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[[Image:audacityElements.png|thumb|550px| The '''Audacity''' application is considered to be a user-friendly, simple, yet powerful tool used to create, edit and produce music... ]]
:This WIKI explains how to use the '''Audacity''' application to create more advanced recordings.'''Audacity is an easy-to-use digital multi-track audio recorder and processor'''.
:'''The Audacity application in the Computer Lab is considered an <u>introductory</u> level of audio recording'''. The AVIT suite will have more sophisticated equipment for high quality recordings. On the other hand, using the Audacity application in the Computer Lab can teach elements of recording to help guide volunteers into the using the AVIT suite...
:This tutorial will focus on recording several musical instruments and vocals to produce a song.
:In order to simplify things for the Westminster Computer Lab users, a '''program (Bash shell script) has been created to automatically launch and connect these programs together''' (in a very user-friendly manner), so individuals can concentrate on just recording their music. The user simply logs into the Teacher account, and double clicks on the '''Recording Studio''' icon.<br /><br /><br />
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<td>[[Image:recordingSessionIcon.png|thumb|300px| '''Clicking this Desktop Icon will launch a program to allow the user to select the type of recording session''' they desire. ]]</td>
:'''Steps to Manually set Audacity Input Interface:'''
:# In the Audacity menu-bar, select '''EDIT''' -> '''Preferences''' :# The '''Audacity Preferences''' dialog box application will appear.:# Remain in the default '''Devices''' tab.:# In the Interface Section, select '''Jack''' to be the host.:# Click '''OK''' to save changes.
[[Image:preference1.png|thumb|500px|right ]]
:'''The procedure to select different instruments in Audacity is subtle! I don't know if this is the BEST method, but here is what I know works...'''
:Assuming that you are still in the Audacity Preferences dialog box ('''Devices''' tab), in the Recording section, click on the drop down menu for Devices. If you are running your Jack Audio server, and running Qsynth as well as Hydrogen, you should see 3 devices:
:* '''Hydrogen''' (Drum Machine):* '''Qsynth''' (Keyboards):* '''System''' (Vocals via Microphone)
:'''Let's now add in each of these elements, track-by-track...'''
[[Image:hydrogen.png|thumb|350px|right ]]
:In the '''Audacity Preferences dialog box, under devices, select "Hydrogen "''' (Drum Machine), and close the dialog box. :'''NOTE: Each time you want to "lay-down" a track using a different device, you MUST go to Audacity Preference dialog box and select your Recording Device...'''
:Hydrogen is a drum machine application. It is useful to allow the user to record drumming patterns (to be looped), or entire drumming patterns for a song.
:Although I prefer a REAL drummer, you can use a drum machine as a basis for your song. After the song has been recorded (via Audacity), you can mute the drumming pattern and replace with real drums...
:The Hydrogen drum machine is pretty easy to use. Just press RECORD, and then click on an appropriate drum sound. The drumming pattern loops, so you can take your time to build more complex drumming patterns. Various drumming patterns can be saved and then can be added in a sequence to build a song... This application also has a "pattern" mode and a "song" mode...
:'''Create a drumming pattern, and press play on the hydrogen application to test out the drumming pattern. Stop the drumming pattern'''.
:'''When you are ready to record, click the record button in the Audacity transport toolbar, and then click the play button in the hydrogen application'''. Don't worry if there is blank audio, since you can always cut the unwanted portions of the track after recording. When finished, then click the stop button in Hydrogen, and then click the stop button in Audacity. It is recommended to immediately click the rewind button to set the position to the beginning of the track.
=== Adding Guitar / Bass Guitar ===
=== Adding Keyboards (== Assigning Midi Tracks for Qsynth / & Bristol Organ) =====
:I have see some misinformation regarding the use of sound-fonts with Qsynth. You can add in a lot of sound-fonts with Qsynth, and then assign them (either using a particular sound, or incorporating "sound banks") to midi channels. I am currently have assigned instruments to 10 midi channels (2 have been reserved for my B3 Organ. In addition, you can save these midi assigns as different "preset names" to be saved and loaded as needed during performance or practice.
:In order to assign MIDI channels in Qsynth, when you click the '''Channels''' button, you will see the '''Channels dialog box''' appear. Notice that this dialog box allows for a total of 16 midi channels (this is more than I require for a typical practice or performance). If you require more, you can save different midi instrument assignments to various profiles (perhaps to be loaded between your sets).
:'''Steps to Assignment of Instruments:'''
[[Image:midi2.png|thumb|right|300px|'''Assigning Instrument''' (program) to a '''Bank''' (i.e. "''SFID"'' or ''"Offset"'').]]
:# '''When adding sound-fonts into Qsynth, write-down the SFID number''' (i.e. Sound-font Identification number) - Do NOT close this dialog box quite yet!:# Now, here's the trick: For each sound font, '''make certain that the "Offset" number corresponds to the same number as the SFID!''':# Now, '''click OK to save and exit''' the sound-font dialog box.:# If you are running Jack, then you need to '''restart the Jack engine'''. This will require that you manually connect the instruments in the "Jack Connections" dialog box. If this is "a pain", you could always quit all applications, and re-run your Bash shell script to launch your music session...:# Go to the '''Channels dialog box, and double-click on a midi channel'''.<br />I am selecting the next available '''channel - 13'''.:# The '''Channel 13 Midi Channel Dialog box''' appears.:# '''Select the Bank number''' (which corresponds to the Offset or SFID that you have written-down).:# Then '''click on the program number to select an instrument''' (depending on the sound-font, there may be only one to select, or a wide variety if the sound-font is a bank of sounds).:# '''!! NOTE: in order for the changes to take effect, you need to click the Save button; otherwise, all your changes will be lost!''':# You may need to restart the Jack engine and re-establish your connections. :'''When you are ready to record, click the record button in the Audacity transport toolbar, and then listen to the recorded tracks as a guide when to start playing your keyboards. When finished, then click the stop button in Audacity. It is recommended to immediately click the rewind button to set the position to the beginning of the track'''. ===== Additional Notes=====
:'''My M-AUDIO keyboard allows me to easily change between midi channels by pressing the Advanced Functions button, and then pressing a note on the keyboard that corresponds to the midi channel'''. Easy-Breezy, and efficient! :)
:Here is a link to documentation of my this author's M-AUDIO midi keyboard for reference:
[ [http://www.m-audio.com/images/global/manuals/050505-KSSeries_UG_EN01.pdf http://www.m-audio.com/images/global/manuals/050505-KSSeries_UG_EN01.pdf] ]
===== Dealing With Latency Issues (Keyboard) =====
:When laying down multiple tracks among different instruments, you may find that a track may be '''out-of-sync''' with the other tracks. This is probably due to the '''latency''' or "'''delay'''" from playing your keyboard instrument.
:Note that your keyboard is hooked up to a device to read input to the computer system. There will be latency (or in other words, a delay) between the time you press a key on the keyboard, and when that sound is generated via Qysnth. This is quite normal with other programs. In fact, when using my computer setup when playing keyboards, I have become so accustomed to the delay, that is takes me a second to realize it is not strange when playing a REAL piano with no latency!
[[Image:preference2.png|thumb|500px|right ]]
:The good news is that '''Audacity can be set to factor in the latency from devices such as keyboards'''. In fact, if you notice carefully after recording a keyboard track, that the length of the track (after recording is complete) will slightly compress to compensate for this latency or delay. Therefore, all that is required is to find the optimum "correction amount" to compensate for keyboard latency.
:Steps to Compensate for Keyboard Latency: :# In the Audacity menu bar, select '''EDIT''' -> '''Preferences''' :# The Audacity Preferences Dialog Box will appear.:# Select the '''Recording''' tab.:# <u>Increase</u> or <u>decrease</u> the '''Latency Correction''' amount (in milliseconds) to obtain the correct balance.:# Click '''OK''' to save changes.
=== Adding Vocals ===
:Plug the microphone either into the XLR port or the 1/4 inch port (depending on the microphone connection). In this case for the Tascam US-122 USB Device, switch one of the front ports from "guitar" to "mic". Make certain that the input volume control knob is somewhere in-between zero and full setting.
:In the '''Audacity Preferences dialog box, under devices, select "system"'''. The device "system" relates to the USB inputs for vocal and guitar, or any device that plugs into the USB device (eg. XLR microphone, or a 1/4 inch plug).
:By default, this application uses the computer system's default input device (which you selected earlier). To record your voice, simply click the record button in the transport toolbar, and start recording your voice. You should notice a track automatically appears as you are recording your voice. When you have completed recording, then click the stop button. It is recommended that you click the rewind button (contain in the transport toolbar) to return the pointer to beginning of the recording.
== Mixing Down to an MP3 File == <table> <tr valign="top"> <td>:It is highly recommended to save your audio project in the default "audacity" file format (aup). This create storage file, as well as creates a folder containing all audio data relating to that project. It is recommended to keep those files for future editing and mixing even if a final version of the song has already been created. :In order to convert the audio project into a song (like an MP3, WAV, OGG file), then in the '''File''' menu select '''Export'''. :In the Export File dialog box, the user enters the name of the audio file, and at the bottom selects the type of file format. :Some of the file formats include: ::* MP3::* OGG::* WAV::* WMA::* GSM
==Quickest Efficient Method for Shutting Down Multiple Recording Applications==[[Image:dockPAnel.png|thumb|600px| '''Triangles that appear under the application icons in the docking panel indicate program(s) running'''. The user can '''right-click and select "close" or "close all'''". ]]After the recording session, there are many applications that are open. The quickest and most efficient method to closing applications is by using the docking station panel.When an application is running, a triangle appears below the application icon to indicate an instance or multiple instances of that application running. To close the running application(s), simple right-click on the application icon, a select "close" or "close" all.
==Interesting Features==
====Importing Music into Audacity====
====Reducing Tempo (Without Affecting Pitch)====
====Creating Playback Loops====
==== Tutorials ====