CJSF Audacity Workshop

Introduction to Audacity

Duncan McHughUBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems

CiTR’s Duncan’s Donutsduncanmm@gmail.com

Introduction to Audacity

･ Know your recording devices･ Tips on getting a good recording･ Extremely basic audio editing･ Somewhat complex audio storytelling

Introductions

LFS 400

Duncan’s Donuts

What do you use for recording sound?

･ Computer’s internal mic･ Smartphone

Zoom H2

USB microphone and headset

Marantz PMD 660solid state recorder

Roland Edirol

Tips on gettinga good recording

Editing can only do so much

Tips on gettinga good recording

･ Know the space･ Consider the room size, number of participants and ambient noise

･ Use the appropriate equipment･ Check equipment beforehand

･ Test your levels･ Bring headphones

Audio editingapplications

Free:Windows:Sound Recorder

Mac:Garage Band

Open Source:Audacity

Pro:Adobe Audition

Dalet

Burli

Using Audacity

To the beginning

Play

Record

Pause

Stop

To the end

Selection Tool: selects a segment of a track

Envelope Tool: allows quick adjustments of volume

Draw Tool: for very minute adjustments

Zoom Tool: allows you to shift your view

Time Shift Tool: moves clips along the timeline

Multi-Tool Mode: everything at once

Cut/Paste/Trim

Undo/Redo

Zoom

DEMO

Exercise I: Basic audio editing

Step 1･ Record 30 seconds of discussion with your partner or of you speaking by yourself ･ Record only one track･ Make sure to include a bunch of ohhs and ummms, and other things you won’t want to keep in your recording

Exercise I: Basic audio editing

Step 2･ Use the Selection Tool to edit unwanted sounds ･ Use the Envelope Tool to adjust the volume of the recording ･ Play it back and bask in auditory joy

Beyond basic･ Multiple tracks

･ Additional tools

･ Effects; some useful, some crazy

What is a podcast?Podcast = Media + RSS

• Any blog will do

Feed management: Feedburner

Audio hosting: Soundcloud

Exercise II: Audio storytelling

･ Create a multi-track recording with a partner･ Clips here: http://bit.ly/CJSF_audacity_clips･ Topic: Transit!･ Integrate vocals, music, silence and sound effects ･ Work on the volume and transitions between tracks ･ Try out a few effects and see what affect they have･ Please consider:

･ Your audience: who’s listening? ･ How long does this take?(!?)

The BEST music site for Internet-safe audioFree Music Archivehttp://www.freemusicarchive.org/

Also Wikimedia Commons & archive.org

Creative Commons Canada: www.creativecommons.ca

Online Audacitytutorials

Lynda.com’s Audacity tutorial:http://www.lynda.com/Audacity-tutorials/Up-Running-Audacity/111697-2.html

Educause’s screencast tutorial:http://www.educause.edu/Screencasts/Audacity/Untitled.html

Daniel James’s tutorial: http://quicktoots.linuxaudio.org/toots/audacity/

Everything you wanted to know…

The Audacity wiki:http://audacityteam.org/wiki/

Thanks!

Duncan McHughduncansdonuts.wordpress.com

www.landfood.ubc.ca/learningcentreduncanmm@gmail.com@duncanmm