I was asked if I knew about any free multi tracking software that can do a good job recording 16 to 18 tracks simultaneously.  I didn't know that much about the free software that's out there. If you know of some good ones post here or pm. me please.  not a must,  just more to help them out and curiosity.

Well, I know where you can get an older version of a not free software, that is free because it's older, among other reasons..  If you want

       Jimk

theres a download, free, called reaper. that might be what you're looking for.

they went with a  nuendo,.. download don't ask me how    cause I ain't telling

can anyone say FL6 (PM me for the DL)
its great more along the lines of
production software but i just yesterday
recorded i think like 12 tracks after a bit
of messin around i'd be glad to show you how

It's cool for what it is.. great for a one man or sequencer style band... but  it lacks some in simultaneous live recording... which is what they needed... cubase sx3 or nuendo 3 or cubase 4 is pretty good along with sonar pro and cakewalk some of those are pretty good and I found torr&%^  for almost all of them (that is not a cuss word )  after talking to them some more they decided to go with nuendo3 ... they did it I didn't have anything to do with it    

Cool Edit Pro 2 is pretty good for me, or Cubase...
Just crack them. 

         > Iszil

Give a check to this one... http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/

i've been using cool edit for years now...all i can say is positive things about it.  i've tried some others like cubase but they don't seem to hold up to cool edit.

i have tried acid, cubase sx, sonar 4, live and reaper but to me reaper is the most user friendly and it's quite easy to send or receive effects from other tracks. I have been messing around with the automation of volume panning effects etc in reaper 3 and i can say i really love this small software. I then wire another software for beats. The quality is almost the same it's true there are differences yes but the differences are so insignificant to those who are not seriously into recording.
It's shareware, no cracking cause it works even without a license but it just gives u a reminder blah blah blah

chow

reaper is pretty good... its small, free, it has some useable vst's in default... it's  hardware friendly, and all that.. just midi programming isnt the best, but you cannot change tempo and signature during the track in FL... you can in reaper... so i use reaper for vst hosting, recording and mixing, and i write arrangements and drums in GP (or some notation soft)

i dont edit sounds, but reaper cannot... you'll need audacity or sth...

reaper is amazing!!

also, Audacity is decent, but not for anything crazy complicated, and no midi .

I also use Adobe Audition

Recently I found a link to a new presonus recording software for free and downloaded it .
Perhaps I can learn a bit about how to work with recording software. Til now Iīve just messed around a bit with Audacity sometimes. But I donīt like it much.
Itīs called "studio one", and is a complete recording environment. The only curtailing is that you canīt embed external Plugins, just classical GM / effects.
But for freeware it seems to be a phantastic program. Adequate for hand-made music, I guess.
Check it out.  http://studioone.presonus.com/free/

U.L.I.