Programs to Mix Songs

• Musicians can simulate the studio experience with mixing programs.mixing desk image by Peter Galan from Fotolia.com
  
  Playing music can be a rewarding and exciting experience, and many artists want to find a way to share their creations with others. One way to get music out to other people is to mix and record. Many musicians are deterred from mixing and recording due to the prices charged by many professional music studios. To avoid high prices and still produce quality, well-mixed songs, musicians can purchase or download song-mixing software.
  
  

Audacity

• Audacity is a music recording and mixing software program that allows users to hook up audio interfaces and microphones to record their work, and then mix the parts they create. While mixing, musicians can elect to remove or duplicate specific parts of a track and even move selections to different times in a song. Audacity allows users to place a limited number of sound effects in their work while mixing a song. The program is available for free download. Those with Windows, Mac or Linux operating systems can run Audacity.
  
  

Pro Tools

• Created by Digidesign, Pro Tools lets musicians record, edit and mix their songs. Pro Tools users can control volumes and sound effects on every track of their project. Users who want to have a wider variety of options at their disposal when selecting sound effects can purchase add-ons to get new effects. Pro Tools also lets users simulate the sound of instruments they do not own and add in repetitive loops that are already created. To mix a song with Pro Tools, users must first record with the program using an Mbox audio interface also created by Digidesign.
  
  

Reason

• Reason is a type of audio-mixing software created by Propellerhead. With Reason, users are able to alter the sound and effect levels for every track in their song. Reason gives users 32 different channels with which to mix their work, and all tracks can be edited in length, sound or volume during the mixing process. When recording, users are given access to simulations that allow for synthesizer and arpeggio effects.
  
  

FL Studio

• Previously called Frooty Loops, FL Studio allows user to mix songs using their own creations and fabricated beats and loops created by the program. For those who do not have an instrument on hand, FL Studio allows users to simulate different sounds using a variety of digital instruments. Musicians can also plug in directly with an audio interface or microphone to record their parts and mix them in the FL Studio program.