Audacity Review:
Every musician or sound artist wants his music to be error and noise
free. There are many tools available for editing and mixing sound and
therefore, sometimes, it can be very tricky to find the right tool to
match your needs. We’ll be talking about one of many audio editing
tools, known as Audacity. Audacity is an open-source sound editing
software which runs of Linux, Mac, and Windows.
It is available to download for free at Sourceforge and once
downloaded, it does not take long to install. It has a nice and clean
user interface with most of the lesser used functions available in
easy to access drop down menus. Main workspace is very spacious with
only a few buttons available around and therefore, sound waveform can
be analyzed easily. It does not have most attractive user interface
around but it is still very comfortable to the eyes.
This feature rich audio editor is best used for trimming and joining
audio tracks. Audio can be recorded via turntable, microphone,
cassette or a CD player. There are many effects available to modify
recorded audio such as audio compression, tempo adjustment or
amplification etc. Although it is a feature rich tool, it still lacks
some of the features, and therefore is not meant for professional use.
Audacity supports only a few file formats and extra plugins are
required to export edited audio into desired format. There are many
third party plugins available which add to its functionality without
too much of hassle. This tool comes bundled with nice documentation
with examples, so that users can make use of its features to the
fullest. There are many tutorials available on many forums and wiki
sites online.
Positive Points:
•       Uncluttered and easy to use workspace
•       Many features available, either built-in or through plugins.
•       Excellent for doing low to mid-level editing and therefore suits beginners.
Negative Points:
•       Supports only a few file formats.
•        Only suitable for basic editing.
Conclusion:
This tool is very handy for entry to mid-level editing, but for
professional use, it doesn’t have much spark. Considering it is free
and open source and still better than many other commercial products,
it is definitely worth a try.
Rating: 4.5/5