Software Studio

[northside lurker]

It sounds like you want to "mix" tracks you already have recorded.

Several years ago, I downloaded--for free, and perfectly legally--software that allowed me to record (which you don't care about) and mix multiple tracks.  The software allowed me to plug my acoustic/electric guitar into the computer's audio jack and record 3 slightly different tracks. (again, you don't care about this part)  It then allowed me to sync those tracks together, making a single audio file with my guitar in three-part harmony.  This was many years ago, and on a different computer.  So I don't remember what the program was called.  But, I got that software from here: http://download.cnet.com/windows/?tag=hdr;brandnav  Search for "audio editing," for example.

[Towntalk]

One of the problems I'm having is that 24 of the files are an hour long and with the Windows Movie Maker I can not join them all into a single file, and have to just open up the folder and click on "play all". The total play time is 25 hours, and if I try to delete files that do not have news (soap operas and music) I miss openings to the newscasts, and don't know how to edit individual files to clip out unreleated material and still have to total make sense. And then there's the problem placing an opening theme that can run under the audio files that are spoken words. There are seven spoken word files that fit with the opening theme that could be patched together into a single file, but to open the theme and then fade it under the seven files is the problem.

With the tape decks I had this would be no problem since I had two decks that were linked to a master control board much like those used in radio stations and could do all the blending I needed to do along with editing, but they're long gone now.

[northside lurker]

I'd bet there are freeware (or cheap) programs available that alllow you to mix audio.  But I have no idea what they would be called.  Maybe try cnet.com.

[Towntalk]

Is there a software program that will allow me to combine two audio files together with one running in the front and the other in the background?

I want to produce a CD of World War Two with an opening theme that I can fade into the background under spoken word clips, and throughout the entire CD be able to place music that would run in the background.

I use to have tape equipment that would allow me to do just that, but the only program I have on my computer is Windows Movie Maker which does not allow me to save audio on top of audio.

I know that there are very expensive software programs that professional studios use, but I can't afford the programs and the hardware they require.

I have to be able to do fading of one set of audio clips under the other.