Audacity 101

Steve HoldenBlog: sholden.typepad.com

Email: sholden@pobox.com

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

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Why Audacity ?

• Open Source (GNU General Public License)

• Multi-Platform

• Multi-Language Support

• Full Featured & Expandable

(Windows, Macintosh, L inux)

It is very popular ...

Main Features• Record audio to single tracks• Multi-track editing and mixing• Basic and complex audio editing capabilities• Input from a host of audio formats

(compressed and uncompressed)• Output to WAV, MP3, and Org Vorbis• Extras:• Popular for turning audio from vinyl and

tape to digital for burning to CDROM or DVD

• Make your own ring tones!

Recommend Resources

Recent NewsNovember 28, 2005:

Changes in Audacity 1.2.4• GUI interface updates• Support for Vorbis 1.1• Better support for Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger” and Visual C+

+ .NET 2003.• Major and minor bug fixes.• New or updated translationsCurrent notes on 1.3 Beta • Unstable, beta version • Hundreds of new features• You can run Audacity 1.2 and 1.3 on the same machine.• GUI and Features in the following areas:

• Collapse/Expand Tracks• Multiple clips per track• Selection Bar• Improved Label Tracks• QuickTime and Audio Units on Mac OS X

• Other features:• Better performance with large projects• Project integrity check on open• Transcription toolbar• Upload via FTP• Based on wxWidgets 2.6 (GTK2 on UNIX and Unicode)• Batch / CleanSpeech

My ~1 Year Workflow

iRiver iFP-799

Sony ECM-MS907

Platronics DSP-400

My Current WorkflowStudio Mobile

C01 VP64A ATM-11

MIC-100

660

Sony MDR-201

Windows / Macintosh Audio Setup

(sorry no Linux)

Windows Audio

Windows Voice

Windows Voice Controls

Macintosh Sound Control

System Preferences

Audio MIDI Setup (Mac)

Launch Audacity

Empty Project

Audacity Preferences

Audio I/O - DefaultPreferences

Audio I/O - SpecificPreferences

QualityPreferences

File FormatsPreferences

Temp Directory Preferences

Keyboard

HintView (Main Menu):•Ctrl or Apple F = Fit in Window

•Shift Ctrl or Apple F = Fit Vertical

Preferences

MousePreferences

Recording

Pretty Simple Interface

Record Pause Stop Watch Levels

Is yoursource

correct?

Is yoursource

input levelcorrect?

Post Production

Interface Overview

Post Production ...

Control Toolbar

Post Production ... Interface Overview

Edit Tool Bar

Post Production ... Interface Overview

Making A Selection

Post Production ...

Common TasksSplit

Post Production ...

Duplicate

Time Shift

Cut

Project ... Quick Mix

Post Production ...

Track Drop Down

Post Production ...

Noise Removal

Post Production ...

Room Noise

Post Production ... Noise Removal

David Ducassou

Click

Zoom In And Select ...

Post Production ... Noise Removal

David Ducassou

Noise Removal Tool• Open the Noise Removal tool

from Effects menu

• We are going to Get Noise Profile from the selection

• Back in the edit window of Audacity we Edit / Select All

• Then back to Noise Removal under Effects and click Preview to sample or Remove Noise to have effect applied.

Post Production ... Noise Removal

David Ducassou

Outcome ...

Post Production ... Noise Removal

David Ducassou

Compression

Post Production ...

Compression Goal

Post Production ... Compression

Compressor Effect

Post Production ... Compression

David Ducassou

Normalization

Post Production ...

Envelope Tool

Post Production ...

Change Gain & Amplify

Post Production ...

More On Expandability

Fade In and Out

•Select the audio•Copy and Paste•Effects Menu - Fade In at the front of the clip and Fade Out at the end

Example of Nyquist

Gotchas• Backup early & often, and do not re-arrange your file system

• Don’t try to do a bunch of other things with your system and run Audacity either recording or in post production

• Mac OS X Intel-based native Audacity is still a challenge (some developers have created builds, others haven’t)

• If you change your audio settings within your operating system with Audacity running will have random effects. Close Audacity before making major audio setting changes

• You might want to invest in third party Noise Removal and Compression tools (like RMS)

Thanks!

If you have a thumbdrive, I can share with you

the latest Mac downloads ...

Links

•Audacity: • http://audacity.sourceforge.net

•BIAS Peak LE & Sound Soap: • http://www.bias-inc.com/

•Sound Grinder: • http://www.monkey-tools.com

Post Production Demos