Quick Guide to Audacity
Audacity is a free software, cross-platform digital audio editor and recording application. It is available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and BSD. Audacity is a free software and is capable of simple or more complex audio recordings. Audacity can be manipulated into multiple tracks in order to simultaneously play and record music and voice. Audacity is easy to use and can be installed on most operating systems. Since Audacity is free, it can be simply downloaded then used to start recording. This software is one of the top choices of free audio software and used by many who are creating digital storytelling projects.
Download: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
Wiki page: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Audacity_Wiki_Home_Page
Audacity home page: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audacity
How to Record:
To begin recording click the record button:
To hear what you just recorded click the play button:
When you are done recording click the stop button:
To open a new track click Tracks > Add New > Audio Track:
Click on the second track after your recording on the first track to begin your new track:
To delete a section of audio, click and hold the mouse to gray the section you want to delete:
Press the Delete button on your keyboard to delete the selected audio:
To copy audio from one track to another, select the audio you want to copy by holding down the mouse and graying the area you want:
Hold to “ctrl” key and the “c” key to copy the audio, then click to where you want the copied audio and hold “ctrl” and the “v” key:
Then delete the audio that was first copied: (gray the area by holding the mouse button then click the delete button on your keyboard):
How to change the gain (volume of sound):
Use side slider bar
To fade sound in or out:
Effect > Fade In
Other frequently used effects:
Fade Out
Amplify
How to Add Music:
File > Import > Audio
How to Use Blue SnowBall Microphones
Blue Snowball Microphone
3 Settings by using the switch on the back of the microphone:
1.) First position: Activates cardioid capsule: Works best for speech, vocals and podacsting
2.) Second position: Activates the cardioids capsule with a 10dB PAD: Works best for lives music, loud sound sources
3.) Third position: activates the omni capsule: Works best for conferences, interviews, environmental recordings