Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Audacity® is free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and
editing sounds.
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Audacity® is free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and
editing sounds.
Audacity is available for Windows®, Mac®, GNU/Linux® and other operating systems.
Features
For more information on these features, see the Audacity Manual.
Recording
Audacity can record live audio through a microphone or mixer, or digitize recordings from other
media. With some sound cards, and on any recent version of Windows, Audacity can also
capture streaming audio.
Device Toolbar manages multiple recording and playback devices. Level meters can monitor volume levels before, during and after recording. Clipping can be
displayed in the waveform or in a label track. Record from microphone, line input, USB/Firewire devices and others. Record computer playback on Windows Vista and later by choosing “Windows WASAPI” host in
Device Toolbar then a “loopback” input. Timer Record and Sound Activated Recording features. Dub over existing tracks to create multi-track recordings. Record at very low latencies on supported devices on Linux by using Audacity with JACK. Record at sample rates up to 192,000 Hz (subject to appropriate hardware and host selection).
Up to 384,000 Hz is supported for appropriate high-resolution devices on Windows (using WASAPI), Mac OS X, and Linux.
Record at 24-bit depth on Windows (using Windows WASAPI host), Mac OS X or Linux (using ALSA or JACK host).
Record multiple channels at once (subject to appropriate hardware).
Import and Export
Import sound files, edit them, and combine them with other files or new recordings. Export your
recordings in many different file formats, including multiple files at once.
Import and Export WAV, AIFF, AU, FLAC and Ogg Vorbis files. Fast “On-Demand” import of WAV or AIFF files (letting you start work with the files almost
immediately) if read directly from source. Import and export all formats supported by libsndfile such as GSM 6.10, 32-bit and 64-bit float
WAV, RF64, and U/A-Law. Import MPEG audio (including MP2 and MP3 files) using libmad. Import raw (headerless) audio files using the “Import Raw” command. Create WAV or AIFF files suitable for burning to audio CD. Export MP3 files with the optional LAME encoder library.
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Import and export AC3, M4A/M4R (AAC) and WMA with the optional FFmpeg library (this also supports import of audio from video files).
Sound Quality
Supports 16-bit, 24-bit and 32-bit (floating point) samples (the latter preserves samples in excess of full scale).
Sample rates and formats are converted using high-quality resampling and dithering. Tracks with different sample rates or formats are converted automatically in real time.
Editing
Easy editing with Cut, Copy, Paste and Delete. Find the spot to edit easily with scrubbing and seeking or Timeline Quick-Play. Unlimited sequential Undo (and Redo) in the session to go back any number of steps. Edit and mix large numbers of tracks. Multiple clips are allowed per track. Label tracks with selectable Sync-Lock Tracks feature for keeping tracks and labels synchronized. Draw Tool to alter individual sample points. Envelope Tool to fade the volume up or down smoothly. Automatic Crash Recovery in the event of abnormal program termination.
Accessibility
Tracks and selections can be fully manipulated using the keyboard. Large range of keyboard shortcuts. Excellent support for JAWS, NVDA and other screen readers on Windows, and for VoiceOver on
Mac.
Effects
Real-time preview of LADSPA, LV2, VST and Audio Unit (OS X) effects. Plug-in Manager handles plug-in installation and addition/removal of effects
and generators from the menus. Change the pitch without altering the tempo. Change the tempo without altering the pitch. Noise Reduction to remove static, hiss, hum or other constant background
noises. Alter frequencies with Equalization, Bass and Treble, High Pass, Low Pass and
Notch Filter effects. Filter a frequency selection created in Spectrogram view or Spectral Selection
Toolbar using spectral edit effects. Adjust volume with Compressor, Amplify, Normalize, Fade In/Out, Studio Fade
Out, Crossfade Clips, Crossfade Tracks and Adjustable Fade effects. Reduce or Isolate Vocals given suitable stereo tracks (vocal reduction produces a
stereo result). Create voice-overs for podcasts or DJ sets using Auto Duck effect.
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Other built-in effects include: Echo Limiter Paulstretch (extreme stretch) Phaser Reverb Reverse Truncate Silence Wahwah
Run “Chains” of effects on a project or multiple files in Batch Processing mode.
Screenshots
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Audacity running on Windows
Audacity running on Mac OS X
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Recording with Audacity on Windows
This set of tutorials provides instructions on how to record audio material from a variety of
sources and then deploy it to CD, your computer or portable music player.
You can use Audacity and your computer to record sound from any external device which
outputs an audio signal. Although cassette tapes and records (LPs) are the most popular
examples, Audacity can be used just as easily to record audio from the following:
Open-reel tape decks
MiniDisc (MD) or Digital Audio Tape (DAT) players (if you have a digital soundcard,
connect from digital out of the player to S/PDIF in of the soundcard)
Radios
Mixers
Musical Keyboards (via headphones-out, line-out or other audio-out, not from the MIDI
output - more help on recording keyboards at pianoclues.com)
Video cassette recorders (VCRs), Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) and DVD players
(recording from a dedicated line-out containing audio output only)
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Televisions (via a SCART adapter cable connected to the computer soundcard, or
through a TV or VCR's audio out)
Personal digital voice recorders (DVRs)
Portable MP3 players (such as iPods)
Other computers.
Making vinyl to digital transfers is a skill and the more you do the more expert you will become.
Consider starting out with some LPs or singles that you care less about and only ever played
infrequently. This way you will not need to go back and repeat important earlier transcriptions
that you made.
Zoom In CTRL + 1
Zooms in on the horizontal axis of the audio, displaying more detail over a shorter length of
time. You can also use the zoom tool to zoom in on a particular part of the window.
Zoom Normal CTRL + 2
Zooms to the default view, which displays about one inch per second.
Zoom Out CTRL + 3
Zooms out, displaying less detail over a greater length of time.
Zoom to Selection CTRL + E
Zooms in or out so that the selected audio fills the width of the project window. Its most useful
purpose is to zoom in when the selection is only a small part of the visible waveform.
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Fit in Window CTRL + F
Zooms out until the entire project just fits in the width of the project window.
Fit Vertically CTRL + SHIFT + F
Adjusts the height of tracks so they fit in the vertical space of the project window if possible. All
tracks that have not been collapsed using the Track Collapse Button are made the same height.
For example, if you have two mono tracks with considerable space underneath them you can use
this command to expand each track to fill half the available vertical space. Collapsed tracks are
not adjusted, so if all tracks are collapsed, this command has no effect.
If you want tracks to automatically fit the vertical space without the need to use the Fit Vertically
command, enable Automatically fit tracks vertically zoomed in Tracks Preferences.
Go to Selection Start CTRL + [
Attempts to move the left edge of the current selection to the center of the screen, without
changing the zoom level. This is useful if you are zoomed far in at the right edge of the selection
and then wish to view the left edge.which may be currently off screen. Also if you have lost sight
of the selection entirely by scrolling too far, either this or the companion command "Go to
Selection End" (below) will always bring the selection back on screen.
Go to Selection End CTRL + ]
Attempts to move the right edge of the current selection to the center of the screen, without
changing the zoom level. This is useful if you are zoomed far in at the left edge of the selection
and then wish to view the right edge.which may be currently off screen. Also if you have lost
sight of the selection entirely by scrolling too far, either this or the companion command "Go to
Selection Start" ( above ) will always bring the selection back on screen.
Collapse All Tracks CTRL +SHIFT + C
Collapses all tracks to take up the minimum amount of space. To collapse or expand an
individual track, click on the triangle on the lower-left of the track label.
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Expand All Tracks CTRL + SHIFT + X
Expands all tracks to their original size before the last collapse.
Show Clipping
Click this menu item to turn display of clipped samples on and off - a check mark in the item
indicates that display is turned on. If turned on, individual or multiple clipped samples display as
a red vertical line when in one of the waveform views. A sample is displayed as clipped if it
touches or exceeds 0 dB and so touches or exceeds the volume envelope defined by +1.0 to - 1.0
on the vertical scale to left of the waveform.
A run of four or more consecutive clipped samples will also trigger the red clipping indicator in
Meter Toolbar. A solid block of red in the waveform will almost certainly indicate multiple or
extended runs of lost audio information above 0 dB, resulting in severe distortion. Avoid clipped
samples where possible, for example by setting the recording level correctly. You may turn
"Show Clipping" off if it behaves sluggishly on slower machines.
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
You can use File > Export Multiple to export multiple audio files (based on labels or multiple
audio tracks) in one process.
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Export Audio or Export Selected Audio dialog
In summary, there are five steps to follow when exporting.
Choose the folder to export to in Save in: then type the file name you want. Select the type of audio file to export to. Set the Format Options (if those are available for your selected format) if you want to change
the size, quality or other encoding choices for that selected file format. Press Save. The Metadata Editor dialog will then appear (unless you have disabled it for the export step in
the Import/Export Preferences). Edit Metadata lets you enter embedded information in the file such as artist, year or genre. Either leave the metadata blank or complete the fields you require, then press OK (not "Save...").
File name
Type the required file name. The correct file extension - preceded by a period (dot) - will be added
automatically to the end of the file name, according to the format selected in the "Save as type" list (see
below). For example, typing "08 Voodoo Chile" (without quotes) as in the image above will produce a
file "08 Voodoo Chile.wav". For M4A and WMA formats (for which the optional FFmpeg library is
required), you can add alternative extensions as specified in "FFmpeg formats" below.
Any other extensions can be added after a file name as required, but Audacity will display a
warning that this isn't the normal extension for this file type, and that some applications might
not play files with non-standard extensions.
Save as type
Clicking in the input box opens a dropdown menu enabling you to chose the file format you wish
to export to:
Hover over and click on the image to learn more. Skip the image
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Format Options
Notice with the image at the top of this page, for the default export to WAV format there are no
export options. However some formats do offer options for making settings like quality or
encoding. As an example, here is the MP3 format export dialog showing the available Format
Options:
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
By default, all exports are mixed down to mono (one channel) or stereo (two channels). If you want to
export to more channels, enable "Use custom mix" in Import / Export Preferences. After pressing "Save"
in the export dialog, the Advanced Mixing Options dialog appears where you can map the Audacity
tracks to channels. Metadata Editor (if enabled) appears after OK'ing the Advanced Mixing Options.
Accessed by: Effect > Noise Reduction...
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Step 1 - Get Noise Profile
This first step teaches Audacity about the noise you want to remove by identifying the noise
floor of the different frequencies that make up the noise.
1. Select a region of the waveform which contains only noise. A minimum of 2048 samples (0.05 sec. at 44100 Hz sample rate) is needed, below which an error will be shown. A longer profile is better. If there are very different types of noise in different places in the track, they are best dealt with by grabbing the profile for the first type, reducing the noise for it, then grabbing the profile of the next type of noise and reducing that.
2. Click Effect > Noise Reduction.... 3. Click Get Noise Profile.
Duplicating a very short sample of noise in order to get a long enough sample for the noise profile will
not help. Noise Reduction calculates the statistics of the noise. Examining repeated blocks of the same
noise will not change the statistics.
Step 2 - Reduce the Noise
1. Select the entire region of waveform from which you want to reduce the noise, then set the Noise Reduction parameters. This is often best done by trial and error, adjusting the sliders and using the Preview button to listen to a few seconds of audio after noise reduction. Listening to
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
the Residue (the sound that will be filtered out when you apply "Reduce") can also be useful in determining how much damage is being done to the desired (non-noise) sound.
2. Click Effect > Noise Reduction.... o Noise Reduction (dB): Controls the amount of volume reduction to be applied to the
identified noise. Use the lowest value that reduces the noise to an acceptable level. Higher values than necessary may make the noise even quieter, but will result in damage to the audio that remains.
o Sensitivity: Controls how much of the audio will be considered as noise, on a scale of 0 (off) to 24 (maximum). Greater sensitivity means that more noise will be removed, possibly at the expense of removing some of the desired signal as well. Lower values may result in the appearance of artifacts in the noise-reduced audio. Set this control to the lowest value that achieves effective noise removal without the introduction of artifacts.
o Frequency Smoothing (bands): At values of 1 or higher, this control spreads the noise reduction into the specified number of neighboring bands. This modifies the signal you were intending to keep, but if artifacts remain in the noise-reduced audio the smoothing can make those artifacts sound more acceptable. There is a chance that smoothing will make the desired audio less clear, so where your desired signal is strong and of wide frequency range and the noise is light, try leaving this control at 0 (off).
If you hear artifacts in the noise-reduced audio after setting Sensitivity as high as
possible without eliminating desired audio, try setting Frequency Smoothing to a
value between 1 and 6 bands. The width (in Hertz) of a frequency band is
dependent on the sampling frequency of the track.
Width = sampling frequency / 2048 = 21.53 Hz at 44100 Hz sampling rate.
Time smoothing is always applied by Noise Reduction (attack of 20 milliseconds
and release of 100 milliseconds) but the settings are not configurable. Any
frequency smoothing you request is applied after time smoothing.
The default setting is setting is 3, settings lower than this tend to favor music and
higher settings tend to favor spoken word.
o Noise: Reduce: Select this option to filter out the noise from the selection. Residue: Select this option to hear the sound that would be filtered out if you
chose "Reduce". This is useful for finding the optimum settings that do not damage the audio. If you can hear recognizable bits of the desired sound in the residue, it is likely that you have set Noise Reduction too high or Sensitivity too high.
The buttons
Clicking on the command buttons give the following results:
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Preview plays a short preview of what the audio would sound like if the effect is applied with the current settings, without making actual changes to the audio. The length of preview is determined by your setting in Edit > Preferences > Playback, the default setting is 6 seconds.
OK applies the effect to the selected audio with the current effect settings. Cancel aborts the effect and leaves the audio unchanged.
Artifacts: These typically consist of random bursts of very short tones at random frequencies,
sometimes called "musical noise", "bird song" or "tinkly-bells". These may be visible in either of the
spectrogram views.
Artifacts can happen if the noise floor is higher than was estimated, either because Sensitivity
was set too low, or because the noise profile was not representative of the noise throughout the
track. Although most of the noise will be suppressed most of the time, random artifacts may
occur, which can be even more objectionable than the original noise. For a more technical
explanation of artifacts, see How Audacity Noise Reduction Works in the Wiki.
Tips
After creating a noise profile, CTRL + R or Effect > Repeat Noise Reduction will apply Noise
Reduction at its current settings.
Reducing noise usually results in some distortion. This is normal and there is nothing you can do
about it. When there's only a little bit of noise, and the signal (that is, the voice, music or other
desired sound) is much louder than the noise, this effect works well and there's very little audible
distortion. Unfortunately, when the noise is very variable or very loud (the signal is not much
louder than the noise) the result may be too distorted.
If you are still having problems the following tips may help.
Select Residue from the Noise: options, click Preview, listening for unwanted traces of the desired signal. You can usually reduce the amount of desired sound in the residue by decreasing Sensitivity or decreasing Noise Reduction.
o Decreasing Sensitivity decreases the chance of losing sound you want to keep (as indicated by hearing bits of the desired audio in the residue), but increases the chance of there being artifacts sounding like "tinkly bells" when applying the effect with Reduce selected.
o Decreasing Noise Reduction also decreases the chance of losing sound you want to keep (as indicated by hearing bits of the desired audio in the residue), but will increase the amount of noise remaining in the result when applying the effect with Reduce selected.
When you have found settings of Sensitivity and Noise Reduction that appear to do the least damage to the desired sound (based on there being little of that sound in the residue), click the
Reduce radio button then click OK to apply the effect. Amplification or normalization may be done before or after Noise Reduction. Do any Notch Filtering or Click Removal before doing noise reduction.
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
Do any compression or any other effects not mentioned above after doing noise reduction, not before.
When using Noise Reduction in Chains the profile is captured as below.
If a Noise Profile exists, that Noise Profile will be used. It is often best to capture a suitable Noise Profile before running a Chain.
If a Noise Profile does not exist: o If the Chain is applied to the current project, the current selection is used to
create the Noise Profile. Therefore, other effect commands in the Chain will also only apply to that selection. If an export command is added, the entire file will be exported.
o If the Chain is applied to files, the first file (all of it) is used to create the Noise Profile. It may be useful to prepare a file containing a suitable Noise Profile and name it so that it is alphabetically the first file of those to be run in the Chain.
Accessed by: Effect > Amplify...
When the Amplify dialog first appears it shows in the Amplification (dB) box the amplification
amount needed to create a New Peak Amplitude of 0 dB, thus maximizing the volume of the
selected track. If this is your goal you can just click the OK button.
Note that when applied to a single stereo track or to multiple tracks, Amplify shows the
amplification needed to maximize the volume of the loudest track or channel and will
apply that amount of amplification to all selected tracks and/or channels. In this way,
Amplify preserves the relative volumes of the selected tracks and/or channels. This is
different from the Normalize effect which can be optionally set to maximize the volume
of each track or channel independently.
BOOKLET -----DJ Lenz Email [email protected]
For a full discussion of the differences, see Amplify and Normalize.
Amplification (dB)
Input Box: Type a value for the amount of amplification you would like to apply. Positive values make the sound louder, negative values make it quieter. As you type, the New Peak Amplitude input box will be updated.
If you take the negative of the value shown in the Amplification (dB) box, this will give you the current
peak amplitude of the selection. For example, in the image above, the audio selection had a peak
amplitude of -3 dB.
Slider: Drag the slider right to make the sound louder, or to the left to make it quieter. As you drag, your selected value will be updated in the input box, and the New Peak Amplitude input box will be updated.
New Peak Amplitude (dB)
Type in the value you would like for the new peak amplitude of your track. As you type, the
Amplification input box will be updated.
Allow Clipping
If this box is not checked, and you attempt to enter an Amplification value that will result in a
New Peak Amplitude of greater than 0 dB, the OK button will become inactive. This will
prevent you from applying too much amplification. If this box is checked you can apply as much
amplification as you want, possibly creating a horribly distorted sound.
The buttons
Clicking on the command buttons give the following results:
Manage gives a dropdown menu enabling you to manage presets for the tool and to see some detail about the tool. For details see Manage presets.
Preview plays a short preview of what the audio would sound like if the effect is applied with the current settings, without making actual changes to the audio. The length of preview is determined by your setting in Edit > Preferences > Playback, the default setting setting is 6 seconds.
OK applies the effect to the selected audio with the current effect settings. Cancel aborts the effect and leaves the audio unchanged.
