Wave editor / encoder: suggestions

Hi, I am looking for a program similar to the one on my Creative Audigy card which allows sound files to be edited and formats changed.

The program within the Creative Audigy is 'Creative Wave Studio' which I am sure a lot of you must use and which displays the sound waves on screen.

My daughter has a small laptop and given that the Creative prog cannot be installed on non Creative soundcard systems, I am looking for an alternative.

I just need basic sound editing options ie fade in/out, cutting, inserting silence, etc. I also need to be able to convert WAV files to MP3.

I have searched this forum and found references to DCex and PowerAmp. I have installed these but although they have the format conversion features, they do not have sound editor facilities (unless I missed them).

I appreciate that such a prog would incur a fee. I don't mind that but it has to be cheap(ish). I don't want to spend more than $25-$30 tops.

Can anyone suggest something please

Many thanks

 

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Audacity_d4427.html

 

Many thanks. I will give that one a go....

Cheers

 

Just Playin, many thanks have downloaded Audacity and have played around with it for the last half an hour or so and I think it's great a real gem. Much better than the other progs I have tried.

I also downloaded the Lame.dll file and so now mp3 encoding bit rate can be changed and is not set on 128.

I found it also very quick and that is on a 1Ghz laptop.

Great recommendation much appreciate it

Cheers