Hanso Recorder

Hanso Recorder is a pretty much straightforward sound recorder. It offers a minimum number of settings, all available from the main window - so the overall process comes down to throwing a glance at what you are about to record, making instant tweaks to the few available parameters, and clicking on 'Record.' The settings you do get to tweak are rather basic: you can change your sound device and sound input, recording volume, the output folder, and the output format (wav, mp3, ogg, and some others, with a number of parameters). There is only one other option offered, which could be considered somewhat advanced - automatic silence detection; the program can be instructed as to what to do when there is no sound input: stop recording, pause it, or split it into several files. That's it. There is no equaliser, noise dampening, or recording from several sources offered; so you are restricted to use the application only for basic purposes like recording radio streams or VoIP calls (even more so since recording sessions can be scheduled).

The program also includes a text-to-speech module, which, as the developer claims, 'uses natural voices.' All it really does is use the default voice engine installed on your computer to read aloud provided passages. You do not get to choose the intended voice from within the program itself, so the program will most likely end up using 'Microsoft Sam', which is so far from natural it's not even funny. You do get the option to save the program's readings as sound files in various formats, but be sure to find a listenable voice engine before you do.