peteb Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 (edited) Can anyone point me towards a resource to give me an [color=black][s]idiot’s[/s][/color][color=black] [/color]beginner'’s guide to using Audacity, or alternatively give me any useful tips how to start using it?? Initially I am just trying to load songs from iTunes into Audacity then re-record the bass parts. I have already downloaded Audacity 2.0.5 and am using a laptop with Windows 7 o/s. Edited May 1, 2014 by peteb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Audacity documentation and tutorials [url="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/documentation"]here[/url] How to import Itunes into audacity [url="http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/How_to_import_files_from_iTunes"]here[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 Cheers Paul... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughie Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 .. once u get used to it, it's straightforward but some of the terminolgy takes practice. Audacity is like an old multi track recorder with unlimited channels and a massive level of editing. One you've got it open the help function (top right) is really really good. You can import mp3 files or wav or whatever. When you save an open activity in Audacity, it saves it as a Audacity project file so that when u open it next time u can continue to edit etc. If u want to create mp3 or wav or whatever just use the export function not just save. As an aside, I'd normally use FL Studio and or Studio One for creating music but because i use Linux rather than Windows, Audacity can be used in both I'm discovering how good Audacity is. Linux for music has previously been impenetrable for me so this is all good stuff. I've got a Focusrite sound card and Audacity always works and easily. Just plug a mic or guitar in and press record. One thing I use Audacity for is transferring my old saggy cassette based songs to PC. Then I can add reverb, change tempo, repair the mix, repair holes add compression etc etc etc etc ... Good luck ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skol303 Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Audacity is a great piece of freeware (I use it frequently for cleaning up audio) but it's a little 'clumsy' for what you're trying to achieve. Have a look at Reaper, which is available for free on an unlimited trial basis or commercially for around £50. Bucketloads of tutorials for it on YouTube: http://www.reaper.fm And lots of Reaper users lurking around in the Recording forum on Basschat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 [quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1409855730' post='2544055'] Audacity is a great piece of freeware (I use it frequently for cleaning up audio) but it's a little 'clumsy' for what you're trying to achieve. Have a look at Reaper, which is available for free on an unlimited trial basis or commercially for around £50. Bucketloads of tutorials for it on YouTube: [url="http://www.reaper.fm"]http://www.reaper.fm[/url] And lots of Reaper users lurking around in the Recording forum on Basschat [/quote] I find Reaper [i]et al[/i] far too overwhelming and busy for what the OP is trying to achieve. Audacity makes perfect sense to me when I try to do such things (tack some of my bass onto a pre-existing recording then mix down). A DAW is crazy complicated looking thing for such a simple task - it might as well be the flight deck of an aeroplane to me and I'm not stupid or some kind of technophobe - I work in IT and I've been using computers since I was 8. But I just look at a DAW and go WTF? I have tried a few (Reaper, Ardour are the two I recall) and it's been the same reaction every time. Each to their own. When I hit the wall and can't do something in Audacity, I'll revisit DAWs and maybe make a better go of it because I have to. But right now, I don't have to, and I really don't want to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skol303 Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 [quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1409878478' post='2544320']I find Reaper [i]et al[/i] far too overwhelming and busy for what the OP is trying to achieve. Audacity makes perfect sense to me when I try to do such things (tack some of my bass onto a pre-existing recording then mix down). A DAW is crazy complicated looking thing for such a simple task - it might as well be the flight deck of an aeroplane to me and I'm not stupid or some kind of technophobe - I work in IT and I've been using computers since I was 8. But I just look at a DAW and go WTF? I have tried a few (Reaper, Ardour are the two I recall) and it's been the same reaction every time. Each to their own. When I hit the wall and can't do something in Audacity, I'll revisit DAWs and maybe make a better go of it because I have to. But right now, I don't have to, and I really don't want to [/quote] That's a totally understandable reaction! Pretty much all DAWs do look hideously complex when you first start using them (perhaps with the exception of [url="https://www.propellerheads.se/products/reason/"]Reason[/url], my own preference, but it's not the cheapest of the bunch). If you set aside, say, two hours to learn the basics of any DAW - using YouTube tutorials is a great way to do this - then you'll be over the initial technical hurdle and it just gets easier, quicker and more creative from thereon in. I promise. It's that initial [i]"WTF! Where the heck do I start!?"[/i] reaction that puts a lot of people off. I was no different when I started producing music. You just need to persevere a little - like I said, a couple of hours should do it - and after that you'll be well underway. The benefit of doing so is that you can achieve [i]much[/i] more with a DAW than you can with Audacity. And you can do what Audacity does much better once you've learnt the ropes (not that I'm knocking Audacity - as I said before, I use it frequently myself). But heh. If you know what you like and like what you know, then there's a strong argument for just sticking with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mornats Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 Off-topic a little but if you're Mac-based GarageBand is a good place to start with in the world of DAWs. It's not overly complicated and is quite cut-down to the point where you're not given an overwhelming choice of things to do/click. Once you get familiar with that you'll find things like Reaper easy to deal with as you'll see the basics in GarageBand featured in Reaper and you can get used to those. Then you can start exploring the whole world of possibilities that Reaper offers! I started out on the Mac with GarageBand before moving to Reaper on the PC and it was a nice introduction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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