The most notable problem is that Audacity uses “destructive editing,” which means that when users add effects to a track, they are actually altering the waveform these changes happen to the original file, so undoing unwanted effects can be tough.

Of course, no piece of free software is without its shortcomings, and despite Audacity’s many virtues, it has some issues.

When tracks are loaded, they will appear as waveforms, and users can edit specific sections of a track by highlighting the appropriate section of the waveform. There are toolbars for navigating tracks, editing them, and mixing. Compared to other notable DAWs such as ProTools and Sound Forge, Audacity’s layout is very minimalist. Plus, everything Audacity has to offer is free of charge. The open-source program gives users a wide range of options for recording and editing audio, all tied together with a simple interface. If you do choose to upgrade to the standard or Ultimate paid versions further down the line, they’ll set you back $30 and $80 a month, respectively.įirst released in 2000, Audacity has gone on to become one of the most popular pieces of free software around - and for good reason. For example, you’ll still have access to non-destructive editing, a MIDI editor, and support for AAX Native and AAX AudioSuite. You’re also limited to 16 simultaneous audio tracks, four inputs, and 16 instrument tracks.īeyond that, though, you’ll still have access to a great number of the same features and capabilities as in the other paid versions of Pro Tools, giving you a good idea of what the software can do. Aimed at “students, musicians, and podcasters” who are just getting started with audio recording or want to try out the software before buying, its main limitation is that you can only store three projects in the cloud. Pro Tools First is a limited version of the main Pro Tools and Pro Tools Ultimate applications, but it’s still pretty capable in its own right.

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