Recording something nowadays is one of the most basic functionalities of any computer. It’s something which is built into even mobile operating systems, like iOS, and so it’s a tough ask for any third party developer to produce something that’s worth spending the extra money on.
That’s why many who produce recording applications make them free, but Onde Audio Recorder is different. At $29.99 it’s a got a lot to live up to, but with some unique features such as recording sound from specific applications it might just stand a chance. Let’s see how it got on.
Layout
The app is nicely split up into three sections, recording from applications, recording audio from a microphone and editing the audio. You know what each different button does, and it’s relatively intuitive.
I would however slightly criticise the layout of the editing section. It could be clearer, and the lack of a visual aid for sound waves (like on Audacity) contributes to terrible functionality which I’ll get to next.
Functionality
When an app doesn’t do what it says it does, something is badly wrong, and that, at least as far as I’m concerned, that’s the case here. I scrutinized every online tutorial (of which they weren’t many), I replicated every step, I consulted every high authority, but recording audio from a specific application (the main attraction of this app) still didn’t happen for me.
Even if I am doing it wrong (I really don’t think I am), having something so complicated equates to the same thing, whether it works or not. To add insult to injury, it’s not a case of simply opening the application you want to record from normally and adding it to the list in Audio Recorder, you have to open the app you want to record from using a special button from inside the app. So if you’re working on something important online (like this post) and want to record, you have to quit and restart, which is as you can imagine, a real bummer.
But the rubbish functionality doesn’t end there. Try and use the help menu from within the app and you’ll be faced with ‘the selected topic is not available’ for many of the guides. You have to go to their online website to view a frankly poor tutorial with poor grammar and spelling. The last thing I can criticize the app for is the audio editor – it’s no Audacity and it’s as basic as possible. Getting any accurate edits of it is nearly impossible, as the visual representation of the sound waves isn’t there. It’s an editor in name only.
If there is one shred of positivity to take from this, it’s that the audio recorder works well. But there’s no point paying for it when Audacity is free and better.
Verdict
Don’t buy it. Simple as that. No reason you should, if you’re looking for an audio recorder and editor download Audacity for free instead which is much more professional and actually works, unlike this. If Onde’s Audio Recorder was free, it would get a more respectable rating, but at $29.99, they’re having a laugh. Nothing more to say, harsh perhaps but fair.
Rating: 1.5/5
Price: $29.95 (link)
Pros:
