Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Cross-platform audio tools

These tools are available for multiple operating systems:

Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)

Audacity is an open source audio recording and editing application for Windows, Mac, and Linux. With many built-in effects and editing tools, it can’t be beat for the price (free).

Cubase (Steinberg, http://www.steinberg.net)

This multitrack recording environment offers both MIDI and audio editing with lots of effects plug-ins, virtual instruments, and recording tools for creating an entire virtual studio inside your computer. Cubase is available for Windows and Mac. Street price is around $600, while a more limited entry-level “SE” version is available for around $100 as of this writing.

ProTools (Digidesign, http://www.digidesign.com)

Long the industry standard for multitrack computer recording, ProTools offers everything you’d ever need for a professional-quality recording studio in your computer. The company’s high-end “Mix” systems, including both software and custom hardware, start at $7,000 and go up from there, but Digidesign has recently started making consumer-level solutions such as the Digi001 and the MBox which offer ProTools software and a hardware input/output box for around $900 and $400, respectively.