Best Software For Sound Design Mac
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Smooth workflow is one of the reasons why Audio and Video Professionals prefer Mac to Windows. As long as you have the right apps, you wouldn’t face any glitches, per se. If you want to record audio for music production, podcasts or something else, you need the best audio recording software for Mac.
StagePlot Guru for iPad. StagePlot Guru is the #1 most downloaded app by industry professionals. It features effortless and intuitive stage plot creation, customized graphics (equivalent to a video game), 100s of “props” included in the $4.99 pro-upgrade, ability to add lists, notes and contact info, and an ever-expanding prop library. Looking for the best Mac music-production software? We compare the best alternatives to Apple's free music-making app GarageBand, including Logic Pro X, Ableton, Cubase, Audacity and more. Spatial Sound Card is yet another free surround sound software for Windows. It is a really good surround sound software as it can optimize surround sound for both speakers and headphones. It can even simulate 5.1 surround sound effect in headphones. This software is created while considering games, movies, and music in mind. For all three cases (movies, music, and games), it provides really. Wavepad Sound Editor. Platform: Windows and Mac. It is one of the best free audio editing software for Mac and Windows. It is a professional music editor that allows you to cut, copy, paste and add effects like reduce noise, amplification in your recording. Wavepad supports almost all the file formats such as flac, wma, vox, gsm, au, ogg. Best Free DAWs for music, sound design, and anything audio. These are the best free daws for Windows (pc), Mac & Linux in 2020! There are even some free daws for mobile and online (browser). A Digital Audio Workstation is an essential tool for the modern audio engineer or producer, so why not.
By default, Mac allows you to record audio from Mac internal mic, which is fine if you want to take quick audio notes. However, if you want professional audio quality, we recommended using a USB mic like Blue Yeti. If you want to record system audio, install Soundflower on your Mac. Most the following Mac Audio recorder allows you to change audio source. Down below, we have covered some of the best audio recording software for Mac that you can use.
Read: 10+ Best Voice Recorder Apps For iPhone
Best Audio Recording Software for Mac
1. QuickTime
Best for – simple audio recording
QuickTime, as you may know, is an inbuilt utility in macOS. It’s usually used for video/audio playback but it lets you record audio content as well. Just so you know, QuickTime also lets you record video using a webcam or a connected device. Now, coming to the audio recording feature of QuickTime, everything is super-easy. You have a really intuitive interface with minimal customization options.
It’ll take you a few extra clicks to start recording audio with QuickTime. First, launch the app from the Spotlight, and go to File > New Audio Recording.
For instance, QuickTime lets you change the recording source — pick between the internal microphone and the system audio (with SoundFlower). You can also change the Recording quality between High and Maximum. Once these are set, just hit the Record button. As the program records your voice, you can see the size of the recording file also. Once you’ve recorded the whole thing, you can export the file as MPEG-4 Audio file. However, there is no option to pause audio recording, you can only stop it and start a new one.
Pros
- Really easy-to-use interface
- Built-in macOS
- Ability to record from different sources including an external Mic
Cons
- Limited customization options, no option to pause recording
- The interface isn’t suitable for professionals
- Limited options for exporting audio
The Verdict
QuickTime is the best Mac software for casual audio recording. It gets the job done — with minimum things at stake. You don’t have to worry about complex customizations or exporting. Everything you record will be available in a single file. That having said, we would not recommend QuickTime for professionals.
QuickTime Comes Built into Mac
2. Audacity
Best for – recording voice over and editing
Audacity is a free and open source audio recording software for Mac. We use for recording audio for our YouTube channel. You have an option to choose the recording source (we use it with Blue Yeti mic), recording channel type, audio type etc. As you can see below, it does offer a wider range of control as well. But, the best part about Audacity for Mac is that it comes along with a bunch of editing tools. In fact, Audacity is a digital audio editor, first, and recorder later.
Unlike QuickTime, Audacity lets you perform basic audio editing tasks like editing. You will also find options like effects, voice generation, noise removal, and track-based management. In case you are into professional audio recording and editing, there is a wide variety of Audacity plug-ins to choose from. Another bright side is that you will be able to export the audio recording in almost any format.
The reason, why we prefer Audacity is because it’s cross-platform support (available for Windows, Mac, and Linux) Just as Photoshop save the file in PSD and have all the properties intact, you can save audacity files in AUP, which can be later open and edited from any computer that audacity installed in it.
Pros
- Professional features for recording & editing
- Multiple audio recording and editing options
- Free, Open Source and Cross-platform
Cons
- Audacity doesn’t have an intuitive interface
- Takes time to get used to
The Verdict
As we said, Audacity is made for professionals. Did we say that Audacity is free to use? It’s free, open-source and cross-platform. Considering the features you get, it’s an awesome deal as well. At least, you would not have to worry about paying a huge amount for your DAW.
Check Out Audacity (Free and Open Source)
3. Simple Recorder
Best for – quick audio recording
Simple Recorder is a truly simple solution for audio recording in Mac. It doesn’t come with many bells or whistles, but it gets the job done. Unlike QuickTime and Audacity, which takes multiple mouse click to start the recording, Simple Recorder sits in the menu bar and can start the audio recording in just two clicks. Best solution when you want to take quick notes.
You can select the source of recording from the drop-down menu. It also lets you set up the volume. In just a single button, Simple Recorder would start the recording process. In the Preferences section, you can pick the recording format, Sample Rate, Channel etc. There are some Pro features like Status Icon, Shortcuts and some levels of Automation.
Pros
- Quick and Easy to use
- You can manage all the actions from the icon menu itself
- Offers support for different sources and standard customization
Cons
- Doesn’t offer basic Editing options
The Verdict
Simple Recorder is the best Mac audio recording app for the intermediate users. Unlike QuickTime, it offers a standard set of customization options. That having said, unlike Audacity, the features aren’t that suitable for professionals either. So, if you think you need somewhat control over recording, go for this.
Check Out Simple Recorder (Free, offers a Pro plan as well)
4. GarageBand
Best for – recording audio for music production
Technically speaking, GarageBand is a digital audio workstation, not a digital audio recorder (like QuickTime) or a digital audio editor (like Audacity). In simple words, if you are into recording audio for music production, GarageBand is one of the best choices in town. It’s rich with features and offers the best level of compatibility. Last but not the least, you’d not have to pay a single penny for this program.
Like Audacity, GarageBand supports MIDI recording and editing out of the box. However, unlike Audacity, GarageBand has a smaller learning curve and is more stable. Also, it’s compatible with any iOS device.
Although it’s a fully-fledged DAW, you don’t need rocket science to record audio using GarageBand. It even has a dedicated mode for Voice, where you can also select the type of voice recording. For instance, it offers different options for recording Narration Voice and Bright Voice. Just hit the Record button and you can do the exporting part later.
Pros
- GarageBand is a fully-fledged audio recorder
- Comes with built-in audio editing features
- Well-suited for professionals
Cons
- GarageBand isn’t suitable for Quick Recordings
- Getting used to the interface may take some time
The Verdict
GarageBand is the recommended choice for professionals out there. If you need the best quality, control as well as performance, you should go for this built-in tool. Although the UI is simple, learning GarageBand will surely help you as an audio professional.
Check Out GarageBand (Free, Built-in in Mac)
5. Piezo
Best for – recording podcast
Piezo from Rogue Amoeba is a simple and wonderful audio recording software for podcasts. If you want to make some amazing podcast recordings with precision, you can count on Piezo. Unlike all of the tools we’ve talked about earlier, Piezo lets you record voice from popular apps like Chrome, Skype, FaceTime, Messages etc. It is one of the best features for getting precise podcasts, you know.
Settings in Piezo are very easy to manage. That having said, it lets you change the Music Quality only. Still, you don’t have to do guesswork here. Piezo has set up some quality pre-sets for music, audio, spoken word etc. By default, the recordings will be saved in MP3, which is convenient for most people. Just as you can see, the interface is a bit unconventional.
Best Software For Sound Design Mac Free
Pros
- Really easy-to-use Interface
- Quality Presets are useful for quick recording
- Supports recording from individual apps
Cons
- Could have better-exporting options
The Verdict
Piezo is the best audio recording software for doing podcasts on Mac. You can simply record your own voice or get inputs from common apps like Chrome or Skype. It is basically minimal but you have options to extend the capabilities of Piezo.
Check Out Piezo ($23, free trial available)
6. Macsome Audio Recorder
Best for – recording audio from multiple sources
Macsome Audio Recorder is one of the voice recorders that promise to do almost anything. Without bringing all the professional features, Macsome Audio Recorder lets you record audio from multiple sources such as the internal microphone, different apps on your Mac and other hardware. Unlike some other apps, however, it doesn’t offer any kind of optimization.
Despite all these features, the program has a minimal footprint to offer. Did we say mention that Macsome Audio Recorder has one of the best recording management interface as well? You can even use ID tags for organizing your recording files. We really liked how Macsome Audio Recorder works. You can add separate recording profiles for apps/hardware and start the recording process in a single click.
Pros
- Simple but effective interface
- Supports recording from individual apps/hardware
- Super-easy management of recording profiles
Cons
- The Recording screen isn’t intuitive
The Verdict
As it promises, Macsome Audio Recorder is one of the best all-in-one audio recorders for Mac. It might not have the best UI in town, but there are many productive features. When you want a tool that records podcast, music, and speech with the same efficiency, Macsome Audio Recorder would be our take.
Check Out Macsome Audio Recorder ($29.95, Free Trial available)
7. Audio Hijack
Best for – advanced video recording
We already talked about Piezo from Rogue Amoeba, right? Audio Hijack is also from the same developer but it offers advanced features and control. Inside a nice package, you will find tools for recording almost every type of audio from your Mac. You can even use Audio Hijack for scheduling recordings. It would be the best option when you’re recording audio from the web.
The best part is that Audio Hijack comes with different session templates — you have one for internet radio, DVD Audio, Application audio and Web Audio etc. When it comes to Application mode, you can pick an app from the list and start recording. You can also check out a bunch of built-in effects and filters in Audio Hijack. It also has an interesting UI that lets you manage how the recording process works. Overal Audio Hijack is one of the best audio recording software for Mac if you are looking for advanced features.
Your project’s Organizer on the left, inspector shelf on the right. Project management for mac. Integrated equation rendering, plus the Sleuth shelf for quick look-ups. Your rendered markdown, plus index cards, tables, and mind maps. Text figures support markdown syntax. Welcome to Curio’s freeform idea space environment!
Pros
- Professional Interface and Intuitive UI
- In-built options for filters and sound effects
- Advanced options are available
Cons
- None worth noting
The Verdict
Audio Hijack is one of the very few Mac audio recording software that is worth paying for. You get a whole bunch of features like filters, effects, and top-to-bottom control. Even if you’re not into it, you can get a cool audio recording and management experience.
Check Out Audio Hijack ($59, Free Trial available)
8. AudioNote
Best for – take audio notes during lectures
AudioNote lets you combine a note-taking app and audio recording app. This is how it works: you can open AudioNote and start recording the lectures, interviews or something else. When you make notes on the screen, it will be synced with the audio. So, during the playback, you can listen to the audio as well as seeing all the notes on the screen.
There are some really cool features too. For instance, you can tap on one section of your notes to jump into the corresponding section in audio. As a note-taking software, you can bring text, shapes, annotations and a lot more things. Once you are done, you can also convert your notes to a PDF document. The best part is that you have everything in sync.
Pros
- An excellent way to record and sync notes
- Easy interface
- iCloud integration
Cons
- None worth noting
The Verdict
AudioNote is the best option for students and professionals alike. With this tool in your hand, you don’t have to worry about getting the list in the notes. You would know what the professor was talking about when you’d written something. Pretty cool, isn’t it?
Check Out AudioNote ($14.99)
Best Audio Recording Software for Mac
Well, these are the different kind of audio recording software for Mac, for different needs. For your day-to-day casual recording needs, Simple Recorder is the best option, indeed. On the other hand, if you are into the world of podcast recording, go for Audio Hijack from Rogue Amoeba. Options like GarageBand as well as Audacity are for those who need professional-quality control over the recording quality and process. Still, you can take an effort to step up the game.
Read: 4 Best Voice Recorder Apps for Android
| Read our 5 hardware recommendations for sound designers here. |
For the budding sound designer there is a world of software you can choose from to help you create and edit your sounds. Let me try narrow down the choices and give you some recommendations on what audio software comes in real handy for sound design.
1. Digital Audio Workstation
Probably the most important piece of software will be the Digital Audio Workstation you use, or otherwise known as a DAW. This will be hub for your audio creative endeavors. This software allows you to add multiple tracks of audio and virtual instruments within a project. You'll build up your compositions here and use the tools available within the software to fine-tune your ideas. The most popular DAWs for sound design are Logic (for Mac), Pro Tools, Cubase, Studio One and Ableton Live to mention a few. Logic is my preference because I'm a huge Apple head, plus it comes bundled with a great selection of plug-ins, instruments and audio content. So I'd definitely suggest that you look into these things when deciding on a DAW: the user ability, the included instruments and plug-ins, audio content, and the features it offers over other DAWs.
2. Audio Editor
Next up, I'd say a good tool to have is a dedicated audio editor such as WaveLab, Sound Forge and even Adobe Audition. These tools are slightly different to your standard DAWs. They work with a stereo audio file, as opposed to a combination of audio files within a project. They offer tools that aren't available in DAWs such as audio restoration, time and pitch stretching, batch processing capabilities, and destructive editing (which can be very handy). When you working with hundred of audio files that need editing and processing, these applications shine above DAWs.
An Audio Editor can also be better suited to mastering audio. You're working with a stereo audio file, so there is less inclination for you to keep going back and making mix changes. Plus these audio editors have tools better suited for mastering such as accurate metering systems. Plus they can embed codes to the audio files if you're sending them to mastering or duplication houses.
Sound Design Software
3. Audio Staple Plug-ins
What you can use in your DAW and Audio Editor are external 3rd-party plug-ins. These offer you extra creative editing and mixing options. Take a look at some of the bundles that are offered by some of the developers, as you get more bang for your buck going this way. Waves, Sonalksis and FabFilter offer great bundle deals compared to buying the plug-ins individually. You'll need a good selection of some stock standard tools such as good EQs, compressors to edit and mix your audio files.
4. Glitch and Stutter Plug-ins
And then build up a selection of unique plug-ins such as glitch plug-ins like iZotope's Stutter Edit, Illformed's Glitch, Sugar Bytes Effectrix and Smartelectronix's Live Cut. These tools can come in real handy to manipulate your audio files and turn them into something completely different and new. In sound design you're always looking at new ways to edit and manipulate your sounds.
5. Image-to-Sound Software
For something very different, take a look at Photosounder. This audio application takes images and converts them to sounds. So you're working with sound in a graphical sense. This opens up a world of possibilities in creating and editing your sound using images.
Sound Design Definition
Another plug-in that has similar functionality is Camel Audio's Alchemy. And FL Studio's Beep Map also allows you to do this, if you're using FL Studio as your DAW.
iZotope's Iris allows you to draw in shapes on the graph on the plug-in. So for example you could draw a face or write your name, and then render this out as a new sound. Another great way to manipulate your audio.
6. Sample Players
While talking about plug-ins, also investigate into a good sample player. I'd suggest Native Instruments Kontakt Player. This is becoming the standard choice for many of the sample library developers. Or even look at the full version of Kontakt, as it is a very comprehensive sampler. You can get quite deep into how it functions and even explore the scripting capabilities it has, to further shape your sounds and sample libraries.
7. Sample Libraries
For your sample player, you'll need some good sample libraries to go with it. This all depends on what type of audio material you'll be working on. Maybe you'll be using a lot of world music percussion then look into some of these sample libraries. If you're looking for more experimental sample libraries, then explore the more esoteric libraries out there. Some of the big names in the sample library world are EastWest, CineSamples, and Spitfire Audio. See what libraries fit into your budget. Or look at some of the bundles that are offered by the developers. EastWest offer great discounts on their software if you look at their bundle options. And they are used by the top film and game audio composers, so you'll be using the same tools as them.
8. Modular Software
If you really want to get into more customizable software take a look at modular software like Native Instruments' Reaktor, MaxMSP, or Max For Live that integrates into Ableton Live. This software allows you to build your own effects and plug-ins from modules that are available within the software. This software does have a steep learning curve to figure out how it all works together, but it's very rewarding being able to build up your own effects and instruments from scratch. And even if you can't initially build up your own effects and instruments, there are great libraries and presets that come with the software to help you get started.
9. Native Instruments Komplete
So I've given you a few ideas on what type of software, effects and plug-ins you'll need. But you'll probably notice one name pops up more than any of the other developers, and that's Native Instruments. And I've spoken about how bundles are the more cost effective solution. One of the best bundles on the market is Native Instruments' Komplete package. I've left this for last as it really is an amazing package.
Best Software For Sound Design Machine
It comes bundled with 39 products. Which includes instruments, effects and sample libraries. And if you can fork out for Komplete Ultimate you get the extra sample libraries that are really outstanding. It such a big package that it can keep you going for years for creative, editing and manipulating sounds.
Conclusion
That's my software suggestions for sound design. The more tools you have the more options and ways you have to creatively edit your sounds. One effect can inspire a whole new sound. So check out some of this software and see which ones can work their way into your sound design workflow.