[Harp-L] RE: Audacity for dummies?

[<stan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Audacity is a great program!  Good bang for the buck, as it is free.  (I
like the portable version.another story though).

In an effort to minimize the frustration some are having with mixing auto
inexpensively, and assuming you have Audacity installed and a suitable sound
card or device working on your computer, (although I'm not an expert), I
offer the following:

 

1.	download lame_enc.dll (a free conversion file you can find online -
needed to export to mp3)
2.	place lame_enc.dll, (the file you downloaded in your Audacity
folder). (You can place it anywhere you can easily locate it).
3.	Open Audacity, Click: EDIT > PREFERENCES > AUDIO I/O (Make certain
your sound card is selected in both recording and playback.
4.	Next click: PROJECT > IMPORT AUDIO > (drill down to locate an .mp3
or .wav file on your computer) SELECT the file you want. (This could be your
backing track).
5.	Audacity will decode the file automatically and display a wav
representation. Click: PLAY - You can hear the file play.  Click: STOP
6.	Click: REC (the button with the red dot).  A new track will appear,
as the track you imported is playing.
7.	At this time, you should be able to speak, sing, or play in to your
microphone and see recording taking place. (Make necessary adjustments to
record / playback volume).
8.	If you did all of the above correctly, you will have two tracks
represented now, and if you hit PLAY, both tracks will playback together.
GREAT!
9.	Assuming you like the mix and want to save it as a single mixed
file, click: FILE > EXPORT AS MP3 (or EXPORT AS WAV - your choice).
10.	 When the dialog box opens, name and save your file! - Now you can
close the tracks you have open by clicking the little X in the left most
corner of each track.  Then open the .mp3 file you just mixed and saved, and
enjoy.  You could use the same procedure to record and mix several tracks to
a single mixed track.

 

As for slowing a file down - Try this:

1.	Import the file you want to slow down
2.	Click/Drag the section of the wav representation you want slowed
down. (The selected section will be a different color then the unselected
portion).
3.	Click: EFFECT > CHANGE TEMPO (This changes the speed without
changing the pitch).
4.	Move the little percent slider to the left or in the percentage box
type "-38.00" (could be any number with a minus sign "-" in front).
5.	Click: PLAY (If you don't like the result, click: EDIT > UNDO)
6.	Try a different value, (again with a "-" sign in front i.e. -50.00,
or -25.00 or -70.00
7.	You could then save or export the resulting track to a file for
later if you want.

 

 

I hope that helps, 

Steamin' Stan 

PS Please don't hold me responsible for the amount of time you spend in
front of your computer fooling with this when you know you should be doing
other things!

 

 

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QUOTED FROM HARP-L of:

Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 09:08:30 -0700 (PDT)

From: martin oldsberg <martinoldsberg@xxxxxxxxx>

Subject: [Harp-L] Audacity for dummies?

To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx

 

Judging from some recent posts I4m not the only one having problems
understanding Audacity. Admittedly my problems in understanding things
related to the "digital" sphere are pervasive and it4s getting to be quite a
bit of a handicap in this day and age. 

  

  But still, it4s somewhat fantastic that with all the time and effort that
must have gone in to creating a program such as this, NOTHING is done to
make it user friendly. I spent several hours trying to get the slow downer
function to work (was analyzing a Howard Levy solo) but gave up, disgusted
and mad like hell, and had to retreat to Windows Media Player, which is
easily understandable but performs poorly. (Yes, there is an Audacity
manual, and I4m sure it4s great, provided you already knew the answer to
what you were looking for, hence making it a bit un-necessary.)

 

  Question: Is there a manual somewhere for this program that takes into
account that some people have been sort of "backing" into the digital age? 

 (Being labelled a "dummie" because of this is something I can live with; I
get around fairly well elsewhere in ordinary life -- and yes, some
institutions of learning and thought have even at times considered me a
downright resource!)

 

This wonders,

Martin

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