For *audio editing*, look no further than open source wonder *Audacity*. You
can *record live*, *convert old records and tapes to digital*, cut, copy and
splice files and much more. This version is updated regularly, and despite
the 'beta' tag is very stable. Whether you choose the stable or beta series,
Audacity is not very attractive, and can at first look complex. However, with
a little experimentation it soon becomes a very usable application. For live
sound and digitizing old media, you need to feed audio into your computer via
a cable. Your audio-in, or mic should be set up by default, but otherwise can
be found in Preferences. Recording is then as easy as hitting the red button
on the Audacity interface. What makes Audacity great in this regard is that
editing recordings is really simple, not tricky like some professional apps!
Using the *Highlight tool* you can quickly *cut*, *copy*, or *add effects* to
parts of tracks. Make a mistake and you can undo as many steps backward as
you like, meaning you can experiment knowing nothing can be broken! As you
can use up to *16 channels* at once, Audacity gives users lots of
flexibility. *Editing MP3* and other digital files is just as easy. Drag them
into Audacity to open, and then do what you like with them. Adding fade ins
or outs is easy, and you can save in whatever format you like. Audacity
supports ID3 tags, so you can add all the meta data you like to saved tracks.
There is lots more to Audacity, and luckily it has extensive documentation
available online or to download. Audacity is the best free audio editing tool
around. It's an incredibly useful application, whether you're recording live
or just editing audio files. Despite it's unattractive interface, Audacity is
an essential download.Download *Audacity 1.3.14 Beta* in Softonic
