How to Download Trial Versions of Home Recording Software

Purchasing home recording software is a big investment, and it's important to make sure that the product you buy has all the features you are looking for in an accessible format. To that end, many manufacturers of home recording software provide trial versions of their products, giving you the opportunity to try out a variety of different packages before making a decision.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Windows-based OS
• Computer with free disk space
• Audio interface

Download Trial Version of SONAR

1. Confirm that your Windows-based operating system has the necessary 53 MB of free disk space required to install the trial version of SONAR home recording software.

2. Install the latest versions of DirectX and QuickTime Player, both of which are necessary components to make the 32-bit trial version work smoothly.

3. Register the trial version within the 15-day grace period of the 30-day functional trial period. Though it has full capabilities, the trial version doesn't include all the plug-ins available in the full edition. The following are omitted: Perfect Space Convolution Reverb, Pentagon I, Alien Connections ReValver SE, Vintage Channel VC-64, Session Drummer 2, Lexicon Pantheon reverb, SpectraFX, Roland GrooveSynth, Dreamstation DXi2, Cyclone, Cakewalk TTS-1RXP and REX Player groove box.

4. Visit the Cakewalk website to download the trial version and any of the optional associated content files (see Resources below). You will need to provide a valid name and email address in order to download the software.

Download Trial Version of n-Track Studio

5. Devote approximately 9 MB of disk space on your computer to the trial version of n-Track Studio home recording software. You must be running Windows 95 or higher for the software to work.

6. Install DirectX or VST plug-ins to work with the n-Track Studio software. You will be able to record and use all of the included effects, as the features of the trial version are unlimited, though the program will be disabled after the 40-day trial period. At that time, you can opt to purchase the program, which will re-enable the software.

7. Download the n-Track Studio trial version for free from the FASoft website (see Resources below). The shareware is available at other sites as well, but some will charge a delivery fee for the download.

8. Give the download 10 to 45 minutes to complete. The time will vary depending on what type of Internet connection you have. Cable and DSL connections will download faster than dial-up connections.

Download Pro Tools M-Powered Trial Version

9. Confirm that you currently have, or will be purchasing, an M-Audio interface for your Windows or Macintosh operating system. Pro Tools only offers a trial version of its home recording software to consumers who own the M-Audio brand interface.

10. Install the most recent M-Audio driver so that your interface will be compatible with the latest version of M-Powered Pro Tools.

11. Download the trial version of the software for either Windows or Mac at the Pro Tools website (see Resources below). At the same time, request a copy of the M-Powered plug-in "Xpand!"

Tips & Warnings

• Try out as much software as you can before you decide on a purchase. Most trial versions give you at least 30 days to test the features of the program, which gives you the opportunity to get a good sense of what each package has to offer. It's probably best to test one home recording software at a time, so you can do a thorough comparison at the end.
• Check big-name software and see if it has a free trial version. Some companies have "lite," "demo" or "trial" versions available to download right on their websites, while others bundle the free trial in with the software package, so you have to purchase the software to try it out.
• Remember that most trial versions are "crippled," meaning you can use most of the features of the program, but not all of them. Some plug-ins render recordings useless by putting "beeps" in the music until you register the software.

Resources

• Cakewalk for the SONAR web trial
• n-Track Studio trial version from FASoft
• Pro Tools M-Powered trial version