Audacity

Ray Thomas · From: Goldsboro North Carolina

Would like to know if there are some Audacity users out there and what you use it for, I have just installed it primarily to convert cassette tapes and 33-1/3 records to cd but there seems to be many other uses for it. Thanks for joining in as I am a new user and need all the info I can get.
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Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

I've used Audacity to record and mix all of the songs for my song books/CDs, 110 songs in all, plus a lot of other home recordings. It's also useful for slowing down songs and keeping them in the same key (for practice), or for changing the key and keeping the tempo the same. It's great audio tool, and the best part... it's FREE!

PS This should have been posted this in the Recording section, not the For Sale section.
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Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

My answer is similar (identical?) to Doug Beaumier's. I provide private lessons. I connected a low impedance microphone to my computer and use Audacity to record examples of the tablatures that I write. I then burn the examples to CDs, but will probably change to memory sticks in the near future.

Ian Worley · From: Sacramento, CA

Audacity is a really great tool for digitizing old cassettes, one of the "Effects" is a noise removal tool, which allows you to select a short section of dead air from the beginning or end including the inherent tape hiss, and it will filter those patterns/frequencies out of the entire track. Also some very useful tools for tweaking practice tracks, precise key/pitch changing without changing tempo, and tempo changing without changing pitch.

Fred Glave · From: McHenry, Illinois, USA

Audacity is a nice free system for laying down some tracks. If you have a decent USB pre-amp and a little mixer and a good mic, it makes for a lot of fun. I play bass, and 6 string and also have a cheap casio keyboard and digital drum machine. Unlimited tracks and effects too. I just don't have the time to use it lately, but my son and his freinds are just starting to learn how to play their instruments and have a blast with it.
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Emmett Roch · From: Texas Hill Country

For a while I was using Audacity. People would send me a file and I'd lay down steel tracks and send it back.
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Douglas Schuch · From: Valencia, Philippines

I record on a Zoom, but I mix the tracks with Audacity. I suppose I could try Reaper (even downloaded it once), but I know how Audacity works, and I've never found anything I needed to do that I could not accomplish on Audacity. Nice little free program.

I also use it when I download full albums (say from Youtube) to separate individual tracks.

I have also used it to try to remove the steel from a song to make a backing track. Sometimes this works OK - depends on how the track was mixed.
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Larry Lenhart · From: Ponca City, Oklahoma

I have used audacity, but not for the purpose of making backing tracks, but I am interested in doing that. I plan to make a cd (just for my own entertainment) recording rhythm guitar, bass, lap steel, lead guitar and pedal steel guitar. What would I need to purchase in order to do this using audacity...would you be able to use your regular guitar amp to get the sound you want and effects to feed your instruments into first and then into your computer using audacity ? I really dont know how to do that...are there written instructions somewhere that could get me started. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I have always used an old Roland BR8 stand alone to record first and then load into my computer to burn a cd, since my roland was pre-cd burning model.

James Quillian · From: San Antonio, Texas, USA

If you are using a pc as opposed to a laptop. I suggest using a card type interface (M Audio Delta 66 for example). Don't bother with a usb setup unless that is your only option. A decent pre-amp will improve your sound tremendously. Get a direct box to record the steel and electic guitar.

For mics, I recommend a Shure sm81 for acoustic guitar and a Rode nt large diaphram mic for vocals and acoustic bass and a Shure sm57 for everything else.

I know nothing about recording. This is just stuff that has worked by trial and error. Sometimes trying to save money gets expensive if the equipment doesn't do its job.

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

I just borrowed an Alpha from Lexicon. I like the head phone out jack on it, I can listen to my steel pre computer. Also using Zoom MS-50G for a little effects. It does work to record even though the level is a bit low.

My question is, can I listen to a track while I record a track using Audacity. Right now I seem not to be able to.

Larry Lenhart · From: Ponca City, Oklahoma

Dick
YOu should be able to listen to it using a headphone on your computer...I use audacity to transfer vinyl and cassettes to my itunes, and I can listen to it as its recording by using the headphone out jack on my laptop itself. Hope this helps.

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

Thank you Larry. Helpful...

This is very useful and mostly what I wanted Audacity for.

From the Audacity forum:

Re: Record one track while listening to another

Steve wrote: At the bottom of the Transport menu (Edit/Preferences/Recording), select "Overdub" and De-select "Software Play Through".

Those are the correct settings for Audacity.
The other settings that you may need to pay attention to are your sound card settings.

If you are able to record sounds that are being played in Windows Media Player, then your sound card is set up to record from "Stereo Mix.
If you are recording through a microphone or line input, you do not want "stereo mix", you need to set your sound card to record from "Line" or "Mic".

Import a sound file into Audacity, hit the Record button, and it should start recording onto a new track while playing the imported track.

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