Home Brew Audio starts you out learning home recording on free recording software called Audacity. The first several video tutorial teach you how to use Audacity to learn the basic audio recording techniques. But though we teach you the basics on Audacity, many of you (especially musicians) will want to move on to something more powerful and capable, such as a program called Reaper.
Reaper focuses on the multitrack recording aspect of audio, allowing you lots of capability for over-dubbing, mixing MIDI tracks with audio tracks, editing the midi tracks, and applying tons of cool effects on any or all of the tracks in your project. There is a bit of a learning curve with Reaper, but the good news is that their manual is VERY details and helpful, and their user forum is extremely active and filled with really helpful people.
Last but not least, Reaper’s “fair pricing” scheme is downright unheard of. You start with the 30-day trial, like usual. But after the 30 days are up, you’re on your honor to buy the license! And there are two licenses to pick from, both of which give you identical capability. The “personal use license is only $60. If you don’t make more than $20,000 a year using Reaper, that’s the one for you. The professional license is $220. Let me say that again. If you don’t finish testing Reaper after 30 days, you can keep using the trial…for as long as you want, though you will be reminded that Reaper is not free, and that you should purchase a license. Once you decide to buy a license, it’s up to you to be honest about which one is appropriate for you.
So here is the order in your home recording training plan. Download the free home recording software called Audacity. If you’re a musician, or just have the need for more capability, download Reaper and use it for 30 days. You will have spent no money on recording software at all. If you’re just starting out, you can buy Reaper for $60. It’s a really sound plan right? Nod your head;). Now you know.
Happy recording!
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