Podcast Recording, Editing Software on a Budget – PC Edition

Podcast and New Media Gear is here…

Audacity is an open source recorder and editor with pro-features.

Software.

Amongst a World of tangible hardware that populates our studio, we would be hard-pressed to find a working studio, broadcast or other, that doesn’t employ software to record, edit, manipulate or archive in some fashion. Even in the world of hardware, we are finding more software-defined and embedded code hidden behind traditional pots and meters.

While in studio, a good ole’ PC (or Mac) is hard to beat as a recorder and editor. With a robust display and capabilities that weren’t even thought of a decade ago, it’s easier than ever to turn that old desktop or laptop into a powerhouse audio recorder, editor or even composer.

My favorite recording and editing software is, admittedly, on the pricey side. Like many people, I have been using my favorites for years. Few people like change and my ‘go-to’ software just ‘fits’. I also use my editors and recorders on a daily basis, so it’s easier to justify their higher cost.

In todays economy, we have to stretch our budgets. I talk to a lot of people entering New Media that simply don’t have the budget to purchase expensive software, for business or personal use. There are a several alternatives.

A great deal is to get 2-for-1. By that, I mean to find a piece of (hardware) gear that you need anyway and be sure it comes with a working audio editor. I’m amazed at the number of products that ship with Cubase LE, which is an excellent multi-track editor. Bundles are becoming more popular all the time. I just received an amazing audio interface with all the software you would need for intense production.

If you already have the hardware and need a simple recorder, check out the legend in free, open-source, multi-platform recording and editing – Audacity. I’ve watched Audacity from the early days and I’m amazed at how far this project has come. Audacity offers many professional features along with an easy to navigate transport. If you find yourself using Audacity and it’s great feature set, they do accept donations through the link above.

As a long-time user of Acoustica products, their MixCraft multi-track recording studio is hard to beat. It is inexpensive, easy on your systems resources and always gets the job done. A true multi-track value at $64.95*.

A core 2-track recorder in Studio1A is Sony Sound Forge. The full-blown version will set you back a fair amount, but it’s worth every penny. If you want to tap into the power of Sound Forge on a budget, take a look at Sound Forge Audio Studio. This is a slightly trimmed down version of the full Sound Forge package. However, you still get that rock-solid Sound Forge performance and no-nonsense interface. At $54.95*, you get a lot of audio power.

As I looked around for the latest, there are many more options out there. I kept this list very short because these are the tools I’ve used, and frankly the ones that I like most …at least today.

As usual, this is an opinion driven editorial. I’d be interested to know what you use for casual recording and multi-track editing?

*Prices listed were at publish time. These are always subject to change.