Audacity
Official Audacity resources
• Audacity Web site
• Audacity Help Section
• CIT Labs - Audacity User Guide
• Project Examples using Audacity
• Bookmarks for Audacity
• Digital audio production plan
• Audacity recording tutorial
Duke labs with Audacity
• CIT Lab (for faculty projects)
• OIT public Mac/Windows labs
• Language labs
CIT Workshops that use Audacity
• Digital Media 101
• Digital Media 201
Overview
What is it?
Audacity is an easy-to-use, open source audio editing software program that is available as a free download. Versions are available for desktop computers that run the Mac, Windows and Linux operating systems. Audacity has a variety of features that can meet the needs of a range of audio recording projects, from a very basic short live recording to more elaborate, multi-track projects that combine audio from a variety of sources.
Key features
- Live recording of audio from a microphone or computer "line in" (which CIT uses to digitize cassette tapes)
- Editing of audio recorded within Audacity or created by other programs or devices (such as iPod or CD audio)
- Multi-track capability for mixing different audio sources
- Multiple filters and tools to improve sound quality and create special effects
- Ability to export in WAV and MP3 formats
- Option to change the user interface to display in one of more than 35 languages
Who uses it?
Audacity is used by hundreds of schools and institutions of higher education around the world (including Duke and most of our peer institutions) and by many more private individuals and companies for basic audio recording and editing needs, since it is a no-cost solution for a variety of basic and intermediate digital audio editing needs. Many students and instructors also download Audacity to their local computers to make recording and editing possible in their own work space. Within CIT and the language labs, Audacity is the primary audio editing program for most projects.
How does it work?
You begin by downloading a copy of the free software program to your desktop and running an installation program. After you do that, you will also need to download a plug-in, the a LAME encoder, that will allow Audacity to export audio in MP3 format. After that, you simply connect a microphone to your computer's sound card and launch the program to begin.
Audacity sets up what it calls a project (which creates a file with an AUP extension) in which your work in progress is stored. Once you have completed your editing process, you need to export your work to a WAV or MP3 file in order to share your work with others or make your file available online.Things to consider before using Audacity
- You need to have administrative rights on your computer to install downloaded software, so you may need to ask your technical support staff member for assistance with this step.
- You need to have a basic understanding of the difference between the project workspace and an exported audio file, since the project file cannot be uploaded to a course Web space for playback by others.
- Depending on what it is you are trying to do, you may need to use another tool such as iTunes, QuickTime Pro or other editing software to complete the final steps for your project.
- If you are digitizing the work of others or using interviews, there are copyright and Institutional Review Board issues to consider.
Uses as an Instructional Technology
- Record live responses to prompts during a class session held in a computer lab
- Record a narration or introduction to be placed in a course Web space
- Create audio review materials for student use
- Edit raw interview recordings to create a more polished final product
- Digitize cassette or CD audio course materials to share with others (additional post-production steps may be necessary)
- Combine recordings made by individual students for a group project
Resources at Duke
- Audacity is available for use in the CIT Lab, OIT's Public Computing Labs (locations throughout campus) and in CIT's language labs (locations on West and East campuses).
- OIT's Student Technology Services offers workshops to students on a variety of topics; iPod-focused training sessions include an introduction to the basic use of Audacity. Instructors may also request custom workshops for their classes.
- CIT includes Audacity in several of its workshops for instructors participating in the Duke Digital Initiative.
- CIT's Instructional Media & Language Technology Services group offers Audacity training to language department courses as a regular part of their language lab services.
