Audacity:  Basics

Setting up to do this project

After starting Audacity from Start / Programs, it's very important to set where Audacity saves.

• Go to File / Save Project

• Go to your S drive

• Create a new folder
  (Click on in the dialog box)
   

• Double-click on the new folder so that the name of the folder appears at the top of the Save (See Fig. A)
   

• Name the file and click Save
  (See Fig. B)

Note:  if you don't do this step and try to work on another computer later, you probably won't find your files

Fig. A

Fig. B

Plug the microphone into the computer.  This plug might be in the front or the back. 

If you have headphones, which is highly suggested, plug them in as well

To record, click the Record button. 
(Note though that every time you click this button, you will start a new track)

To Stop recording, click the Stop button. 
Doing so will return the cursor to its previous starting point

If you don't like what you recorded, immediately, click the undo button on the toolbar

Saving

When you're all done, make sure you do a File / Save Project

Exporting as mp3

If you need or want to put this on the web, you have to:

• File / Export as MP3
  If you get a message about LAME at this point, follow the NOTE below first before continuing on
   

• Point it so that it will be saved to your S drive
   

• Type in a file name and click Save
   

• If you want, type in any information for the mp3 tags.  This is helpful if people download a file from the web page and save it to their mp3 player.

Note:  If this is the first time on your computer that you're exporting this as an mp3, you'll need to follow the extra dialog boxes that 'point' the program to another program that actually does the encoding.  If needed, 'point' to:

• C drive

• Program files

• Audacity

• Plug-ins

• lame.dll

Putting this up on the web?  See your web master for instructions.  here at school that would be your teacher or the tech resource teacher

Other Instructions:

• Inserting other sound files

• Deleting tracks

• Cutting out parts of tracks

• Fade Out

• Other Effects

• Basics

• Turning in to the dropbox

Questions regarding this page?  Click here

Author:  Kurt Thonnings