Links to Free Digital Editing Software
as the name indicates, is a software to manage your karaoke list. It is very useful for cataloging, updating and searching items, particularly with its sorting function that can display your songs by title, artist, track number or else. It comes with many customization options,that allows you to change the design of your song bools according to your preferences by changing the font (style, size, color, etc..)adding a background image or logo. In addition, this software can also be used to rename your MP3, CDG, BIN, and to create the cover of your CD.
Audacity is probably the most popular free multi track sound recorder/editor. It is available for Windows, Mac or Linux. It allows up to 16 channels of audio with standard editing features. A video tutorial on using Audacity is available - see the link in the Tutorials section below.
Ardour is a free, open source Digital Audio Workstation available for the Mac or Linux. Some of Ardour's features include, multi-channel recording, automation, unlimited tracks, buses and plug-ins, non-destructive editing and hardware support for control surfaces. On the down side, is weak support for MIDI.
Rosegarden is an audio and midi sequencer/recorder for Linux. This program also includes the ability to produce and edit and print music using traditional music notation. The distribution from this site is a source sode only distribution.
Sound Editor for Windows and Mac OS X. Allows sound recording and editing, as well as adding built in effects. WavePad can edit a fairly wide range of file types including wav, aif, mp3, ogg and more. WavePad supports sample rates from 6000 to 96000.
Wavosaur is a sound editor for Windows. It has numerous features, such as pitch shift, vocal removal, silence remover and crossfade loop. On addition it supports both VST and ASIO. In addition, the entire app is tiny (488kb) and designed to fit on a USB drive.
QuickAudio is an audio file editor for Windows. In addition to basic editing, it includes effects such as remove noise, reverb, spectrum analysis and the ability to add up to 24 VST plugins. It also allows you to convert between the following formats: wave, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, AIFF, CDR.
Kristal is a 16 track Digital recorder. It includes some basic effects, and supports 2 VST insert slots per channel and 2 VST master effect slots.
Linux Multimedia Studio (LMMS) is an open source multi track audio editing program for Linux. LMMS allows for sample playback, drum machine and beat editing, VST plugins, a piano roll editor, MIDI support and more.
Koblo is a new open source music recording and editing application. Koblo is available for Mac OS X and Windows XP/Vista. This is an alpha version, so it does have some limitations - no VST/AU plugins, only import 24bit, mono, PCM .wav files, and most confusingly "The Audio Engine is currently playing back audio, although communication with firewire devices is not yet possible" - whatever that means.
This might not be completely ready, but it does merit attention as it develops.
Traverso is free Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software available for Mac, Windows, and Linux. It contains tools for recording, editing and mastering. It has a virtually unlimited track count, and unlimited undo/redo. Traverso supports Jack, ALSA, and PortAudio. Finally, Traverso requires approximately one quarter the processing power and memory of other DAWs.
While billed as an advanced Drum Sequencer, there is nothing to prevent you to use this as a general sequencer with any samples. Hydrogen is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. Hydrogen has multilayer support, allowing up to 16 samples per layer. Hydrogen is a pattern based sequencer with an unlimited number of patterns, and the ability to chain patterns into a song. It allows up to 32 instrument tracks.
Frinika is a complete Digital Audio Workstation written in Java. It runs on Linux, Mac, and Windows. It is currently in beta (April 2010) and allows the following features: sequencing, midi support, soft synthesizers, audio recorder, and piano roll/tracker/notation editing.
Web Based Music Creation Software
Splice is an online multitrack Digital Sequencer. It includes its own virtual instruments, effects, built in and shared sounds and the ability to import your own sounds.
A slightly different type of music creation tool. This is mostly useful for creating backing tracks, karaoke songs etc.... It allows you to enter chord changes, and have up to 8 tracks of instrument loops.
Here is an online music collaboration site. It allows you to record with other musicians over the internet. Also allows you to publish your recordings on the site.
Myna is a free web based multitrack audio editor. It provides audio clip editing (trim, loop, stretch, reverse), fader and pan automation, effects (filter, EQ, pitch shift, reverb, delay). You can use audio from the libraries provided, or you can import your own audio files.
Soundation Studio is a web base audio sequencer from PowerFX. This sequencer includes 400 royalty free audio loops, effects, track automation, 3 synths, a drum machine, a noise generator, and the ability to mix down to your desktop.
Drumbot offers a set of free online tools for creating drum beats. You create a drum track by sequencing various drumbeats. There is a pattern sequencer that lets you create your own drum patterns of individual drum sounds. Tempo can be adjusted, and there is a Tap BPM tool to determine the tempo by tapping keys on your keyboard. Drumbot also includes a Guitar Tuner and a Metronome. The final drum beat can be exported asw a .wav file.
Audio Processing Software
An extremely powerful piece of software for sound design. Available for Mac only. Contains a synth and effects toolbox for creating your own unique inventions.
Sapling is a free program for remixing and processing audio files for Mac OS X. It allows you to remix up to 4 audio files with various randomization and filtering and reverb options. Work done with sapling can be saved to disc for further use or further processing.
Soundmagic Spectral is a free suite of 23 Mac AU plugins for for real time spectral processing of sound. These modules can process both static audio files and real time audio streams. The complete effect list is:
Spectral Averaging %u2022 Spectral Bin Shift %u2022 Spectral Blurring %u2022 Spectral DroneMaker %u2022 Spectral Emergence %u2022 Spectral Filterbank %u2022 Spectral Freezing %u2022 Spectral Gate and Hold %u2022 Spectral Gliding Filters %u2022 Spectral Granulation %u2022 Spectral Harmonizer %u2022 Spectral Partial Glide %u2022 Spectral Pitch Shift %u2022 Spectral Pulsing %u2022 Spectral Shimmer %u2022 Spectral Shuffle %u2022 Spectral Stretch %u2022 Spectral Tracing %u2022 Chorus %u2022 Comb Filter Bank %u2022 Grain Streamer %u2022 Idee Fixer %u2022 Mr Filterbank
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Software Synthesizers For Windows
- E-MU Proteus VX
- E-MU is giving away their Proteus VX synth with its v2 sound bank. This is a fantastic software synth that was previously a commercial product. Before that, it was a software synth it was a hardware synth. This is a great deal for Windows users. Not only are there a large number a sounds included, but the synth is also very programmable. I have used the commercial hardware and software versions of this synth and it is a wonderful product. This free software synth can be used either standalone or as a VSTi plugin. E-MU does require that you register for their email newsletter to download this software.
- Software MiniMoog and Arp2600
- This site contains free VSTi plugins for 2 classic synthesizers, the Arp 2600 and the MiniMoog. The Arp 2600 is completely patchable via a matrix below the main synth area.
- SeeqOne
- SeeqOne is a sequencer based synthesizer. One of the main sound shaping features is a set of 5 sequencers. 1 sequencer is for "Notes and Octaves" but can also be used for filter, Pulse Width, resonance or Phase modulation. 2 sequencers are used as envelope decays mainly for cutoff and oscillator pitch but also for pulse width and phasemod or resonance. 1 "normal" sequencer (no decay fx) can also be used for the same destinations. 1 Gate sequencer with mix option. In addition it has the usual array of sound generating and processing modules (oscilators, amplifiers, filters etc....).
- crusher-X
- crusher-X is a granular music system for Windows. It is available as a standalone multichannel synthesizer application, or as a VST plugin synthesizer.
- Ceotone Synth2
- Ceotone Synth2 is a free polyphonic analog VST synth. It is available for Windows only.
- EFM Micro Modular Synth
- EFM Micro Modular Synth is a free VST synth for Windows that creates analogue type sounds. It has 4 oscillators 3 envelopes, 1 filter, arpegiator, pan control, chorus and delay. Its design emulates a traditional modulation matrix.
- Commodore 64 Software Synthesizer
- OdoSynths has a free software version of the original synth used on the Commodore 64. It is one oscillator with 4 waveforms, and various processing options - including 4x16 step sequencers. Try it for that old school retro sound.
- Kriminal
- 5 VST synths for Windows. Includes a bass synth and 4 other synth that are based on various hardware synths.
- MIDI Software
- Midi Mountain
- Midi Mountain is an open source midi sequencer for Linux. Both source code and executables are available.
- Anvil Studio
- The free version of Anvil Studio is primarily a midi sequencer. The free version does allow recording and editing of a single audio track. You can, however, purchase add ons that provide additional functionality - including multi track recording/editing.
- LoopBe1
- LoopBe1 is free virtual midi mapping software. It allows you to route midi output from one application to another application. LoopBe1 works with Windows 2kXP/Vista. Also check out their other applications ipMidi (to route midi over ethernet) and LoopBe30 (provides up to 30 virtual midi ports).
- VAST Programmer
- VAST Programmer is a free program for working with a Kurzweil Synthesizer. VAST Programmer requires JAVA, and interactively develop Setups, Programs & other objects on Kurzweil VAST machines. VAST Programmer runs on any platform that supports JAVA (Windows, Mac OS, Linux etc...).
- Midi-OX
- MIDI-OX is a free Windows bit program. The MIDI-OX website describes it like this - "MIDI-OX is a multi-purpose tool: it is both a diagnostic tool and a System Exclusive librarian. It can perform filtering and mapping of MIDI data streams. It displays incoming MIDI streams, and passes the data to a MIDI output driver or the MIDI Mapper. You can generate MIDI data using the computer keyboard or the built-in control panel. You can even record and log MIDI data and then convert it to a Standard MIDI File for playback by a sequencer." It is a fairly in depth tool for dealing with Midi data at a detailed level.
- ittyBittyMIDI
- ittyBittyMIDI is a dashboard widget for Mac OS X that monitors midi signals. The website states that Tiger (OSX 10.4) is required, it doesn't state if it works with later versions of the OS.
- MIDI Monitor
- A very nice open source MIDI monitor application for Mac OS X.
- Nodal
- Nodal is a generative MIDI sequencer for music composition. With Nodal, music is defined as nodes on a graph. Each node plays musical events. The results depends on the route the software takes through the graph. Also, multiple graphs can be active at once. Nodal is available for Windows and Mas OS X.
- MidiSwing
- MidiSwing is a lightweight MIDI sequencer written in Java - so it can run on Mac, Windows, or Linux. This is a somewhat minimal sequencer, however, in addition to the traditional score view, MidiSwing also provides an event list view, and the ability to play video with music.
- Free Music Notation and Score Editors
- LilyPondLilyPond is a text based music notation editor. In order to create the music notation, first you translete your music to a formatted series of text statements. LilyPond translates this text to music notation. This website also lists several programs that provide a graphical editing environment and then output a LilyPond formatted text file. LilyPond is available for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows.
- Noteflight
- Noteflight is a free web-base music score editor. It allows you to edit, display, print, and even play back your music. Noteflight also allows you to publish your music in their online searchable library.
- Canorus
- Canorus is a free, opensource, graphical score editor. At the time of this writing (March 2009) it is still in beta format, and the website says it is not suitable for serious wotk. Canorus is available for Mac OS x, Windows, and Linux.
- MuseScore
- MuseScore is free composition and notation software available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. MuseScore works with MIDI, and features WYSIWIG notation editing, and a built-in sequencer and synthesizer. Muse Score allows an unlimited number of staves with four voices per staff. Note entry is with mouse, keyboard, or MIDI.
- Websites with Music Software Collections
- Sound and MIDI Software for Linux
- Just like the title says - an entire page of links to various types of sound and MIDI software for Linux!
- Blechturmstudios
- Blechturmstudios is a German site that has a collection of Synths and effect plugins for Windows. The various programs are available as VST plugins and stand alone programs. Some programs are available in both formats.
- dsp.mutagene.net
- Here is a collection of free VST effect plugins for Windows. These appear to be quite unique. Many use various types of filtering and delay.
- Additional Types of Audio and Music Software
- Reichatron
- The Reichatron is a sample playing instrument inspired by Steve Reich's early phase shifting works. It is an instrument to be used with Native Instruments Reaktor software. Reichatron allows you to mix together the phase-shifted blending of two samples and then modulate that mixture using a block of six effects that can be independently controlled.
- Span - Real Time Audio Spectrum Analyzer
- Span is a real time spectrum analyzer plugin for Mac and Windows.It is available in VST and AU formats. Span provides multi-channel support as well as mid/side analysis.
- LAME
- An Open Source mp3 encoder. Converts audio files to mp3 formmat. It is available as source code or in executable format for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Amiga.
- Zone Mobius
- Zone Mobius is a program for the real time creation and manipulation of audio loops. It is based on the Echoplex Digital Pro.
- SoX
- SoX is a command line utility for converting audio files to different formats. In addition it can apply a wide number of effects to the files. SoX is available for Windows, Mac, as source code and in various other formats.
- Virtual Music Composer
- This is a free Windows program (NT/2k/XP/Vista) which creates musical phrases on its own. It is not necessarily music for listening, rather a source of inspiration for your own music.
- Jackdmp
- Jackdmp is an application for routing audion from one application to another. It is available as an executable and source for Windows and OS X, and as source code for Linux.
- Vocal Remover
- Just what its name says - removes vocals from recordings. More specifically, what it does is removes anything that is present equally on both tracks of a stereo signal. Often times, vocals are mixed in this way, to sound as if they are in the center.
- Mixere
- Mixere is a free, open source application for playing and mixing audio Files. It is a windows application. It is like a rack full of CD players connected to an automated mixer.
- Soundplant
- Soundplant allows you to trigger audio samples from your computer keyboard.
- The Wii Loop Machine
- The Wii Loop Machine is free software for Mac OS X. It allows you to use the Wii remote as an interface to loop, sample, manipulate, effect etc...multichannel audio.
- Mixxx
- Mixx is an open source DJ tool. It works with several audio files, and can be controlled via MIDI or other DJ controllers.
- Create Your Own Music Software
- Websites that contain information, tools and code for writing your own music software from scratch
- SynthEdit
- SynthEdit is a free graphical based programming environment for creating VST plug ins. By connecting various you can design and build your own VST plug ins. If the built in modules aren't enough for you, there is also a SDK available for writing your own modules in C++
- SonicBirth
- SonicBirth is an Free Open Source tool for creating VST plugins for Mac OSX. It uses a graphical interface for connecting modules together and allows you to place you own interface on the unit. Much like SynthEdit for Windows
- VST Source Code Archive
- A collection of data and code for developing VST plugins.
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Music Software Tutorials
- Audacity Video TutorialA video tutorial on using Audicity.
- SynthEdit tutorials
- A collection of video ttutorials on using SynthEdit. SynthEdit is the Windows based VST visual programiing tool.
Other useful free programs!
- These are not necessarily music applications, but can come in handy when working with music and audio files.
- XYplorer
- A powerful alternative to Windows Explorer. Some of the features that come in handy when working with audio files are audio previews, color coding, batch renaming, and favorites tagging.
- CDex
- CDex is a free, open source Windows utility for extracting audio from CDs to wav files on your computer.
- LINUX and Music
- Why LINUX could be your next recording Studio
- Linux might not be for everyone, but if you would like to try out something other than Windows or Mac OS X this article list sources for distributions of the Linux with music applications that can run off a CD. You don't evne have to install anything on your Hard drive to try these out!
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