1. Audacity
SOUND, YOUR WAY

2. What is it? Audacity is an open source audio editing software
Audacity can edit multiple audio file formats such as mp3, wav, wma, ogg, and many more
Can implement a variety of different audio effects and mixing techniques
Additional features become available with the appropriate plugins

3. Modes and Impact on English Studies
Audacity uses the Oral and Aural modes almost exclusively.
However, one can import the audio tracks into a video or a presentation that can help support the use of visual and gestural modes as well.
Audacity allows you to create clean, professional level recordings for presentations or video compositions that can improve the effectiveness of the message you are trying to convey.

4. Benefits and Limitations
Powerful; Tons o’ Features
Edit any common audio format
Can mix a vast number of audio tracks at once
And as Dr. Parente pointed out, it’s free, Free!, FREE!!!
Limitations
High Learning Curve
Requires Plugins for some features
Complicated Interface

5. Basic Tools
Selection Tool -- used to make selections in an audio track
Zoom Tool -- Zooms in or out at the cursor point (left click in, right click out)
Time Shift Tool -- Used to move a track forward or backward to sync with other tracks
Envelope Tool -- used to make sections of a track softer or louder
Draw Tool -- used to make super-fine adjustments to the track’s waveform; must be zoomed in extremely far
Multi-Tool Mode -- Allows you to use all five tools at once. Not recommended without considerable experience

6. Basic Tools (con’t)
Zoom Out/In/Fit Selection/Fit Project -- Zoom in or out like the zoom tool, fit a selected section of track to fit the window, or fit the entire project to the window
Trim Audio/Silence Audio -- used to either delete everything except selected audio in a track, or convert the selection to silence
Recording and Playback Volume -- controls the volume of sound as it’s recorded or played back
Cut/Copy/Paste -- used to cut and paste or copy and paste selections of tracks elsewhere in the audio

7. Importing Audio
To import audio from your computer click “File” on the toolbar.
Select “import” followed by “audio”
This will bring up a search window, find the audio file you wish to import and click “open”
This will open up the selected audio file in audacity
Repeat until all audio files you wish to layer are imported

8. Editing The Selected Audio Files
Select “Where is the Love” track, make sure the whole track is highlighted, go to “Effect” on the toolbar.
Select “Change Tempo”
Type -13 in the “Percent Change” box
Click “OK”

9. Editing Files Continued
Select the “Background Music” track
On the bottom of the screen find the tool that lists the hours minutes and seconds of the track.
Edit the seconds till it says “34.500” seconds.
Right click on “Background Music” then hit the “delete” key.

10. Editing Files Continued
Select “Extra Effect” track.
Click the “Skip to Start button”
Go to “Generate”, followed by “Silence..”
Type “12.000” seconds.
Click “OK”

11. Exporting your new audio file
Click “File” and select “Export from the dropdown menu.
In the Name box: Rename your file to “final song”
You can choose any file type you want.
Once you select mp3, click “Save”
WELL DONE! You have created your first layered track.

12. Importing Audio from Video
Importing Audio from a video works much the same as opening a regular audio file for editing; Note: this will essentially copy the audio from the video file; any editing in Audacity will only affect your exported audio file
there is an additional plug-in required, called FFmpeg
if you get an error message saying FFmpeg is required, go to Edit>Preferences>Libraries. FFmpeg will be the second library listed
Follow the directions on Audacity’s Wikia page for install (we’ll do it in class if desired or needed)

13. The Noise Reduction Effect
Once imported, complete any desired editing
In this case, we’ll be running the Noise Reduction Effect
often times a video will be recorded in an environment that has background noise, sometimes unnoticed until the video is reviewed later
Fortunately, Audacity comes with a built in Noise Reduction Effect

14. Step 1
Before we start, we need to know what noise we’re trying to reduce
in this audio file, it’s the background noise from the heater at my house; it’s the low area between the peaks, which is speech
Select an area of the track without dialogue or other desired sound

15. Step 2 Under Effects click on Noise Reduction
We’ll have to do this twice, as you’ll see in a minute

16. Step 3 And click on “Get Noise Profile”
This will close the dialogue box
Don’t Panic

17. Step 4
After the Noise Reduction box closes, select the portion of your audio that you want to apply the noise reduction to
In this case we’re going to apply it to the whole track
This can be done 3 ways:
Click on the Edit menu and click “All”
use the keyboard shortcut CTRL-A
Manually select the area with the mouse like we did when we selected the Noise Profile

18. Step 5 This is where it gets tricky
Noise Reduction (dB) is just that, how much quieter the noise is. Too high, though, and you could start making the desired sound lower, too
Sensitivity is how the filter determines how much of the audio is noise. Again, set too high, and you’ll start to loose desired audio
Frequency Smoothing (bands) is used if you start to hear noise artifacts (crackles or other noise that wasn’t there before) the algorithm is good, but not perfect

19. Step 5 (con’t)
The rule of thumb is: set these as low as possible to reduce the noise without damaging your desired audio
This is a trial and error process
The Preview button does just that, play a small snippet of audio so you can test your settings.
Reduce vs. Residue
Reduce is a preview of what your audio sounds like with the applied settings
Residue is a sample of the audio you’re reducing; if you hear your desired sound, chances are you need to adjust your settings a little

20. Step 6
Once you have your noise reduced (and applied any other effects you may want) export your audio

21. Step 6 (con’t)
Select your desired output file format and name your audio file, click “Save”

22. Step 7 Add your audio to your video as a sound track
Select your new audio file from the file selection window

23. Step 8
In Windows Movie Maker I don’t know of a way to remove the embedded audio from a video, but you can mute it
I don’t know iMovie, but hopefully the process is similar

24. All Done!
Congrats!

25. Need More Help? Audacity also has an online manual, written Wiki style
If you get stuck, or are interested in learning more about the different features, it’s the place to be