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By Lampdog Thu Oct 25, 2012 1:07 am
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/25-free-di ... o-editors/

Make it happen, no matter how broke you are.

A digital audio editor is defined as a computer application for manipulating digital audio. As a multimedia creator, we normally use audio editor for recording audio, edit the duration and timeline, mix multiple sound tracks, apply simple effects for audio enhancement and create conversion between different audio file formats.

There are countless ways that digital audio editor can be used, and fortunately there are plenty of good and free digital audio editors out there to help you with your own implementation. So if you’re thinking to purchase a license for Adobe Audition, Cool Edit or Soundforge, hold that thought first. Not to say they aren’t cool, but it’s always wiser to tryout free applications before going to the pay deal.

Here’s our collection of 25 free digital audio editors. Full list after jump!

Audacity

Audacity is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds. It allows you to record live audio, converts tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs, edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files. You also can cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together with Audacity. Built-in effects are given to remove static, hiss, hum or other constant background noises.

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Power Sound Editor

Power Sound Editor Free is a visual audio editing and recording software solution, which supports many advanced and powerful operations with audio data.

You can use Power Sound Editor Free to record your own music, voice, or other audio files, edit it, mix it with other audio or musical parts, add effects like Reverb, Chorus, and Echo, and burn it on a CD, post it on the World Wide Web or e-mail it.

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mp3DirectCut

mp3DirectCut is a fast and extensive audio editor and recorder for compressed mp3. You can directly cut, copy, paste or change the volume with no need to decompress your files for audio editing. Using Cue sheets, pause detection or Auto cue you can easily divide long files.

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Music Editor Free

Music Editor Free (MEF) is a multi-award winning music editor software tool. MEF helps you to record and edit music and sounds. It lets you make and edit music, voice and other audio recordings. When editing audio files you can cut, copy and paste parts of recordings and, if required, add effects like echo, amplification and noise reduction.

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Wavosaur

Wavosaur is a free sound editor, audio editor, wav editor software for editing, processing and recording sounds, wav and mp3 files. Wavosaur has all the features to edit audio (cut, copy, paste, etc.) produce music loops, analyze, record, batch convert. Wavosaur supports VST plugins, ASIO driver, multichannel wav files, real time effect processing. The program has no installer and doesn’t write in the registry. Use it as a free mp3 editor, for mastering, sound design.

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Traverso DAW

Traverso DAW is a GPL licensed, cross platform multitrack audio recording and editing suite, with an innovative and easy to master User Interface. It’s suited for both the professional and home user, who needs a robust and solid DAW. Adding and removal of effects plugins, moving Audio Clips and creating new Tracks during playback are all perfectly safe, giving you instant feedback on your work!

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Ardour

Ardour is a digital audio workstation. You can use it to record, edit and mix multi-track audio. You can produce your own CDs, mix video soundtracks, or just experiment with new ideas about music and sound. Ardour capabilities include: multichannel recording, non-destructive editing with unlimited undo/redo, full automation support, a powerful mixer, unlimited tracks/busses/plugins, timecode synchronization, and hardware control from surfaces like the Mackie Control Universal. If you’ve been looking for a tool similar to ProTools, Nuendo, Pyramix, or Sequoia, you might have found it.

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Rosegarden

Rosegarden is a well-rounded audio and MIDI sequencer, score editor, and general-purpose music composition and editing environment. Rosegarden is an easy-to-learn, attractive application that runs on Linux, ideal for composers, musicians, music students, and small studio or home recording environments.

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Hydrogen

Hydrogen is an advanced drum machine for GNU/Linux. It’s main goal is to bring professional yet simple and intuitive pattern-based drum programming.

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WavePad Sound Editor

WavePad Sound Editor lets you make and edit music, voice and other audio recordings. When editing audio files you can cut, copy and paste parts of recordings and, if required, add effects like echo, amplification and noise reduction. WavePad works as a wav editor or mp3 editor but it also supports a number of other file formats including vox, gsm, real audio, au, aif, flac, ogg and more.

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Sound Engine

SoundEngine is the best tool for personal use, because it enables you to easily edit a wave data while it has many functions required for a mastering process.

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Expstudio Audio Editor

Expstudio Audio Editor is a visual music file editor that has many different options and a multiple functionality to edit your music files like editing text files. With a given audio data it can perform many different operations such as displaying a waveform image of an audio file, filtering, applying various audio effects, format conversion and more.

DJ Audio Editor

DJ Audio Editor is easy-to-use and well-organized audio application which allows you to perform various operations with audio data. You can create and edit audio files professionally, also displaying a waveform image of audio file makes your work faster.

Eisenkraut

Eisenkraut is a cross-platform audio file editor. It requires Java 1.4+ and SuperCollider 3. It supports multi-channel and multi-mono files and floating-point encoding. An OSC scripting interface and experimental sonagramme functionality are provided.

FREE WAVE MP3 Editor

Free Wave MP3 Editor is a sound editor program for Windows. This software lets you make and edit voice and other audio recordings. You can cut, copy and paste parts of recording and, if required, add effects like echo, amplification and noise reduction.

Kangas Sound Editor

Fun Kangaroo-themed program that allows the user to create music and sound effects. It uses a system of frequency ratios for pitch control, rather than conventional music notation and equal temperament. It allows instruments, both musical and percussion, to be created.

Ecawave

Ecawave is a simple graphical audio file editor. The user-interface is based on Qt libraries, while almost all audio functionality is taken directly from ecasound libraries. As ecawave is designed for editing large audio files, all processing is done direct-to-disk. Simple waveform caching is used to speed-up file operations. Ecawave supports all audio file formats and effect algorithms provided by ecasound libraries. This includes JACK, ALSA, OSS, aRts, over 20 file formats, over 30 effect types, LADSPA plugins and multi-operator effect presets.

Audiobook Cutter

Audiobook Cutter splits your MP3 audio books and podcasts in a fast and user friendly way. The split files can easily be used on mobile MP3 players because of their small-size. Their duration allows smooth navigation through the book. The split points are determined automatically based on silence detection.

Jokosher

Jokosher is a simple yet powerful multi-track studio. With it you can create and record music, podcasts and more, all from an integrated simple environment.

LMMS

LMMS is a free cross-platform alternative to commercial programs like FL Studio, which allow you to produce music with your computer. This includes the creation of melodies and beats, the synthesis and mixing of sounds, and arranging of samples. You can have fun with your MIDI-keyboard and much more; all in a user-friendly and modern interface.

Mp3Splt

Mp3Splt-project is a utility to split mp3 and ogg files selecting a begin and an end time position, without decoding. It’s very useful to split large mp3/ogg to make smaller files or to split entire albums to obtain original tracks. If you want to split an album, you can select split points and filenames manually or you can get them automatically from CDDB (internet or a local file) or from .cue files. Supports also automatic silence split, that can be used also to adjust cddb/cue splitpoints. You can extract tracks from Mp3Wrap or AlbumWrap files in few seconds.

Qtractor

Qtractor is an Audio/MIDI multi-track sequencer application written in C++ with the Qt4 framework. Target platform is Linux, where the Jack Audio Connection Kit (JACK) for audio, and the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) for MIDI, are the main infrastructures to evolve as a fairly-featured Linux desktop audio workstation GUI, specially dedicated to the personal home-studio.

ReZound

ReZound aims to be a stable, open source, and graphical audio file editor primarily for.

Sweep

Sweep is an audio editor and live playback tool for GNU/Linux, BSD and compatible systems. It supports many music and voice formats including WAV, AIFF, Ogg Vorbis, Speex and MP3, with multichannel editing and LADSPA effects plugins.

Wavesurfer

WaveSurfer is an Open Source tool for sound visualization and manipulation. It has been designed to suit both novice and advanced users. WaveSurfer has a simple and logical user interface that provides functionality in an intuitive way and which can be adapted to different tasks.
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By JUKE 179r Thu Nov 22, 2012 5:11 pm
It's been awhile since I posted anything on this topic, so...

Info on the differences for NTFS vs FAT file systems for your floppy discs, Compact Flash (CF) cards, Hard Disc Drives (HDD / HD) and Solid State Drives (SSD) that we all use with/on/in our MPC's:

http://www.ntfs.com/ntfs_vs_fat.htm
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By Lampdog Thu Dec 20, 2012 4:47 pm
Some interesting stuff, may be helpful.

http://www.homestudiocorner.com/depth-without-reverb/

by Joe Gilder

Audio Issues.

Reverb is the #1 way to make your mixes sound
amateurish. I’ve done it, you’ve done it. Hell, even
those master mixers went through a whole decade
doing it.

Although reverb is really useful to create depth and space in a mix, it’s easy to go
overboard. So how can you add depth and space to your instruments without piling on the reverb?

1. Use Delay
Look at delays like Reverb Lite. It’s like reverb in the way that it creates a sense of
space, but it lacks the reverb trail that often clutters up a mix. You see, 2-second reverbs sound great on vocals, but the decay and tail is so long that it clutters up everything else that’s going on. So next time, use delays to create a sense of depth around your instrument instead of cluttering up your mix with long reverb trails.

2. Re-amp
Re-amping is a great way of creating depth without adding unnecessary space. Re-amp a guitar part with a different microphone, through a different amp, or from a greater distance away. Miking up a guitar part using distant miking creates a sense of depth without making it sound too “reverb-y.” Use it for other instruments as well, keyboards, bass and synths can all benefit from re-amping.
If you don’t have an amplifier at your disposal, turn off one of your monitors and record the other one. Adding a miked up bass part underneath a DI’d signal will give you a rounder tone. The microphone picks up the movement of the air from your monitor, creating realistic depth without muddying up your signal.

3. Modulation
If delay is Reverb Lite, then modulation effects are Reverb Extra Small. Modulation
effects such as chorus and flanger are great for creating a little depth without adding any space. Send your instrument to a auxiliary send and insert a chorus effect underneath the untreated signal. Just a tiny bit can give you the depth you need.

4. Create Stereo with EQ
Automatic double tracking is a simple trick to create depth, but you can enhance it with EQ. If you EQ both signal differently, there will an even more apparent stereo effect, more like two different guitar parts are playing rather than the same one being played twice. Try it for doubled acoustic guitar or hard rock riffs. Adding a touch of different EQ boosts and cuts to each signal separates them more than just simply delaying one.

No Need for Reverb
You don’t always have to resort to reverb for depth. Next time you need to separate yourinstruments and create some depth, try avoiding the reverb altogether. Delays, double tracking and modulation effects can work just as well.
User avatar
By Lampdog Thu Dec 20, 2012 4:48 pm
by Joe Gilder

A while back, one of my VIP members was
asking some questions about delay in the
VIP members forum.
I ended up posting a few delay tips for him,
and I thought I’d share ‘em with you here
on the blog.
Here are 4 quick delay tips…

Roll off the high end.
Delays (and even reverbs) normally sound better if they don’t have a lot of high end,
especially the sibilance in the vocals.
I’ll normally roll off above 5k or maybe even lower.

Use distortion.
A tiny bit of distortion on the delay can create a very nice-sounding delay…it almost
sounds like an old-school tape delay.

Sync to session tempo.
If you’re not wanting a standard slap-back delay, then make sure to sync the delay up to
your session tempo, then play around with making the delay a 1/4 note, 1/2 note…or
maybe a dotted 1/4 or even a triplet 1/4.
Lots of interesting options here.

Make it stereo.
As mentioned above, if you want to make the delay stereo, select the delay amount you
want in the step above, THEN manually adjust the time of one of the delays (left or right).
Make it 10-50ms different, then listen to the nice, wide image!
These tricks may not always work, but if the delay isn’t quite working for you, try one (or
two…or all) of the tips above, and you’ll probably find something that works really well.
User avatar
By Lampdog Thu Dec 20, 2012 4:48 pm
by Joe Gilder

In the last article we took a look at the problem of EQ-ing
without really listening to the track. The opposite, however,
can be just as bad for your mix.

What if you listen to the track TOO closely? What if there
was a way to isolate that track and only listen to that track
and mute all the rest? Wait a second. Yep, that’s called the
solo button.

EQ-ing in solo, in my opinion, is one of the hardest habits to
break. Think back to the very first song you ever mixed.
What did you do first? You solo’d the kick drum, messed
around with EQ for a while. Then you solo’d the snare drum, played around with EQ for a
while. Then you solo’d the bass… You get the picture.
How did that work out for you?

The Problem with Solo
The Solo button is VERY useful. Don’t get me wrong. But to mix instruments in solo, more
specifically to EQ in solo, is very counterproductive.

But why?
Imagine you’re baking a cake. If you’re like me, you need a recipe. There’s no way I
could bake a cake without specific instructions. Let’s say you decide to bake it without a
recipe. You know what ingredients you need — flour, eggs, sugar, etc. — how hard could
it be?
So you get out the eggs, and you focus REALLY hard on them. You make sure you crack
them perfectly, and you don’t let any shells get in the batter. Then you focus on the flour.
You sift it like crazy, so your batter won’t have any lumps. Then you move on to the
sugar…and so on.
You combine all your ingredients and what do you get? A pretty disgusting cake. You had
no idea what the proportions should be. You used too many eggs, not enough flour, and
WAY too much sugar. Who cares if you spent a bunch of time working on each individual
ingredient! Nobody’s going to eat your cake.
It’s the same with your mixes. All these tracks were meant to be combined together into
a stereo mix. What they sound like by themselves really has NOTHING to do with how
they’re going to sound in the mix.
That kick drum could sound amazing in solo. But it doesn’t matter if you can’t hear
it in the mix, or if it’s overpowering the mix.
The bass guitar might be HUGE solo’d, but when you put it in the mix, it just makes
everything muddy and boomy.
The lead vocal might sound perfect with the solo button pressed, but then you listen
to it in the mix, and you can’t understand a word he’s singing.

The Solution
I’ve heard great-sounding mixes where the lead vocal, when solo’d, sounded really thin
and harsh. But in the mix it worked perfectly. The mix is the ultimate goal. You make
sacrifices and compromises to make the MIX sound great, not the individual tracks.
The best way to do this is to simply stop pressing the solo button. If you’re working
on drums, listen to the entire drum kit. EQ the kick drum while listening to all the other
drum tracks It’s all about context As much as you possibly can mix your tracks while
drum tracks. It’s all about context. As much as you possibly can, mix your tracks while
listening to all the others. It will force you to make decisions that will benefit the MIX, not
the individual track.
While listening to the electric guitar in solo, you may think it needs to lose some
harshness around 3 kHz, but then when you drop it in the mix, you notice that it sits
perfectly. Had you done a cut at 3 kHz, you would’ve made the guitar more difficult to
hear. You would have HURT THE MIX.
You may be asking, “But Joe, do you never use the solo button when you mix?” I do use
it. I’ll use it to quickly hone in on that frequency I’m looking for, if I’m having trouble finding
it, but then I immediately drop the track back in the mix to make adjustments. Or I’ll make
a few adjustments, then I always listen to it in the mix again before moving on to the next
thing.

What happens? I almost always have to make adjustments after hearing the track in the
mix. No matter how perfect I think it sounds in solo. I might think I “nailed it,” but then I
listen in the mix and have to make a few more adjustments.
User avatar
By Lampdog Thu Dec 20, 2012 4:50 pm
by Joe Gilder


On last night’s webinar, I talked about EQ. During
one section, I focused on common EQ mistakes. I
wanted to share my thoughts here on HSC, too.

EQ-ing Without Listening First
Are you guilty of this? Come on, be honest. Have
you ever opened up a mix and started slapping
EQs on every channel and twisting away at the
knobs?
It’s okay, I’ve done it, too. Do you know why this is a bad idea?
Last night I was working on a mix, and the ol’ temptation to throw a bunch of plugins by
default came a-calling. I held strong, though, and starting mixing WITHOUT any plugins. I
brought up all the tracks, kept everything in mono, and started balancing levels.
A few minutes later, the mix was already sounding pretty good. WHAT?! A decentsounding
mix without plug-ins? Shocker, right?
But that’s the point. Sometimes simply balancing levels can cut out the need for a bunch
of plug-ins. Bass too boomy? Sometimes all you need to do is turn it down rather than
EQ it.
That said, you obviously need to use EQ to clean up the mix and make everything audible
and purdy. But before you reach for that favorite EQ, listen to the tracks. Maybe you’ll
decide you don’t need an EQ. Maybe you’ll still need one, but you’ll have a much better
idea of what the track sounds like and what you like/dislike about it.

Have a Goal
This ties into listening. When you grab an EQ plugin, do you know what you’re trying to
accomplish with it? If not, scroll back up a few paragraphs and listen some more. If you
don’t know WHY you’re using EQ, you’re probably not going to come up with anything
super helpful.
Here are some examples of “goals” I have with EQ:
The bass is muddying up the midrange a bit. I’m going to clear out some of the
low-mids with EQ to make room for the other instruments and give the bass some
punch.
The kick drum could be punchier. I’m going to use EQ to cut out around 400 Hz to
do that.
The lead vocal is hard to understand. I’m going to remove excess low end with a
high-pass filter and some low mids with EQ.
The delay on the vocal is too obvious. I’ll use a high-shelf and maybe a low-pass
filter to roll of some highs and give it a darker, low-fi sound.
Know what you’re wanting to accomplish.

Be Realistic
You can’t work magic with EQ. I can’t make Music Man bass sound like a Jazz bass. I
can’t make a crappy vocalist sound like Jeff Buckley. And I can’t make a thin snare
sound huge and beefy.
Rather than trying to change the sound with EQ, try using EQ to enhance the sound. It’ll
make life a lot easier.
User avatar
By Lampdog Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:35 pm
No prob. It's just stuff I've collected over the years, nothing special. Hope you find it useful to you and your productions.