Audacity User Guide For Perfect Novices

This guide is a very simple guide for those who need to record something quickly and are in need of quick help. This guide does not do full justice to all the wonderful features that 'Audacity' offer. So, once you are done with your quick recording, read the help files in 'audacity sourceforge page' and you will be a master in no time. Let's start:

Download Audacity and Install:

Download Audacity from the following link. Please check the version of windows you are using. For Windows 7 and Vista, ues the beta link provided on the top of the page. The beta works without hassle, so you can use that without problem. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/windows For non-widnows, check the links in the left pane of the same page. After the Download, double the installer file and install to any directory of your choice. If you have any doubts, keep the defaults. This would make life easier for the next step.

Download LAME mp3 plug-in (necessary to export files to mp3) and Install:
Just click the following link: http://lame.buanzo.com.ar/Lame_v3.98.3_for_Audacity_on_Windows.exe and download and save the file. Double-click on the installer file and install without changing the default folder, which is "C:\Program Files\Lame for Audacity"

Below is the long and actual way of doing this same step:
{ Audacity can not export to mp3 files all by itself, so you need another plug-in to use. Go to the link http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=install&item=lame-mp3 click on the 'LAME download page', which should bring you to the next link: http://lame.buanzo.com.ar/ Scroll downward on this page, and click the link below For Audacity on Windows. }
Your installation is over. Now, it's time to set up your mic and heaphones. Headphones are better to hear faint sounds, which helps in better editing, but not a absolute necessity.

Connect your mic and headphones

This probably, you already know, just for the sake completeness, I am adding here. You PC or laptop definitely has the input and output jack. Speaker or headphone input sockets are green in colour, and microphone input socket is red. So, connect you headphone and mic accordingly. If, you have added sockets of blur or yellow colour just ignore them.

Double Click on the Audacity short cut and fire up the program.

Create a new blank project

Click as following. File> Save project as > A warning will appear, just click OK. You will be presented with the file save dialog box. Choose any location you prefer and give a file name and click Save. Now, any moment you hit save, or Ctrl+S, and your project will be saved. Starting with a blank project is a good practice, for if somehow, your computer gets hanged, or you sudden power failure, audacity can recover most of your project. Only few seconds of last recoding will be lost.

Check recording
Hit red button on the top or Press 'R' and your recording will start. You should see the bars above the mic icon moving to show you the recording volume. Also a new track will be added to the main window, and you can see the waveform of your recording. So, say something to the mic and see the waveform dance. When you are satisfied, hit Space bar or click the Stop Button, and your recording will be stopped. Now, put your headphone on, and click the Play button. You should hear your voice. If you can listen your voice, move to the next phase.

Some basic set-up

Go to: Edit>Preferences 'audacity preferences' dialog box will open. In 'Devices' tab: Change the 'Recording>Channels' tab to 'Mono'. Dont change anything else. In 'Recording' tab: Check the 'Overdub: Play other tracks while recording new one.' In 'Quality' tab: Default Sample Rate: 44100 Hz Default Sample Format: 32 bit float Keep others as default.

In 'Libraries' tab: MP3 Library: click the 'locate' button: In the dialog box that pops up, click browse and go to the C:\Lame for Audacity folder and double click on the file named: lame_enc.dll Keep all others as default.

Actual Recording.
Click the 'red' record button (or press R in the keyboard) and your recording starts adding a new track in the main window. You may stop recording by clicking the 'STOP' button, or by pressing the 'SPACEBAR'. Wait a few seconds when recording the first time after opening audacity, because the mic takes a few seconds to come to base line. No need to wait after the first attempt. After you stop recording, you can press 'PLAY' button (or press SPACEBAR) to listen to the newly recorded track. Notice a vertical line moving ahead with time. This line is very important for editing. By LEFT CLICKING on the track you can move the 'cursor' (the vertical line) to any time point on the track and your play will start from there. You can select a portion, by LEFT PRESSING and dragging the cursor. The selected portion becomes dark. Now, you can cut, copy or delete the selected area. To paste a cut portion, just click on the track where you need to paste, and paste it by CTRL-V. You can apply effects to a selected portion. To select the whole length of the track, double click on the track. To resume recording bring the cursor by left clicking on the existing track (usually at the end) and repeat recording process. Again a new track will be added and the recording will start from the point of the cursor. If you have to record over certain portion of an existing track, just bring your cursor to the desired point, and start recording. However, the existing track will keep playing, and if you don't want that. Click the MUTE button, on the extreme left side of track that you want to keep mute. SOLO button is used very other track except the one. Sometimes, you want to change how much you can see during editing, you can use the ZOOM button, which increases or decreases the length of the waveform seen. Remember, this is just for visual purpose and does not change the actual length of the track.

Applying effects Individual tracks

If you want to apply effects (I would not advise though, but you may use the 'amplify'), first select the portion of the track or the whole track as necessary, and then go to: Effect>Amplify. This would amplify the track. Uncheck always the 'Allow Clipping' option box.

Editing multiple tracks together

CTRL-A selects all the portions of all the existing tracks. To move a whole track ahead or backward, use the double arrow found in the box just left to RECORD button. To get the cursor again, click the vertical bar in the same pane.

Import existing audio from your hard-disk

To import an existing audio as a new track in audacity, go to: File>Import>Audio From the file dialog box, you can import various types of files. Remember you can not open a mp3 file or any other music file directly from File>Open. File>Open only opens audacity project files.

Mix and render multiple tracks

When you are done with your recording, hit CTRL-A, and all of your tracks will be selected. Now go to: Tracks>Mix and Render. This will merge all your tracks accordingly, and will convert them to a single track.

Save project
Never forget to hit CTRL-S in between recordings. This way you would reduce chances of data loss. However, this saving only saves the file, as a audacity project and is not playable in any music playing software. You need to save them as mp3 or wav or aac file.

Export to mp3
To create a mp3 file of your recording, go to: File>Export. In the file dialog box that opens up, select the folder you want to save to and name your music file and in the 'Save as Type' field, select MP3 files. If everything is ok, The mp3 tag dialog box will open. You may enter some information in the labels, but is not necessary for a successful conversion, then mp3 conversion will start. If there is a message saying that mp3 encoder is not available, you have to locate to the C:/Lame for Audacity folder and double click the 'lame_enc.dll' file.

You are done. If you to work on the project again

You just go to the saved project from File>Open and open the save project.