Software?

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kztqin

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I am currently using Audacity as my recording software, and obviously it produces mediocre quality sound at best. what software should i use? i am looking for software that produces best sound relative to its price... I am on a tight budget :P
 
I doubt that Audacity is responsible for the quality of your sound outputs. That said, it's not a multi-track recording DAW.

Reaper is your cheapest option. $60. They all do the same thing essentially and one will not have any difference in sound quality from another, as such.

Often you can get some software free with interfaces that you buy, etc. so that's another option for you.
 
As Armistice says, your software isn't the main contributor to your sound quality. Your hardware and your skills make the most difference.

In general the most important hardware is, in descending order of importance, the microphone, the preamp and the converter. Your skill and experience affect how you select and place microphones, how you set your hardware and how you mix, all of which have a huge impact on the sound.

Software is more about features and workflow, in which terms Audacity comes up short for multitrack recording. Reaper is your cheapest good option, and it rivals just about anything out there.
 
The acoustic properties of your recording space will affect the sound of your recordings also. Mixcraft 5 is a another DAW to look at in that price range. Windows only.
 
Just repeating what a few others have said. The "sound quality" in Audacity is no worse or better than any other DAW. If you don't like the sound quality of your recordings, look elsewhere for the reason, because it's not your DAW.
 
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thanks, didn't know that. well mic placing and skills should be fine; when i listen to the drummer's stuff straight from the mixer, its sounds wonderful, but when i play it thru software it gets a bit mushy. does the audio interface effect sound quality?
 
How are you connecting the mixer to your computer and/or monitors?
 
Please be more specific, what mixer, what interface, and how are you connecting from what to what during recording, and from what to what on playback. Also, Audacity is great for what it does, but it doesn't do much. You could try Kristal which is freeware (16 track only) or you could try Ardour (MAC/Linux only)
 
The only difference in DAW's is how easy you find them to work with. It's like reading a newspaper or a screen. The words don't change, just which you prefer to use.

Same with a DAW, they make no difference in the sound, just which you prefer for ease of use, features, extra's, etc. Remember, the DAW's main purpose is tracking and mixing. Once you burn the final product, they all sound the same if used the same. They are all good.
 
I currently connect my Behringer XENYX 1204usb mixer straight into the computer, through USB. Getting a separate audio interface won't do anything, right?
 
An interface will do everything. It will introduce to the world of truly multitrack recording my friend! :D


With USB mixers, you're generally limited to the stereo output.
 
kztqin said:
I currently connect my Behringer XENYX 1204usb mixer straight into the computer, through USB. Getting a separate audio interface won't do anything, right?
Click to expand...

Your XENYK is an interface. There is a difference in AD/DA converters in higher end equipment, no doubt, but from a starting level, there are way more important things that make a recording sound great. Dig into all the information out there, learn to use what you have and eventually, you will upgrade things.
 
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