Difference between revisions of "Audacity Tutorial"

Latest revision as of 11:41, 24 June 2020

Audacity is free, open source software for recording and editing audio. It is available for macOS, Microsoft Windows and Linux. Visit the Audacity site to download the application and access additional help documentation and tutorials.

Getting Started

Open Audacity from the applications folder.

File Structure

Audacity has a specific file structure that needs to be maintained.
Always make a folder to save your Audacity project in.
Inside your folder there will be the Audacity project file with a .aup extension and a folder ending with _data.
For example, inside the folder called interview if the project was named October there would be a file called October.aup and a folder called October_data.
When moving the project between computers always keep the project file and data folder together.

Save your project

Save the project before doing anything with Audacity.
Go to File > Save Project As...
If a warning message appears click OK.
On the left of the Save window click Desktop.
Click New Folder in the bottom left.
Give the folder a meaningful name (your name, name of subject etc) and click Create.
Give the project a meaningful name in the Save As box.
Then click Save.

Hints

As you are working save often. Go to File > Save Project
When you are done working save the project and quit Audacity. Then copy the entire project folder to a server or external drive.

Importing audio

Go to File > Import > Audio... and navigate to the audio file that you want to import. Select a file and click Open.
If Audacity opens a warning screen click the option that says "Make a copy of the files before editing (Safer)" and click OK.
Audacity can import WAV, AIFF, AU, IRCAM, MP3 and OGG files. WMA files can also be imported with the FFmpeg libraries installed.

Tools

Audacity Toolbars

Tracks

Adding Tracks

Tracks > Add new > Audio track, Stereo track, Label track, or Time track

Mono track

-this is one audio file recorded with one microphone

Stereo track

-this is one audio file with a left and right track recorded with a stereo microphone. Stereo tracks can be split into two mono tracks.

Label track

-this track allows you to add markers or regional markers to the whole project or individual tracks

Track Control Panel

Click on the black arrow to view a pull down list of options for each track - allows you to rename the track, provides sample information, waveform view, spectrogram view, mute or solo the track, increase volume and pan left-right function.

Waveform view: vertical axis represents amplitude or loudness and the horizontal axix represents time.
Spectogram view:the horizontal axis represents time, the vertical axis is frequency; a third dimension indicating the amplitude of a particular frequency at a particular time is represented by the intensity or colour of each point in the image.

Editing

Playback

Listen to your project hit the spacebar on your keyboard to Stop or Play

Zooming

Zooming In/Out helps you make accurate selections of your waveform.

Selection Tool

Highlight a portion of audio using your Selection Tool

Labeling Tracks

Label tracks and take notes of your project Listen to your audio and make labels.

Go to Tracks > Add New > Label Tracks
Edit > Labels > Add Label at Selection (cmd+B)
Name your label.
Use Tab on your keyboard to select forwards to the next label, and SHIFT+Tab to select backwards to the previous label.

Editing Audio

Open a blank track - this will be your working pallet.
1. Tracks > Mono track or Stereo Track
Choose the Selection tool in the Tools Toolbar.
Highlight your audio then Edit menu > copy
Select a point in your empty track then Edit menu > paste

Envelope

Let's you control a tracks volume changes smoothly over time.

Select the envelope tool.
Click a beginning, end, and middle point on your audio waveform.
Click and hold on a point to increase or decrease the volume.

Effects

Equalization

Allows you to increase or decrease desired frequencies.

Noise Removal

Removes unwanted background noise.

Normalize

Increases the overall volume of your waveform equally.

Exporting

File > Export this command exports the entire project except muted tracks.

File > Export Selection this command exports only selected tracks.

Format:

Select .wav for a high quality uncompressed file but bigger file size.

Select .mp3 for a lower quality, compressed, but small file size.

Additional Resources

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-__NOTOC__
+[[Image:Audacity-logo.jpg|100px|left]][http://www.audacityteam.org/ Audacity] is free, open source software for recording and editing audio. It is available for macOS, Microsoft Windows and Linux. Visit the Audacity site to download the application and access [http://www.audacityteam.org/help/documentation/ additional help documentation and tutorials].<br>
-[[Image:Audacity-logo.jpg|100px|left]]Audacity is developed by a team of volunteers and released under an open-source license and is the only audio editing software that is run on Mac's, PC's, and Linux computers. Go to http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ to download the most current version 1.3.13 Beta.<br>
+<div class="pull-right">__TOC__</div>
 ===Getting Started===
-Open Audacity found in the applications folder.
+Open '''Audacity''' from the applications folder.
-====Importing audio====
+==== File Structure ====
-'''File > Import &gt; Audio''' navigate to the audio files that you want to import.
+* Audacity has a specific file structure that needs to be maintained.
+* Always make a folder to save your '''Audacity''' project in.
+* Inside your folder there will be the '''Audacit'''y project file with a '''.aup''' extension and a folder ending with '''_data'''.
+* For example, inside the folder called '''interview''' if the project was named '''October''' there would be a file called '''October.aup''' and a folder called '''October_data'''.
+* When moving the project between computers always keep the project file and data folder together.
 ====Save your project====
-(preferrably after every edit) '''File &gt; Save''' navigate to your hard drive and create a folder with your name and save it to that folder. This folder will contain all your audio files and edit information so you can continue to work on different computers so keep this folder and it's information contained.
+# Save the project before doing anything with Audacity.
+# Go to '''File &gt; Save Project As...'''
+# If a warning message appears click '''OK.'''
+# On the left of the '''Save''' window click '''Desktop.'''
+# Click '''New Folder''' in the bottom left.
+# Give the folder a meaningful name (your name, name of subject etc) and click '''Create'''.
+# Give the project a meaningful name in the '''Save As''' box.
+# Then click '''Save'''.
-===Tools===
+==== Hints ====
+* As you are working save often.  Go to '''File &gt; Save Project'''
+* When you are done working save the project and quit Audacity.  Then copy the entire project folder to a server or external drive.
-'''Transport Toolbar''' - controls playback and recording
+====Importing audio====
-[[File:Audacity-transport-toolbar.png]]
+* Go to  '''File > Import &gt; Audio...''' and navigate to the audio file that you want to import. Select a file and click '''Open'''.
+* If '''Audacity''' opens a warning screen click the option that says "Make a copy of the files before editing (Safer)" and click '''OK'''.
+* Audacity can import WAV, AIFF, AU, IRCAM, MP3 and OGG files. WMA files can also be imported with the FFmpeg libraries installed.
-'''Tools Toolbar''' - chooses various tools for selection, volume adjustment, zooming, time-shifting of audio and a multi-function tool
+===Tools===
+* [[Tools - Audacity | Audacity Toolbars]]
-[[File:Audacity-tools-toolbar.png]]
-'''Meter Toolbar''' - displays levels for playback and recording
-[[File:Audacity-meter-toolbar.png]]
-'''Mixer Toolbar''' - controls the mixer settings of the sound card
-[[File:Audacity-mixer-toolbar.png]]
-'''Transcription Toolbar''' - plays audio at a slower or faster speed, affecting the pitch
-[[File:Audacity-transcription toolbar.png]]
-'''Edit Toolbar''' - cut, copy, paste, trim, silence, undo, redo, sync-lock, zoom
-[[File:Audacity-Edit-Toolbar.png]]
 ===Tracks===
+====Adding Tracks====
 '''Tracks &gt; Add new &gt; Audio track, Stereo track, Label track, or Time track'''
-'''Mono track'''
+====Mono track====
 -this is one audio file recorded with one microphone
 [[File:Audacity-mono-track.png]]
-'''Stereo track'''
+====Stereo track====
--this is one audio file with a left and right track recorded with a stereo microphone
+-this is one audio file with a left and right track recorded with a stereo microphone.  Stereo tracks can be split into two mono tracks.
 [[File:Audacity-stereo-track.png]]
-'''Label track'''
+====Label track====
 -this track allows you to add markers or regional markers to the whole project or individual tracks
 [[File:Audacity-labeltrack.png]]
-'''Track Control Panel''': allows you to rename the track, provides sample information, mute or solo the track, increase volume and pan left-right function.<br>
+====Track Control Panel====
+Click on the black arrow to view a pull down list of options for each track - allows you to rename the track, provides sample information, waveform view, spectrogram view, mute or solo the track, increase volume and pan left-right function.<br>
 [[File:Audacity-Track-Panel.png]]
+'''Waveform view:''' vertical axis represents amplitude or loudness and the horizontal axix represents time.
+<br>
+'''Spectogram view:'''the horizontal axis represents time, the vertical axis is frequency; a third dimension indicating the amplitude of a particular frequency at a particular time is represented by the intensity or colour of each point in the image.
 ===Editing===
+====Playback====
 '''Listen to your project'''  hit the spacebar on your keyboard to Stop or Play
-'''Label tracks and take notes of your project'''
+====Zooming====
-Listen to your audio and make labels.
-Go to '''Tracks > Add New > Label Tracks'''
 '''Zooming In/Out'''
 helps you make accurate selections of your waveform.
@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 [[File:Audacity-zoom-tools.png]]
+====Selection Tool====
 Highlight a portion of audio using your Selection Tool
 [[File:Audacity-I-Beam-tool.png]]
@@ Line 75: / Line 76: @@
 [[File:Audacity-highlighted-audio.png]]
-'''Tracks > Add Label at Selection'''
+====Labeling Tracks====
+'''Label tracks and take notes of your project'''
+Listen to your audio and make labels.
-Name your label.
+# Go to '''Tracks > Add New > Label Tracks'''
+# '''Edit > Labels > Add Label at Selection (cmd+B)'''
+# Name your label.
+# Use '''Tab''' on your keyboard to select forwards to the next label, and '''SHIFT+Tab''' to select backwards to the previous label.
-Use '''Tab''' on your keyboard to select forwards to the next label, and '''SHIFT+Tab''' to select backwards to the previous label.
-Open a blank track
+====Editing Audio====
-'''Tracks > Mono track or Stereo Track'''
-Choose the '''Selection tool''' [[File:Audacity-I-Beam-tool.png]] in the Tools Toolbar.
+# Open a blank track - this will be your working pallet.
+##'''Tracks > Mono track or Stereo Track'''
+# Choose the '''Selection tool''' [[File:Audacity-I-Beam-tool.png]] in the Tools Toolbar.
+# Highlight your audio then '''Edit menu > copy'''
+# Select a point in your empty track then '''Edit menu > paste'''
-Highlight your audio then '''Edit menu > copy'''
+====Envelope====
+Let's you control a tracks volume changes smoothly over time.
+[[File:Audacity-envelope.png]]
-Select a point in your empty track then '''Edit menu > paste'''
+#Select the envelope tool.
+#Click a beginning, end, and middle point on your audio waveform.
-'''File > Save Project'''
+#Click and hold on a point to increase or decrease the volume.
 ===Effects===
-'''Equalization'''
+====Equalization====
 Allows you to increase or decrease desired frequencies.
 [[File:Audacity-Graphic-EQ.png|400px]]
-'''Noise Removal'''
+====Noise Removal====
 Removes unwanted background noise.
 [[File:Audacity-Noise-Removal.png]]
-'''Normalize'''
+====Normalize====
 Increases the overall volume of your waveform equally.
 [[File:Audacity-Normalize.png]]
-'''Envelope'''
-Let's you control a tracks volume changes smoothly over time.
-[[File:Audacity-envelope.png]]
-Select the envelope tool.
-Click a beginning, end, and middle point on your audio waveform.
-Click and hold on a point to increase or decrease the volume.
 ===Exporting===
 '''File > Export''' this command exports the entire project except muted tracks.
-'''
 '''File > Export Selection''' this command exports only selected tracks.
@@ Line 129: / Line 133: @@
 Select .mp3 for a lower quality, compressed, but small file size.
-[[category:Audacity]]
+===Additional Resources===
+* [http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Digital_Audio Intro to digital audio]
+* [http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Main_Page Audacity Tutotials]
+* [http://www.lynda.com/Audacity-5-tutorials/podcast-videocast-essential-training/214-2.html?srchtrk=index%3A1%0Alinktypeid%3A2%0Aq%3Aaudacity%0Apage%3A1%0As%3Arelevance%0Asa%3Atrue%0Aproducttypeid%3A2 Lynda.com video tutorial on podcasting with Audacity]
+[[Category:Audacity]]
+[[category:Media Workshop Outlines]]