Welcome to a new column on PCMech where we will highlight and review a free, open-source application for Windows every week. We call it the Open Source Spotlight.

Open Source Software, sometimes called Free Software, or Free-Open Source Software (FOSS) or Free-Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) is a great way to add tons of functionality to your computer without breaking the bank or the law.

Open Source refers to the fact that anyone can download, view, modify, and distribute the source code of the program.  The “free” in Free Software refers more to freedom than it does to cost.  You are free to modify, copy, or even sell Free Software.

While differences exist between the two camps, the bottom line is, you don’t have to worry about anyone suing you for using the software.  And the programs I review won’t cost you a dime.  For this column, I’ll be using the term Open Source throughout.

Our first Open Source application is Audacity.  Audacity is a cross-platform app that allows the user to record, edit, and create multi-track audio files.  The Audacity project won the honor of being SourceForge’s Project of the Month for July, 2004.

Audacity enables its users to record audio, play sounds, import and export WAV, AIFF, OGG, MP3, and other file formats.  It also supports VST and LADSPA plug-in effects, which adds many features to its repertoire.  The raw download has some basic functions like cut, copy, paste, track mixing, a built-in amplitude envelope editor, a customizable spectrogram mode, echo, tempo-adjustment, and noise removal.  But through the use of plug-ins, Audacity can be as powerful as you want to make it.

There are many plug-ins available, and a lot of them are free.  They’re easy to find, with some linked directly on the Audacity website.  And don’t forget, Google can find anything.  I have over 2 dozen plug-ins on my copy of Audacity, and that’s plenty for me.

Audacity is a great program for several reasons, it’s free - always a plus.  It is cross-platform, so whether your computer is running Windows 98, RedHat 9, Mac OS X or OS 9, you can use the same program to edit your files.  And it is versatile.  The plug-in option means that whether you’re using it to goof off and making your voice sound funny, or if you’re recording your band’s next techno album, Audacity is able to meet your needs.

You can learn more about Audacity, and download the program free of charge, from their website.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/