Steps+for+Using+Audacity

** Steps for creating a Podcast or audio file using **** Audacity ** Plug in your microphone and headphones (if they are USB, plug into the tower, not the monitor)
 * __ Step 1 __****__ – PLUG IN (sound input) __**

Make sure "" is selected in the top right-hand corner (USB audio device). **__ Tip: __**** BEFORE you start recording, make sure you have practiced reading your script OUT LOUD at least 3 times! ** To **START** recording, click on the ** red ** circle and speak into your microphone. Make a practice recording: say, “test, test, test” to make sure the sound records. Your voice will appear as sound waves (long jagged lines), or it may look more like a series of blue shapes. //** If it doesn't look like anything is recording then... **// 1) Make sure that you increase the dial next to the microphone icon (to increase volume). 2) From the menu, click “Edit”, then “Preferences” and make sure the sound recording is coming from the “USB device.”
 * __ Step 2 __****__ – CHECK SETTING __**
 * __ Step 3 __****__ - RECORD __**

To **PAUSE** your recording, click on the ** parallel blue bars **. This is used to take a break—when you click on the bars again, your recording will resume in the same place you left off. This is only used to PAUSE, not stop the recording.

To **STOP** recording, click on the ** yellow square **. Once you click this button, the next time you go to record, it will start a NEW track. That’s OK. We can line up the tracks so they don’t play on top of each other.

**__ Tips: __**** * Your music track should be MUCH softer than your voice track, so that the music does NOT overpower your voice or even compete with it. ** ** * Sometimes a piece of music gets louder in one or more parts than other. Be sure that the voice track is always clearly heard over the **** music! ** 1) At the beginning of the track (the one you want to make louder or softer), click and drag to move the **//top//** slider to the right (+louder) or to the left (-softer). Then listen to your track again and repeat to make any other changes.
 * __ Step 4 __****__ – ADJUST THE VOLUME __** (To make all or part of a sound track louder or softer…)
 * __ Two ways to change the volume-- Let’s try the easy way first. __**



2) If your sound track is still not loud or soft enough, **you can adjust your sound even further by following these steps:**

a) Place your cursor at the beginning of the audio track and click and drag towards the right to select (highlight) all the sound or just the section you wish to change the volume. [This is the same way you click to highlight a word or text in Microsoft Word.]



b) From the menu, click "**Effect**", then “**Amplify**” to adjust the loudness of the sound. If you click OK without adjusting anything, then it will automatically make your sound as loud as possible. Since you may not want it this loud, use the slider bar to find the volume you want. Setting it to a negative number will make it quieter. If you want to hear a preview of how it will be, click on the “Allow clipping” option and then “Preview”. After making any changes, click “OK”.



Import some background music by going to "**Project**" > **Import Audio**” and finding (navigating to) the mp3 sound file you have **//already//** saved on your computer. (In some versions of Audacity, this is found under the “**File**” menu option.)
 * __ Step 5 __****__ – IMPORT BACKGROUND MUSIC __**

You now have TWO tracks. One is your voice and the second one is your imported music for your background.

Select the icon for the **Timeshift Tool** (double-headed arrow), which will allow you to click and shift (move) each sound track around. Align your voice with the background music so that your voice is directly over that section of your sound track that you want to be in the background. **__ Tip: __** Move your voice track 3-5 seconds after the start of your music track, so the music starts a little before your voice. Also, allow the music to continue a few seconds after your voice ends. This will give you a nice musical introduction and ending.
 * __ Step 6 __****__ – ADJUST MUSIC AND VOICE __**

Highlight/Select the part of the background music you want to have under your voice, as it will likely be too long. LEAVE SOME EXTRA on each end to fade in and out. Then click the button shown in the image that will trim the outside selection.
 * __ Step 7 __****__ – CROPPING AND FADING YOUR TRACKS __**

The next step is to add a **fade-in** at the beginning and a **fade-out** at the end. First, click the SELECTOR tool on the tool bar.

Highlight the SMALL section of the music you want to fade in (or out). You will be fading OUT your first small introduction, then fading IN your outgoing music (remember: you MAY want the introduction music to fade out so that your voice is louder than the music and the outgoing music to fade in so it becomes louder as your voice disappears. With the section you want to fade highlighted, choose “Effect” > “Fade In” (or Fade Out). That section of the track will then represent the fade. Using your TimeShift Tool, you might need to re-align your voice track a bit.

Repeat this for the fade-in ending part of your music. Remember, you can always “UNDO” whatever changes you make that you don’t like!

Be sure you save your project into your folder on the server. You will need to save it TWICE. First, under the “File” menu, choose “**Save Project As**”, and name the project with a title-, making sure it is saving to your folder on the server. This will save the project as an .aup (Audacity) file. Saving it in this form will allow you to open your project again in Audacity and continue working on it or editing it later on if you need to.
 * __ Step 8 __****__ – SAVING YOUR PROJECT __**

**Once you are satisfied with the project,** you need to save it AGAIN in an MP3 format**. This time under the “File” menu, choose “Export as MP3”. For any window that pops up, just say “OK.” Again, save it into your folder on the server.** 

* Press //CTRL// + //Z// to undo your last change. * Press //CTRL// + //I// as an alternative to step 6 (importing sound). * Consider adding sound effects to spice up your podcast. Go to [|http://findsounds.com] to get free sound effects. * If you have time (and patience), consider using more than one piece of music to match the mood or feel of different parts of your script. * PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!! Don’t wait for the last minute to read your script out loud. Read it SEVERAL times out loud for someone else so you don’t stumble over difficult words. * Speak a little more slowly than you normally do and clearly pronounce each word. Don’t run your sentences together—pause (1-2 beats) between each sentence. * Use good expression when reading. Don’t speak with a monotone (robot) voice. If you don’t sound excited about your topic, no one else will be either. * Once you have completed this simple exercise, you will be able to go on and create bigger and better Audacity projects. Aim high! __**Things You'll Need to Complete a Podcast: __
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Tips & Short Cuts: **
 * Audacity (free podcasting software tool available to download from the internet)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">A microphone
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Speakers or headphones
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">A computer
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">A saved piece of music and/or sound effect file (on your hard drive or on removable hardware)