Energy Systems - Audacity

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.

Getting Started

Open Audacity found in the applications folder.

Save your project

(preferrably after every edit) File > 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.

Importing audio

File > Import > Audio navigate to the audio files that you want to import.

Tools

Transport Toolbar - controls playback and recording

Tools Toolbar - chooses various tools for selection, volume adjustment, zooming, time-shifting of audio and a multi-function tool

Meter Toolbar - displays levels for playback and recording

Mixer Toolbar - controls the mixer settings of the sound card

Transcription Toolbar - plays audio at a slower or faster speed, affecting the pitch

Edit Toolbar - cut, copy, paste, trim, silence, undo, redo, sync-lock, zoom

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

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

Track Control Panel: allows you to rename the track, provides sample information, mute or solo the track, increase volume and pan left-right function.

Editing

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

Label tracks and take notes of your project 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.

Highlight a portion of audio using your Selection Tool

Tracks > Add Label at Selection

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. 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

File > Save Project

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.

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.

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.