The question: “What features should I look for when choosing audio recording software?”
The answer: “It depends on what you want to record.”
There are many low cost recording programs available that can be used to record from existing media (tape, cd’s, vinyl lp’s) or from radio and internet broadcasts. Even these low priced software programs have editing features and native effects that can be applied to the recording.
Live recording is best accomplished by using multitrack recording/editing software that incorporates tools and effects suitable for application to live voices and instruments, one of the most important being compression. Compression is essential to level the extremes in volume that inevitably occur in live recording.
Several features/capabilities should be considered when choosing software for live music recording (listed below).
Required features:
1. Recording – record multiple stereo tracks
2. Editing – edit a track’s waveform
3. Mixing – mix multiple tracks into one stereo track
4. Effects – native (built-in) effects such as delay,...