Tutorial - Your First Recording

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Contents

Step 1: Plug in your input source

Talk about various types of audio cables you might have and how you need to adapt them for a typical sound card. Some of the images to use.

The rear of a typical PC Color-coded inputs on a sound card Audio connections on a Mac A picture of a 1/8" (3.5mm) mono jack A picture of a 1/8" (3.5mm) stereo jack A picture of a 1/4" mono jack A picture of a 1/4" stereo jack A picture of an RCA plug A picture of an XLR connector A picture of a USB connector A picture of a USB input on a computer

Step 2: Configure Audacity to record from that device

Start with Audio I/O Preferences

Next, input source from Meter toolbar - though note that this is less and less necessary these days. (Is the input device on the toolbar yet? If so, the Preferences may not be necessary!)

Click on the recording meter in the Meter toolbar to start recording. Show a before and after picture so it's really clear to the user.

Step 3: Do a test recording, set levels

Adjust based on meter, then try recording a few seconds, and play it back

Talk about clipping and why it's bad. Show pictures of egregious clipping:

An example of a waveform An example of a digitized waveform showing clipping

Undo

Step 4: Full Recording

Also talk about timed recording

Step 5: Edit Recording

Trim beginning and end, normalize volume

Step 6: Save or Export

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