Top Ten Mac Audio Freebies
Aug 11, 2005 - by MacAudioGuy
Here are the top ten picks for Mac Audio Freeware by our friend Jay Shaffer from Macaudioguy.com
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Today it's possible to build a muli-track audio studio on your Mac for free. (except for the price of your Mac.) Coming up with list of the best free audio software availible for Macs is not easy. Simply because there are so many great applications avaiable. Here is the Mac Audio Guy list submiitted for your approval.
10. While I had thought of including two great OS9 applications; Pro Tools Free and StudioVision Pro, I decided to only include OSX applications. That said, number ten is actually this Web site and not an application. MacMusic is simply the best resource for Mac audio news, information and software period.
9. Soundflower is a utility that allows you to route audio from any core application to any other core audio application. It is literaly the Swiss Army Knife of Mac audio. Want to record your iChat conversations? Soundflower makes it easy. Want to record a radio feed from iTunes? Soundflower does it. Soundflower is available at cycling74.
8.If you have an audio program that supports VST plug-ins then you need the Room Machine 844 reverb. This is a reverb that sounds as good or better than many costly reverb plug-ins and did we mention that it's free?. It's available at Silverspike.com.
7. Continuing the VST plug-in groove. The MDA plug-ins are a set of 30 that's right 30! free VST audio effects. 30 high quality effects will keep you busy for a while figuring out just how to use them.Go to maxim.abel.co.uk.
6. Free your inner DJ with Turntablist. Be the hit at your next party with your Power book and this VST/AU Plug-in that lets you perform real time scratching and other vinyl tricks with samples. Available at Smartelectronix.com
5. The next two on the list are limited free versions of commercial virtual instruments. Sampletank Free is a super high quality sampler. The free version has a limited number of instruments, but it still is a great addition to any studio until you can afford the full version. Available at Sampletank.com
4. Plugsound free is another virtual Sample based Synth thatalso has a limited number of instruments but they're good ones. Check it out at Usbsounds.com.
3. The best completely free virtual synth avaiable is called Crystal from Green Oak Software and it is as powerful as any soft synth out there. And it's available as a VST or an AU plug-in. Download it from www.greenoak.com.
2. Audacity is one of the best audio editors available for OSX (also Unix and Windoze) and it's free. Don't hesitate, you NEED this program. Download the latest version from sourceforge.net.
1. Hyper Engine AV is perhaps the best kept secret of of all Mac media software. Formally known as the Montage media editor, Hyper Engine AV is a fully capable pro-level virtual studio for audio as well as video editing, recording and processing. Once you get the hang of using this bad-boy you'll laugh at people for spending hundreds of dollars for Multi-trsck recording software and viedo editors. I LOVE this thing! Download it from arboretum.com.
Enjoy!
About the author: MacAudioGuy
Mac Audio Guy, Author of "The MacAddict Guide to Making Music with GarageBand" Video and sound editor, producer, music composer and Sound designer
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