Recording tunes

[Andy in Vermont]

Hi,
If I'd like to post a tune, what is the easiest way to record on a mac?  What I'm asking is: is there some included software on OSX or easy freeware for recording? 
Thanks,
Andy
P.S. this is likely the wrong subforum for this question, but since it's where the tuneposters will lurk, I'm guessing that it will be seen by those who have an answer...

[Alison Scott]

Not all Macs, particularly older Macs, have mics. Obviously any Mac with an iSight does though.

Your Mac will probably have come with Garageband, which should do what you need.

The most capable freeware is Audacity, which will I think both record and edit.

I personally use two programs from Rogue Amoeba, Audio Hijack Pro and Fission. They're not free but they are fab.

[Lester]

You can't beat Audacity for functionality and all for free.

[Pushpull]

Not all Macs, particularly older Macs, have mics. Obviously any Mac with an iSight does though.

Your Mac will probably have come with Garageband, which should do what you need.

I use Garageband on my iBook using a pair of AT condenser mics through and M-Audio Firewire 410. The iBook does have an internal mic but it's a bit naff.

As a matter of interest (or not) Tom Robinson (he of "2, 4, 6, 8 Motorway" and "Sing if you're glad to be gay") remastered one of his old albums for release on CD using Garageband.

Roy.

[Andy in Vermont]

My MacBook does have a mic, so I'm going to give it a try this afternoon when the little gremlin takes a nap!

[Andy Next Tune]

Another vote for Audacity. Freeware and feature rich.

Andy

[Bill Young]

Get Audacity here: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
Great for recording, editing, slowing down (or speeding up) without changing pitch. Available for Windows and Mac, at a popular price (free!).

[Lester]

slowing down (or speeding up) without changing pitch.

Or changing pitch without slowing down or speeding up.

[Mike Gott]

Audacity certainly gets the thumbs up from me, I seem to remember that it was Lester who put me on to it a year or two back. I don't use it much. but having the ability to transfer a tune to my PC then be able to slow it - or parts of it - down can be really useful to a non music reader like myself when I can't quite work out what's happening in a tune just by listening to it normaly.

Mike

[Kevin Mack]

Audacity sounds good. I've used  ' cool edit pro ' for ages now.
It is a more advanced program, that does all that Audacity does, plus loads more. I can recommend it to anyone, it's not free, but it's very high quality. For once, the 'pro' tag means exactly what it says.
You can add track after track, and then do a final mix, just like a real studio.

[Lester]

You can add track after track, and then do a final mix, just like a real studio.

Not wishing to start a "mine is better than yours" fight but Audacity can do that too!

[C age ing]

You can add track after track, and then do a final mix, just like a real studio.

Not wishing to start a "mine is better than yours" fight but Audacity can do that too!

You can also do this in GarageBand and he already has this.
If you lot aren't careful I'll be forced to post my GarageBand operatic version of Fanny Frail, that should finish this argument and Melnet. :'(

[Open_G]

Audacity sounds good. I've used  ' cool edit pro ' for ages now.
It is a more advanced program, that does all that Audacity does, plus loads more. I can recommend it to anyone, it's not free, but it's very high quality. For once, the 'pro' tag means exactly what it says.
You can add track after track, and then do a final mix, just like a real studio.

I think cool edit pro has now stopped being distributed, you may be able to get it free now as a result.

[Andrew Wigglesworth]

Audacity sounds good. I've used  ' cool edit pro ' for ages now.
It is a more advanced program, that does all that Audacity does, plus loads more. I can recommend it to anyone, it's not free, but it's very high quality. For once, the 'pro' tag means exactly what it says.
You can add track after track, and then do a final mix, just like a real studio.

I think cool edit pro has now stopped being distributed, you may be able to get it free now as a result.

Audacity sounds good. I've used  ' cool edit pro ' for ages now.
It is a more advanced program, that does all that Audacity does, plus loads more. I can recommend it to anyone, it's not free, but it's very high quality. For once, the 'pro' tag means exactly what it says.
You can add track after track, and then do a final mix, just like a real studio.

I think cool edit pro has now stopped being distributed, you may be able to get it free now as a result.

Adobe bought up the producers of "Cool Edit Pro" and renamed it a few years back.  The chances of them giving away or "freeing" copies of "Cool Edit Pro" are pretty much zero. I only write "pretty much" since  I suppose there is a possibility that hell may indeed one day freeze over 

I'm another Audacity user; proper free software with no timeouts,or kneecapping "features" added.

[Clive Williams]

Adobe bought up the producers of "Cool Edit Pro" and renamed it a few years back.  The chances of them giving away or "freeing" copies of "Cool Edit Pro" are pretty much zero. I only write "pretty much" since  I suppose there is a possibility that hell may indeed one day freeze over 

Adobe Audition, as it is now, is a small matter of $349.00. Ouch.

Clive

[Bryson]

Adobe, I'm afraid to say, are not to be trusted!
I bought Cool Edit in 1999 for about $40!
Adobe recently bought up Macromedia (Dreamweaver, Flash etc). Whereas Macromedia were producing probably the best suite of user friendly software for web development Adobe have managed to do the complete opposite.
I make part of my living developing interactive learning sites for companies and educational institutions and still use the software developed by Macromedia over 10 years ago.. and it is still the best.
Cool Edit is, indeed, one of the recommended sound software packages for professional developers but at over $300 it is simply a rip off.
Personally I use mostly Noteworthy Composer  for learning tunes. It still costs only $39.