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Re: [AUDITORY] Recommendations for an audio editor?



Audacity is a free software available with versions for Mac as well as windows systems. Currently the downloads would take place via a platform called Muse (at least it did for the Mac OS - Tahoe). It can perform the following functions as per my knowlegde:
  • Look at waveform and spectrogram of audio files
  • Show time axis in units of seconds as well as in units of samples
  • Convenient zooming (time axis)
  • Frequency spectrum for the selected time window
  • Convenient way of switching between audio files
  • Playback of whole sound and of loops
  • Format conversion (i.e., WAV to FLAC, sample rate conversion)
  •  Signal processing / sound effects such as noise reduction, fade in/out, as well as amplitude normalization
  • It also has an option of loudness normalization/loudness matching
  • effects such as filters, channel switching, panning. It is also optimal for recording new audio files
It is a reliable software, easy to use. The user interface is similar to Adobe Audition. It does not, however, provide convenient audio switching and selection of multiple projects into the same window as in Audition. But, it allows multiple tracks within the same file/window. I think it is a convenient replacement.

Hope this helps!


On Sat, 11 Oct 2025 at 09:41, Oberfeld-Twistel, Daniel <oberfeld@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Dear list,

 

we’ve been using Adobe Audition as an audio editor for decades, but now our IT department is cancelling the campus license due to an (admittedly) high price tag.

 

So I was wondering if someone can recommend an alternative audio editor. I’ve tried Audacity but find it has some limitations.

 

Here’s what we want to do with the editor / which features are important:

 

  • Look at waveform and spectrogram of audio files (also with more than 2 channels)
  • Show time axis in units of seconds as well as in units of samples
  • Convenient zooming (time and amplitude)
  • Selection of time windows not only with the mouse but also by entering end and start times / samples numerically
  • Frequency spectrum for the selected time window
  • Amplitude statistics for the selected time window (at least RMS amplitude and peak amplitude)
  • Convenient way of switching between audio files
  • Playback of whole sound and of loops
  • Format conversion (i.e., WAV to FLAC, sample rate conversion)
  • Less important: Signal processing / sound effects, except for amplitude normalization

 

Daniel

 

---------------------------------

Prof. Dr. Daniel Oberfeld-Twistel

Johannes Gutenberg - Universitaet Mainz, Experimental Psychology

Wallstrasse 3

55122 Mainz

Germany

http://www.staff.uni-mainz.de/oberfeld/



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Ms. Rucha Vivek
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