Simple sound recorder

May 6, 2005 10:55 AM

Simple sound recorder. I use Win 2000, and need a simple Sound Recorder that will let me easily overwrite a permanent WAV file with new audio from the microphone as needed. I'm having trouble finding a good replacement.

Here's what I am doing: I am making hourly recorded updates to a software-voicemail system. The WAV filename never changes. What I do is record new audio from the microphone to replace the file's contents. I am recording WAVs in PCM/8000/16/mono. Microsoft Sound Recorder has been perfect for this, but it shuts off recording after 60 seconds. I've started sifting through the ocean of freeware/shareware but a lot of what I'm finding is overkill.

In an ideal world I want the program to work like this:
1. The sound editor is open and my .WAV sound file is loaded.
2. Press the record button to REPLACE the sound.
3. Save the file, without asking me for the format/bitrate/mono etc or changing it.
4. Be able to return to #2 to make new changes.

The trouble I found is:
* Microsoft Sound Recorder is ideal, but shoots itself in the foot with its 60-second recording limit. Hello, Microsoft, it's not 1995 anymore.
* Audacity changes the WAV into its own project and adds a bunch of unneccessary steps to change and resave the file.
* Yamaha Tiny Wave Editor works only from a predefined sound file length, requiring me to do a cropping job when I'm finished.
* Cool Edit is a program I've always liked, but Adobe bought them, rebranded it Audition, and now they charge $299. No. $50, maybe, but not $300.

I'm still looking but I would appreciate any suggestions for something appropriate for what I'm doing. Thank you!

posted by rolypolyman to Computers & Internet (7 answers total)

Check out Goldwave. It's free for a long while, then there's a nag-screen to register, but you can still use it free with all it's features even if you don't want to register (granting they haven't changed anything recently). Highly recommended.
posted by soplerfo at 11:38 AM on May 6, 2005

TotalRecorder does exactly what you ask. I use it much the same way. It is one of those record-audio-off-the-net types of software. I've been using it for years and love it.
posted by kc0dxh at 1:32 PM on May 6, 2005

What soundcard are you using?
posted by kenchie at 1:38 PM on May 6, 2005

Goldwave seems to be working out well! One annoyance is that the new recording cannot exceed the length of the old recording, but it seems a relatively simple matter to "drag" the right margin to make more room. At least it's better than Sound Recorder. I'll play with it a bit more and mark it as best response if nothing else is suggested.
posted by rolypolyman at 1:41 PM on May 6, 2005

Whoa, two new responses. I will try TotalRecorder. Also I am using a Creative Audio PCI 64/128, an older card.
posted by rolypolyman at 1:42 PM on May 6, 2005

I believe with Microsoft Sound Recorder, if you insert a blank wave file into itself, it'll just add the playing (and recording) times together... so just keep inserting and saving a 60 second wav file into itself until you've got a file that's big enough for your purposes.
posted by philscience at 4:37 PM on May 6, 2005

Creative do their own wave editor - look on your install cd or go to the website & download.
posted by kenchie at 1:03 AM on May 7, 2005