Have you made the audio recording of a lesson or an event with your smartphone, would you like to correct its imperfections by importing it to your computer or, why not, intervening directly from your mobile device, but you don’t know which programs, online services or apps to rely on? How about, then, if I give you some useful tips about it? Do you want? Very well!
I advise you, then, to take five minutes or so of free time just for you, to position yourself very comfortably in front of your PC and immediately begin to concentrate on reading this guide dedicated to the subject. In the following lines, in fact, I will explain how to improve the recorded voice using software, Web apps and ad hoc applications.
No, don’t worry, you won’t have to do anything particularly complex or out of your reach. All the resources that I am going to show you can be used without particular difficulty even by those who, a bit like you, do not yet consider themselves a great expert in terms of information technology and new technologies. Now, however, let’s ban the chatter and start getting busy. Happy reading and good work!
Index
- Programs to improve the recorded voice
- How to improve the voice recorded with Audacity
- How to improve the voice recorded with Free Audio Editor
- How to improve the voice recorded with GarageBand
- How to improve the recorded voice online
- Hya-Wave
- TwistedWave
- App to improve the recorded voice
Programs to improve the recorded voice
Would you like to find out how to improve the recorded voice using your PC? Then try the programs listed below right away. I am sure that, in the end, you will be able to say that you are very happy and satisfied with the result obtained. Let it bet?
How to improve the voice recorded with Audacity
The first program for improving recorded voice that I want to suggest you consider is Audacity . Haven’t you ever heard of it? Strange, he is very famous. Anyway, no problem, let’s fix it right away: this is the best free (and open source) audio editor available for Windows, macOS and Linux. Thanks to it, you can edit all major audio file formats by applying tons of effects and corrections to them in just a few clicks.
To download the program to your computer, visit the Audacity download page on the SourceForge website and click the Download button . When the download is complete, if you are using Windows , open the .exe file obtained and, in the window that appears on the screen, click on the Run button . Then click on the Yes , OK and Next buttons (four consecutive times), then on the Install , Next and Finish buttons , in order to complete the setup.
If you are using macOS , open the .dmg package obtained and move the program icon to the Mac Applications folder . Then, right click on it and select the Open item from the context menu. Subsequently, click on the Open button , in order to start the software going to circumvent the limitations imposed by Apple on software from non-certified developers (an operation that must be carried out only at the first run).
Now that the software window is displayed on the screen, import the audio file to be modified into the application, selecting the File menu located at the top left and clicking on the Open item in it. You can also create a new recording directly through Audacity, by clicking on the Record button (the one with the red circle ) at the top of the screen, and then on the Stop button (the one with the yellow square ), to stop it.
At this point, there are various steps you can take to improve your registration. Personally, the first move I recommend is to eliminate background noise. To do this, select the part of the graph relating to a portion of the recording where you hear only the noise to be eliminated (without the voice or other sounds above) and call up the Noise Reduction function from the Effects menu located at the top.
In the window that opens, click on the Process Noise Profile button , so that Audacity understands which sound to delete, then select the entire recording graph and go back to the Effects> Noise Removal menu . Now, adjust the various available settings according to your needs and click the OK button , to apply the changes. If you want, you can listen to a preview of the recording without noise before applying the changes by clicking on the Preview button .
Another very useful Audacity tool for correcting audio recordings is the compressor, which reduces the dynamic range. This, translated in simple terms, means that it eliminates the “volume” differences between the various audio sources present within the recording (eg the voice of a person and a noise made near the microphone) going to act every time you exceeds a certain dB threshold.
To use it, select the entire recording chart, click on the Effects menu at the top and click on the Compression wording in it. Then adjust the various settings according to your tastes and click the OK button to apply the changes. Again, you can preview the recording without noise before applying the changes by clicking on the Preview button .
The use of some filters can also be useful for your purpose . In particular, I refer to the one for normalization, which allows you to level the audio of the audio file you are editing, and the one for amplification, which allows you to increase the volume in the recording parts where (perhaps for technical problems) the volume is too low. You can always recall them from the Effects menu by selecting the Normalize and Amplify items respectively .
If you are a true perfectionist, you can also add silences in the parts of the recording where you don’t speak but you hear your breathing or other noises that you don’t want the audience to hear. Just highlight the part of the graph relating to the portion of the song to be “silenced” and call up the Silence function from the Generate menu of Audacity (top).
When the operation is complete, save your edited recording by clicking on the File menu located at the top left and selecting the Export audio from the latter. Therefore, indicate the name you want to assign to the new file you are about to generate, the output format, the location for saving and click the Save button . For further information on how the program works, I recommend reading my post dedicated to how to use Audacity .
Keep in mind that, natively, the program cannot export audio files in the MP3 format . To deal with this, just download the free Lame MP3 plugin . For more details about it, I refer you to reading my specific guide on the subject .
How to improve the voice recorded with Free Audio Editor
If you are looking for a valid alternative to Audacity, I recommend that you try Free Audio Editor . As you can guess from the name itself, it is a free audio editor that supports all major audio file formats, including: MP3, WAV, AAC, AC3, M4A, MP2, OGG and WMA. It allows you to make various adjustments to songs and recordings quickly and easily and it is only for Windows (actually a version for macOS is advertised on the program’s website but this, at least for the moment, does not work.
To download the program on your PC, go to the Free Audio Editor website and click on the Download for Windows button . When the download is complete, open the .exe file obtained and, in the window that appears on the screen, click on the Yes button . Subsequently, press the Next and Accept buttons , fill out (if you want) the short questionnaire that is proposed to you, relating to your person and the use of the PC, and click again on the Next button . If during the setup you are offered the installation of extra programs, please refuse without problems.
Now that the main window of Free Audio Editor is displayed on the screen, choose whether to open an existing audio file by clicking on the New File and Open buttons , or to make a recording on the spot by pressing the New Recording and Recording buttons (to start recording) or on Pause (to pause it) and Keep (to save it).
Next, proceed to make any necessary improvements to the recorded voice. Therefore, select the portion of the graph of the recording part in relation to which you wish to intervene, click on the Noise Reduction tab at the top and select the Noise reduction and / or Voice Breath Noise Reduction options to reduce background and noise, respectively. of the voice.
Further useful adjustments can be made by selecting the Effect tab , always located at the top of the Free Audio Editor window, and clicking on the buttons relating to the effects of your interest. For your purpose, the Compressor effect (to reduce the dynamic range), the Normalize effect (to level the audio) and the Amplify effect (to increase the volume) can be very useful .
To preview all the changes made to your audio file, click the Play button located at the bottom of the Free Audio Editor window. Self. instead, if you want to cancel the last changes made, click on the button with the arrow pointing left at the top.
Finally, export your edited recording by clicking on the File tab located at the top, on the Save button and on the word Save File As attached to the menu that appears. Then indicate the name you want to assign to the file, the format, the output location and press the Save button to complete the operation.
How to improve the voice recorded with GarageBand
If you are using macOS , you can also use GarageBand to improve the recorded voice . It is an application developed directly by Apple for its users and thanks to which it is possible to create recordings, musical compositions and modify existing audio files using the many tools and numbering functions available. It’s free and comes pre-installed on all Macs but, if removed, it can be downloaded for free from the Mac App Store .
To use it, therefore, start the program by recalling it via the Launchpad or via Spotlight , Siri or, again, from the Applications folder of macOS. In the window that appears on the screen, then select the Empty Project icon and click on the Choose button , then click on the button with the microphone and on the Create button .
Now, open your recording file by selecting the File menu (top left) and then the Open item from the latter. Alternatively, you can create a recording on the spot by pressing the REC button (the one with the red circle ) at the top. To stop it, instead, press the Stop button (the one with the square ).
At this point, you can focus on editing the audio file. To do this, select the relevant path from the central part of the program window, then select the Controls tab at the bottom and use the available knobs and controls to adjust the degree of compression, equalization, etc. To make even more radical changes, select the EQ tab and move the points on the displayed graph according to your needs.
If you want, you can also use predefined filters, selecting what you are interested in from the Library section in the left part of the program window.
When you have finished editing, listen to a preview of the audio track by pressing the ▶ ︎ button located at the top. If you need to undo one or more editing operations, click on the Edit menu at the top left and select the Undo item from it.
To export the edited recording, on the other hand, click on the Share menu , select the item Export song to disk from the latter, indicate the name, position, quality and format of the final file and press the Export button .
How to improve the recorded voice online
You do not want or can not download new programs on your computer and, therefore, would you like to know which online services you can use to improve the recorded voice by acting directly from your browser window ? I’ll settle you immediately: below you will find those that, in my opinion, represent the best services of this kind.
Hya-Wave
The first online service useful for improving the recorded voice that I recommend you try is Hya-Wave . It is an audio editor working directly from the browser window, free and easy to use. It allows you to make the most disparate changes to uploaded files and is also quite intuitive.
To use it, go to the home page of the service and drag the registration you want to improve on it. If you want, you can also make a recording at the moment by pressing the microphone icon at the top right, consenting to the use of the microphone by the browser and pressing the Start recording button . To stop it, press the Start and close button .
Then, click on the green button at the top right and select the effects you want to use from the menu that appears. To make improvements to your vocal recording, the Compressor effect and the Peak Normalization effect can be particularly useful .
Then make all the necessary changes by selecting the portion of the audio graph of your interest and using the appropriate commands that you see appear at the bottom of the screen. Then select the Apply to selection box and press the Prelisten button , to listen to a preview. If you are satisfied, click on Apply to apply the changes.
Once the changes are complete, press the button depicting the floppy disk at the top of the screen, type the name you want to assign to the new audio file you are about to obtain in the appropriate field and press the Download button . The downloaded file will have the same format as the original one.
TwistedWave
As an alternative to the web service I have already told you about, I suggest you try TwistedWave . It is another feature-rich online editor that can be used by any browser. Basically it is free, but it allows you to edit recordings and songs with a maximum duration of 5 minutes. To get around this limitation and to unlock other extra features, you need to subscribe to the service (starting at $ 5 / month).
To use it, go to the TwistedWave home page and drag the voice recording to improve into the browser window. Alternatively, you can manually upload files from Google Drive or SoundCloud by clicking on the relevant buttons located at the bottom. If you like, you can also make a registration at the moment, by clicking on the New document button .
At this point, if you had chosen to make a recording, press the REC button (the one with the red circle ) located on the toolbar at the top and grant the browser access to the microphone. Then, stop recording, at the right moment, by pressing the Stop button (the one with the square ). If, on the other hand, you had uploaded a pre-existing audio file, you will find yourself directly in front of the relative track.
Now, select the part of the recording you want to act on, click on the Effects menu located at the top and use the effects available in it to make all the best desired. In your specific case, the Normalize effect , the Silence effect and the Insert Silence effect can certainly come in handy . Then use the commands that are shown on the screen to set the chosen effects.
When you have finished editing, press the ▶ ︎ button located at the top to play the recording. If you want to undo changes, click on the arrow buttons always placed on the toolbar. To export the audio, on the other hand, click on the File menu (at the top), select the Download item from the latter, indicate the format, title, quality and bitarate of the output file and press the Download button .
App to improve the recorded voice
And what about the mobile side? What are the apps to improve the recorded voice that can be used on smartphones and tablets? Simple: the ones you find listed below. Put them to the test now, I hope they can satisfy your needs.
- WaveEditor( Android ) – app for Android devices only that allows you to edit and record audio files. It supports countless formats, includes tons of tools and effects, and is very simple to use. It’s free, but offers in-app purchases (costing € 3.79) to unlock additional features.
- Voice Pro( Android ) – specific app for Android that allows you to edit voice recordings at 360 ° and more. Allows you to add effects, silences and more. It costs 9.90 euros.
- GarageBand( iOS ) – is the mobile counterpart of the macOS program I told you about in the step at the beginning of the guide . It allows you to perform almost the same editing operations that can be done from a computer. It’s free.
- Hokusai Audio Editor( iOS ) – multitrack audio editor for iOS that allows you to record and import audio files, cut parts and extract them, copy them, paste them, remove them or apply filters and effects. It’s free, but offers in-app purchases (starting at € 5.49) for extra features.
