Audacity is a very useful audio recording and editing program. For instance, WAV files can be constructed and edited suitable for use in N1MM for SSB contests.

Recommended System Requirements (from the Audacity web site)

Read about using Audacity on Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. Windows 95 and NT are not supported.

The values in the "Recommended RAM/processor speed" column below are for tasks like recording for an hour, or editing three 20-minute tracks simultaneously. The values in the "Minimum RAM/processor speed" column will be fine for smaller/shorter tasks, especially if unnecessary programs are closed.

Generally, Audacity works best on computers meeting more than the minimum requirements in the table above. Where Audacity is to be used for lengthy multi-track projects, we recommend using Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 running on machines of substantially higher specification than the minimum stated above.

Optional Plug-ins and Libraries

• LADSPA plug-ins 0.4.15 installer (.exe file, 1.5 MB) - Contains over 90 plug-ins.
• Plug-Ins - Download additional effects and filters.
• LAME MP3 encoder - Allows Audacity to export MP3 files.
• FFmpeg import/export library - Allows Audacity to import and export many additional audio formats such as AC3, AMR(NB), M4A and WMA, and to import audio from video files.