EDITING IN AUDACITY -

CHEAT SHEET
Useful toolbar controls:

Envelope tool Timeshift tool

Play / stop (click Playback Selection (adjust volume (slide audio left Playback
stop to make edits) volume tool over time) or right) toolbar

Zoom to
full width
of project

Zoom to
selection

Click to mute Click to mute Track window Zoom in / out

just this track all tracks
except this one

Save project Click 'File' > 'Save Project'      << DO THIS BEFORE YOU START EDITING!

Import audio Click 'File' > 'Import Audio'

Export audio Click 'File' > 'Export Audio'

    
     Recommended WAV settings: 

Remove 1. Select an area of background fuzz. Click 'Effect' > 'Noise Reduction'
2. Click 'Get Noise Profile'
background
3. Highlight the audio you want to apply the effect to.
noise 4. Click 'Effect' > 'Noise Reduction'
5. Pick your Noise Reduction level (15-22). Hit 'Preview' to test the effect. 
6. Click 'OK'

Generate 1. Highlight the area you want to be silent (Make sure you 'click and drag' 
silence       inside the track window)
2. Click 'Generate' > 'Silence' > 'OK'

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 EDITING IN AUDACITY - CHEAT SHEET

Envelope Tool This tool gives you flexible control over volume. 
1. Select the Envelope tool. Blue lines will appear at the edges of your tracks. 
2. Click at multiple points along the blue lines. White dots will appear. Now,
drag the white dots up and down to adjust volume. 

Split track This tool is useful if you want to break up an interview with an
intermission or segue music.
1. Using the selector tool, click in the track you would like to split it.
2. Click 'Edit' > 'Clip Boundaries' > 'Split'
3. You can now move the separated sections away from each other.

Amplify Use this tool to increase or reduce overall volume. 

1. Highlight the area you want to affect. 
2. Click 'Effect' > 'Amplify'
3. Audacity will default to the maximum amplification level. Adjust the level
(set to negative for reducing volume), click 'Preview' to test.
4. When you're happy with it, click 'OK'. 

Note: If you have loud peaks

in your recording (from a
cough, laugh etc), click 'Allow
Clipping' otherwise Audacity
won't amplify louder than the
volume of the peaks. 

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 EDITING IN AUDACITY - CHEAT SHEET

Fade In/ 1. Select the area in the track to which you want to apply the effect. 
Fade Out 2. Click 'Effect' > 'Fade In' (or 'Fade Out')

Track 1. Click 'Tracks' > 'Add New' > 'Mono Track'

Controls

Adjust 1. Click on the drop

Tracks down arrow next to
the track name. 
3. You can change the
track name, or move it
up or down. 

Other Delete:  Select an area, simply hit 'delete' on your keyboard

Cut, copy, paste: Select an area, use your normal Control X, V, C shortcuts.
Controls
You can even cut/copy across multiple tracks. 

Shortcuts In the menu bar, click 'Audacity' > 'Preferences' > 'Keyboard' to see and set
shortcuts for frequently-used tools. 

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 EDITING IN AUDACITY - SAMPLE PODCAST

Sample Audio - Before

Below is how the sample audio will appear when you import to Audacity.
What differences do you notice between the different tracks?

Sample Audio - After

Below is what you will work towards creating in the class. Notice what has
changed from the original audio. 

Podcast Services Australia  |  ABN 91 361 785 367   |  aaron@podcastservices.com.au  |  www.podcastservices.com.au