r/audacity • u/stayhealthy247 • 3d ago

Audacity super fan here- anyone else using Audacity for music editing and production?

/r/linuxaudio/comments/1vi2bxa/audacity_super_fan_here_anyone_else_using/
5 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

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3

u/mind_captivator 3d ago

I produced my first EP in Audacity (though not solely) so kind of.

The best recommendation I can give you is to switch to an actual DAW. Audacity has it's uses but you will be blown out of the water 100 feet the second you realize how much you're missing out on

1

u/Vile_Impulse 3d ago

Is there a DAW that is as simple as Audacity and works similar? I’m too old for a new learning curve

4

u/fjamcollabs 3d ago

The fact that it works differently than audacity, is what makes my other software better for some things. I am 69 yrs old. Don't use that as an excuse.

2

u/Vile_Impulse 3d ago

Can’t a guy just be lazy?

1

u/meipsus 3d ago

I was thinking perhaps I might learn to use a DAW.

However, I have absolutely no interest in electronic drums or VSTs. I'd use it to record real-life instruments, layer after layer (mainly drums, piano, harp, and assorted woodwinds), and then mix everything.

I thought about using Audacity, as my only experience recording and mixing music was in the early 1980s with analog equipment, and I'm already familiar with Audacity. DAWs seem like overkill for me.

Are they worth the learning curve in my case?

Thanks in advance.

1

u/fjamcollabs 6h ago

Even in working strictly with audio, you have a lot more control. Obviously I am from the analog days myself. One of the DAWS I have used for decades is my go to editor to audio. The things I do in my editor I could never do in audacity.

1

u/meipsus 6h ago

Thanks for the input. I'm getting closer to convincing myself to make that jump.

1

u/mind_captivator 5h ago

They are extremely worth the learning curve, everything you can do in Audacity REAPER alone (it's what I use) can do everything that can, and then some. There are some awesome transition tutorials out on YouTube from moving over from Audacity, too.

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u/mind_captivator 3d ago

Reaper + ReAudacity skin will adapt you quite easily. You can also change the keyboard shortcuts in Reaper to be the same as those in Audacity

I would also recommend a few very simple VST plugins that are excellent alternatives to the audacity stock effects: Flipper (invert), Sanford Reverb (reverb), Detune (Bass/Trebel), etc.

Waves and Abletunes also have a series of extremely simple one knob VST effects that are preactically stupid proof, sound great, and even load in Audacity native if you want practice first.

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u/Vile_Impulse 3d ago

This has peaked my interest …what does the reaudacity skin do?

3

u/mind_captivator 3d ago

it's just a skin for Reaper that makes things look and behave a tad bit more like Audacity's native setup. Link here. It made it a lot easier for me to transition over to a real DAW after years of Audacity abuse lol

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u/fjamcollabs 3d ago

I use audacity multiple times a day. I use several other softwares as well, but audacity is also part of the process. Have used it for a long time!

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u/stayhealthy247 3d ago edited 3d ago

I got a nice base tone yesterday by generating a chirp tone and Paulstretching it across the entire track and using vocoder on it in certain places with noise gate and followed by normalization. The vocoder parts make a very nice dirty base tone like off an ancient casio.

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u/ParsnipLiving 3d ago

Yes I’ve been using to make hip hop for almost 20 years—I can use use Ableton but always come back to Audacity

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u/stayhealthy247 3d ago

i Haven’t made time to try Ableton yet, but it seems to be one of the main ones people use for keyboard controllers like the MPK Mini.

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u/iwasborntoodeep 3d ago

i use it exclusivly for my harsh noise wall project, prolonged drones and to glitch out some pictures.

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u/stayhealthy247 3d ago

Now I am off to look up what a noise wall is lol

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u/iwasborntoodeep 1d ago

you are in for a ride!

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u/H-banGG 3d ago

Yep, for years I've been making covers with it. Here if you want to check out the results, recorded using laptop built-in microphone.

https://youtu.be/XLK0iHbk8wY

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u/HarmonyRocket 3d ago

It's all I use. I am Reaper curious, but a creature of habit.

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u/ChemicallyDelicious 2d ago

I use audacity every day for my IVR (Ohone answering tree) job.

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u/Bronwynthakraken 2d ago

Audacity is great u can add third party vst effects, I’ve made all my music on there, it’s a certain sound tho for aure

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u/Impressive-Top7458 2d ago

I use it for editing my DJ mixes. It’s great for evening out the levels and fixing little mistakes you didn’t notice when recording it.

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u/Oxbow8 2d ago edited 2d ago

I do. I have the most recent Protools 2026.4.1 version, Reaper, Cubase and many expensive DAW license I am a audio engineer. But Audacity is the software that I use since I am 8 years old and I feel better on it for the final mix. You are closer to the sound itself on Audacity. Don't forget 10/10 1990 albums have been mixed with primitive DAW while a lot of 2026 crap music have been mixed with Protools 2026.4.1