The Popular free digital audio workstation (DAW) software Audacity is updated to version 2.1.1, featuring multiple interface, workflow and effects plug-in improvements.

This latest update introduces noteworthy improvements to the popular software, making recording and audio processing even more convenient and quick. And like always, you can get this all for free, making Audacity one of the most recommended and used DAW software, especially for those who are just starting to record and produce music.

While the version number didn't actually go up to 3, there is hefty amount of changes introduced in this version, most of which are directed at fixing bugs and streamlining the working process. The most notable new feature is the improved seeking and scrubbing, which helps in pin pointing parts of the track you want to work on. There's also the added feature of quick play which makes it even easier to position your audio editing, and it is particularly useful for looping.

Interestingly, Audacity now feature backwards play, which maybe hinting at future real-time electronic music production features for the software. In addition, the interface had a minor make-over that allows for faster editing with larger projects. This is made possible by the new faster autosave process, which hopefully will no longer be causing pauses and delays, even when working on long tracks. The performance of Draw Tool and zooming of spectrogram views were also improved. Other visual enhancements were also included in this update, both aimed to improve navigation and track focus.

The way Audacity handles effect plug-ins were also improved in v2.1.1. Now you can conveniently install plug-ins without restarting Audacity, you can also add and remove any effect or generator from menus without disrupting your workflow. Another nifty feature is the introduction of storing and recalling presets for the built-in effects.

The original Hard Limiter effect and Vocal Removal effect found in the previous version were both replaced with new and improved versions. The classic filters are still available but only as an optional effect. Another notable addition is the new Crossfade Clips effect, which let you apply simple crossfade to a selected pair of clips in a single audio track. Again this maybe hinting at more realtime friendly features in the future.

More changes in Audacity v2.1.1

• Upgraded to Nyquist 3.0.9 and libflac 1.3.1.
• Upgraded LV2 libs, LV2 GUIs on Linux, LV2 factory Presets.
• Crash report integration.
• Modules can be enabled in Preferences. Mod-nyq-bench available as an experimental module (but not in the default download).

Finally, various bugs were fixed, especially those that lead to crashes and interface bugs. You can check out the full list of changes and bugfixes by visiting Audacity.

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