Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
MAM3100: Broadcast Promotion
Assignment #2a: Audacity Basic Tutorial
During this tutorial, you will learn the VERY BASICS on how to use the Open Source sound editing program Audacity. During this tutorial, you will do some simple edits on a .WAV file and export the finished product.
Audacity is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux Operating Systems and can be found at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/. This tutorial is written for the Windows version of Audacity
To give us something simple to edit, we will use a sound clip from The Simpson's TV Series. The clip (bart.wav) can be found on your Q:\ drive within your Broadcast Advertising folder.
NOTE: You can save sounds from the Internet and edit them. To capture the sounds be sure to RIGHT CLICK the .wav file and "SAVE AS" or "SAVE TARGET AS".
1. For this tutorial, we will be using only basic features of Audacity. Starting at the upper-left, you will notice that the SELECTION TOOL is highlighted by default. This tool is often called an "I Beam" because it looks like a capital letter I. Next you will notice a series of round buttons which have controls similar to a CD Player. We will be using the
Jasper Place High School [email protected] 1Computer Technologies Dept.Introduction to Computers
PLAY and STOP buttons. Other controls will be mentioned as needed.
2. Before we can edit, we must first import the bart.wav file. From the menu, select PROJECT > IMPORT AUDIO and from the dialogue box navigate to the Q:\ drive where the file is located. Double click the icon or click the OPEN button. After the file is imported, you will see the sound wave in the editor.
Jasper Place High School [email protected] 2Computer Technologies Dept.Introduction to Computers
3. Make sure your computer sound is on, and either your speakers or headphones are on and ready.
If you play the sound file a few times, you will notice that it ends with the sound of a door closing. Our first task will be to remove this sound from the end of the wave pattern. Play the sound a few times until you "See" where the door sound is in the wave pattern. Then, using your mouse, carefully select the door sound section of the graph. Then use the EDIT > CUT menu option and remove this part of the sound file.
Jasper Place High School [email protected] 3Computer Technologies Dept.Introduction to Computers
4. For our next task, we will AMPLIFY Bart's excuse for missing the makeup test, "Ohhhhh my ovaries". To AMPLIFY, we first find and select the section, then use the menu item EFFECT > AMPLIFY. Use the default amplify settings provided.
Jasper Place High School [email protected] 4Computer Technologies Dept.Introduction to Computers
5. Next, we will FADE OUT the last half of Bart's "Ohhh" exclamation. To do this, simply select the right-most half of the section we just AMPLIFIED, and use the menu command EFFECT > FADE OUT. Once completed, this should make this section of the wave pattern look bullet like.
6. Our last edit before finishing will be our most difficult. We will be modifying the section where Bart's Teacher says, "...then you are ready for your MAKEUP TEST." Instead, we want to have it say, "...then you are ready for your TEST." That is, we will be removing the word MAKEUP.
Jasper Place High School [email protected] 5Computer Technologies Dept.Introduction to Computers
The key to this removal is to SELECT the area you think consists of the word MAKEUP by trial and error. Use the PLAY button to make sure by repeatedly playing just that selection until it sounds right. If you don't hear just the word MAKEUP, then reselect until you are satisfied. Use the menu option EDIT > CUT again to remove the word once you are satisfied.
Jasper Place High School [email protected] 6Computer Technologies Dept.Introduction to Computers
7. We have finished our edits! The last thing we should do is play the entire file again to make sure all of our edits sound correct. Use the SKIP TO START Button (just left of the PLAY button) to "rewind" the sound file. Play the file a few times to make sure it sounds as expected. Don't worry if it isn't perfect, you aren't being graded and even if you make a mistake, you can always hit EDIT > UNDO.
The way Audacity works, none of the edits has yet been saved. This is to prevent loss of the original sound file. To save the finished product, we must
Jasper Place High School [email protected] 7Computer Technologies Dept.Introduction to Computers
EXPORT the file as an MP3. MP3 are not only more efficient to .WAV files but the quality is almost as good. Using the menu select FILE > EXPORT as mp3. Select a new target destination for saving and give the finished product a different name such as "bart-edited.mp3".
You are now finished the tutorial. :)
Jasper Place High School [email protected] 8Computer Technologies Dept.Introduction to Computers
