Here's a list of some professional grade recording softwares, http://www.music-software-reviews.com/music_recording_software.html. Remember that some will work only with Mac and some only with Windows, and also that these are probably not going to be free. For an old standby of free recording programs try audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
There are a few good programs for recording and / or editing audio. The most popular one is probably Audacity. It is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.
Most audio engineering programs have specialties in studio engineering, systems engineering, mixing engineering, and recording engineering. A lot of schools specialize in live sound engineering and audio post engineering.
The most popular open source multi-track audio recording program is Audacity.
The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is a popular choice for connecting a guitar to a computer for recording and producing music. It offers high-quality audio recording and playback capabilities, along with easy connectivity and compatibility with most recording software.
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For simple tasks like voice recording for podcasts or screencasts you can use the micro-in of any computer with an up-to-date soundcard. For rather demanding voice recording like singing you should use a special recording device like a USB-Microphone or a digital voice recorder. To process the audio there are various free and open source programs like for example audacity.
Win Zip and Win Rar are two of the most popular file extracting programs available. These programs have been around for many years and are very reliable.
There's lots of audio recording programs out there but if you're looking for something simple that just works, most people will use Audacity as it's free and does basic tasks well. If you're running Windows, there's also the built-in sound recorder, but it doesn't have enough features for most people. Audacity can be found by a quick google search, while you can find the sound recorder pretty easily by searching for it in your computer.
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It is quite expensive to get the most bang for your buck, but this will ensure that you have quality equipment that will last a long time. For around $1000 you can have a decent home studio set up. Check this package deal out on Amazon for $800: http://www.amazon.com/Recording-Equipment-M-Audio-Microphone-Sennheiser/dp/B002IA5IFW Galaxy Audio is a good system to go with that is reasonably priced. You can find it very cheaply by visiting www.bhphotovideo.com.
Music blogs are all over the Internet. Spinner, Unicorn Booty, Pop Justice, and Audio Recording are some of the most popular music blogs on the Internet.
Pro Audio is a line of audio and music equipment. Most music stores carry Pro Audio equipment. One of the best retailers for selection and affordability is Guitar Center. Other places which may carry Pro Audio products are eBay and Amazon.