Top 10 Best Audio Editors and Recorders for Windows Users
Table of Contents>
Reason
Create and edit songs, add multiple instruments and effects to them, and export them to MIDI with the help of this comprehensive tool that supports multiple audio formats.
Reason is the complete package: a professional editing and music creating software solution, developed specifically for song writers and musicians, as well as individuals passionate about tunes.
Long-lasting installation, yet well-structured layout
Seeing how complex the app is, it is no surprise that the setup process might take a while, even though you do not have to reject offers from third-party products.
The interface you come by is pretty well-organized and clean, comprising a menu bar and multiple panels and buttons, each of which correspond to one of the many options available in the app. Although so user-friendly, you still require some previous experience with such products in order to work with it, or you need to pay close attention to the Help contents and video tutorials provided by the developers.
Use provided demos and supported formats
First and foremost, you should know that Reasons comes with several demo songs you can take for a roll, so that you can figure out how to perform some of your editing.
In addition to that, you can import songs in multiple formats (e.g. AAC, AIFF, M4A, MP3, WAV etc.) and MIDI files, as well as create new songs from scratch, or by using one of the available templates (album mastering, basic audio tracking, empty + FX, 16 track tape recorder etc.).
Add a myriad of instruments and effects
This utility also contains a pretty long list of synthesizers, equalizer and compressors you can take advantage of in order to make your songs sound better. Moreover, you can use a long list of instruments, and creative and studio effects.
Tweak multiple preferences and use the built-in playback controls
You can enable keyboard control, a feature which enhances ease of use while you can also play, stop, pause and fast forward a song with the help of the integrated dedicated buttons. It is also possible to record your own audio input, keep events in clip while editing, automatically color tracks and channels, reduce cable clutter, and automatically group devices and tracks.
Furthermore, by using Reasons you can also duplicate a particular selection, insert bars between locators, set loop to selection, join and mute clips, as well as crop events to clip or adjust alien clips to lane.
Performance and conclusion
The computer’s performance might be affected from time to time as the CPU and memory usage tends to be high at times, yet this is to be expected from this type of product. This also means that you should avoid using it with an old computer, as certain problems might arise. The response time is quite good, the interface is customizable and intuitive, yet you still need some previous experience with similar programs.
All in all, Reason is a very complex tool that can help you create beautiful music, which did not pop up any errors, hang or crash during our tests.
Filed under
Download Hubs
Reason is part of these download collections: Open VST, Audio Editors
AudiCable
Effortlessly record the music currently playing in Spotify, Tidal, Line, Apple Music, Pandora, Deezer, YouTube or any custom site you specify.
Listening to music can help you unwind after a hard day, but also get you in the mood for a strenuous workout or for meditation. So no matter the type of music you are interested in, having the possibility to record it is quite valuable.
AudiCable is one of the apps that can come in handy in this situation.
Minimalist GUI
The main window of the application is intuitive and neatly organized, without unnecessary menus and buttons.
Basically, you need to play some music, start recording it, then save it to a chosen location and export it to a certain format.
Supports multiple services
Since the main purpose of AudiCable is to allow you help you record music, it makes sense for it to support several types of services.
More specifically, you can capture audio from Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Line Music, Deezer, YouTube Music and Pandora. You also have the possibility to add a custom URL if your preferred streaming service is not listed.
Add metadata to recorded tracks
As soon as you stopped a recording, AudiCable allows you to assign it several details such as track name, artist and album, as well as genre, track number and release year.
You can also add artwork to your track, and this is usually the album cover graphics.
Convert tracks to multiple formats
When it comes to saving the captured audio to your PC, you have complete control not only over the output folder, but also the target format.
AudiCable support several formats, such as MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV and AIFF, and the quality can be adjusted as well.
To wrap it up
All in all, AudiCable can come in handy to all those who need to quickly record music from their favorite streaming service. The tracks can be then exported to multiple formats, depending on your necessities.
Filed under
Free MP3 Cutter and Editor
Cut and edit MP3 files with this simple and intuitive application, that offers an easy to use range of options for modifying your audio tracks.
Free MP3 Cutter and Editor is software designed to help you cut and make some minor adjustments to your MP3 and WAV audio tracks.
Features a straightforward GUI
Since this used to be an ad-supported product, you should be careful during the installation process, as it offered to download some unnecessary third-party components and to make some changes to your web browsers.
The interface of the tool is plain and simple, consisting only of a few buttons and a panel in which to view waveforms. Consequently, all types of users should be able to learn how to handle it with ease.
Upload items, play and trim them
As stated above, this utility only supports MP3 and WAV file extensions, and it is possible to upload an audio track by using either the file browser or the "drag and drop" function.
It is possible to trim an audio file by specifying the starting and ending point, and save the piece in either of the aforementioned formats.
Furthermore, you can play the song, select and deselect all, adjust the volume of the audio file (optionally maximize it), apply a fade in and out filter, as well as convert the song to mono or stereo.
Conclusion and performance
The program takes up a pretty low amount of CPU and system memory, and did not freeze or crash during our tests. There is no Help file available, yet that is because Free MP3 Cutter and Editor is extremely easy to use. However, there aren't nearly enough functions for this application to be called an MP3 editing tool (for example, you cannot insert silence or crop the song).
Taking all of this into consideration, Free MP3 Cutter and Editor is straightforward and simple to use. We mainly recommend it to inexperienced individuals.
Filed under
Song Surgeon
A professional utility that enables you to slow down audio files and convert them to a wide array of formats, as well as create custom loops.
Although sound files are pretty simple in their nature, bringing modifications to them can be quite difficult, especially if you intend on changing the overall tempo, pitch or sample rate. In addition, you may also require them in a different format, since some extensions are not supported across all the available music players.
Create loops and manipulate the overall sound of your files
Song Surgeon is a software utility designed to provide you with a diverse set of tools you can use on your music files, in order to change their tempo, pitch or zoom. Furthermore, you can also play them and view their underlying waveform, as well as control the overall volume, slow down the playing speed and disable individual sound channels.
The loop creation utility, on the other hand, enables you to edit only part of the document, by manually selecting the section you want to manipulate. Once selected, you can change the pitch and tempo, choose the preferred equalizer settings and adjust the playback parameters. In addition, you can enter a custom label for every created loop, in order to differentiate between them.
Convert files in batch mode and rip CDs
Sometimes, your music files might come with an unusual extension, which could cause some media players to be unable to render them. To get around this problem, you can use Song Surgeon's built-in conversion capabilities and export the desired documents under new formats, including MP3, WAV, AAC or WMA.
In addition, you can also rip music tracks directly from CDs, in order to save the files on your computer. The utility even comes with an automatic naming feature, which can use the CD text or an online database to retrieve the names of the tracks. The output format and location are also customizable and you can choose to overwrite already existing documents.
An easy-to-use audio editor
In the end, Song Surgeon makes it very simple to perform a wide array of operations on your sound files, as well as convert them to other formats or change their tempo and pitch. Thus, audio manipulation becomes easier and it can be done even by inexperienced users, thanks to the intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
Filed under
Audacity
Free and open-source multi-track audio editor and recorder with extensive plugin support for effects, generators, analyzers, and more.
Audacity is an open-source, cross-platform audio editor and recorder that aims to process the most popular audio formats, podcasts included. Audacity will not disappoint if you need a piece of software that can record live, convert tapes or cut and mix sounds.
Seamless setup and clean GUI
The installation process runs quite fast and does not pose any kind of problems, while the interface is pleasant and clean. It encompasses a menu bar, several buttons and a pane in which to view the waveform of any uploaded item.
It might take a while to get used to it, especially if you have never worked with a similar kind of product before. Nevertheless, some comprehensive Help contents are provided, which will aid you in getting around Audacity.
Extensions you can use and simple editing options
This utility features support for importing, processing and exporting WAV, FLAC, AIFF, AU and OGG Vorbis files. Bundled with an array of plugins and effects, this software can help you in regards to audio recording/playback, track mixing and spectrum analysis.
Audacity can record multiple channels simultaneously at high sample rates from microphones, USB or Firewire devices. Simple sound editing operations can be performed via cut, copy, paste and delete features, while mixing can be achieved from multiple clips, while the “Draw” function allows altering individual sample points.
Effects to tweak and use, and perform audio analysis
The rich list of effects includes noise processing, equalization, bass, high and low pass filters, as well as amplify, fade in and out, normalize, reverse, echo and phaser filters. Additional effects can be added to the program, as it supports plugins.
Last but not least, it can perform flawless audio analysis through an algorithm based on the Fourier transformation. Frequencies can be visualized through spectrogram views, while the Plot Spectrum allows users to analyze frequencies.
Bottom line
All in all, Audacity impresses through its plethora of features combined with ease of use and accessibility. The processing speed is decent, to say the least and the results are of superior audio quality.
The system performance is not affected at all and we did not come across any freezes or bugs in our tests.If you are interested in bypassing the installation process, you should know that a portable counterpart is available for download, called Portable Audacity.
Filed under
Download Hubs
Audacity is part of these download collections: Edit MP3, Open VST, Play VST, Edit FLAC
n-Track Studio
A powerful multi-track recording and editing software, with support for real-time effects, which offers professional grade tools and output quality.
Audio recording, editing and mixing are tasks not too easy to carry out, especially without a proper software solution at hand for processing the input. Among the applications designed for these types of operations, n-Track Studio tries to combine function variety with ease of use to offer a really enjoyable experience to its users.
Simple and customizable GUI
Right off the bat you will surely notice the interface is quite appealing, with its well-organized layout providing quick access to all the features. The customizable view of n-Track Studio makes it possible for you to quickly choose the elements that are displayed in the main window, depending on the type of job you are currently working on.
Apply multiple effects and convert audio tracks
Since it supports recording from several connected sound cards in the same time, you can easily create complex projects that involve multitrack mixing. There are many effects that can be added to a single track and what seems to be most interesting in this respect is the ability to add real-time effects and get instant feedback.
Converting songs saved in WAV format is possible and you will be able to turn them into MP3, OGG or WMA files. Also, if the tracks you load are encoded with different sampling frequencies, you can bring them all to the same value using the dedicated function available in the same conversion related area.
View tempo evolution and a 3D spectrum, and set note length
For those who need to work with MIDI files, n-Track Studio offers a piano-roll based editing facility, which can also be used for importing and exporting the MIDI tracks. This specialized tool can display the tempo evolution and you can use it to increase or decrease the velocity of the loaded audio, set note length and much more.
The built-in mixer that n-Track Studio comes with supports several auxiliary inputs and many separated channels, each with its set of individual controls. Those interested in analyzing track and channel frequencies have at their disposal a 3D spectrum view. If a sonogram or simple spectrum view are preferred, they can be accessed from each track's settings window.
Evaluation
All in all, n-Track Studio is an application that can cater to most needs of advanced users, while also being accessible for less experienced ones. Its solid set of features make this software one of the top-grade choices in its category, and it does not hang or crash, nor does it require large amounts of CPU and memory.
Filed under
Download Hubs
n-Track Studio is part of these download collections: Edit MP3, MIDI Creator, Audio Recorders, Edit FLAC
Alternate Quick Audio Converter
Play, record and convert your favorite tracks to MP3 and WAV file formats without too much hassle with this user-friendly software solution.
In case you are regularly making music CDs and DVDs to listen to while walking to work, jogging or making a long bus trip more pleasant, you probably could use a simple utility to make the recording and processing of these files faster.
Alternate Quick Audio is a tool designed to help you record MP3 and WAV files as quickly and easily as possible.
A plain and misleading interface
Even though it is clean and straightforward, the interface is slightly monotonous and dull. Considering that it comes with a resizable UI and it has a lot of free space, the main window could some animation or at least a visualization panel while you are playing the audio files.
In the bottom section, the program displays the icon of the current action and it looks similar to the active buttons in the upper section of the window. The element can lead to the impression that this is an active function, but the button is buggy.
It is worth mentioning that the interface allows you to view the files that are processed at the same time, as cascade or tiles.
A mediocre built-in converter
Alternate Quick Audio allows you to convert the recorded tracks to various file formats, such as MP2, MPG, MP4, OGG, FLAC, FLV, AAC or AIF. You need to have the dedicated codecs installed for this feature to work properly.
The app could use a function that enables you to convert tracks to file formats supported by mobile phone and tablets.
The definition of basic functionality
Leaving the interface's looks and the fact that you need to have codecs installed to convert files aside, the utility is indeed fast and smooth when it comes to recording MP3 and WAV files.
The program uses the volume settings from your sound card. Therefore, if you are trying to process audio files that could use some adjustments, the app is not of much help.
A decent tool for busy users
If you are constantly on the run and you mainly listen to music on devices that support MP3 and WAV file formats, Alternate Quick Audio can be a good choice.
Filed under
MP4 Stream Editor
An MP3/MP4 cutter/splitter/joiner/editor, and multi channel audio file editor and music manager, an all in one tool for MP3/MP4s and audio files.
Finding an application that can perform more than one function usually brings about more free time and less hassle.
This is also true for MP4 Stream Editor, a featured-packed software solution that helps you perform numerous actions with your multimedia files.
Supports multiple source formats
Before getting to explore all the supported formats, you need to create a list with all the files you want to process. MP4 Stream Editor can be used to encode almost any track you can think of, such as MP3, MP2, AAC, MP4, WMA, Flac, Ogg Vorbis, Opus, Monkey's Audio, Apple Lossless, AC3, WAV.
You also get to rip CDs, if your music is stored on discs.
Edit metadata
One of the operations you can perform is viewing and modifying ID3v1 and ID3v2 metadata. Additionally, you can convert these tags from one format to another.
Thus, you can add custom artist and album names, enter track number or assign cover art. Depending on the track's format, some of these fields might not be available, yet you can convert any tags to tag format to gain access to some more data.
Cut or join tracks
If you need to deal with more than one file, you can join them and construct subsongs which automatically creates an ID3v2 tag. The cover art graphics can be transferred to files or extracted to a folder.
You can trim a little bit from the beginning or the end of a file, then choose a destination location for the processed stream.
To sum things up
All in all, it might take some time to get used to all the functions provided within MP4 Stream Editor, as they might seem a little bit overwhelming, yet its feature-set is bound to impress you.
Filed under
Free WMA Cutter and Editor
Modify the volume, convert to mono or stereo and apply fade-in or fade-out effects to WAV or WMA files with the help of this app that is also capable of cutting tracks.
There are various reasons you may need close at hand a tool that enables you to make small adjustments to your audio files, As the name of this software implies, a product such as Free WMA Cutter and Editor allows you to trim audio tracks with the WMA format. However, there is more than meets the eye to it since the program supports the WAV extension as well.
Features an approachable user interface
First things first, you need to know that the user interface of the application is clean and intuitive. Audio tracks can be imported into the list by using the file browser only, since the "drag and drop" method is not supported. Batch processing is not possible either, unfortunately.
So, you can make a selection (by setting the start and end position) and delete it, change the volume and apply a fade in and out effect.
Helps you easily trim your WMA and WAV files
But you can also convert to mono or stereo, preview the respective audio track, as well as save results in the WAV or WMA format (so, Free WMA Cutter and Editor is also an audio converter).
The simple-to-use application requires a low-to-moderate amount of system resources, has a good response time, quickly applies changes to a file, manages to keep a good sound quality after conversion and didn't freeze, crash or pop up errors during our tests. Unfortunately, there is no help file available.
User-friendly audio editing tool
On an ending note, Free WMA Cutter and Editor comes packed with the essential elements for audio trimming, and we recommend it to all users who are looking for a straightforward tool. Its GUI is intuitive and requires very little time to get accustomed to, so getting a project done is a matter of minutes.
Filed under
REAPER
A comprehensive software solution that can be used to record, arrange, edit and render multi-track waveform audio, as well as batch convert files.
REAPER is a tool that lets you record, edit, mix, render and arrange multi-track waveform audio. It sports complex features, so it has been designed for power users.
Seamless installation with portable advantages
The setup process runs quite smooth, and it even lets you choose a portable installation. Choosing the latter option enables you to take REAPER anywhere with you on a USB thumb drive, and does not make any changes to your registry or hard drive without your approval.
Array of features in an easy-to-use GUI
The user interface is friendly and easy to use (by experts), and it is divided into several areas - the main menu, right-click menu, main window toolbar, track control panels, main window and edit area, timeline and mixer.
It is also possible to view other areas, such as the floating mixer master, big clock, dynamic split, FX browser, transport bar, and virtual MIDI keyboard.
Wide variety of options and performance
REAPER supports input and output aliasing (you can give names to your audio inputs and outputs), MIDI devices, VST plugins, envelope editing, user-defined interface themes, custom actions and macros, 3D surround, mouse modifiers, pitch envelopes, Media Explorer preview time selection, multi-channel track monitoring, input recording and track meters, configurable per-channel diffusion, and more.
The program uses a moderate amount of system memory (which is quite surprising), comes with a complete documentation that can be downloaded for free from the developer's website, and its overall response time to commands is very good. Moreover, we have not encountered problems of any nature when testing this software.
Bottom line
In conclusion, REAPER is certainly a professional tool for experts in the audio editing department, so beginners would have trouble handling it properly (yet learning is an option). The variety of controls makes audio processing a breeze.
Filed under
Download Hubs
REAPER is part of these download collections: Edit MP3, Open VST, MIDI Creator, Audio Recorders
