AUDIO WORKSHOP

The material on this page is based on a presentation by Tom Laurenson at the September 2008 MAGIC meeting.

CONTENTS
An Audience with Audacity
Audacity Workshop Introduction
Some audio software
Sounds websites
Storyboard template
Getting sound into your Mac

An Audience with Audacity

What is Audacity?

It's a piece of software which allows you to record and edit sound.

Why Audacity?

It's Free, Flexible and user Friendly

What computer do I need?

Audacity runs on both Apple and unmentionable computers

Where can I get it?

Audacity is downloadable from http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/ (it can also be found on the software page of this website.) It takes only a minute or two, and it does not require a restart.

What does it do?

You can:

record audio from an external mike or other sound source,
process the sound to improve its clarity, reduce noise, etc,
edit the sound much as you would edit words,

How difficult is it?

It's no more difficult than Word. There are a handful of processes which you'll use most of the time, and many that you'll never need. It may appear a little daunting at first, but you'll find your way round it quite quickly.

What other equipment do I need?

An external microphone to capture sounds,
a pair of headphones so that you can hear what you're recording,
some external speakers so that others can hear.

What are all these audio formats?

Audio files can take up a lot of space (but not as much as video files). Common formats include:

.wav files are what Windows Media Player use
.aiff files are what Apple computers prefer

Both of these are high quality formats and take up around 10 Mbytes per minute of stereo sound. Audacity can create both, and so audio files created on an unmentionable can be read.

To save space, the industry (in the shape of the Motion Picture Expert Group or MPEG) has developed a more compact format which takes up around 1 Mbyte per minute of stereo sound. This is MPEG format 3, more usually known as MP3. (Yes there are also MP1, MP2 and MP4 formats.) MP3 files are popular for portable media devices such as iPods, and sacrifice a little in quality in order to save space.

Which format should I use? Audacity will save files in its own special format (save as project) which is fine while you work on them. To create files that are useable elsewhere you need to export the finished file iin .wav or .aiff (both high quality but space hungry) or .mp3 format.

Audacity Workshop Introduction

Download Audacity

First, create a folder into which you can download both Audacity, and in a moment, the Lame encoder. The screenshot below shows the URL for Audacity - be sure to select the stable version, not the beta version.

The URL is http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/

Next, download the Lame encoder so that you can create MP3 files. On a Mac:

Go to the LAME download page.
Download either libmp3lame or the version of LameLib for your operating system.
When you have finished downloading, use Stuffit Expander to extract the files. (This may happen automatically.)
Save the file called "LameLib" or libmp3lame.dylib anywhere on your computer.
The first time you use the "Export as MP3" command, Audacity will ask you where LameLib or libmp3lame.dylib is saved.

Make sure that you save the encoder into the same folder as Audacity. When you start Audacity and first try to create an MP3 file, the software will ask you where it should look for the encoder. Placing it in the same folder doesn't allow the software to find it, but makes it easier for you to tell it.

With Audacity open and the Lame encoder installed, you're almost ready to record sound. You can use the built in microphone to record. The quality isn't great, but may be sufficient for some purposes. Using a better microphone is the single biggest improvement you can make to the sound quality.

Some audio software

Software for audio production - with KWPA in mind. Here is a range of software available for program production. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

Item	Platform	Price	Comments
Audacity	Mac and PC	Free	Basic recording and editing
Amadeus Pro	Mac	$30.00	Basic recording and editing, Multitracking
Audio HiJack Pro	Mac	$32.00	Captures audio from any application
Garage Band	Mac	Free	Basic recording and editing in addition to its music making capabilities.
Total recorder	PC	Std: $17.95 Pro: $35.95	Does much the same as Audio HiJack Pro but for PC
RadiologikDJ	Mac	$128.00	Easy to use and radio friendly. Use it live or to record a program.
iTunes	Mac and PC	Free	Create playlists from existing recordings.
Roxio Jam			Allows program assembly with existing audio files (music, features, links etc.). Individually tailored crossfades and precise timing. Saves image file.
Ubercaster	Mac	$80.00	Comprehensive package which records your program in MP3, AAC or AIFF format. A little tricky to use at first so try the demo to see if it suits you.
Others to try
Twisted Wave		$80.00	Very effective, lots of facilities, easy to use, but a little pricey.
Reaper		$175.00	Also effective and easy to use, but expensive.
Roxio CD Spin Doctor		$40.00	Simple and effective.
Fission		$32.00	Simple and easy to use.

Whatever you use, please try to make sure your final program is in MP3 format. That saves file space and makes it easier to schedule for broadcasting.

Sounds Websites

Audio sources

http://www.findsounds.com/	FindSounds has a wealth of sound effects to keep your class amused for hours. From bodily function noises, to vehicles, cities, crowds and wildlife, the chances are that you'll find what you want - or something close enough.
http://www.stonewashed.net/sfx.html	Another rich source of sound effects, all available for download and immediate use.
Need music for your production? It's unlikely that you can use the standard music of the hit parade, the shows, or the movies. These are all protected by copyright and even classroom use isn't allowed. You may have to search about a bit, but you can find mood and background music to suit most situations.
http://music.podshow.com/	Source of public domain music and audio

Storyboard template

Storyboards are an essenssial item for putting together a complete program for broadcast. Here is an example:

A copy of this storyboard sheet can be downloaded as a pdf file by clicking here.

Here is an example of a storyboard used to put together an audio file to be broadcast:

Getting sound into your Mac

1.	Use the built in mikes and record with Audacity.
	Pro	As simple as it gets
	Con	Not very good quality
2.	Use a separate USB mike and record with Audacity.
	Pro	Still very simple
	Con	Improved quality
3.	Conventional mike via interface into Mac and record with Amadeus Pro or other.
	Pro	Excellent quality
	Con	Expensive and a little cumbersome - more boxes and cables
4.	Record using separate recorder and transfer to Mac for editing and processing.
	Pros	Convenient Excellent quality
	Con	Cost
5.	Record onto iPod with attachable mike (Griffin iTalk Pro or Xtrememac micromemo).
	Pros	Highly portable Easy to use
	Con	Low versatility

Some USB Mikes	Cost	Comments
Logitech USB Desktop Microphone	$13	Video conference quality
Samson CO1U	$64
Blue snowball and snowflake	$70
CAD U37	$70
MXL 990	$90

Sources for audio equipment including the mikes listed above include

eBay
Guitar Center - Know what you want before you go there - Lynnwood and Seattle
Radio Shack - Low cost but sufficient quality for some purposes
Sweetwater - Website easy to search and very helpful people
Full Compass - Worth keeping an eye on their specials/clearance items
Griffin - Griffin iMic and other accessories
Xtrememac Micromemo - Worth reading for the comparison with the competition