If you have to crank the gain knob to get a usable level, your noise problems may be solved by a mic activator like the Cloudlifter CL-1 instead. This way, you can improve your audio in several ways that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. While this may sound weird, you should always leave a bunch of dead air at the beginning and end of your audio. Be sure to leave long periods of silence after starting a voice recording You may even get the software bundled with your equipment-for example, the Scarlett 2i2 comes bundled with Ableton Live! and Pro Tools. Free apps like Audacity have very limited uses, but can help in a pinch. Reaper, Pro Tools, and Audition will all set you back some cash, but what you get in return is outstanding. There are plenty of DAW applications out there for different uses, so test out some free trials and see which ones you like. Adobe’s Audition on the other hand, will only layer effects on top of the original file, allowing you to change your recording’s effects to suit your needs later. For example, Audacity is a great free tool if all you’re doing is capturing a basic recording, but the effects it uses will change the original file.
