AUDACITY TUTORIAL 101

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AUDACITY TUTORIAL 101

Introduction

AUDACITY is a software used to edit audio files. It allows the user to mix audio in multiple tracks and export them into various audio formats. AUDACITY comes with a number of effects that help to enhance the recorded audio track. User can record directly to AUDACITY or import a recorded audio file into AUDACITY to start working with it.

Steps

1. Setting Up AUDACITY.
   Go to URL, http://portableapps.com/apps/music_video/audacity_portable and download the installer file.
   
2. Locate the file that you have downloaded. It is in a form of PAF file format. Double-click the PAF file to run.
   2.1) Double-click
   
   2.2) Click Run.
   
   2.3) Click OK.
   
   2.4) Click Next.
   
   2.5) Specify your target installation folder, eg C:\Z\Apps\AudacityPortable.
   You can specify any target folder as long as you have access permission.
   Make sure you remember the path because you need to go to this path in order to run AUDACITY.
   2.6) Select “Run Audacity Portable” to start immediately after installation is done. Click Finish. 
   Proceed to Step 3.
   If the program ask your permission to install VST Effects, click OK.
   
3. 
   
   Running AUDACITY.
   During the first time running, the program displays Welcome Window. If you don’t like it, select “Dont show this again at start up”. Click OK.
   
4. Importing Audio file into AUDACITY.
   For this exercise, you need to download the MP3 file (a short Covey speech sample), https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B86b-ALn-1MGUGUwQzVEYUkzQ2c/edit?usp=sharing
   
   4.1) Go to MENU/File/Import/Audio.
   
   4.2) Select the file and click Open. 
   
   4.3) The file is loaded to the track.
   
   There are two tracks because the file is a stereo audio file (top track for Left channel, bottom track for Right channel.

1. Playing Audio Track.
2. 
   5.1) Click on the Play button.
   You should be able to hear the sound.
   5.2) Click Stop to stop playing.
   
   5.3) Click Fast Forward to move to the end of the track.
   
   5.4) Your track cursor will go to the end of the track.
   
   5.5) Click Fast Rewind button.
   5.6) Your track cursor will go back to the beginning of the track.
   5.7) You can also choose any point along the track, eg click an area above.
   
   5.8) The track cursor moves to the clicked location.
   
3. 
   
4. Saving audio track as an MP3 file.
   To save the opened file as an MP3 file format, you require lame.dll which needs to be downloaded and installed separately.
   
   6.1) Download lame.dll from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B86b-ALn-1MGbG5zWUxrZGVmNk0/edit?usp=sharing
   
   6.2) Save the file to C:/Z/Apps/AudacityPortable File/App/LAME/...
   
   6.3) Go to MENU/File/Export...
   
   6.4) Select the destination, file name and file type (MP3 Files), click Save.
   
   6.5) If the program ask you to enter meta data, just accept the dfault and click OK.
   
   6.6) If the program asks you the Lame location, click Browse and go to the location that you have set in Step 6.2.
   
   6.7) Select the file lame_enc.dll and click Open.
   
   6.8) Click OK.
   
   6.9) If you see this, it means that you are doing it correctly.
   
5. End here for now.