The Book of Audacity

The Book of Audacity is the definitive guide to Audacity, the powerful, free, cross-platform audio editor. Audacity allows anyone to transform their Windows, Mac, or Linux computer into a powerful recording studio.

The Book of Audacity is the perfect book for bands on a budget, solo artists, audiophiles, and anyone who wants to learn more about digital audio. Musician and podcaster Carla Schroder will guide you through a range of fun and useful Audacity projects that will demystify that geeky audio jargon and show you how to get the most from Audacity.

You’ll learn how to:

• Record podcasts, interviews, and live performances
• Be your own backing band or chorus
• Edit, splice, mix, and master multitrack recordings
• Create super-high fidelity and surround-sound recordings
• Digitize your vinyl or tape collection and clean up noise, hisses, and clicks
• Create custom ringtones and sweet special effects

In addition, you’ll learn how to choose and use digital audio hardware like mics and preamps, and tune your computer for flawless audio performance. You’ll also find out how to package your work for digital distribution, whether you want to share a podcast through iTunes or sell your own CDs. Become your own producer with The Book of Audacity. The fun starts now.

Table of Contents

1: Audacity from Start to Finish

2: Building a Good Digital Sound Studio on the Cheap

3: Transferring Vinyl LPs (and Other Legacy Media) to CD

4: Creating and Editing Live Tracks for CD

5: Authoring a Compilation CD

6: Authoring Super High-Fidelity Audio DVDs

7: Creating Podcasts

8: Becoming an Online Star

9: Multitrack Recording

10: Making Your Own Ringtones

11: Audacity Plug-ins for Special Effects

12: Fix-its and Cleanups

13: Configuring Linux for Best Audio Quality

14: Configuring Windows for Best Audio Quality

15: Customizing Audacity

Appendix A: Audio Hardware

Appendix B: Glossary

Appendix C: Seven Myths of Digital Audio

About the Author

Carla Schroder is a systems and network administrator. She is the author of Linux Cookbook and Linux Networking Cookbook (both O’Reilly), as well as hundreds of how-to’s for various technology publications. Carla enjoys playing instruments and recording local bands using Audacity.