Today you can find quite a lot of programs for processing sound or recording your own compositions at home with an external electronic instrument connected such as a regular synthesizer or MIDI keyboard, as well as, say, a guitar connected through the soundcard input. Naturally, after recording, the contents will have to be edited. Consider the most relevant sound processing software.
Sound performance
No matter what extension the sound file has, current programs open it in a wave representation. If earlier this applied exclusively to the .wav format, now any program for processing sound opens quite simply the files of the MP3 or FLAC format in the wave representation.
Convenience in this case is obvious. Indeed, just like in the WAV file, here you can change almost any audio parameter, up to the signal frequency. True, it is worth paying attention that if the signal was originally recorded, for example, with a sampling frequency of 22500 Hz, then no matter how you try, you still can’t get a better sound even when setting the conversion to 48 kHz. Just the file itself will take up more space on the hard drive. Even when saving a file with a sound depth of 16 bits or 32 bits, any program for processing sound will produce a significant difference in size. Do not believe? Try to do the conversion of frequency characteristics or format in any audio converter.
Windows Recording Tools
As for the recording systems themselves in the Windows operating system family, there are some means. Not the best, of course, but in extreme cases they will do. When connecting a microphone or an external device such as keys or a guitar using a standard audio input or MIDI interface, a “native” sound recording and processing program located in the standard applications section can be used on the sound card.
As far as appropriate, each user decides for himself. The only thing that can be said is that these funds are worthless. This, in general, is understandable, because Microsoft is more specialized in operating systems and related applications than in narrowly focused multimedia components.
Professional and semi-professional sequencers
As a fairly simple tool for processing audio, you can use sequencer applications, which often combine not only a pattern recording system using samples of various formats, but also the ability to add, say, a vocal track when recording from a microphone.
So, one of the most popular and most often used by musicians sound recording and processing program is FL Studio. The latest version of build 12.0 is optimized specifically for working with live sound, not counting the huge number of supported virtual synthesizers and effects.
The same goes for the latest version of Cubase, which is slightly superior to the sequencer FL Studio. This is understandable, because Steinberg is the developer of the VST interface through which most virtual plugins are connected today.
Well, now a few words about what anyone should know who is trying to work with sound on a computer.
Sound forge
This program for professional sound processing is almost a symbol of the entire sound industry. When some of the current world market leaders were just taking their first steps, Sony Corporation managed to create a full-fledged software product capable of processing audio files.
True, in the first versions the opening of files of the “wave” type was provided only for the WAV format. MP3 support came much later. In addition, the initially plug-in plug-ins should have had only the DX (DirectX) format, and support for the VST host and additional virtual modules plugged in with it also appeared relatively recently. Nevertheless, the application can easily be used as a program for processing microphone sound when recording from a stationary line input.
Cool edit pro
It is important to touch upon another aspect when discussing such a problem as sound processing. Programs in Russian are almost not represented. Of course, you can find crackers, but, as a rule, they are clumsy. So it is better to use the English version (or some other) even with minimal knowledge of a foreign language.
As for the Cool Edit application, it does not have a Russian version. But, in principle, if you know at least the basics of working with sound, understanding the program is not difficult. In fact, the main window and the set of basic functions are very similar to the Sound Forge application. Just today, a program like Cool Edit Pro no longer exists officially. Rather, it is, but only in a slightly transformed form.
Adobe audition
The Adobe Audition application is precisely the successor to the Cool Edit program, because Adobe simply bought the copyright for the development of such a software product from Syntrillium, which was at the origins of this powerful software package.
In fact, even the interface has not undergone any changes. The working field in single or multi-track mode remains the same. Unless in the CC and CS versions support for some devices and virtual plugins was added. But overall, this sound processing program is the exact copy of Cool Edit Pro.
Samplitude
Speaking about the sound and recording of music, you can not ignore the Samplitude package. Sound processing programs such as this are primarily aimed at working in studios with the direct connection of live instruments through mixing inputs.
A distinctive feature of this application is not only a unique system of recording and signal processing, but also the ability to simulate multi-stage effects on one program track. In other words, a virtually unlimited number of effects can be hung onto a single track with recorded vocals or a part of an instrument. And if you also use additional plug-in expanders or rack racks, the total number of effects can be brought almost to infinity. What can I say, special modules allow you to hang 32 effects on one track, but the module itself in the program is used as one effect, to which you can connect a lot more.
Cockos reaper
Coconut Ripper is a powerful and popular application. Like many other programs for sound processing, this package is focused on studio work, although it can be used as a means of multi-track recording at home.
Naturally, there is a huge amount of built-in tools for editing content recorded in the "live" version. Interestingly, despite its rather discreet interface, the application has many hidden features. This is especially evident in support for MIDI devices, as well as some sample formats used by software players (like Kontakt) or samplers like Halion that recognize the AKAI format.
Pro tools
This program for sound processing is almost the best. Again, it is used in professional recording studios. True, here it is immediately worth making a small, but very important reservation: versions for the Windows OS simply do not exist. This package is intended only for use on MAC OS X platforms.
But in the presence of such a system, you can even abandon the “iron” mastering processors, equalizers, crossovers, and generally all audio processing tools known today. The possibilities of this package are endless.
Conclusion
Of course, in the article far from all programs and utilities for working with sound are considered. For example, when recording vocals to correct it, you can use a unique utility called Melodyne, which is able to automatically align the part recorded from the microphone. However, having dealt with one program, mastering other applications is not difficult.