Digital audio editor

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A digital audio editor is a computer application for audio editing, i.e. manipulating digital audio. It allows you to:

Record: Audio from one or more inputs can be captured and stored in the computer's memory as digital audio.
Edit: The start time, stop time, and duration of any sound on the audio timeline can be altered.
Mix: Multiple sound sources/tracks can be combined at various volume levels and, if in stereo, to left-right panning to one or more output tracks.
Apply Effects: Apply simple or advanced effects or filters to change the audio. Effects could include compression, expansion, flanging, reverb, noise reduction, equalization or a wide variety of other functions.
Playback: Sound (often after being mixed) can be sent to one or more outputs; commonly speakers, additional processors, or a recording medium.
Conversion: A common audio editing task is converting between different audio file formats, or between different sound quality levels.

Typically these tasks can be performed in a manner that is both non-linear and non-destructive.

Common audio editor software

Ardour for Unix-like systems
Audacity for Apple Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, and Unix-like systems
Adobe Audition, from Adobe Systems, previously known as CoolEdit from Syntrillium for Microsoft Windows
Cubase VST variants for Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows
FlexiMusic Wave Editor, from FlexiMusic for Microsoft Windows
Freecycle A linux beat slicer
GarageBand, from Apple, for Apple Macintosh
Goldwave, from Goldwave Inc., for Microsoft Windows
Kaboom Factory for older Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows systems -- still sometimes used in educational settings
Logic Pro and Logic Express for Apple Macintosh
Mp3splt - splits mp3 and ogg files without decoding (see mp3splt-gtk and libmp3splt)
Pro Tools for Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows
Rosegarden for Linux
SawStudio for Microsoft Windows
Sound Forge and Sound Forge Audio Studio, by Sony (formerly from Sonic Foundry) for Microsoft Windows