Attached Link: http://www.digidesign.com

If you're really wanting to work with sound you might consider downloading "Pro Tools Free" from the Digidesign website. It's a *fully* functioning version but has a limited number of tracks that can be used (8 audio, 48 MIDI). That number is way too small for a professional Audio suite but for people like us it's excellent.

One of the functions it (and many other audio packages) has is called "normalization." You can apply it to a sound file and it will analyze and then raise the volume of the sound file up to the point just below where clipping (distortion) would occur. It's best when you can record things optimally but this is a wonderful alternative.

You could record and edit a voice track, put music and sound effects behind it, and change the volume of the individual elements as required. You can also equalize (add bass or treble), change the pitch, reduce noise and apply a number of other effects.

I've heard that there are a couple of glitches in the Windows version, but I also know that there are so many PC configurations that nothing works perfectly for everyone. I think that info came from Little_Dragon in another thread and he had something he recommended instead. I know Pro Tools is the "Studio God of Audio" but check around. The voice you use for your characters can have a very dramatic impact on how their personality comes across as well as everything else.

Before they made me they broke the mold!
http://home.roadrunner.com/~kflach/