Editing Sounds

Once you capture and save an audio file, you can use specialized software to edit the sound files. This software can combine separate sound files together, mix in sound effects, reduce noise, and convert the sound files to other formats.

Software for recording and editing

Several different sound editing packages are available. Some of these are professional-level tools used by music producers; others are intended for home use. If you're looking into editing sound files, consider these products:

• Sound Forge: This is a valuable tool for mixing and editing sound clips.

• Adobe Audition: Audition integrates well with other Adobe products.

• Sony's ACID: Used to make music loops, many DJs use Sony's ACID on the dance floor.

• Cakewalk: This is used to integrate MIDI sequencing and multi-track audio.

• Goldwave: A simple-to-use Windows audio-editing package.

How to edit sound

Sound-editing software displays sound by showing its relative volume over time, known as its soundwave. By looking at the soundwave, you can easily detect where the volume is loud and where the volume is low or pauses between speaking. This makes it easy to separate spoken words into separate sections. By splicing in new words, you can change the resulting sound files.

Editing software can also control the volume of the sound and add special effects, like reverb and reversed sound. You can also convert the sound files to different formats including the compressed MP3 format.

To edit soundwaves, just drag over a section of the soundwave to select it. Once you've selected a portion, you can cut, copy, and paste it to another part of the soundwave. You can also edit the selected section or completely remove it from the sound file.