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Audacity Guide 1.3.5 Fall 08

8.19.2008

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Table of Contents Set Up 4 Creating a new Audacity project 4

Setting Preferences 5-8 Importing an audio file 9 Importing audio from a cd 9

The Interface 11 Editing tools: Selection tool, Envelope tool, Time Shift Tool 11 Editing tools: Drawing tool, Zoom tool, and Multi Tool 12 The Interface: The Edit Toolbar 13 The Interface: Audio Control Buttons 13 The Interface: Mixer Toolbars 14 The Interface: Meter Toolbars 14 The Interface: Tracks 15

Editing 16 Cut 16 Copy and Paste 17 Silence 17 Duplicate, Split 18 Split Cut 19 Split Delete 20 Join 21 Disjoin 22 Moving sections of an audio track 23 Solo, Creating Fades, Label Tracks 24

Mixing 25 Master fader, Track Volume and Pan controls 26 The Envelope tool 27

Effects 28 EQ or Equalization 29 Compressor, Reverse 31

Exporting 32 Exportinganuncompressedaudiofile:AIFF 32 Exportingacompressedaudiofile:MP3 33

Exporting an audio file from iMovie and importing it into Audacity 34 Exporting an Audio file From iTunes and Importing it into Audacity 36 Transfering Audio from a Marantz PMD660 Digital Recorder into Audacity 38 Transfering Audio from the MDP500 Mini-Disc to Audacity 40 Recording Audio using the powerbook’s built in microphone 42

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Audacity 1.3.5 is a free, open source multitrack audio editor and recorder.

ThisguidewillshowyouhowtouseAudacitytorecord,importandeditsoundfilesimportedfroma hard disc, a CD, iMovie, iTunes, or from any external line level device (microphones, miniDisc and Marantz (PMD660) recorders). This guide does not cover some advanced features in Audacity. See on-line documentation athttp://www.audacityteam.org/manual/index.php?title=Main_Page http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/documentation and at http://www.audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php?title=Audacity_Wiki_Home_Page

•AudacitysupportsAIFF,WAV,AU,FLAC,MP3,Mp2,andOGGVorbisaudioformats.OnMaccomputers,unencryptedQuickTime-basedaudiofileslikeM4AandAACcanbeimportedbut not exported. •Itcan’tplaynorexportWMA,RealAudio,Shorten(SHN),OggSpeek,norMusepackfiles.•Audacitycan’tplaynorimportfilespurchasediniTunesnorNapster.•AudacitycanimportanddisplayMIDIfiles,butitcannotplayoreditthem.•Audacitycanrecordliveaudioviaexternalorinternalmics•AudacityisanaudioeditorthatallowsyoutoCut,Copy,Paste,Delete,Join,Disjoin,Silence,Duplicate,Split,etc,andapplyeffectstoanypartofasoundfile.•ItcontainsaBuilt-involumeenvelopeeditor•ItcanMixfilesduringplaybackanduponexport•Audacitycannotrecordmorethantwochannelsatonceonmanysystems.Somesupportfor multitrack recording is included in version 1.3.1, but it requires a multi-channel interface.

Introduction

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1. Go to File > New

The Audacity Main window will appear.Atthispointyou’llneedtoimportanaudiofile or record one.

Whenyouarereadytosave:

2. Go to File > Save Project

AdialogboxwillexplainthatAudacityProjectfiles(*.AUP)arespecifictoAudacity.Otherprogramswill not be able to play the audio. If you need to, exporttheprojectasanAIFForWAVfile.

.

Click OK

3. Save your project as an Audacity project file (.aup).

Whenyousaveaproject,Audacitycreates2files:theprojectfile(project name.aup) plus an associ-ated data folder (project name_data) full of hundreds orthousandsofaudiofilesofabout10secondseach.

Ifyoumoveonefiletoanotherlocationyoushouldmove the other one too. This is critical to the integrity of your project!

ChoosealocationandfilenameforyourprojectintheSave Project As dialogue box.

If at some point you want to save the project with a different name, go to File> save Project as. NEVER change the name of the project directly.

Creating a new Audacity Project:

To save your project later on, while you work,use the keyboard shortcut: + S

Set Up

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Setting Preferences

2• Select Audio input and outputs preferences • Click on the Audio I/O tab.

Playback: select the device for playback Recording: select the device used for record ing. You may also select 1 (mono) or 2 (Stereo)

simultaneous channels for recording.

3• Select Audio Quality preferences • Sample Rate:Keep in mind, as you choose a sample rate, that DV projects use a 48000 Hz sampling rate and CD Audio projects use a 44,100 Hz sampling rate.

Sample Format or Bit Depth determines the dynamic range (the difference between the quietest and loudest audible signal) of the audio that you record. 16-bit is standard for Cd and DV audio.Werecommend‘16-bit’ as a good setting to start with. 24- bit and 32-bitfloatwillyieldhigherqualityresultsbut require more disk space.

1• Open the Preferences window • GotoAudacity > Preferences or press

Playthough: • Play other tracks while recording new one: allows playback of previously recorded track(s)whilerecordinganewtrack.Useheadphonesifyoudon’twantaudiofeedback.

• Hardware or Software ‘playthrough’ enables user to listen back to input while recording a new track. Select Software playthrough when using Built in Output. Select Hardware Play- throughwhenusingatheMobilepre-Usbinter face. Both of these options are essential for multitrack recording.

Effects Preview: • Length of preview: how many seconds of audio to play when previewing sound ef-

Latency: • Audio to buffer:refers to the delay in time that the audio takes to travel through the sound card. The lowerthebuffertimeyouset,themoretheCPU needs to work. If you are not sure, leave the default settings.

• Latency correction: refers to the delay in time that exists between the moment you talk into the micro phone, or play a note, and the time that it take to be laiddownintotherecording.IfAudacity’sdefaultvalue(200milliseconds)doesn’tworkforyou,playaround with different settings so you can properly synch your tracks.

Cut Preview: • Play before: how many seconds of audio to play before a region that will be removed.

• Play after: how many seconds of audio to play after the region that is being removed.

Preferences set the default behavior of the software.

PreferencesinAudacityarestoredinafilenamedaudacity.cfg at: ~/Library/Application Support?audacity/audacity.cfg (mac only)

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3• Select Import/Export preferences • MP3 library: in order to be able to export MP3 from audacity, the LAME mp3 plug in must be installed. In this section, audacity informs you whatversionisinstalled,promptsyoutofinditincaseaudacitycan’tfindit,andifyoudon’t have it, links you to a website where you can download it.

When Importing Audio files: Audacity always makesacopyofimportedcompressedfiles(MP3,OGG,FlAC)onthetemporary folder or into the -data folder of an open poject. But becauseuncompressedfileslike WAV or AIFF are so big, Audacity allows you to choose what to do when importing them.

• Make a Copy of uncompressed audio files before editing. This is the safest option and we recommend this one. Also, if you need to open your project in another computer make sure you choose this option.

• Read uncompressed audio directly from the originaltisfaster,butwedon’trecommend this option. If you move or rename any of the filestheprojectsdependson,youwillbein trouble.

• Normalize all tracks in project: all importedfileswillbenormalizedforthesettingthatyou have chosen in your normalize effect.

When saving a project that depends on other audio:

• Alwayds copy all audio into project: this is the safestoptionandwerecommendthisone.Whenchoosing this option, any dependencies with exter-nalfileswillberemoved.Aftersavingtheproject,anyfilesthatwereusedcanberenamed,movedor deleted without afecting the integrity of your project

• Do not copy any audio: The project will dependonanyopenedorimportedfiles.Donotmove,re-nameordeleteanyofthisfiles.

• Ask user: audacity will ask you every time you save a project what you want to do.

When Exporting tracks to an audio file:

• Always mix all tracks down to stereo or mono: if your project has mono tracks panned to center, audacity, when exportingtoanaudiofile,willmixdowntomono;ifyouhavemono tracks panned away from center, audacity will mix to astereostrack;andifyourprojectcontainsstereotracks,audacity will mixed down to a stereo track.

• Use costum mix: if you choose this option an advanced mixing option window will pop- up when exporting an audio file.Thisoptionallowstoexportmultichannelfiles(fileswithmorethantheusualtwochannelaudiofiles).

• Show Metadata: ifyoudon’twanttoaddembeddeddatatagstoyourfilesuncheckthisoption.

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3• Select Interface Preferences • Behaviors: select the behaviors

of your choice.

Show/Hide:

• Enable Cut Lines: enables the dispaly of cut lines. The cut displays as a red line after clicking some where else in the track.

• Show warnigns of Temp files:Whenaudacitystartsitwarnsyouofprevioustempfiles.

• Show prompt to save, even if project is empty: choose this option.

• Show welcome message at pro- gram start up: choose this option if you want helpful hints at the begin ning of each audacity session.

Display range mininimun: This selection sets the scale of the dB (deci-bel) meter and waveform displays. -96dB is a good setting for working with 16-bit audio since it covers the dynamic range (from silence to distortion) that 16-bit sound can represent.

6• Select Directories Temp preferences •

Location: Sets the default location for Audac-ity’stemporaryfiles.Audiodatathathasnotbeensaved as a project, is saved in the Temp directory. It is good practice to choose a directory that has a substantial amount of free space.

Auto save: saves project automatically in set intervals.

• Auto save a copy enables or disables theauto save function. Always Enable it!

• Auto save interval: reduce the amount of data lost if there is a crash by reducing the interval.

5• Select Spectogram preferences •

A spectrogram is an alternate way of visualizing an audio track (instead of a waveform). Spectrograms are closely related to sonograms and are typi-cally used for sound analysis. As you begin to use Audacity we recommend that your Spectrogram settingsshouldbe‘256-default’and‘Greyscale’should be checked. These settings will yield better performance. If you become interested in using the spectrographic view, you may change these set-tings to better suit your needs.

Spectrographic View Waveform View

Auto Cache: check this option if you are using a slow disk (like a usb disk).

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9 • Select Mouse preferences •

This panel is for reference only and may be of limited use. It assumes the use of a two button mouse. It does not let you change or customize mouse/track-pad operation.It does let you view all of the com-mands and actions that you can execute using the mouse,manybyholdingdownanextramodifierkey.

8 • Select Keyboard preferences •

This panel allows you to customize keyboard shortcuts. All of the commands that appear in Audacity menus appear on the left, along with a few other buttons that are already assigned keyboard shortcuts.To change a command,firstselectthecommandthatyouwanttochange.Then type the new keyboard shortcut on your keyboard. Verify that the correct shortcut ap-pears in the box below. Finally, press the Set button. Ortogetridofakeyboardshortcut,pressClear.

ToresettoAudacity’sdefaults,presstheDefaults button.This will get rid of any changes you have made. If you have customized your keyboard layout and want to share it with someone else, or move it to another machine, you can press Save... and save your com-pletekeyboardlayoutasanXMLfilethatyoucanshare. To load an existing layout, press the Load...buttonandlocatetheXMLfile.

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Importing Audio

Importing an audio file

AudacitycanimportWAV,AIFF,AIFC,AAC,AU,IRCAM,MOV,MP3

andOGGfiles.

There are three ways to do this:

1. Simply drag and drop the audio file on to the Audacity icon in the Finder(thiswillopenupanewAudacityprojectforeachfile

imported).

2. Select File > Import... > Audio... navigatetoyouraudiofileand click open.

3.Usethekeyboardshortcut:

1• Go to File > Import... > Audio... •

Importing Audio into Audacity from a Cd (in Mac):

2• Navigate to your CD and select the track that you want to import • In the example I will

import “1 Audio Track.”

NowclickonthegreenPlay but-ton at the top (Control Toolbar) andyoushouldhearthefileyouhave just imported.

Theimportedfileshouldnowbedisplayed in the timeline as a stereo audio track. The track will look a little like this, depending on what you imported :

Note:if you import CD tracks into Audacity this way and save them as a Project, the CD must be present next time you open the Project, unless you set Audacity to make a copy of the data. To do this, go to Audacity > Preferences >Import/Export tab and select Make a copy of uncompressed audio files before editing. With this option enabled, audacity will always make a copy of any uncompressed files imported from a cd.

play button

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Interface

Toolbars: Editing tools

Selection Tool:selects the range of audio to edit or listen

Envelope Tool: to change the volume over time

Draw Tool: to change individual audio samples

Zoom Tool: to zoom in or out

Time Shift Tool: to slide tracks left or right

Multi Tool: you can this tool to ac-cess all the tools depending on the location of the mouse and on the keys that the user is holding down.

Editing tools Edit toolbar

Audio ControlButtons

Track Control Panel

Meter toolbars

Mixer toolbar

The Selection Bar

Mute

Gain Control

Project RateMenu

Play atSpeed

Pan Control

Solo

Track label

Tracks

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Selection Tool

The Selection Tool is used to select audio. Click in a track to position the cursor, or click and drag to select a range of au-dio. If you drag from one track to another, you can select multiple tracks. Extend a selection by shift-clicking a new point in the track.

You may select an entire track by clicking at the bottom of the track control panel.

Playback will always begin at the position of the selection cursor. If a range of audio is selected, only the selected range will play.

Envelope Tool

The Envelope Tool gives you time variant control over track volume (including how tracks fade in and out),rightinthemaintrackwindow.Whentheenvelopetool is selected, the amplitude envelope of each track is highlighted in a green line, with control points at the beginning and end of each track. To change a control point, click it and drag it to a new position.To add a new point, click anywhere in the track where there is not already a control point.

To remove a point, click on it and drag it outside of the track until it disappears, then release.

Top handles

Bottom handles

Middle handles Dotted line

Dotted line

Time Shift Tool

The Time Shift tool allows you to change the position of tracks relative to one another in the timeline. To use this tool, simply select the tool and click in a track and drag it to the left or right.

To align two tracks together or reset their time shift back to zero, use the Align Tracks Together or Align with Zero commands from the Project menu.

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Zoom Tool

TheZoomtoolallowsyoutozoominoroutofaspecificpartoftheaudio.

To zoom in, click anywhere in the audio. To zoom out, shift-click.

In addition, you can zoom into a region by clicking and dragging the mouse to highlight the region you want to see, then releasing the mouse button.

The Multi Tool is a context sensitive tool that enables access to all of the tools in thetoolbardependingonthepositionofthemouseandmodifierkeysthatyouareholdingdown.Whenusingityoumaymovefluidlybetweentoolswithouthavingtoselect them from the tool bar.

CUT:selecttheaudiopartthatyouwanttocutoutwiththeSelectionTool,thenclick the cut button on the toolbar

COPYandPASTE:usingtheSelectionTool,selecttheaudiorangethatyouwanttoCOPY,clickthe Copy button on the toolbar. Then, put the cursor in the place where you want to PASTE the copied audio and click the PASTE button.

The Multi Tool

Drawing Tool

The draw tool enables the user to draw or modify an existing waveform at the sample level (zoomed in all the way). This is especially useful for eliminating small pops and clicks from material. Option + click smoothes an area of audio;Click + Control & hold edits only one sample, no matter whether you move the mouse left or right. You need to be completely zoomed in to be able to use this tool.

Before Drawing : A Sample After Drawing: A Sample

Toolbars (cont.): Edit toolbar

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TRIM:thistoolwilltrimawaytheTHEAUDIOOUTSIDEOFTHESELECTION:selecttheaudiorangethatyouwanttoKEEPandthenclickthisbutton.Onlytheareaselectedwillstayinthetrack

SILENCE: this tool will silence the selected audio range.

UNDO and REDO

ZOOM IN and ZOOM OUT

FIT SELECTION IN WINDOWFIT PROJECT IN WINDOW

Toolbars (cont.): Edit toolbar

Toolbars (cont.): Audio control buttons

PAUSE: pause while playing or recording.

Play /LOOP: plays at the cursor position or a range if one is selected. PressingSHIFTconvertstheplaybutton into the Loop button.

PlAY AT SPEED: plays the selected audio at faster or slower speeds.

RECORD: starts recoring a new track. It will start recording at the position of the cursor.

SKIP TO START: moves the cursor to the beginning of the track.

SKIP TO END: moves the cur-sor to the end of the last track.

STOP: stops playback or recording.

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Toolbars (cont.):Mixer toolbars

The MeterToolbars monitor the input and the output levels.

If the audio signal is too loud and touches the “0”dB mark, the audio will sound distorted. This is known as “clipping”. Avoid clipping at all costs.

If the Input level Meters show clipping while re-cording, stop the recording inmediately and either lower the input levels (using the Mixer toolbar explained above), or lower the volume of the input source (mics, players, etc.).

Clickonthelittletriangletoaccessthemeter’soptions.

The Ouput level metermonitors playback levels

The Input level metermonitors recording levels

Select Start Monitor-ing from the pop up menu to start monitor-ing the input signal.You can also clickon the bars to start themonitoring.

Toolbars (cont.):Meter toolbars

This bar controls the Playback Volume

This bar controls the Recording Volume(Input levels)

This drop-menu allows you to select the recording device (input source) you will be using in the recording: line-in, internal mic,mobile pre-usb device, etc.

IfclippinghappensintheOutputlevelmeter,while playing back, lower the volume of your tracksusingtheTracks’Gain control

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Any track can be collapsed or expanded by clicking the arrow at the bottom left of the control panel.The audio contained in a track will still be visible when collapsed. This featureisusefulwhenyou’dliketosee many tracks on the screen at once, or when you need to focus on one track.

The Track Control Panel is alway at the left of every track.

Tracks

Tracks can also be resized verti-cally by placing the mouse arrow on the bottom edge of the track. A double arrow appears, thendrag up or down to make the track smaller or larger. A track can be resized in this way even when collapsed.

The Project rate and its value, defaulting to 44100, can be changed by selecting another one from the drop-down menu.

Allfiles,nomatterwhatformatorsamplerate,willbe played at that rate. Should the sample rate of a track be different from the Project Rate, these tracks will stutter at track sample rates set lower than the ProjectRate.Audacitywillwarnyouifanaudiofileis of a sample rate different from the current project rate. Audacity will not change the sample rate of

any imported audio.

The Selection Bar at the bottom left of the Audacity window displays and controls the current selection (your choice of Start and End, or Start and Length), and the current audio position. The selection bar is fully editable - just click in any fieldandtypetochangethecurrentselectionprecisely.

Whiletheprojectisplaying,theAudioPositiondisplayshows the position of the cursor continuously.

Project Rate

To Select a whole track click anywhereonthepanel(don’tclick on the buttons).

If you click on the Mute Button: that particular track will not play.If you click on the Solo Button: only that track or tracks (if several solo buttons are clicked) will play.

Gain Control: the top slider con-trols the volume of that track.HoldingtheShiftkeywillgiveyou more fexibility in adjusting the levels.The Pan is controlled by the bot-tom slider. It affects the balance between the left and the right channells (speakers).

Click on the Track name fieldtriangle to get acces to the track control panel submenu where you can change the Name of the track, Split a stereo track,change the view from waveform to specto-gram, change the pitch, the Sample Format and Rate, etc.

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Cut, Copy and Paste The most basic editing operations are cut and paste. These are akin to cutting and splicing with tape.

1 • Select the audio that you wish to cut,copy or paste •

Click on the Selection tool located

in the toolbar.

Undo Button or + ZInAudacityyoucanusetheUndofunctionalmostwithoutlimits.

Editing

To extend or contract your selection, hold down the Shift button and click on the area you wish your selection to extend or contract to. For example, if you click at a spot that is on the right hand side of the current selection, you will extend the right hand boundary of your new selection.

Nowpressandholdthemousebuttonwhileyou drag the mouse to select an area.If nothing is selected, the edits (or effects) will be applied to all the audio in the project window.

The selected area is darker than the surrounding areaoftheclip.Note,thateventhoughyoucanmarkan area larger than or extending beyond the actual audio clip in the track, the operations will only work on the actual clip. Playback however will work outside the clip.

2 • Press the space bar to listen to the audio in the marked area. •

Cut

Cut the selection by selecting the cut icon in the toolbar or by selectingr Edit > Cut or by pressing + X.

Before the cut After the cut

To undo this operation, go to Edit > Undo

or press + Z

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Copy will copy the selection to the clipboard...

Copy by selecting the Copy icon in the toolbaror by selecting Edit > Copyor by pressing + C

Copy

You can then paste that data back into any track by clicking where

you want this audio to be inserted.

Paste by selecting the Paste icon in the toolbar or by selecting Edit > Pasteor by pressing + V

Paste

Pasting is the opposite of cutting. You can also copy material, make another selection with the mouse and then paste.This will replace the selected material with the contents of the clipboard, no matter how short or long either of them are.

Before Silence After Silence

Alternately, use the envelope tool to lower the volume in a selected area.That way you can change it later.

Silence

This operation “silences” the selection. It is similar to a cut operation without deleting the duration of the selection completely. If you cut a second away, nothing remains. If you Silence one second, the operation will leave you leave you with one second of silence (or a silence equal to the duration of your selection).

Silence the selection by clicking on the silence icon or by selecting Generate > Silence

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Duplicate

Select Edit > Duplicate

or press + D

Whenyouduplicateatrack,theselectedareagetscopied, a new track is created and the copied material is pasted into that new track at the same point in the timeline.

Thebenefitsofaduplicatearemany.Oneoftheseisexperimentationwitheffects.

Whenmixinganeffectedor‘wet’signalwitha‘dry’signal,weuseasendbus.SinceAudacitydoesnothaveasendbusyoucan’tindependentlychangethevolumeofyoureffectandoriginalaudio.Ifyouduplicatetheaudiofirstandapplythereverbtotheduplicatedtrack(with100%reverberantand0%originalsignal),youcanfreelychange the volume for both the original and reverb signal.

Also,youcandoweirdandwonderfulthingstoyourduplicatestocreatespecialeffects.You’llhavetwopiecesofthesameaudiotoworkwith.Silenceparts,reverbanother,phaseathird,filteranotherandseehowthatsounds.It is so easy to duplicate a piece of audio and do weird things to it, so try it.

A special note on performance: thenewpieceofaudioisn’tactuallycopiedontheharddisk.Audacitywillstillplayfromtheoriginalaudiofile(s)untilyouchangeapieceofit.

Split

Select Edit > Split or press + I

Split creates a cut, making multiple clips from one audio track that can be moved around the project to create com-plex compositions.

There are two methods for using the Split command:

• Place the cursor at a point in the timeline and choose Edit > Split.Therearenowtwoseparate‘clips’in the track.

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• Select an area in a track and choose Edit > Split. This creates two cuts (one at the beginning of the selection,andoneattheend).Therearenowthreeseparate‘clips’inthetrack.

The Timeshift tool can be used to move the section manually to another point in the same track, or to another track.

Split Cut

Select Edit > Split Cut or press

Split Cut cuts a selected audio region and puts it in the clipboard automatically.

• Select a section of audio in the timeline and choose Edit > Split Cut. The selected audio is cut from the track, leaving silence for its duration.

• Place the cursor at any point, in any track, and choose Edit > Paste. The cut audio is pasted at that point.

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Split Delete

Select Edit > Split Delete or press

SplitDeleteremovesaselectedsectionofaudio,creatingtwoclipsandreplacingtheselection’sdurationwithsilence in the timeline.

• Select a section of audio in the timeline and choose Edit > Split Delete. The selected audio is cut from the track, leaving silence for its duration.

Comparethiswithremovingasectionofaudiousingthekeyboard’sDeletekey:theremainingaudioisautomati-cally joined and stays together as one clip.

• A selection removed by using the Delete key.

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Join

Select Edit > Join or press

The Join command reconnects clips that have been split by two methods:

• Select the area around a split in the timeline and choose Edit > Join. The split is deleted, and the two clips are once again one clip of continuous audio.

• Select the end edge of a clip and the beginning edge of a second clip and choose Edit > Join to combine them into one clip and replace the space between the clips with silence.

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Disjoin

Select Edit > Disjoin or press

The Disjoin command disconnects clips that have been joined. It is only effective when two clips with a space between them were Joined. It reinstates the silent space in the timeline, and the two clips are independent again. Disjoincanbeexecutedafterseveraleditsaremadeortheprojecthasbeenclosed,andUndoingaJoincommandwould be impractical or impossible.

• An audio track has been Split, and one clip has been moved to the right with the Timeshift tool, creating a section of silence between them in the Timeline.

• ThetwoclipshavebeenJoined,fillingthespaceintheTimelinewithsilence.

• The Joined area is reselected, then Disjoined. The two clips are once again independent, and the spacein the Timeline reappears.

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Moving sections of an Audiotrack

Inallprojectsyou’llbepushingyouraudioaroundatsomepoint.

Therearetechniques,easilyachievablewithAudacity,tocoveralmostanykindofshiftingyou’dwanttodo.Inourexample,wehaveasmallsentenceofspeech,wherethespeakermadeapauseafterthefirstword.We’dliketoeliminate that pause.

The audio region after the Pause is selected:

Selection

The Split function is used to cut the selected audio region. The Time shift tool moves it to a new track.

Split

The Time Shift Tool is selected and the audio on the lower track is moved left so there is no pause.

Move Audio to left

New track

Pause

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Solo

It’sagoodideatolistentothetwotracksindividually.Forexample,tolistenforbreathingsoundsandmakesurethere are no overlapping or cut-off breathing sounds.

If your project has many other tracks playing at the same time, you may want to isolate the two tracks that we are editing and listen to them more closely. A quick way to isolate one or many tracks for close listening is the Solo button. When you activate the Solo button on a track, it will mute the sound of all other tracks so that you may listen to the soloed track and focus on its particular sonic details. You may click the solo buttons on other tracks to add them to the mix of soloed tracks.To return to the general mix you must deselect the solo buttons on every track that has an active solo button

The Solo button

Creating Fades

Whenyou’resatisfiedwiththeedit,wewillmoveontoFades.AFadeisatypeoftransitionappliedtotheendandbeginningofaudioclipstomakethetransitionbetweenthetwoclipsseamless.Withproperfades,thesoundofthefirstclipfadesawaywhilethesoundofthesecondclipfadesin.

1• Select the last two thirds of the overlapping upper part of the track •

2• Select ‘Fade Out’ • go to Effect > Fade Out.

3• Select the first two thirds of the overlapping lower part of the track •

4• Select ‘Fade In’ • go to Effect > Fade In.

Note: Two thirds is a guideline and not a strict rule, so you may have to experiment a little. Two thirds, and not the entirety of the overlapping audio, are faded to keep the level of audio constant. If the entirety of the overlapping parts were faded, you would get an amplitude level drop (or attenuation) of 3dB in the middle of the fades.

Adding Label Tracks

UsingaLabelTrackishelpfulwhenworkingwithaudiowaveforms.It’snotalwayseasytorecognizeorrememberwhen certain events occur within the Timeline. Label Tracks are also useful for setting up an outline for planned edits or for comments.

1• Select Track > Add New... > Label Track

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Mixing

Mixing is the process of summing multiple tracks into a single mono or a single stereo track. There are many reasons thatwemix.Oneisthatwhenweapproachmakingafinishedsoundrecordingforauditionathome,inagallery,orinatheater,wewanttobecompatiblewithavailableplaybackequipment.CDplayers,iPod’s,DVDPlayers,Videodecksand monitors, car stereos, etc. usually have stereo outputs (or, in some cases, a monaural output). It is necessary to prepare and deliver our recording in a form that is going to work in these environments. As such, we must take our multitrack recording (e.g. 24 tracks) and mix it down to two tracks in order to maintain compatibility with stereo devices.

Another reason that we might mix multiple tracks down to stereo is that programs like iMovie are not designed to handle complex multitrack mixes. iMovie operates best with two channels of audio.

2• Select an area to label • WiththeCursor,clickanddragtoselectanareatolabel,

3• Immediately type • Immediatelytypethelabel.Nocharacterboxshowsbeforeyoubegintyping,soyou may try to click inside the selection before typing (this deselects the selection).

4• Adjust length • Adjust the beginning and end of labels by dragging the circle and/or arrow to the left or right.

5• Adjust timing • Createoverlappinglabelsbyfollowingthesameprocedure.Therearenoconflictswith existing labels.

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Mixing : Master Fader, Track Volume and Pan Controls

The Audacity Mixer Toolbar contains an output control, an input control and drop down menu for input source(which almost always reads Default Input Source).The Output control is at the left of the toolbar.The control uses alinear scale from 0.0 to 1.0 (silent to loudest). This is in contrast to the logarithmic decibel scale used for metering and on the track volume controls. As you mix tracks together you will notice that your overall volume increases. At somepoint you will exceed 0dB on the output meter and start to hear distortion.To remedy this you may turn down down the Master Fader so that your overall mix level is below 0dB.

Individual Tracks have a control panel on the left side of each track.This panel includes horizontal faders for Track Volume and Track Pan. At its default center position,Track Volume is set at 0dB.This means that it is playing back re-corded or imported audio at the volume at which it was recorded (without attenuating or boosting the signal). The Track Volume control has an attenuation range of -36dB and a gain or boost range of +36dB. So, if your signal is too loud, you may attenuate it by sliding the Track Volume fader to the left. If your signal is too soft, you may boost the gain by sliding the Track Volume fader to the right. Keep in mind that the decibel scale is not linear.

Audacity Master Fader(from 0.0 to 1.0)

Track Pan

Track Volume(from -36dB to +36 dB)

In Audacity the final mix is done with the ‘Export as WAV’functionintheFileMenu.ButbeforeyoucreateyourfinalmixexportingeverythingasaWAV,youshouldbeawarethataslongasyouhavetwoormoretracks,youarealreadymixing.OverallvolumeiscontrolledbytheMaster Fader on the Audacity Mixer Toolbar and the Volume and Pan controls at the left of each track. Additionally we will cover changing the volume of a clip over time using the Envelope tool.

If you want the view the waveform in relation to the dB scale you may click on the Track drop-down Menu and select Waveform (db).

Since our default mix is in Stereo we also have a Track Pan control which determines location in the Left to Right stereo spectrum. Pan position is a feature of stereo mixes that allows us to distinctly locate a sound in a stereofield(betweentwospeakers).Youmaydecidethatinarecordingofthree singers each recorded separately to three mono tracks that you want topanthefirstsingertotheleft,thesecondsingerinthecenterandthethird singer to the right. You may use the Track Pan control (the mixer) to construct a sense of space in your mix.

Track drop-down MenuDecibel or Waveform dB scale.

Track Pan control

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The Envelope Tool enables you to edit the Amplitude Envelope (or volume) of a waveform. It is similar to the clip volume levels tool in iMovie.It allows you to change the volume envelope of a clip over time using nodes or control points. The advantage to mixing tracks this way is that if you decide youdon’tlikeyourmixyoucanmakeadjustmentstothevolumeenvelopeandcontinuallyrefineyourmixuntilyouarereadytoexporttotheentiremixasanAIFFfile.Bycontrast,ifyoumakeasubmix

byusingtheQuickMixfunction,itismoredifficulttoeditandchangelevelsbecauseyouhavealreadycommittedtoamix by summing multiple tracks together into one or two tracks.The envelope tool allows you to hold off from commit-tingtoamixuntilyouarefinishededitingandmixing.ThedownsidetothismethodisthatyourAudacityprojectsmaybecomeverycomplicatedandhardtomanage.Whichstyleofworkingyouchooseis,again,amatteroftaste.

Mixing: The Envelope Tool

Using The Envelope Tool:

•Switchtotheenvelopetool

•Clickonawaveforminthetimelinetocreatea new automation point or click on an existing automation point and drag to change the location of the point.

•Theautomationyouhavewrittenremainsmar-ried to the audio, so it will move along with the audio when you use the timeshift tool.

•Anexample:

Inthefigureabove,therearefivecontrolpoints,at1.0,3.0,5.0,7.0and9.0seconds.Eachcontrolpointhasuptofour‘handles’arrangedvertically.The top and bottom handles are positioned at the target volume, and the middle handles are positioned a quarter-screen down, giving you a way to move the envelope above the 1.0 level.

Notethedotted line at the top and bottom between 5.0 and 8.0 seconds. This indicates that the actual envelope is above the screen. You can see the entire contour by zooming vertically - position the cursor over the vertical ruler to the left of the track and shift-click to zoom out.

To create a new control point, just click. To move a point, just drag. To remove a point, click on it and drag outside of the track, then let go.

Top handles

Bottom handles

Middle handles Dotted line

Dotted line

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Effects

1 • Select some audio •Usethemouse(clickanddrag)or keyboard shortcuts (e.g. + A - select all) to select some audio.You can audition that selection as many times as you like (using the spacebar or play button) and adjust the bound aries of the selection.

If you want to select an entire track just click the track tab below the pan slider or press + A.

Splitting a stereo track: if you have a stereo track and want to treat the left and right channels of the track separatelyyoumustfirstsplitthestereotrackintotwomono tracks.

Gotothedropdownmenuatthetopleftsideofthetrack. Select Split Stereo Track.

This will yield two separate mono tracks.These mono Left and Right tracks together form a stereo pair. Be careful about moving the position of these tracks relative to one another.You may now select the channel in the stereo pair

that you want to apply an effect to.

Audacity offers a wide list of effects that you can apply to a clip or to a selection of a clip. The effects are clip based whichmeansthatwhenyouclickOKtheeffectwillrenderandreplacetheselectedaudioclipwithanewlyeffected audioclip.Ifyoudon’tliketheresultyoumayundoit.Youmaywanttoduplicatetheselectedclipfirstandthenaddtheeffecttotheduplicate(thenyoumaymaintaincontroloverthemixbetweenthe‘dry’audioandthe‘wet’audio).

Click the UNDO button , select Edit > UNDO or press + Z.

2 • Select an effect • go to Effects > select effect Pick any of the effects.

3 • Set the effect’s parameters • set the effects parameters manually or choose preset parameters. Each effect has a different set of parameters.

Notethateffectswithnamesthatendwithanellipses,e.g. have parameters that can be set. Effects with names that have no ellipses like Reverse do only one thing and have no parameters that can be set.

Stereo Track Split Stereo Tracks

Track drop down menu

Click here to select the entire track

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Equalization is an effect that allows the user to boost or attenuate (reduce) particular frequency bandsofsound.Itissortofafrequencyspecificvolumecontrol.Originally,equalizerswereusedasameanstoachieveflatfrequencyresponseacross the audible spectrum. Many of the presets found in the Curve drop-down menu are equaliza-tion response curves employed by different record manufacturers and international standartd orga-nizationtoachieveflatfrequencyresponsewhenplaying their records on different record players (e.g. Decca FFRR 78, Decca FFRR LP, etc.)

You may want to use equalization to emphasize or de-emphasize elements in a recorded track. Forexample,youmayhaveafieldrecordingwitha substantial amount of low frequency rumble from passing trucks and/or microphone handling.To adjust your audio so that it is usable you might drawanEQcurveorfilterthatattenuatesfre-quencies below 80hz by -24dB.

Havingappliedequalization,verylowfrequencymaterial(bumpsand 60hz hum) should be much reduced yielding a clearer sounding track. Keep in mind that EQ is not a cure-all for bad recordings. If yourecordmaterialanddon’tthinkitsoundsacceptable,don’tex-

pectto‘fixitinthemix.’Takethetimewhileyouarerecordingtocapturethe sound(s) that you have in mind for your project. There is only so much that you can do with EQ.

Another application for EQ is reducing sibilance. Sibilance is the set of speech related sounds which we produce whenwecreateexcessivepeaksinthefrequencyresponseinthe6-10kHzrange.Inplaintermstheyarethesizzlethatwehearormakewhenpronouncingan‘S’or‘Sh’sound.WhileEQmaynotbetheidealwaytodealwithsibi-lance (a De-esser which combines EQ and Dynamics processing may be better suited), a gentle 3db cut in the 6- 10 kHzrangemaydothetrick.Besuretouseyourearsandusethepreviewbutton.

Keep in mind that sounds are actually made up of complex bundles of simultaneous pitches which are sometimes referredtoasafundamentalfrequencyandovertoneseries.WhenIplaytheAabovemiddleConapiano,thefundamentalfrequencyofthenoteis440Hz(Hz=cyclespersecond).Thetimbre(orthetonequality)ofthisnoteonthe piano is very complex. The A above middle C is actually a cluster of pitches, the loudest of which is 440hz.These quieter pitches are called overtones and these are what make a piano sound like a piano. Keep this in mind when your are applying equalization. If you are too severe you may mute or heavily attenuate overtones and your record-ingwillnolongersonicallyresembleitssource.Attimesthismaybedesirable.Useandtrustyourearstoletyouknow if something sounds good to you.

EQ or Equalization:

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ThereareseveralwaystoviewandmanipulatetheEqualizationeffect.Youmayfindthatyouaremorecomfortablewithoneinterfaceoveranother.WhenDraw Curvesischosen,manycontrolpointsarecreatedinordertofine-tuneequalizationcurves.WhenGraphic EQ is chosen, a soundboard-type interface is displayed, making frequency at-tenuation more clear.

TheEqualizationpluginallowsyoutodefineControl Points and creates a frequency response curve. To do this:

1• Select the Audio you want to apply Equalization to

2• Select Effect > Equalization

3• Define the frequency range that you want to boost or attenuate • click on the green line and drag the control points up or down relative to 0 decibels (dB). Points above 0dB will boost that frequency and those around it. Points below 0dB will attenuate that frequency and those around it. If you need to create more control points to create a more narrow equalization notch, do so.

4• Click Preview to listen

5• Click OK to render in the effect

Two control points used to form a high-pass filter.

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Compressor

A Compressor compresses the dynamic range of the selection so that the loudest parts are softer while keeping the volume of the soft parts the same. You may apply gain, resulting in an overall increase in volume. Compression narrows the dynamic range of the recording by making the difference between the loudest and softest elements smaller.

1• Select an audio clip •

2• Select Compressor... • select Effect > Compressor

Threshold - this is the level above which the compressor will go to work.

Ratio - this will determine the intensity of the compres-sion. A 2:1 ratio means that above the threshold (in this case any audio that is louder than -12dB) for every 1dB increase in amplitude, there will have to be 2dB of program material. Conversely a signal that has an amplitude of -6db will be reduced to -9dB.

Attack Time - this controls how quickly the compressor engages after detecting an amplitude above its threshold. Fast attack times are good for compressing drums and other sounds with sharp attack transients.This can some-timesproduceanartifactcalled‘pumping.’Youmayormaynotfindthisdesirable.Slowattacktimesaregoodforcompressing sounds whose attack you want to preserve but whose average volume you may want to compress.

Normalize to 0dB after compressing - this will measure the reduction in volume achieved as a result of compression. It will average the volume to 0dB so that the amplitude can be adjusted against other audio as necessary. Click OK.

3• Set the Compressor’s Options •

Reverse

Reverse is an effect that takes the audio you have selected and reverses it. Similar to taking a piece of tape and moving it over a play head backwards. An effect made popular by Tape Music and the Beatles.

1• Select a segment of audio that you want to reverse •

2• Select Reverse • select Effect > Reverse

3• Play audio back •it will play in reverse.

Forward Reverse

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Exporting

Exporting an uncompressed audio file

The project you create with Audacity cannot be used with other software (like QuickTime, iMovie, or iTunes) until it is exportedasacommonaudiofile.

Audacitycanexportavarietyofuncompressedandcompressedaudiofiletypes.Uncompressedaudio(AIFFandWAV)maintainsthehighestqualityandisrecommendedforstandalonesoundpieces,audioforvideo(workinginiMovieorFinalCutPro),andpublishingtoCD.Youmaywanttochooseacompressedfiletype(suchasMP3iftheaudio will be played on the internet or stored on a small device. If

2• In the Options window, set Uncom- pressed Export Format to AIFF •

To burn CDs and for maximum compatibility withotherOSXapplications,FinalCutProandiMovie,chooseAIFF(Apple/SGI16bitPCM).

ClickOKandthenSave.

1• Select the audio and then go to File > Export ... • Note:Audacity can also Export a

Selection or Export Multiple clips.

Enteranameforthefile,Chooseafolderwhereyouwanttosaveyourexportedfiles.

Format: Choose WAV, AIFF, other uncompressed types. BothWAVandAIFFarelosslessformats. Both play in windows and Macs.

3• Enter the information of your file into the Medatada Editor prior to Export • if the metadataeditordoesn’tappearisbecauseyoudidn’tchooseitintheimport/ex

port preferences (Audacity > Preferences)

If there is more than one or two tracks in the project, you will see a dialog stating that thetrackswillbemixeddownintheexportedfile.

(Remember that the amplitude settings in each track determines the overall mix.)

Depending on whether they were originally mono orstereo,thedialogstatesthatthefilewillbemixedtoamonoortoastereofile.Audacitywill not convert mono to stereo, or vice-versa, during export.

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Exporting an MP3 audio file

1• Select theaudio and then go to File > Export ... • Note:Audacity can also Export a

Selec tion or Export Multiple clips.

Enteranameforthefile,andchooseafolderwhereyouwanttosaveyourexportedfiles.

Format: Choose MP3. MP3 is a lossless format (everytime you encode it, it loose some quality), and will give you a smaller butalessqualityaudiofilethaneitherWAVorAIFF. Don’t use MP3 files for video.

To export as MP3, the Lame Encoder must be installed.

Check in the Preferences to see what version of theLameEncoderyouhave.Ifyoudon’thaveit, you need to install it.

If there is more than one or two tracks in the pro- ject, you will see a dialog stating that the tracks willbemixeddownintheexportedfile.

(Remember that the amplitude settings in each track determines the overall mix.)

Depending on whether they were originally mono orstereo,thedialogstatesthatthefilewillbemixedtoamonoortoastereofile. Audacity will not convert mono to stereo, or vice- versa, during export.

2• In the Options window, Choose the Quality •

The default setting is 128 kbps. At this rate, 1 minute of audio will use 1 MB of disk space.

Depending on whether they were originally mono orstereo,thedialogstatesthatthefilewillbemixedtoamonoortoastereofile.Audacitywill not convert mono to stereo, or vice-versa, during export.

3• Prior to Export, enter the file informa- tion into the Medatada Editor • If the metadataeditordoesn’tappearafteryouhitsave,isbecauseyoudidn’tchoosethatoptionin the Import/Export preferences (Audacity >

Preferences)

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Exporting an audio file from iMovie and importing it into Audacity

1 • Save your iMovie project •

ToexportyoursoundfromiMovietoAudacity,youneedtoexportitasaQuicktimefilefirstandthenopentheQuicktimefileinAudacity.

2 • Go to File > Share • The export movie dialog box appears.

3 • Select QuickTime •

4 • Select Expert settings •

5 • Click Share • The standard Save

exportedfileas...dialogboxappears.

6 • Name your file and navigate to the Movies folder to save it • 7 • Export: select Sound to AIFF •

8 • Click Options • The sound settings window appears.

9 • Select your Sound Settings •

Format: Linear PCM Channels: select stereo or mono Rate: 48.000 kHz

Sample Size: 16 bit

10 • Click Save •

11 • Open the exported iMovie file in Audacity •

GotoFile > OpenNavigatetothefileandclick Open

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12 • The exported file opens in Audacity •

In Audacity, edit, change, and transform your audiofileasneeded.

13 • When you finish manipulating the audio file, export the audacity file as an AIFF •

Select the audio and then go to File > Export ... • Audacity can also Export a Selection

or Export Multiple clips.

Enteranameforthefile,andchooseafolderwhereyouwanttosaveyourexportedfiles.

Format: choose WAV, AIFF, other uncompressed types.

Click Options.

Format: Select AIFF (Apple/SGI 16 bit PCM) in theUncompressedExportFormatpop-upmenu.

Click OK

14 • Find the exported AIFF file and drop it into an audio track in iMovie • NavigatetothefolderwhereyousavedtheexportedfileanddragitintoiMovie’stimeline.

A progress bar will appear.

Theaudiofilecanbefoundinsidetheproject’s package.

Drag file into iMovie’s audio track

Note:You can also drag the file intothe iTunes library and access the audacity AIFF files through the Audio Panel in iMovie.

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1• Open iTunes •

2• In the iTunes Source window, select Library to browse audio files •

3• In the iTunes Library, select the song(s) that you want to export •

TheexportedAIFFfileisrevealedinthefinder.

Exporting an Audio file From iTunes and Importing it into Audacity

4• Select Convert Selection to AIFF • GotoAdvanced > Convert selection to AIFF

YouwillseeaduplicatefileintheiTunesLibrary.Thisistheexported*.aifffile.

5• Select the exported .AIFF file •

6• Locate the exported Aiff file • Goto File > Show song file or click + R

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7• Drag the exported Aiff file into a folder on the Users Drive • In this case we have chosen Users > Student > Audacity Tutorial.

8• Switch to Audacity and Import audio track • Goto File > Import... > Audio...or press

9• Select the audio files that you want to import •

You may shift + clicktoselectmultiplefiles.

Click OK.

Theimportedfile(s)shouldnowbedisplayedinthe timeline as mono or stereo audio track.

The track will look a little like this (stereo track)

Track panel and Waveform of the imported Track

10• Listen to the newly imported track • click on the green Play button at the top (Control Toolbar) andyoushouldhearthefileyouhavejustimported.

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Transfering Audio from a Marantz PMD660 Digital Recorder into Audacity:

This description assumes that you have recorded sound onto the PMD660 Flash RAM and are ready to transfer it to your powerbook for import into Audacity.ThisprocessisessentiallyafiletransferfromthePMD660toaMacintoshharddrive and then an import.The process is as follows:

1 • Plug the PMD660 into the wall • You may use the DC 9v power supply provided with the unit. Do not turn the unit on yet.

2 • Plug the PMD660 into the USB port of your Powerbook •PlugthesuppliedUSBcableintotheUSBPortonthePMD660andtheotherendintotheUSBportontheleftsideofyourPowerbook.

3 • While pressing and holding the Copy/USB Button on the top of the PMD660, switch the power switch on the side of the PMD660 into the ON position • The LCD should read

USB.

4 • A new drive will show up on the desktop • In this case the drive is called ‘NO NAME’ This is the lash RAM card inside of the PMD660. Double click it.

Marantz PMD660

Audacity

Power Switch

Copy/USB Button

USB Port

DC In 9v

LCD

5 • Open the MPGLANG1 folder • Doubleclickthe‘MPGLANG1’folder. This is the folder that contains the audio you have recorded on the PMD 660.

The ‘MPGLANG1’ Directory

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6 • Click and drag to select the contents of the MPGLANG1 directory • Noticethattheseare*.WAV audiofiles.

8 • Eject the Marantz PMD660 recorder drive • Gobacktothedesktop,selecttheUSBdriveanddragittothetrashorpress + E . Both actions will ejecttheUSBdrive.YoumaynowturnoffthePMD660anddisconnecttheUSBcable.

9 • Switch from the Finder to Audacity •

7 • Drag the files you want to work with into a directory on the Users Drive • In this case we have chosen Users > Student > Audacity tutorial

11 • Select the audio file(s) that you want to import •

You may shift + clicktoselectmultiplefiles.

Click OK.

12 • Play the imported track • click on the green Play button at the top (Control Toolbar) and youshouldhearthefileyouhavejustimported.

Theimportedfile(s)shouldnowbedisplayedinthe timeline as mono or stereo audio track.

The track will look a little ike this, depending on what you imported :

Timeline view of the imported track

10 • Import the audio files into Audacity •

In Audacity, GotoFile > Import Audio or press Apple/Command + I.

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12-14V DC Input Mini-Disc Slot

Left Side View

Eject Play

Top View

Back One Track

Forward One Track

Fast ForwardRewind

Stop

Transport Controls

1 • Plug in AC power • supply into 12-14V DC Input on the left side of the minidisc recorder

2 • Turn power On • the minidisc recorder using the power switch on the front of the unit.

3 • Insert your mini-Disc • into the mini-Disc slot with the arrow on the disc casing facing into the recorder.

4 • Connect the mini disc recorder with your Powerbook • Plug a Left+Right RCA to Stereo 1/8” mini-plug cable from the line out left and right RCA connectors on the mini disc recorder into the line in stereo miniplug input on the left side of your Powerbook.

5 • Press Play on the minidisc recorder • Makesureyoutakenotewhatkindoffile(monoor stereo) you are transfering to Audacity. This is important to know for when in Audacity you selectyourAudioI/OChannelpreferences

Line Out Left and Right Connectors

Right Side View

RCA L+R to Stereo 1/8”

Transfering Audio from the MDP500 Mini-Disc to Audacity

This description assumes that you have recorded sound onto a mini-disc and are ready to transfer it to your Powerbook for import into Audacity. This process is essentially an audio transfer or dub (duplicate) from the line output of the MDP500 to the line input of your Powerbook using Audacity as harddiscrecordingsoftware.UnliketheMarantzPMD660transfer,thisisananalogrecordingandnotadigitalaudiofiletransferandimport.Theprocessis as follows:

HHB MDP500 Mini-Disc Audacity

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6 • In the finder, go under the menu > System Preferences > Sound Control Panel •

7 • Select the Input device • click on the Input tab.

Select Line In

Move the Input Volume Slider to adjust the input levels. Always monitor the output sound

using headphones.

The Apple Menu Bar Volume Control is visible when Show volume in menu bar is clicked in the Sound Preferences Control Panel.

8 • Select the Output device • click on the

Output tab.

Select Headphones

Sound Output Control Panel

Sound Input Control Panel

9 • In Audacity, set your Audio I/O preferences • GotoAudacity > Preferences

Make sure your Playback and Recording device are set to Core Audio: Built-in Output. Ifyou’regoingtorecordastereosignal, select 2 (Stereo);ifmonoselect1(mono) in the channels pop-up menu.

10 • In Audacity, select your Monitor Input • Click the next to the microphone icon beneath the input meter to reveal the drop down menu. In the menu, select Start Monito- ring.Nowyoushouldbeabletohearthesignalcomingfromtheminidiscrecorder.Ifyoucan’t hear the signal, check your settings and cable connections.

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12 • Record • OntheMiniDiscpresstheAMS button to return to the beginning of the track you want to transfer to Audacity.

In Audacity, click on the Red Record button to begin recording.NowpressPlayontheHHBMiniDisc transport.

HHB MiniDisc Transport Controls

- Click on the Red Record button to begin recording.

- Click on the Blue Pause button to pause the recording. Press it again to continue.

- Click on the Yellow Stop button to cease recording. The cursor will return to its previous position, before the recording was started.

11 • Check your input audio levels using the Input meter • They should average around -12dB to -6dB. If they exceed 0dB the recording will be clipped or distorted. UsetheInput Gain Control to turn down or ‘attenuate’theincomingaudiosignal.

Once your levels are set, you are ready to record:

Record Pause Stop

Audacity Input Gain Control

Audacity Input Meter

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1 • In the finder, go under the menu > System Preferences > Sound Control Panel •

2 • Select the Input device • click on the Input tab.

Select Internal Microphone/built in

Speak into the internal mic while monitoring the Input level. Move the Input Volume Slider to adjus the input levels. Always monitor the

output sound using headphones.

The Apple Menu Bar Volume Control is visible when Show volume in menu bar is clicked in the Sound Preferences Control Panel.

3 • Select the Output device • click on

the Output tab.

Select Headphones (they have to be already connected to the laptop so they can show up in the output window). If you choose InternalSpeakers(notshownhere),you’ll get feedback while recording.

Recording Audio using the powerbook’s built in microphone

Sound Output Control Panel

Sound Input Control Panel

4 • In Audacity, set your Audio I/O preferences • GotoAudacity > Preferences

Make sure your Playback is setto Core Audio: Built-in Output. Recording device should be Internal Mic. Ifyou’regoingtorecordastereosignal, select 2(Stereo);ifmonoselect1(mono) in the channels pop-up menu.

Do not enable software playthrough: play new track..it will give you feedback while recording

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- Click on the red Record button to begin recording.

- Click on the blue Pause button to pause the recording. Press it again to continue.

- Click on the yellow Stop button to cease recording. The cursor will return to its previous position, before the recording was started.

Record Pause Stop

5 • In Audacity, select your Monitor Input • click the next to the microphone icon beneath the input meter to reveal the drop down menu. In the menu, select Start Monitoring.You should now be able to hear the signal coming from the internal mic.

6 • Check your input audio levels • audio levels should average -12 or -6 db. If they exceed 0dB use the Input Gain Controlturndownor‘attenuate’theincomingaudiosignal. Onceyourlevelsareset,youarereadytorecord:

Audacity Input Gain Control

Audacity Monitor Input Meter

Set input levels here

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1 • Connect microphone • Connect the microphone via XLR into one of the XLR in-putsontheMobilePreUSBInterface.IfthemicrophonerequiresPhantomPower,pushthe button in to activate phantom power.

2 • Connect to computer • GentlyconnectthesmallerendoftheUSBcabletothebackoftheMobilePreUSBInterface,thenconnecttheotherendoftheUSBcabletoaUSBportonthecomputer.

PlugtheUSBcableintothebuilt-inUSBportonthebackofthecomputer,notintothekeyboard.

3 • Open Sound Preferences • Click on the System Preferences icon in the dock, or go to Apple > System Preferences. Click on the Sound icon in the Preferences pane.

• Set Input device • Click the Inputtab.TheMobilePreUSBshould show. Click on it once to choose it. You should be able to check the Input levels if the microphone is connected properly. If levels need adjusting, first make sure the Input Volume slider is at least above the half point. Then with a test signal (such as speaking into the mic), turn the Gain pot for the channel the microphone is plugged into.

• Set Output device • ClicktheOutputtab.Ifyouwanttomonitor with headphones through the MobilePre Interface and

useitscontrols,choosetheMobilePreUSB. If you want to monitor directly from the computer, choose Built-in

Audio. Close the System Preferences.

4 • Open Audacity • GotoApplications > Audacity.

5 • Open Audacity Preferences • GotoAudacity > Preferences.

Set Playback Device to MobilePre

Set Recording Device to MobilePre

Ifyou’regoingtorecordastereosignal,select 2 (Stereo);ifmono,select1 (Mono) in the channels pop-up menu.

NOTE: You may need to restart Audacity in order to choose the MobilePre device in the Preferences.

Recording with a mic into Audacity Using the MobilePre Usb Interface:

46

10 • In Audacity, select your Monitor Input • Click the next to the microphone icon beneath the input meter to reveal the drop down menu. In the menu, select Start Monitoring.Nowyoushouldbeableto

hear the signal coming from the MobilePre. Ifyoucan’t hear the signal, check your settings and cable connec- tions.

12 • Record • In Audacity,

- Click on the Red Record button to begin recording.

- Click on the Blue Pause button to pause the recording. Press it again to continue.

- Click on the Yellow Stop button to cease recording. The cursor will return to its previous position, before the recording was started.

11 • Check your input audio levels using the Input meter• They should average around -12dB to -6dB. If they exceed 0dB the recording will be clipped or distorted. UsetheInput Gain Control to turn down or attenuate the incoming audio signal.

Onceyourlevelsareset,youarereadytorecord:

Record Pause Stop

Audacity Input Gain Control

Audacity Input Meter