Produce Your Work
If you have a record deal – no problem. If not, you need software. Here are several affordable products to consider.
Recording and Editing software
WavePad by NCH software is my go-to quick editing software. It’s free for home use.
WavePad is extremely powerful yet easy to use. You can use it to record music directly onto you computer. Or, you can load audio files into it from your smartphone or hand held recorder. WordPad has great editing tools, and special effects. This software can produce demo-grade recordings. It’s really great.
Other options include Audacity. This software is part of Sony’s SoundForge project. It’s great too. I like the graphics and effects of WordPad better. Both are free.
Garage Band is always available for Apple customers.
Digital Audio Workstation
If you get really serious about the finished product of your recording, you’ll need professional level software. There are many top notch competitors building fantastically capable products. Some of the brand names you’ll find are ProTools, Ableton, PreSonus, Cakewalk, CubeBase, Reason, FruitLoops, and on and on. Some of these products are very expense. All of them require training to use them effectively. All of them will require an Analog to Digital converter either built into the system or as an external device. As you may guess, this discussion has just entered into the realm of bank-account-depletion. But be of good cheer, this isn’t necessarily out of reach.
My choice of DAW software is Reaper. The product is $60. It is every bit as capable as the “name brands” in the industry. And in some cases, it is a better product. I have used Reaper for the past decade. It’s never failed to do an excellent job. I have also never been charged any upgrade fees.
Download Reaper at this link: http://reaper.fm
Tutorials on how to use Reaper are available on YouTube
Build a home studio for free
Reaper TV is focused on home studio recording. One of their best tutorials explores how to build a home studio using free audio plugins. These software programs are used to create special effects such as reverb. They also provide compression, delay, limiting, EQ and so forth. Individual programs can cost hundreds of dollars. Paul Charlton at Reaper TV shows how to get the best out of freeware for the home studio. This is a five-part series. Part 4 deals with acoustic guitars
http://reapertv.co.uk/how-to-build-a-home-recording-studio-for-free-2016-part-1/
Recording and Editing software
WavePad by NCH software is my go-to quick editing software. It’s free for home use.
WavePad is extremely powerful yet easy to use. You can use it to record music directly onto you computer. Or, you can load audio files into it from your smartphone or hand held recorder. WordPad has great editing tools, and special effects. This software can produce demo-grade recordings. It’s really great.
Other options include Audacity. This software is part of Sony’s SoundForge project. It’s great too. I like the graphics and effects of WordPad better. Both are free.
Garage Band is always available for Apple customers.
Digital Audio Workstation
If you get really serious about the finished product of your recording, you’ll need professional level software. There are many top notch competitors building fantastically capable products. Some of the brand names you’ll find are ProTools, Ableton, PreSonus, Cakewalk, CubeBase, Reason, FruitLoops, and on and on. Some of these products are very expense. All of them require training to use them effectively. All of them will require an Analog to Digital converter either built into the system or as an external device. As you may guess, this discussion has just entered into the realm of bank-account-depletion. But be of good cheer, this isn’t necessarily out of reach.
My choice of DAW software is Reaper. The product is $60. It is every bit as capable as the “name brands” in the industry. And in some cases, it is a better product. I have used Reaper for the past decade. It’s never failed to do an excellent job. I have also never been charged any upgrade fees.
Download Reaper at this link: http://reaper.fm
Tutorials on how to use Reaper are available on YouTube
- Kenny Gioia at Reaper Mainia has 281 free Reaper How To videos at this site https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq297H7Ca98HlB5mVFHGSsQ
- Paul Charlton at Reaper TV has 90 videos about Reaper all aimed at home studios
- Jon Tidy at Reaper Blog has abut 300 Reaper tutorials on this site https://www.youtube.com/user/audiogeekzine
Build a home studio for free
Reaper TV is focused on home studio recording. One of their best tutorials explores how to build a home studio using free audio plugins. These software programs are used to create special effects such as reverb. They also provide compression, delay, limiting, EQ and so forth. Individual programs can cost hundreds of dollars. Paul Charlton at Reaper TV shows how to get the best out of freeware for the home studio. This is a five-part series. Part 4 deals with acoustic guitars
http://reapertv.co.uk/how-to-build-a-home-recording-studio-for-free-2016-part-1/