Making Audio Programs?

i am using Audacity (its free)...
cool edit pro
soundforge..

Camtasia Studio is hands down the best paid program that I have tried, you do get a 30 day free trial too

Audicity is free. It's basic but usable.
There are more good and reasonably priced programs. (Reaper is a good program)
In my opinion is good mic is important. Lots of people use the build-in mic from their notebook and it can sound terrible. Use a decent mic (RODE are nice mics for a very decent price) and a good USB audio interface. In this way you get good sound without the clipping (distortion) you often get with autogain or the 'hollow' sound (like you're in a cathedral) you can get with a build in mic.

Currently there really is no affordable option to obtain decent results, you can run a condenser, to a board, then run firewire to an interface to the computer, but that setup will cost you several thousand.

I have tried a number of inexpensive options and found the quality was not very good, even though they claim that USB is a clear alternative there is not a way to actually manage anything more than + or - 5v which is not enough to transport the entire signal so while you may hear a decent sound quality going into the computer what you hear coming out is not that FAT, sound you really need to get the good gigs,

Just starting out I would go with a USB, and a decent sound app, to see if its going to be your "thing"

Then later if you start to generate good revenue you can check into more reliable equipment.

RecordForAll is a great audio recording and editing application. You can overlay tracks and add effects. A free evaluation version is available for download from - Audio Recording Software for Podcasters

I normally use Audacity or Jing (which I believe is no longer available to new customers). There are also times when I use the built-in sound recorder that comes with Windows 7, but this option is mainly for recording things on the fly.

I have a headset with came with Dragon Naturally Speaking, and that seems to do the trick for most jobs. It may not provide the best possible quality, but it sounds MUCH better than using the condensor mic on my laptop.

I am also the singer in a band, but that type of recording is entirely different.

All the best,
Michael

Thanks for all your helpful responses!

Buy a Samson GoMic and then use Audacity to record. Let me know if you need to know anything specific about this setup, but it's worked great for me.

I don't know why anybody would use Camtasia for a pure audio product. Overkill.

If you're on a PC use Audacity. If you're on a Mac use Audacity or Garageband (free, included with Mac).

If you want to kick ass, buy Adobe Audition, but it isn't necessary unless you want to create high end product.

My advice:

1) Get a decent microphone.

2) Practise talking and get feedback from friends until you're satisfied with your capability to record nice audio.

3) Record in a quiet environment. Turn off fans, furnace, air conditioner, phone. Make sure there won't be sounds if someone flushes a toilet, runs a shower, etc. You can put some old (or extra) carpet behind the mic to eliminate sound echo. Use a pop filter over your mic, or just put a sock over it (seriously)

4) Record your rough audio and save as WAV

5) HIRE SOMEONE ELSE to edit the audio, by taking out the lip smacks, pops, etc. I hired a guy in the Philippines for my last project. He wanted $2/hr. I couldn't stand paying that little for the job so I ended up giving him a bonus of 100% considering it was a freelance gig that I arranged privately. He's become my go-to guy for audio projects. Saves me a lot of time and I get professional results (he uses Adobe Audition).

I have both a Sony and Olympus Voice recorder.

I have used them to record my voice for a couple of my digital products.

To edit the sound, I have tried a number of paid and free audio programs...and the one that stands head and shoulders above the rest has been recommended by my fellow Warriors:
Audacity.
Easy to use, many different features. Easy editing. Noise removal...Fade in...fade out...add music..not a problem.

I love Audacity. It is easy to use and is very powerful when it comes to editing audio.

I use a shareware program called Goldwave. Pretty simple to use, and you can't beat the price... free.

If you making any audio program than many software available for making some good audio. You have to select best software for making some best video and also make some best program for the audio.