Using QuickTime Player, you can record audio from a connected device, such as a microphone, but not from an application. Workarounds for app recording exist, but they are typically pricey and complex. Piezo is neither. It’s the kind of app that looks like it’s visiting from an iPhone, and it’s as easy to use as any iOS app.

Piezo’s interface comprises level meters, a source menu, a big Record button, a counter, and a preferences cog. Click the cog and you can name your recording and choose a quality setting. These are labeled in plain English, but the file format is also displayed once you choose an option. (Essentially, though, Piezo uses AAC for “personal use” and MP3 for “internet distribution.”)

It’s pretty hard to go wrong when an interface is as straightforward as Piezo’s.

To record, choose a source, restart the app if it’s already open, tap Record, and start playing. When you stop recording your file is saved to ~/Music/Piezo, ready for import into another app.

During testing, Piezo proved reliable and usable, the perfect way to quickly and easily record audio. We’d like to see some kind of countdown, although it’s simple to use an audio editor to trim silences. Also, you can’t remove any applications you manually add to the prepopulated apps source list, which is mildly annoying. But it’s got some nice touches—Skype and FaceTime recordings, for example, have left and right channels for trouble-free post-processing.

The bottom line. It’s a great value for anyone who doesn’t need the power of Rogue Amoeba’s $32 Audio Hijack Pro.