Simple recording software with start/stop

[PJO]

Help... Save my sanity!

I live in a street which has become simply insanely loud with the noise of emergency vehicle sirens (being misused and abused). I need to document this; if a complaint is to succeed I need evidence.

Can someone point me to some simple (preferably free, otherwise inexpensive) software for either Windows Vista or Ubuntu linux that would allow me to record

24*7
automatically -- using preset volume levels for auto recording

I don't REALLY need a decibel meter but if there's a cheap instrument... let me know.

MANY THANKS if you can help.

 

[johnnymegabyte]

Doesn't Windows Vista have a built-in MEDIA RECORDER ?

Freeware AUDACITY. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Also REAPER (www.reaper.fm) will do the trick, but is more a studio package

 

[PJO]

Yes, Windows has a built-in recorder but it's a dirt-simple push-button activated piece of software with two controls: a red stop start button and a timer. That's it.

I'd like something that would only record above a sound threshold that i can adjust and which will save to MP3 files. An ability to have a timestamp for recordings or a log of some sort would be ideal.

It's just a simple bit of audio surveillance really. Shouldn't be rocket science.