1. Using Audacity Let’s get Started Open Audacity

2. Getting started…

3. Using Audacity BEFORE BEFORE Starting ANY recording you need to save the project. Click File > Save Project

4. Using Audacity Make sure you are in the right location. Click the “Create a Folder” Button.

5. Using Audacity Name Your Folder Open the folder you just made - name and save your project.

6. Using Audacity Time to start recording. You will not try to make one long recording. Instead you will record short sections so that editing will be much easier. This program can have over 100 tracks of recorded audio.

7. Plug in a microphone Press the record button Record your first sentence/section. Press Stop Listen to your recording

8. Using Audacity To start your next recording, click at the end of the previous recording before you click the record button..

9. Using Audacity To start your next recording, click at the end of the previous recording. This will start the next recording in the right place. (and you will not here the first recording while recording the second.)

10. Using Audacity After you get most or all your recordings finished you are ready to make your project better with some editing.

11. Using Audacity Using the “Selection Tool”

12. Using Audacity Using the “Selection Tool” You can select parts of the recordings you do not want and hit the Delete key.

13. Using Audacity Using the “Selection Tool” You can select parts of the recordings that are too soft or too loud.

14. Using Audacity Once a section is selected that needs volume changed, Click Effect > Amplify

15. Using Audacity If it is a section that is too soft – ACCEPT the amount of Amplification that appears in this box.

16. Using Audacity If it is a section that is too LOUD – DRAG the slider so the Amplification is a negative number.

17. Using Audacity Using the “Time Shift Tool” You can move sections of your recording so the spaces of silence are what you want to hear.

18. Using Audacity Simply click on each section and drag it to where it sounds best.

19. Using Audacity After ALL your recording is finished and edited you may want to add background music. DO NOT Try to add music until your voice recordings are COMPLETELY FINISHED! You MUST have the music you want to use already saved as an mp3 file.

20. Using Audacity Import Audio Click Project>Import Audio

21. Using Audacity Find and select your mp3 file

22. Using Audacity Usually mp3 files will be stereo recordings. This is why you will see 2 tracks for your music.

23. Using Audacity You may need to change the volume of your music in places that you are speaking. This advanced editing is done with the “Envelope Tool”.

24. Using Audacity To change the volume in specific places you click on the edge of the sound wave and drag. To keep a section an a specific level you have to put a place marker where you want to keep the volume from changing. Click on the edge without dragging to put a place marker on the sound wave.

25. Using Audacity Use the Envelope Tool to adjust the MUSIC volume so the music does not cover up your speaking.

26. Using Audacity Remember to save every 5-10 minutes when editing and playing sound files. This will reduce your risk of losing work if the program gets stuck.

27. Using Audacity When you are completely finished with your project, you will need to export it as an mp3 file if you wish to play it or share it. File>Export Audio

28. Using Audacity Select WHERE you are saving and check the name of the file. You can put additional tag information here if you wish.

29. Using Audacity Wait When it finishes you will see these three type files in your folder. ONLY the mp3 file can be used and shared.

30. Audacity Additional Information, features, and tips on the next slides.

31. Install Audacity Download and install the current version of Audacity for your computer’s Operating System. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ To export your audio as an mp3 file you will need this plugin. (lame_enc.dll) Download the current version of Lame MP3 encoder (lame_enc.dll) for your computer’s Operating System. Copy lame_enc.dll to the C:\Program Files\Audacity\Plug-Ins folder. The first time you try to export a file as an mp3 from Audacity you will need to tell the Audacity program where you put this file.

32. Some other tips – Hate the track? Click the X Have multiple tracks? Mute helps when editing Adjust the separate volumes to help multiple tracks flow together better

33. 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 Time Shift – use it to move tracks to the left or right Multi tool – allows you to access multiple tools at once

34. Skip back to 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 over Record – 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

35. 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

36. Keyboard Shortcuts and Mouse movement Mouse 1) Click and drag the mouse to highlight a selected area of audio 2) Single click to move mouse cursor to the desired point of audio 3) Click the edge of the edit window and drag to make larger or smaller Keyboard Keys to Use 1) Home – move mouse cursor to the beginning of the audio 2) End – move mouse cursor to the end of the audio 3) CTRL F – view the full selection of audio in your edit window 4) CTRL Z – undo the previous command 5) CTRL A – highlight the entire audio file (beyond edit window) 6) CTRL E – zoom to selection (highlight with mouse then use to fit that area in edit window) 7) CTRL SHIFT F – fits the file in the window vertically 8) CTRL C – Copy highlighted area 9) Backspace – delete highlighted area 10) Delete – delete highlighted area 11) CTRL K – delete highlighted area 12) CTRL X – cut highlighted area (to paste elsewhere) 13) Spacebar – Start/Stop audio play (begins from mouse cursor location) 14) CTRL O – Open a new file in a new instance of audacity 15) CTRL I – Open a file in the current instance of audacity 16) CTRL N – open a new instance of audacity 17) CTRL W – close the current instance of audacity

37. Using the Toolbar at the top of the program File 1) Open – Open a new file in a new instance of audacity 2) New – Open a new instance of audacity 3) Export as MP3 – saves the audio project as an MP3 audio file (good for use in web pages, computer programs, etc.) Edit 1) Undo – Undo the previous command 2) Cut – Cut the highlighted selection 3) Copy – Copy the highlighted selection 4) Paste – Paste a cut or copied selection at the current mouse cursor location Project 1) Import Audio – open an audio file in the current instance of audacity Effect 1) Noise Removal – to use noise removal a.FIRST using the mouse highlight a selection of the unwanted noise (no voice or music just noise) b.Go to Effect, Noise Removal on the toolbar at the top of the program c. Click on ‘Get Noise Profile’ (noise removal will close) d.Highlight the entire audio file (CTRL A) e.Go to Effect, Noise Removal on the toolbar again f.Click on ‘Remove Noise’ (desired noise will be removed from audacity)

38. Using Audacity When you are completely finished recording and editing – You will need to “Export as mp3”. This mp3 file will allow you to use your recording on web pages, save to your “my files”, and anything that can be done with an mp3 file.