattern-based MIDI composition tools. Visible automation clips are easy to manipulate. Light memory footprint. Free lifetime updates.Cons: Convoluted, inflexible audio recording (in higher-priced versions). Must manually assign instrument tracks to mixer channels. Built-in sound library could use some updating. Lacks notation editor.Bottom Line: If you want to produce some of today's slickest beats, right up to full electronic dance music tracks, FL Studio could be the ideal key to unlock your creativity.Read ReviewAdobe Audition CC Review
MSRP: $20.99Pros: Strong audio-restoration, sound-removal, and noise-reduction tools. Excellent stereo waveform editor. Useful visualization tools. Adheres to film and television broadcast standards for audio.Cons: Lacks MIDI support. Only available via an expensive monthly subscription.Bottom Line: Audition is a comprehensive audio editor for video post-production, podcasts, and audio restoration. It's expensive for what you get, though, and makes the most sense as a supplement to a video editor or as part of an existing CC subscription.Read ReviewSteinberg Cubase Pro Review
MSRP: $559.99Pros: Comprehensive editing and automation support. Robust plug-in bundle. Powerful mixer. Rock-solid stability.Cons: Expensive. Dongle-based hardware copy protection.Bottom Line: Steinberg Cubase Pro is a top-notch digital audio workstation particularly suited to MIDI and virtual instrument composers.Read ReviewAbleton Live Review
MSRP: $749.00Pros: Inspirational clip-based live and composition workflow. Fast navigation. Powerful automation. Suite version contains plenty of sample material to work with.Cons: No track comping. No notation view. No pitch correction tool. Mixer view could be more robust.Bottom Line: In its latest iteration, Ableton Live is a powerful all-in-the-box solution for composing music, particularly electronic-influenced, but it's not for everyone.Read ReviewPreSonus Studio One Review
MSRP: $399.00Pros: Fast workflow for music composition and audio recording. Robust included sound sets. Attractive drag-and-drop interface. Powerful free version. Multitouch-enabled on the Windows side.Cons: No notation editor. No easy way to import session data or save I/O templates. MIDI editing is still weaker than the competition. Cluttered mixing console.Bottom Line: PreSonus reinvented the common digital audio workstation in 2008 with Studio One; the latest version is the most inspired yet.Read ReviewPropellerhead Reason Review
MSRP: $399.00Pros: Versatile array of bundled instruments. Awesome sound set serves as instant inspiration for new electronic tracks. Fast composition workflow. SSL-style mix compression and EQ.Cons: Aging rackmount-and-patch-cable UI idiom. No surround or scoring features. Track editing still lags the competition.Bottom Line: Despite its flaws, it's tough to knock Reason as an all-in-one recording, mixing, and mastering tool, particularly if you're into electronic or hip-hop music and want a tremendous array of sounds and beats right out of the gate. It's still as much fun to use as it has always been.Read ReviewCockos Reaper Review
MSRP: $60.00Pros: Multi-channel audio recording, mixing, and mastering at a bargain price. Heavily customizable. Fast. Extremely light memory footprint.Cons: No built-in instruments or loops. Uninviting, unintuitive interface.Bottom Line: Reaper offers nearly all of the features and flexibility, if not the ease of use or visual appeal, of powerhouse digital audio workstations like Pro Tools at a fraction of the cost.Read ReviewApple Logic Pro X (for Mac) Review
MSRP: $199.99Pros: Excellent value. Stunning array of bundled instruments and effects. Terrific interface. No copy protection, unlike many competitors.Cons: A few older plug-ins still need a UI makeover.Bottom Line: Apple Logic Pro X 10.4 is a tremendous update to an already-excellent digital audio workstation, and if you own Logic Pro X, it's free.Read ReviewAudacity Review
MSRP: $0.00Pros: Free. Lots of editing options ideal for dialogue, sound effects, and trimming music tracks. Supports multitrack audio and batch processing.Cons: Destructive editing only. Multitrack audio support is exceedingly basic.Bottom Line: If you're looking to get started in podcasting or recording music, it's tough to go wrong with Audacity. A powerful, free, open-source audio editor that's been available for years, Audacity is still the go-to choice for quick-and-dirty audio work.Read Review
Whether you want to make music, record a podcast, or just knock together a ringtone, you’ll need a good quality Mac audio editor. There are some amazing audio editors for Mac available that won’t break the bank. In fact, many won’t cost you anything at all.
So, from quick and simple apps to professional level tools, here’s our pick of the best affordable and free audio editing software for Mac.
1. Audacity
Audacity is the first audio editor that most people will stumble upon through a Google search. It’s an easy recommendation. It’s free and open source, has a fairly straightforward interface, and supports a massive number of file types, including MP3 and WAV.
You can record straight into the app (though not using instruments), or edit existing files. There’s an enormous number of effects you can use, a spectrogram for analyzing frequencies, and it supports high quality 32-bit audio as well.
Audacity is a fantastic starting point for anyone who needs a simple editor, but has enough power to grow as you become more experienced. The only downside is that it doesn’t support full non-destructive editing, so make sure you’ve got a backup of your original audio before you begin.
Download:Audacity (Free)
2. WavePad
WavePad is another highly competent Mac audio editor that’s free so long as you’re only using it non-commercially.
It supports a large number of file types. It allows you to work on multiple files at the same time, and you can even batch process thousands of files at once. WavePad supports audio bookmarking, the usual range of effects and some text-to-speech and vocal manipulation tools to boot.
The multi-window interface takes a little getting used to, but as a free WAV or MP3 editor for Mac it’s well worth a look.
Download:WavePad (Free for non-commercial use)
3. OcenAudio
A completely free and feature-packed cross-platform audio recorder and editor from Brazil, OcenAudio is another option for the budget sound engineer. The app supports a huge number of file types including MP3, FLAC, and WMA. It also supports various videos formats including the MKV container.
OcenAudio is often seen as the main alternative to Audacity. It has a similar feature set, but a much more refined interface that makes it super accessible. There’s also support for VST instruments, a range of effects, a fully featured spectrogram, and the ability to edit very large files without kissing goodbye to all of your Mac’s memory.
Download:OcenAudio (Free)
4. PreSonus Studio One Prime
For the best free audio mixing software look no further than Studio One Prime. It’s a free version of a professional suite that would normally set you back $399.
You can create or mix music with the built-in effects, instruments, and loops. And it’s just as good for recording and editing podcasts and voiceovers. It takes some time to find your way around the interface—let alone master. But if you’re willing to invest the time Studio One Prime has got everything you’ll need in a free package.
Download:PreSonus Studio One Prime (Free)
5. Avid Pro Tools First
Pro Tools is the industry standard for audio production. Pro Tools First is a free, stripped down taster for new users.
It’s feature rich but a daunting proposition, with a complex interface and steep learning curve. It also needs a more powerful computer than the other apps we’ve listed here. There’s a big limitation on free users—you can only save your files to the Avid cloud servers, and you can only have three projects on the go at once.
Pro Tools First is overkill if you’re only looking to edit your podcast. But if you want to try your hand at recording and mixing music you won’t find better free sound editing software.
Download:Avid Pro Tools First (Free)
6. GarageBand
Finally, as far as free audio editors for Mac are concerned, don’t overlook the app you’ve already got installed on your machine… GarageBand.
Although it’s designed primarily as a tool for making music, the app works as basic audio editing software. You can record directly into the app, or import and edit existing recordings. It’s a decent option for podcasters, too, with voice-optimized features built in.
For more, see our guide detailing how to use GarageBand.
Download:GarageBand (Free)
7. Reaper
On to the paid options, and at $60 Reaper is at the upper end of what we’d class as a cheap audio editor. But it comes with a very generous 60-day free trial, so you’ll know whether or not it’s for you long before you have to stump up any cash.
And the signs look good. Reaper is loved by its userbase. It’s a small download, and much lighter than the likes of Pro Tools First. It supports all common file formats at whatever quality you need, and you can use free VST plugins12 Free VST Plugins Every Musician Must Have12 Free VST Plugins Every Musician Must HaveVirtual Studio Technology makes music production easier than ever, and these free VST plugins are the best of the best.Read More, making thousands of instruments and effects available.
What it lacks compared to similar commercial products is a sound library. But the internet is packed with thousands of freely downloadable samples you can use to build your own.
Download:Reaper ($60)
8. Adobe Audition
I know what you’re thinking—no Adobe products are cheap! It’s true that using Audition long term will set you back hundreds of dollars. Best cheese mixes for mac and cheese. But if you’re just working on a specific project and you want the best, you can pick it up for a month for a little over $30.
Adobe Audition is a popular choice for all types of audio editing and mixing. It’s great for music and podcasts, and even integrates with Adobe Premiere Pro so you can create soundtracks for your videos. There’s very little it can’t do and very few file types it doesn’t support.
Adobe has even produced a full range of tutorials to get you up and running straight away—in terms of functionality, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Download:Adobe Audition (Subscription from $20.99/month)
9. Fission
Fission is an audio editor that focuses on fast, lossless editing in a neat and stylish package. The app comes with a decent free trial which provides unhindered access to all functions, except for one thing: audio files are saved at lower quality.
Fission has a long list of features including batch editing, simple waveform editing, support for FLAC and WAV (among others), and the lossless editing of already-compressed MP3 and AAC files. You can batch convert from one file format to another, while a handy Podcasts panel makes it easy to package your broadcasts to share online.
Download:Fission ($35)
More Mac Software for Creative Types
Best Free Video Editing Mac
It’s surprising just how good the free or cheap audio editors for Mac are. There are apps in this list that are suitable for anything, from quick 5-minute jobs to launching your recording empire. However, if you’re planning to use one of these apps to start a podcast, make sure you invest in the best podcasting equipment first.
Apple’s macOS has always been the platform of choice for creative types. If video is more your thing, check out the best free macOS video editorsThe 8 Best Free Video Editors for MacThe 8 Best Free Video Editors for MacNeed to edit video on a budget? These free Mac video editors let you perform essential video editing tasks at no cost.Read More to get started.
Free Video Editing Mac
Explore more about: Audacity, Audio Editor, GarageBand, .
Best App For Editing Mac
- Check out Acon Digital's Acoustica (version 7 onwards). It has been completely redesigned and now has a Mac version. I was looking for a replacement for Audition on PC, and after trying so many wave editors, Acoustica 7 was the most promising. I have now switched to Mac, so will be taking the Mac version for a spin.
A huge bonus is that it doesn't look like shareware from 20 years ago (Audacity). - Hi,
I am looking for an app that can cut a MP3 in many MP3 automatically based on the silences between the words. Each MP3 will then gets it own id.IMac El Capitane, no experience in audio editing- Rob B:
What you are asking to do is a Two step process, and you are not going to be able to do this on the cheap.
First, you need a proper DAW like Logic or Digital Performer. These are EXPENSIVE, but they WILL isolate the silent bits automatically without you having to do this by hand.
Second, if you want the tagging, you need a Batch Editor, like Adobe Audition. Which will tag all of those bits for you.
Treatment
- Wavepad is NOT free. You get a demo that allows you to save/export a very few file. To continue saving, you MUST by the full edition. If you don't, all your work is LOST !!!
:=( (- Don't select the main download link. Instead use the link to the free version buried in the text.
- I do not know what's going on there, but all the links point to the same apparent file 'http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/wavepadmaci.zip'. However what is downloaded is a dmg file and the installed version finally is a version with limited capabilities after some trial.
- Oops! I have to correct myself. The links are different. Although the link of the file showed by the browser is misleadingly 'zip' and the files downloaded have the same name, BUT the free version instance eventually works as advertised.
- I cant believe Adobe are trying to charge customers per month for using software? who came up with that pricing model? It wouldn't be so bad if the pricing was sensible, but $20 a month? this needs to be nipped in the bud, and Adobe need to go back to selling products not renting them out! Ridiculous!
- I am finally able to enter the digital photography field because of the Adobe CC subscription based model. I am sure you have good reason for objecting, but I get immediate access to thousands of dollars worth of software for an extremely approachable fee.
I believe you can still purchase all their products as always, but the CC model lets the the working class have access too.
- I've used Audacity in the past for simple audio conversion and slice & dice, but I've upgraded to Yosemite 6 months ago, but I see there's still no OSX 10.10 support, so I've just downloaded & installed WavePad to give that a try and I have to say it looks better then Audacity.
Seriously the GUI, the icons and the waveform of Audacity looks like it's some crappy Windows software. - I have been doing DSP for over 35 years. I remember back in the day before wav files even existed and it was all just raw data. These days, I mostly edit by frequency (spectral editing) instead of amplitude. David Johnston created Cool Edit, then pro before Adobe bought them out. I get free copies from SW companies all the time. I sandbox them all and I must admit that Adobe has kept their word to David that his foundational CEP program will always be the best. Because of the plugs available, Audition is way ahead of them all. I can not only transpose vocal pitch, but I can also manipulate depth, width, and length of the vocal cavity. I know and understand why Wayne Newton sounded like a girl when he was young and I give credit to Adobe for that. Other wav editors cant even come close to that, and many other intricacies that you can do like using plugs to manipulate algorithmic sets to make your edits way over the studio standard. Even if it's only me that can hear these differences. Adobe Audition might cost substantially more money, but you get what you pay for. Just because I am sponsored and get Adobe Audition cost free means nothing. I never asked them for sponsorship, and they know I could care less if they sponsor me or not. As of this 1st day of 2015, Audition IS the best wav editor for single track editing. I use it as my wav editor for Reaper, which I use as a multitrack editor. Adobe is also OK for mastering although I personally prefer doing that task with outboard hardware type gear. Happy New Year! Morph Mode
- Mote of a DAW than a simple wave editor, but Reaper is also a pretty amazing value: http://www.reaper.fm/
- Are you aware that 'five-finger discount' means theft, usually shoplifting? Your use of the term to refer to 'free for non-comercial use' is a bit disconcerting.
- Yes, thank you! I've used several DAWs, but having had several upgraded out from under me (wanting a re-purchase) I've been looking for lower-price alternatives. This article got me to download ocenaudio, and so far, I'm impressed!
BTW, several DAWs have iOs versions. TwistedWave is one. There is an iOs WavePad, but apparently the integration to the desktop is not terribly good (hearsay; I haven't tried it.) Might be a topic for a future article.
- That should read *for Linux :)
- Hi, have you got a similar article planned or Linux?
- Thanks for the reply. WavePad does work (and is also on the iPad), but I will be using it for commercial use and desktop suite integration makes it a bit cumbersome.Honestly, OcenAudio may be the one. I learned about it from the comments section.It's incredible because I need very little from the program, as I am only editing the timeline of .wav or .aiff files that are already premixed. I'll be putting OcenAudio to the test tonight!Thanks again for the article.
- Good article. I've been looking for a replacement for Cool Edit Pro 2.1 for about 10 years. Audacity is not really an adequate replacement, and there is no way I am paying $20+ a month for any software. I've actually had to install Windows XP just to use Cool Edit because the Wine emulation suffers from latency issues. SMH, SMH.
- OcenAudio is free and runs on Mac. It's very slick for a free offering and meets all my needs managing my sample collection when i don't want to open Ableton up. Has the added bonus of metadata handling too. Worth a look!
- Don't forget Ardour. Inexpensive and arguably the most powerful editor in the no- to low-cost category.
- Agreed. If you're not coming from a DAW background or something like Pro Tools or Logic, Audacity is much more accessible, but they're definitely in two different classes.
- To Tim B: you are wrong about this for GarageBand 11, which is pretty new. See Apple Support document http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2008?viewlocale=en_US 'To import an audio file: Drag the audio file you want to import from the Finder into the timeline, to the empty area below the existing tracks. A new Real Instrument track is created, and the audio file appears as an orange region in the track.' You can import many kinds of audio files to GarageBand.
- Doesn't Apple's native Garageband come for free? It used to. I'm pretty sure that you can edit sounds and do a lot more with it. Also, there's QuickTime, which I believe comes free on all Macs. It can do basic sound file editing.
- What I want is an audio editor that can splice out certain segments. An analogous example would be to cut oot commercials from a TV show. Do any of these do this?