Using Audacity

Created by: Stephanie Anderson

Dublin Unified School District Dublin, California

Download Audacity at:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

You will also need a LAME encoder in order to export your files in MP3 format

Go to the LAME download page at

http://lame.buanzo.com.ar/WindowsUnder "For Audacity on Windows", left-click on the link "libmp3lame-win-3.97.zip" and save the zip folder to anywhere on your computer.

Mac OS 9 or XDownload either libmp3lame or the version of LameLib for your operating system.

• Windows• When you have finished downloading the ZIP folder, unzip

it and save the file lame_enc.dll that it contains to anywhere on your computer.

• The first time you use the "Export as MP3" command, Audacity will ask you where lame_enc.dll is saved.

• In case of difficulty, please view our more detailed instructions at the Audacity Wiki.

• Mac OS 9 or X• When you have finished downloading, use Stuffit Expander

to extract the files. (This may happen automatically.) • Save the file called "LameLib" or libmp3lame.dylib

anywhere on your computer. • The first time you use the "Export as MP3" command,

Audacity will ask you where LameLib or libmp3lame.dylib is saved.

NOW, Finally! Getting started…

Here is how the tools work…Selection – use it to select sections that you want to edit or listen to.

Envelope – use it to change volume over time

Drawing – use to modify individual samples

Zoom – zooms you in, zooms you out

Timeshift – use it to move tracks to the left or right

Multi tool – allows you to access multiple tools at once

Skip back – allows you to restart project from the beginning

Play – audio starts at the cursor position. If you use the selection tool it will play the highlighted part only

Loop – this is cool. If you hold down the shift key, the play button changes to a loop, which lets you play the selection over and overRecord – starts recording audio. The new track will begin at the cursor position you have selected.

Pause – temporarily stops playback or recording until you press pause again

Stop – stops playback or recording. You must press stop before applying any effects, saving, or exporting

Skip to end – moves the cursor to the end of the last track

Cut

Copy

Paste

Trim – trims audio away from the outside of the selection

Silence – quiets the selected audio

Undo

Redo

Zoom in

Zoom out

Fit selection to window – does just that

Fit project to window – does just that

So…Plug in a microphone (or just

yell at the machine, that works too)

• Press the record button• Record your voice• Press pause• Edit

• Go back and check the different tools, use the editing tool to highlight and cut things that you don’t want

My advice?Microphones work better than yelling. Get one with a USB port.Be sure to make a test run so that you can adjust levels, etc.

Hey?Want to get all fancy

schmantsy?• The great thing about audacity is

that it allows you to mix multiple tracks together.

• So, have an MP3 of background music that you made?

• Go to project, then click import audioHate the track? Click the X

Have multiple tracks?•Mute helps when editing

•Adjust the separate volumes to help multiple tracks flow together better

What happens next?

• As you go be sure to click on “save project”

• Done for the day? Remember to re-save!• Done forever?• Click Export as an MP3

• Be sure to enter your tagging information before you are done!