The following list is of free sound editors. I have not used many of them. Most programs have their individual strengths and weaknesses. Professionals typically use several different editors.

Sound editing is a very important aspect of field recording. I typically record 24/7 which necessarily means that the sound files are very large. The newest editions of sound editing software allows the user to review sound files both visually and audibly. After isolating sound clips they can then be filtered to eliminate extraneous noise.

The two biggest factors to remember with sound editing are:

1. The closer to the sound source the less filtering that is necessary.

2. The higher the quality of the recorder and microphone eliminates the need for sound manipulation.

Sound editors are so numerous that I can not list them all or try them all out to give a fair evaluation. The following is a list of the most popular brands, includes links to the products as well as forums that deal with using each specific editor.

Sound editors span the gamut from free to very expensive.

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Ardour

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Audacity

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Audiobook Cutter

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Cool MP3 Splitter

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DJ Audio Editor

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Ecawave

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Eisenkraut

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Expstudio Audio Editor

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Free Audio Editor

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FREE WAVE MP3 Editor

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Hydrogen

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Jokosher

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Kangas Sound Editor

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LMMS

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Mp3DirectCut

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Mp3Splt

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Music Editor Free

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Power Sound Editor

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Qtractor

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ReZound

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Rosegarden

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Sound Engine

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Sweep

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Traverso DAW

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WavePad Sound Editor

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Wavesurfer

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Wavosaur

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