Audacity vs GarageBand

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Looking for the best digital audio station for manipulating audio data? Read about Audacity vs GarageBand and choose the best DAW for your work.

Audacity is an open-source and free sound editing and recording software. It is fairly good when it comes to producing audio recordings and is definitely a step up from the competition, providing the user with some of the best MIDID tools available.

GarageBand is an innovative line of audio workstations which enables users to make music or podcasts easily. GarageBand is sold and developed by Apple in conjunction with iMovie and i iTunes, and is included in the iLife software package, along with iWork and iProducts. GarageBand has an extensive range of musical styles, and a vast library of sounds that can be added to the library.

Final Verdict:

One unique feature of Audacity is that it allows you to record one mono sound and then convert it to a stereo audio. This makes it possible to turn any audio file into a stereo audio and use it for a multitude of uses like adding effects, reverb, chorus, etc.

Audacity is the winner >

Audacity Features:

  • Ideal for dialogue
  • Good sound effects
  • Change of pace and step
  • Fast trimming music tracks
  • Supports multitrack audio and batch processing

What is Audacity?

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One of the unique features of Audacity that sets it apart from other audio editing programs is the fact that it can be used as both an audio editing tool and as a recording/editing tool. Unlike many other software packages, Audacity comes with a virtual rack comprising various formats of sound files so that you can easily find and save your desired file. It also contains several features like a virtual mixer, a "total mixing" feature, a "split screen" feature, a built-in compressor, and several other useful features.

Another unique feature of Audacity is that it can easily combine audio files produced by different programs like recording drums from an instrumentals program, recording vocals from a song that was recorded using a software sampler, converting normal audio files into high quality audibly smooth audio, and so on.

It allows users to record audio directly to a hard drive or CD, converts WAV files to MP3, and includes features to manage multiple recordings. It has a unique file format that does not require any transcoding and allows you to save time, effort and money on transcoding if you do not have a lot of experience in audio recording.

What is GarageBand?

garageband interface

GarageBand offers professional quality recording and MIDI editing facilities along with a large library of digital audio software instruments. Users can import their own audio files and use other popular DAWs like Pro Tools, Cubase, Sonar, Logic, Nuendo, Reason, FLV, or Avid Kontakt, among many others. The software has a native "mic" feature for triggering loops, and users can also use headphones or microphones for external audio input, which is incredibly handy if you don't have a speaker available.

Another feature that sets GarageBand apart from other popular apps is the Onscreen Keyboard. It provides greater flexibility because it allows you to play along with the performance, and since GarageBand doesn't require a microphone, you can tweak your sound manually to get the exact sound you want. This feature is especially helpful for beginners who might not be familiar with composing and arranging their sounds on the virtual keyboard.

GarageBand comes with two default drum kits, and fortunately these come with a vast amount of drum loop options, including drum thrones, kick drums, hi hats, cymbals and many other types of loops. You can also add additional drum loops by accessing the drum palette, which offers a great many preset sounds and patterns.

Comparison:

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AUDACITY
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GARAGEBAND

Audacity & GarageBand Features:

  • Open-source
  • You can convert audio
  • Support for all audio formats
  • Community support
  • Easy to use
  • Streamlined, professional interface
  • Makes it easy to record and mix music
  • Apple's built-in sound
  • Enjoyable instrument lessons
  • Supports 24-bit recording and plug-ins

Audacity and GarageBand Price:

STARTING PRICE Free Free
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Cross-Platform:

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Support:

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FixThePhoto Choice:

Audacity offers a range of MIDI instruments, an adaptive scale, and support for a huge number of VST plugins.

Despite the fact that GarageBand is more stable, its functionality is too narrowly focused and can only be useful for users who are working on cleaning the sound of podcasts.

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