Audacity FAQ
- Audacity FAQ
- Additional Resources
What is Audacity?
Audacity is a free, open source software for recording and editing sound. It is available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, and Linux. This FAQ should hopefully get you started. If you have other questions feel free to post in theLibriVox Forums
How do I get Audacity?
You can download Audacity from their Web site. One you've downloaded Audacity, install it.
How do I get the LAME MP3 encoder?
You will also need the LAME MP3 encoder. It is a free, open source plug-in used to create (encode) MP3 files from your recordings. You can download it from here:
LAME download page - Take care to download the correct version for your operating system and version of Audacity!
Once you've downloaded the LAME encoder, install it:
Double-click on the file you downloaded to unzip it.
You should see a file called lame_enc.dll. Copy this file to your hard drive. A good location is the folder where Audacity was installed.
Make sure you remember where you put lame_enc.dll, because you will need to know this later.
Audacity Setup
Before you begin recording you will need to configure (set up) Audacity.
. How to set your preferences
Go to "edit" > "preferences" > "file formats" Check "Make a copy of the file before editing"
Go to "Directories" check "auto save" Set to save every 5 mins.
How do I configure Audacity to find and use the LAME encoder plug-in?
Now that you've installed the LAME encoder (see above), you need to integrate it into Audacity.
Start Audacity
Edit > Preferences
File Formats Tab > MP3 Export Setup
Select Find Library
Read the message, then click Yes and browse to wherever you installed the file lame_enc.dll
Select the file, and click the OK button
Choose 128 from the drop down menu. If you're using Audacity v. 1.3.3, you'll set the bitrate the first time you export to mp3 by going to:
File > Export
Save as type: MP3 Files
Options... (below the cancel button)
Quality > select 128 kbps from the drop down menu
OK > Save
If you recorded on tape and want to transfer to your computer you can also use Audacity. Use the same settings as above except you choose Stereo for Channels and mark the box labelled Software Playthrough ...example
How do I Start Recording?
Click the round red button to start recording. If you want to take a break and hit Stop, the next time you hit Record again it will start a new track; this is the normal behavior for Audacity. If you don't want to record on multiple tracks in this way, hit the Pause button instead.
How do I save?
When you save in Audacity it creates an AUP (AUdacity Project) file. These aren't very useful for sharing, but it is a good intermediate format to use while you are editing. An AUP maintains all the tracks that you have from starting and stopping the recording. If you would like to collapse all these tracks together you can choose File > Export to WAV. This will create a new file which has only one track. If you open this file in Audacity it would be easier to edit. We encourage you to save often!
What if I made mistakes?
When you make mistakes it's usually easier to just re-record the section you want immediately. You can tap the microphone base a few times before re-recording so that it is easier to see where you need to make the edits. Do not tap the microphone itself as this can damage it. Other readers also say "pickup" or click their tongue. Whatever method you use just makes it easier to see edit points.
(You might want to look at *Deleting errors in Audacity, too.)
How do I edit the ID3 tag?
It's important to set the ID3 tags properly. These are used by MP3 players to identify the recording.
Can I clean up background noise?
Go here for the --> Audacity Noise Cleaning Tutorial
Note: Please save a backup copy of your file prior to applying Noise Removal filters so that you can revert to the original if results are not as expected.
Using Audacity version 1.3 or higher, select a portion of the room noise (this is for applying the noise removal filter). Normally, what you would do is this:
Effect > Noise Removal and click on the "Noise Profile" button
Select your entire recording, then Effect > Noise Removal and click Apply.
You can select sections or all of the recording by:
Clicking and dragging
Choosing Edit > Select from the menu bar
This will leave a strange whispering sound in the background; like a ghostly murmur, the kind you might want to use as a background noise in a horror movie. So, that's not what you're going to do. Instead:
With the section of the room noise selected, use Effect > Amplify
In the amplification, use anywhere from -3 to -6db to decrease the amplitude of the noise wave.
Now, use this for the "Noise Profile" and apply to the whole recording (as above). When actually doing the noise removal, use a very low setting on the slide-bar.
You will have to experiment for best results. I can take a fairly noisy microphone (one I got from Radio Shack) and produce fairly clean recordings this way.
Audacity Noise Cleaning Tutorial
Go here for an --> Audacity Noise Cleaning Tutorial
Should I record in Mono or Stereo?
Audacity allows you to choose Stereo or Mono when you start your recording. Since most of us don't use Stereo microphones, choose Mono. When you export the file it will end up playing back in Stereo. Recording in Mono just instructs Audacity to apply the same content to both left and right.
How can I merge multiple tracks into a single one?
If you want to add background sounds or create a crowd scene: *Merging Tracks
Additional Resources
These are some additional tutorials which may be helpful for a better understanding of how Audacity works.