Sound Recorder Software Waveform
Award-winning audio recording software for recording sound on PC or Mac. Download free. Audio recorder programs to record mp3, music, voice, sound and audio. WaveEditor for Android™ is a professional tool for editing, recording, and mastering audio. WaveEditor also supports a large variety of file types that make it suitable for audio format conversion and media playback. Features. Multi-Track mixing and editing. WAV or MP3 recording formats. Visual tools (FFT, oscilloscope, spectrogram). Supported import formats: 3gp, aac, aif, aifc.
Features
• Multi-Track mixing and editing
• WAV or MP3 recording formats
• Visual tools (FFT, oscilloscope, spectrogram)
• Supported import formats: 3gp, aac, aif, aifc, aiff, alac, amr, au, caf, flac, htk, iff, m4a, mat4, mat5, mp3, mp4, ogg, paf, pcm, pvf, raw, sd2, sf, snd, svx, voc, w64, wav, xi
• Supported export formats: aiff, flac, mp3, ogg, pcm, wav
• Standalone and in-editor audio recorders
• USB Microphone support (More info: https://sbaud.io/wavstudio-usb-microphone-support/)
• Built-in file browser for loading and saving files
• 32-bit floating point signal processing
• Single sample editing
• Zooming, panning, and selection functions
• Macro processes such as fade, reverse, & invert
• Amplitude meter
• Undo/redo & copy/paste features
• Compact view setting for smaller devices
• Alternative waveform colors for better stereo visualization
• Separate audio format conversion utility
• Auto pitch tune effect
• Recorder widget
Effects
• Chorus(Pro)
• Crusher (Pro)
• Delay (Pro)
• Distortion (Pro)
• Phaser (Pro)
• Reverb (Pro)
• Filter
• Graphic EQ
• Parametric EQ (Pro)
• Stereo Mixer
• Compressor (Pro)
• Multi-band Compressor (Pro)
• Gain
• Noise Gate
• Normalization
• Insert Silence
• Resample
• Granular Stretch
• Pitch Correction (Pro)
• Pitch Shift (Pro)
• Time Stretch (Pro)
• Tapestop
Pro Upgrade
The free version of WaveEditor contains many features and is quite useful. However, if you like this app, buy the upgraded version to fully utilize its potential. This can be done within the app via In App Billing, and ensures future support as well as new features in later releases.
Benefits of upgrading are as follows:
• All advertisements removed
• All effects unlocked
Permission Details
• Read/Write Storage - Used for importing and exporting audio files from storage. Required to use app.
• Record - Used for recording audio from mic. Optional, but required to use recorder.
License Info
This app uses the following libraries:
LAME (www.mp3dev.org) released under the LGPLv2.1 (www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl-2.1.html)
libsndfile (www.mega-nerd.com/libsndfile/) released under the LGPLv2.1 (www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl-2.1.html)
Secret Rabbit Code (www.mega-nerd.com/SRC/) released under the 2-Clause BSD License (www.opensource.org/licenses/BSD-2-Clause)
libvorbis (www.xiph.org/vorbis/) released under a BSD-style license (www.opensource.org/licenses/BSD-3-Clause)
libusb (http://libusb.info/) released under the LGPLv2.1 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl-2.1.html)
libFLAC (https://xiph.org/flac/) released under a BSD-style license (www.opensource.org/licenses/BSD-3-Clause)
mpg123(https://www.mpg123.de/) released under the LGPLv2.1 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl-2.1.html)
jTransforms(https://sites.google.com/site/piotrwendykier/software/jtransforms) released under the 2-Clause BSD License (www.opensource.org/licenses/BSD-2-Clause)
The source code for the libraries used in this app can be found here : https://sbaud.io/wavstudio-audio-editor-recorder/
Note: Patented formats including amr, 3gpp/3gp, m4a, & aac use system level codecs distributed with your device for audio streaming only. Codecs for these formats are not included in this app.
Best for Audio Repair
MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab
MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab has a simple user-interface and a great selection of tools for repairing and restoring noisy recordings.
Don’t worry if you have limited experience using audio restoration tools, there are more than 290 one-button presets to get you started. The repair tools in this program are the perfect solution for removing hiss, hums and crackles from poorly recorded audio or digitized vinyl. You can only record and edit one stereo track per session, so consider a different program if you want to record and edit a podcast.
This software has an inviting layout that makes it easy to find tools and speeds up your workflow. There aren’t any hidden windows or tricky menus to navigate, and the restoration tools are clearly labeled. If you plan to digitize a vinyl collection, or repair field recordings, this is a simple, low-cost solution.
Best for Recording Instruments
Cockos Reaper
Reaper records unlimited amount of audio tracks per session and has a good selection of mixing and mastering plugins.
The layout is easy to navigate and customizable to improve workflow and give you easy access to the tools you use most. It doesn’t have a good selection of repair and restoration tools, but it is compatible with most of the third-party plugin formats. You can also use Reaper to overdub or replace audio tracks from most the popular video formats.
There’s a free 60-day trial without any exporting or editing limitations. If you enjoy the layout and workflow, the full version only costs $60 and includes free updates that continue through the next version.
Why Trust Us
I have 20 years of experience with audio editing software in both a recreational and a professional capacity. My formative years were spent recording voice-overs and producing sound effects as a Foley artist. Many environments were poorly sound-proofed, so I experimented with early versions of audio editing software to create more professional recordings.
As an engineer and producer for a broadcast radio station, I produced hundreds of commercials and advertisements using similar editing software. I also spent two years teaching audio recording and editing at a local university.
My recommendations are based on my impressions of the programs as I edited and restored poorly recorded audio with each one, and I specifically focused on testing features I think are the most useful if you have limited editing experience. I focused my recommendations on the value of each feature and how each program’s interface incorporates those important tools.
How We Tested
We tested and researched programs that are easy enough for novices to use. As we tested, we focused on the applications’ audio restoration (noise reduction) capabilities, editing tools and ease of use – the most important features for podcast production and cleaning up digitized vinyl recordings.
To test noise-reduction capabilities, we uploaded an unedited podcast recording that was laced with hiss, hums and pops. We used all the tools available in each program to edit the track without adversely affecting the sound of the voices.
I talked to Brandon Long, a veteran podcast producer at the Banyan Collective, about the features he uses most as well as his tips and tricks for fledgling podcast enthusiasts. He suggests using audio editing software with multitrack recording capabilities because recording each mic separately saves time in the post-production process and results in a cleaner, more cohesive product.
He also suggests taking a little extra time before you start recording to make sure microphone levels are correct. “If it's a bad recording, it's a bad recording. It can be cleaned up, but it will never sound as good as if it was a clean recording to begin with.” He likens the process to taking a bad photograph and relying on software to fix it, noting, “editing software can only put so much lipstick on the pig.”
Important Features to Consider
Recording Capability
Some audio editing software can only edit files. If you plan to record your voice for a podcast, make sure you choose a program that can record from a USB microphone or audio interface. Some of the programs we reviewed can record multiple sources simultaneously, known as multitrack recording. This is a handy feature for podcast producers who use more than one microphone, and it allows you to edit those tracks separately.
Editing Tools and Effects
All the programs we tested can handle simple editing tasks like fade-ins and fade-outs, volume normalization, and copying and pasting. However, the best programs include advanced tools that apply fun effects like delay, echo and pitch-shifting. They also have mastering effects so you can publish your results at industry-standard volume levels for online and physical distribution.
Sound Recorder Software Waveform Software
Track Count
All the programs we tested allow you to record audio, but only about half of them can record more than two tracks per session. The best programs we tested support more than 20 tracks per session. If you plan to record more than one mic and integrate other audio content, such as beat-beds and sound effects, the post-production process is much easier if each source is on its own track.
How Much Should I Spend on Audio Editing Software?
The only reason to spend more than $100 on editing software is if you plan to compose music with virtual instruments, produce complex arrangements or mix and master recordings professionally. We recommend $200 as the right price for music production software, and $500 or more if you are recording and finalizing projects in a professional capacity. The programs we tested for this comparison are the perfect solution for recording podcasts, editing and repairing field recordings and digitizing an old vinyl collection.
Best USB Microphones
Other than audio editing software, the most important piece of gear you need to produce a podcast is a microphone. USB microphones offer the easiest setup process and don’t require an audio interface to communicate with software. If you plan to record with multiple microphones simultaneously, an audio interface is a better option. But if you need to record only one source at a time, here are a couple of our favorite USB microphones:
Blue Yeti Pro
The Blue Yeti Pro is the most versatile USB microphone available. It has a USB output to connect directly to your laptop or home computer, as well as a standard XLR output to send an analog signal to a recording interface. It’s compatible with all of the audio editing software we tested, and it comes with a heavy-duty tabletop stand. It has three polar patterns, including an omnidirectional setting for picking up voices 360 degrees around the mic. The zero-latency headphone output and gain control allow you to dial in the perfect levels while eliminating the annoying delay associated with using your computer’s sound card as the output device.
Audio-Technica AT2020USB+
If you’re looking for a USB mic for less than $200, the Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ is the best option. Audio-Technica is well-known for producing some of the best recording mics available, and the AT2020USB+ is a best-in-class option for USB mics. It has an internal headphone amp with volume control and a well-designed A/D converter that records at 16 bits, which is CD quality. It comes with a tripod desktop stand, a USB cable and a padded pouch.