Introduction to Using Audacity

In the following you will: Introduction to Using Audacity Understand file and folder naming and structure for a saved Audacity project Use Audacity to open and play an existing audio file Understand and use Audacity s basic editing tools Audacity s Audio Files and Folders Audacity saves recorded and imported audio in its own unique format. When a project is saved, Audacity creates a file and folder combination that is the audio project. The file is Audacity s project file, which has an.aup extension, is used to keep track of the audio files in the project. This is the file used to open all Audacity projects. Audacity also creates a folder named with the project name followed by the word _data. The _data folder is where the audio is saved as.au files. For example, if a project is saved with the name Voice, a file with the name Voice.aup and a folder named Voice_data are created. The _data folder contains the audio file(s) with an.au extension (See Figure 1 and Figure 2) Figure 1 Important: Audacity projects are always opened using the.aup file. You will never have to go into the project s _data folder or open the.au files. Figure 2 That said, when transferring or backing up an Audacity project, the project s.aup file and associated _data folder must be together in the same folder. Opening and Playing an Audio File Recorded or imported audio files are displayed in the Audacity window as an audio track. If the audio file is mono, one audio waveform is displayed on a track If the audio file is stereo, the left and right audio waveforms are displayed on a track Figure 3 Mono waveform Figure 4 Stereo waveform 1

2 Introduction to Using Audacity In the following you will open and play a previously recorded Audacity audio file. Figure 5 shows the location of the Transport toolbar with the Play and Stop buttons. If the volume is not correct, adjust the Playback Volume control. Play Button Stop Button Output Volume Control Timeline Opening an Audio File Figure 5 The Audacity project file has a.aup extension and is the file used to open a project. 1. Click File menu and choose open 2. Navigate to the Audacity Course Project Files folder and choose Voice.aup 3. Click OK The audio waveform is displayed on a single track and is ready for playing or editing. (See Figure 5) Playing an Audio File Now lets listen to the audio. Caution: If using headphones, guard your ears by initially setting Audacity s Output Volume control to minimum and then increase volume after beginning to play the audio. 1. Click Play button and while listening to the file, adjust Audacity s Output Volume control for correct volume Figure 6 - Output Note: If you do not hear anything or the volume is low, check Volume Control Windows Volume Mixer controls to increase or decrease the volume, then use Audacity s volume control for the final adjustment. (See Appendix on page 10 for more information on Windows Volume Mixer) The recording says: "Audacity, (cough - cough) the free software program that lets you record, analyze and edit your audio files, Audacity" Tip: The keyboard s Spacebar is a shortcut for starting and stopping the playback. Try it!

Introduction to Using Audacity 3 Note: That the Timeline along the top of the Audacity window is calibrated in minutes and seconds. Also note that while playing, the playback cursor moves along the waveform showing the current playback position. 2. Click the mouse in the waveform after the cough to position the cursor (See Figure 7) 3. Click the Play button The waveform plays from the cursor to the end 4. Select the cough in the waveform (See Figure 8) 5. Click Play button Figure 7 Only the selected part of the waveform plays Audio Tracks When a project file is opened or a recording made, the project s waveforms are displayed in the Audacity window with each waveform on a separate track. The project you just opened contains one waveform and therefore one track. Later you will see examples of multiple waveforms. First let s look at the different parts of an Audacity audio track: (See Figure 9) Track Control Panel Vertical Scale (Amplitude or volume display) Cursor Waveform display (mono or stereo - See Figure 3 and Figure 4) Figure 8 Vertical Scale Waveform Display Track Control Panel Figure 9 Cursor Vertical scale The vertical scale is a guide to the volume or amplitude levels shown in the waveform. A level of 1.0 or 1.0 (negative1.0) is the maximum allowed in the audio file. Any peak waveform beyond 1.0 or 1.0 will be distorted and cannot be used. Cursor The cursor is a line that moves across the waveform when it is being played or moves with the waveform as it is recording. When not playing, the cursor can be placed in a waveform by clicking in the waveform. When the waveform is played, the waveform starts playing at the cursor position.

4 Introduction to Using Audacity Waveform display The waveform display contains the recorded waveform, which can be edited using features such as deleting, copying and moving parts of the waveform. The waveform s height is the amplitude or loudness of the sound at a particular moment in time. The higher the waveform, the louder the sound. Track Control Panel The Track Control Panel part of the track contains: (See Figure 10) Buttons to mute or solo the track, a volume control slider and a pan control slider (Pan controls the balance between the left and right speakers) The X at the top left deletes the track from the project Waveform information for the type of waveform (mono or stereo) and sample digital specifications, such as sample rate Clicking the down arrow on the top right displays a Track Dropdown menu with various options, such as rearranging and naming tracks Delete Track from the Project Track Drop-down Menu Track s Waveform Mute Track Solo Track Gain Slider Pan Slider Collapse Track Figure 10 Modifying the Name of a Track Naming tracks is very important for organizing your project s recordings. We suggest you name a track immediately after finishing recording the audio for that track. In the following, you are using the Track Drop-Down Menu to change the track name from Voice to Speaker. 1. On the Track Control Panel, click the track s name (See Figure 10) 2. Choose Name 3. Change the track s name to Speaker 4. Close the Track Name dialog box The track s name is now Speaker Figure 11

Introduction to Using Audacity 5 Adjusting the Vertical Size of the Audio Track The vertical size of an audio track may be adjusted to either better view the track s waveform or to fit multiple waveforms in the Audacity window. This does not change the amplitude of the track s waveform, only the viewing size on the screen. 1. Point the mouse at the bottom of the audio track The mouse pointer turns into a vertical double sided arrow 2. Drag the track edge down until the track is the desired size The track s height is increased 3. Adjust the height of the track so it is smaller Figure 12 Expanding a Waveform (Zooming) The Edit ToolBar contains Zoom buttons for increasing or decreasing the magnification of waveforms on a track horizontally. Zoom In Zoom Out Fit Selection In Window Figure 13 Fit Project In Window Zoom In Clicking the Zoom In button zooms into the waveform, expanding the waveform around the cursor position. If the cursor is at the beginning of the waveform, the waveform from the beginning is expanded If the cursor is in another part of the waveform, the waveform on either side of the cursor is expanded with the cursor in the center If part of the waveform is selected, the selected part is expanded and moved to the center of the track Clicking the Zoom In button multiple times expands the waveform for each mouse click. Zoom Out Clicking the Zoom Out button zooms out, enabling more of the track s waveform to be seen. Clicking the button multiple times decreases the magnification for each mouse click. Fit Selection in program window Fit Selection button expands the selected part of a waveform to fit the length of the track. When nothing is selected, the button is grayed (inactive). Fit Project in program window Fit Project button fits the entire waveform in the length of the track when there is only one track. If there are multiple tracks, the longest waveform is fit to the length of the track. This is most often used after zooming in or out.

6 Introduction to Using Audacity Note: The difference between using Fit Selection and Zoom in buttons is the Fit Selection button zooms in so the entire selected waveform automatically fits in the length of track shown in the window. The Zoom in button zooms into the selected waveform incrementally and the selected waveform may be less or more than the length of track shown in the window. Practice Zooming 1. Click somewhere in the middle of the waveform 2. Click Zoom In button The waveform expands around the cursor position 3. Click Zoom In button five times The waveform expands even more around the cursor position 4. Click Zoom Out button The waveform zooms out around the cursor position, but not all of the waveform is shown in the track 5. Click Zoom Out button twice The waveform zooms out some more around the cursor position, but not all of the waveform is shown in the track 6. Click Fit Project button The entire waveform is displayed in the track 7. Click Zoom Out button twice The entire waveform is zoomed out so it fills only part of the track 8. Click Fit Project button The entire waveform is expanded to fill the track Zooming a selected waveform The Zoom in and Zoom Out buttons are always active until zoomed in or out to a ridiculous amount (try it). The Fit Selection button is an exception to this. When nothing is selected, this button is inactive, as indicated by a grayed appearance. When all or part of a waveform is selected this button becomes active, as indicated by the not grayed appearance. Inactive (grayed) Active (not grayed) 1. With nothing selected, note that the Fit Selection button is gray 2. Select part of the waveform at the end Note that the Fit Selection button is not gray, indicating it is active 3. Click Zoom In button twice The selected waveform expands

Introduction to Using Audacity 7 4. Click Fit Selection button The selected waveform expands to fit the track 5. Click Fit Project button The entire waveform fills the track Deleting unwanted sounds While recording, unwanted sounds can intrude. These range from a rooster crowing or children playing, to the speaker s breathing or smacking lips. This can be a problem. If a rooster crows while the speaker is talking your only alternative is to re-record. But if a rooster crows between phrases, or the speaker coughs, the sound is isolated and can be deleted from the recording. 1. Listen to the Voice.aup recording and note where the cough sound is located in the waveform 2. Select the cough sound (See Figure 14) 3. Press Delete key The selected waveform is deleted Figure 14 Saving and Closing a Project Saving an Audacity project creates a project file with an.aup extension and the project s audio files in Audacity s format saved in a folder named with the project s name followed by an underline and the word data. The commands for saving a project are found in the File menu. There are four ways of saving: Save Project Saves changes made to an already named project, leaving the audio project open. Save Project As Names and saves a new project, leaving the audio project open (Creates a project file with an.aup extension and a folder with project s name and the word _data). Close Closes the audio project, leaving the program open, ready to create a new project or open an existing one. If changes were made to the project and not saved, the program will first remind you to save the project and then close the project after saving. Exit Closes the audio project and the program. If changes were made to the project and not saved, the program will first remind you to save the project and then exit the program after saving. Saving and closing the project In the following you are using the File menu s Exit to save the existing project with the previously made changes and then exit Audacity. 1. Click File Menu and choose Exit A message asks if you want to save the changes 2. Click Yes to save the changes to the project The project is saved and the Audacity program closes Figure 15 Note: If Save Project or Save Project As was already used to save changes to a project, then choosing Exit closes Audacity without displaying the message shown in Figure 15.

8 Introduction to Using Audacity Congratulations! You have finished installing the Audacity program on the computer, modified various program settings, been introduced to Audacity s project file and folder arrangement, become familiar with Audacity s program screen, opened a project, practiced using some of Audacity s features, such as playing an audio track, zooming and selecting, deleted an unwanted sound and finally, saved and closed the project.phew!

Introduction to Using Audacity 9 Summary In this lesson you : 1. Learned that Audacity stores project and audio in a unique format that is not useable in another audio program. An Audacity recording consists of a project file with an.aup extension and a folder with the saved project s name followed by _Data. The _Data folder contains the recorded audio files with an.au extension. Each track does not have a corresponding audio file. The.au files are pieces of track s audio. In addition the amount of.au files will increase as editing is done. The bottom line is that it is very difficult to re-assemble the audio from the.au files if something happened to the.aup project file. Figure 16 Note: In another lesson you will learn how to export Audacity audio tracks to.wav and.mp3 format, which can be played in other audio programs. 2. Opened and played an Audacity project, noting cursor placement and movement. Tip: Pressing <Spacebar> is a shortcut for starting and stopping playing. 3. Learned the different parts of the Track Control Panel 4. Learned how to and why it is important to name tracks to aid in keeping an audio project organized. Tip: It is a good idea to name a track as soon as the initial recording on it is finished. 5. How to vertically size a track for better viewing of a waveform. 6. Used the Edit Toolbar buttons for zooming in and out. The Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons zoom in and out incrementally to the cursor position for each mouse click. The Fit Selection is a useful editing tool to zoom immediately so the selected portion of a waveform fills the width of the program window. The Fit Project button is a fast way to zoom out completely so the entire length of the longest track fills the width of the program window.

10 Introduction to Using Audacity Appendix Adjusting Windows Record and Playback Volume Controls Audacity has its own record and playback volume controls, however, the initial volume may need to be set using Windows playback and record volume controls. Windows playback volume control is accessed through the speaker icon on the right side of the Start bar. Windows record volume control is accessed through the Control Panel s Hardware and Sound icon. The following instructions are for Windows 7. Other versions of Windows and soundcards may vary. Playback volume control 1. Set Audacity s Playback Volume control to the middle 2. On the bottom right of the Start bar, double click the speaker icon The Volume Mixer dialog box appears (See Figure 17) 3. Make sure at least the Volume Control and Wave sliders are displayed and there are no check marks in the Mute box for each of the playback controls 5. Set the playback Volume Control and Wave sliders to 3/4 of the way up This setting, may need to be adjusted later 6. Minimize the Volume Control dialog box Recording volume control 1. Open the Control Panel 2. Choose Hardware and Sound 3. Under Sound Icon, choose Manage Audio Devices 4. Click Recording tab 5. Click Microphone image (See Figure 18 6. Click Properties The Microphone Properties dialogue box appears (See Figure 18) 7. Adjust the Microphone volume control 8. Close the two dialog boxes Figure 17 Figure 18 Windows playback and recording volume controls are now set so that the Playback and Record volume controls in Audacity can be used to set the volume.