Using Audacity (PC)

Installing Audacity:

  • Audacity is available from http://audacity.sourceforge.net.
  • To be able to export to MP3 you will have to:
    1. Go to the LAME download page.
    2. Click on any of the "lame-3.96.1" links
    3. Unzip the downloaded file and save the resulting lame_enc.dll somewhere on your computer
    4. When you first use the export to MP3 commnad, you will be propted to indicate the location of the lame_enc.dll file.
  • After downloading and installing, double click on the Audacity icon on the desktop to start.

Recording:

  • Near the top of the Audacity window is the playbar with play, record, and stop:
  • Click the record button to start recording (a gray rectangle that displays the frequency wave shape of your recording will pop up)
  • When finished recording, click the stop button.
  • You can click the play button to listen to what you have just recorded. If you are dissatisfied and wish to start over, click the “X” in the top left corner of the gray rectangle to delete that take and start the process again.
  • If you decide that you need to record more after stopping, just click record
  • Each time you click the record button a new rectangle will appear. Be careful because at some point the program will crash if you add too many new tracks.
  • When you press play, all of the recordings you have recorded will play at the same time.
  • To listen to one track at a time, click the “solo” button in desired track, or click the “mute” button next to the other track(s).
  • In order to hear all the separate tracks as one, use the Time Shift Tool and drag the wave shape over to the end of the previous.
EX: If you have two recorded tracks and the first one ends at 5 sec., change the cursor to the Time Shift Tool and drag the second track to the right so that the beginning of track 2 begins at the 5 sec. line.

Saving:

  • Go to File | Preferences..., Adjust the bit rate. The lower the bit rate the smaller the file. Use the lowest bit rate that meets your audio quality expectations. Here are some settings to start with: 48 - 56k Mono - sermons, audio books, talk radio, 64k+ Stereo - music, music and talk combinations, 128k Stereo - good quality music
  • Go to Project | Edit ID3 Tags..., set ID3v2 and enter your information.
  • Go to File | Export as .wav..., press "OK". Make sure to save the file under an appropriate name (e.g. MyName-ex1.mp3) - NO SPACES OR SLASHES. Then Export as .mp3.



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