Launched on December 27, 2022, the Audacity Channel podcast is an extension of The Audacity Bootcamp online school and the Learn Audacity website, and is a resource for podcasters, podcast editors, podcast producers, and ACX audiobook creators who use Audacity as their software of choice when creating spoken word recordings. We explore how to use Audacity to create exceptional audio for podcasts and ACX audiobooks.
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Audacity version 3.6.2 is out and it includes the Legacy Compressor and the Legacy Limiter that were part of Audacity prior to version 3.6. In this episode I show you how to get to these legacy effects and the right way to add them to a macro. Other Places You'll Find Me: The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrator…
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![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
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The New Limiter and Compressor in 3.6.0 and 3.6.1 Are Not Compatible With Macros Written For Earlier Versions
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If you're running a macro that was built for earlier versions of Audacity prior to 3.6.0, and part of that macro includes the Limiter and/or Compressor, it's probably going to fail when invoked. The reason is that the new versions of these plugins have been rewritten for realtime use and the setting options have changed. In this episode I suggest 3…
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Welcome to episode 30 of The Audacity Channel Podcast. Yes, this podcast is no longer in the seasons format but I've changed it to a serial format. Let's talk about version 3.6.0 of Audacity that came out today. After we do, I'll be giving you a short cancer update. Was diagnosed with cancer in April and I wanted to talk about it in case you hadn't…
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This episode of The Audacity Channel podcast is for MAC users of Audacity and it concerns a compatibility issue that's in Audacity when running Mac OS 14.2.1, Sonoma. The record and playback toolbars have a problem, so let's talk about it. Other Places You'll Find Me: The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. T…
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In this episode of The Audacity Channel podcast, I share with you my Audacity wishlist for 2024. To simplify my wishlist, I've divided it into 2 major sections: Tracks and Plugins. We look first at tracks and then we turn our attention to plugins. If your podcast app has this feature, see the timestamps for specific topics. In the event your podcas…
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Audacity version 3.4.0 is out but there's a bug you need to know about, along with a temporary fix if this bug is bugging you! I'm also a little disappointed with this update because even though it's a major update, there isn't any real change or improvements for us spoken word content creators. There are some updates and improvements for those in …
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I've been presented with a couple of business opportunities that I'm going to take advantage of. That means that I'm going to have to channel my audio and video resources and skills elsewhere for a time. To clear off my plate a little, some things have to be rearranged. So I'm putting The Audacity Channel podcast on hiatus for the time being. It wi…
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Welcome to season 3 of the Audacity Channel podcast. I'm building the theme of season 3 around Audacity how-tos. In this first episode I take a look at how to fix a loud noise floor using the built-in effects in Audacity. I'm assuming a couple of things here, namely that the noise floor we're trying to fix doesn't have any weird artifacts in it lik…
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Due to circumstances beyond my control (like moving, hanging endless curtains on thousands of windows, endless back-to-back meetings with contractors and repair people, policing the landscapers, being an amazing husband, and finally putting together a vocal booth, I've had to delay the start of Season 3 until next week, May 31st. I hope you'll join…
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In this final episode of Season 2, I talk about exporting your project as an MP3 file and some of the things that are easy to overlook in Audacity when exporting. I also mention a couple of things related to ACX audiobook requirements to keep in mind if you're exporting your project as an audiobook chapter or chapters. Don't forget I teach in-depth…
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Setting the correct loudness level (LUFS) for your podcast is an important step in post-production that shouldn't be overlooked. Leveling your audio helps ensure consistent loudness from beginning to end and gives the listener a better listening experience because they don't have to constantly adjust the volume of your podcast as it plays. Doing lo…
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I'm taking a short detour from our regular Season 2 episodes to let you know Audacity has released version 3.3.0. I made a video outlining what's new and what's changed in Audacity 3.3.0. The link is below, as well as a link to Audacity's GitHub page which outlines the changes. I'll post our regular Season 2 video in a couple of days. The link to m…
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Let's take a few minutes to talk about using realtime effects in Audacity. The ability to add realtime, non-destructive effects takes Audacity to an entirely new level as a mainstream digital audio workstation. Plus, it's free! My purpose in this video isn't to recommend specific plugins (there are so many out there, making that a near impossible t…
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Let's talk about recording and editing in multi-track as opposed to single track where everyone in the show is recording on the same track and possibly even the intro and outro music. I've been doing multi-track recording and editing for years now. But when I began doing podcasts, I recorded everything onto one track. That's a challenge because if …
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What is sample rate, bit depth, and bit rate? It's important to know what each of these is and what settings to use for each because all three contribute directly to the overall quality of our final audio. So let's take some time to talk about them using easy-to-understand definitions. Here's a look at where we've been and where we're going in this…
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One of the things that helps me be a better podcaster and spoken word content creator is seeing what other creators do. Getting a glimpse of the hardware and production processes of other podcasters and audiobook creators challenges me to improve where I can. In this episode, I give you a rundown of the hardware I use in my recording chain. Enjoy! …
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Arguably, knowing how to speak correctly into the mic you're using for the room you're in is the single biggest factor when it comes to recording good initial audio, as opposed to bad or mediocre audio. Good microphone technique can make audio recorded in a bad recording environment, sound good. On the flip side, bad microphone technique can make a…
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Let's talk next about good microphone placement. Depending on the conditioning of our recording room and the type of microphone we're using, where we place our microphone can have an impact on the quality of our initial audio. For example, audio reflections tend to converge at or near the center of a room, especially in a poorly treated space or an…
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In this episode we continue the theme of Season 2, the ingredients for good audio, with a look at microphone types. The microphone we select will contribute significantly to the quality of audio in our initial recording. Choosing a mic that compliments our room is imperative. Choosing the wrong microphone for the room we're in can result in the maj…
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Welcome to The Audacity Channel podcast. This season of the show is dedicated to making our initial audio as good as it can be. Making sure we've done all we can do to make our initial recordings the best they can be can save hours of editing and post-production mastering and cleanup. In this initial episode of Season 2, we return to the topic of r…
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Let's talk about Audacity's powerful tools for ACX audiobook production. Audacity lends itself seamlessly to ACX audiobook production. Meeting the ACX requirements for audiobooks can be a real challenge but it's a challenge that Audacity simplifies if we know where the right tools are and how to use them. In this episode we look at: RMS level requi…
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In this episode I want to talk about the importance of knowing Audacity fundamentals. Even though we now have the ability to use realtime non-destructive tools in Audacity, knowing the fundamentals and how to get around in Audacity, as well as knowing when and how to use some of the pre-packaged effects remains relevant. This is why I still teach t…
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The release of Audacity version 3.2.4 includes a fix of the Meter Toolbars. Previously, any resizing of the meter toolbars would be lost when Audacity was closed. But with the release of version 3.2.4 that is no longer the case. Now when we resize a meter toolbar, it retains that size until we change it again. I also give Chris Curran a shout out f…
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There is a de-clicker plugin available on the Audacity website that can be downloaded and installed in your version of Audacity. The de-clicker is useful for removing unwanted mouth sounds and other unwanted clicks in your audio. Here's a link to the de-clicker. You'll see it about halfway down the page, on the left side. https://forum.audacityteam…
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![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
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Great Audio Starts Here: Room Treatments, Microphone Placement, Microphone Type, and Microphone Technique
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Post-production editing of our podcasts can be grueling. It can be an exhausting time-consuming part of our audio production if we're not intentional about the recording phase. There are things we can do before pressing record that will save valuable time in post-production. Getting a good initial audio recording is indispensable because it can lit…
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This question pops up every so often so I thought it would be a good idea to talk about it. Digital waveforms are a recent phenomenon in the history of the world. They began to emerge in the early 1970s as digital music began gaining traction. It became increasingly necessary to convert analog audio into digital audio so computers would know what t…
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In this episode I wrap up a few loose ends from the previous one concerning the new Default filter option for viewing plugins and I talk about how to recover plugins that might go missing. Plus, saving our realtime effects chains is on its way in a future release of Audacity. This is going to be a big time-saver when applying the same effects chain…
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And just like that, version 3.2.3 of Audacity has been released. I'm pressed for time today but I wanted to make this short episode to get this info out to you. I've confirmed that there is a new Effects view option in 3.2.3 called Default that wasn't there in version 3.2.2. You can get to it by going to the Preferences window and and selecting Eff…
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It's launch day for The Audacity Channel and The Audacity Bootcamp online school! In this episode I talk about the new Audio Setup button and the Share Audio button that were a part of the Audacity version 3.2.0 release. While the old Device Toolbar is now hidden behind the new Audio Setup button, you can still get it back if that's your preference…
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I'm squeezing out another pre-launch episode to talk about asymmetric, or lopsided waveforms vs DC offset. Is a lopsided waveform the same as DC offset? I've noticed in some recent recordings I've done for a new online course I'm teaching that some of the waveforms are a little lopsided. This isn't usually a problem unless it's extreme where clippi…
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Most of us are already aware that Audacity version 3.2.0 has been released but did you know that version 3.2.1 just came out? There wasn't much fanfare around its release because it's a patch release, but at least one of the fixes in this release is significant if you use Audacity on an M1 or M2 Mac like I do. The fix is in the ffmpeg library for M…
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The Audacity Channel will launch in the winter of 2022, coinciding with the official opening of the Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and audiobook narrators. The strength of The Audacity Channel will be the conversations I have with other Audacity podcasters and audiobook narrators as we talk about real-life issues we face in using Au…
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