Audacity Bootcamp: Recent Episodes

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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:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 options as a workaround.

Here's the link I mentioned to hotfix issues that were addressed in version 3.6.1.

https://support.audacityteam.org/additional-resources/changelog/audacity-3.6.1

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 heard. Plus, it explains my absence.

I'm providing chapter divisions in case you want to skip to a particular chapter that interests you.

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 podcast app doesn't support timestamps, here they are for your reference:

00:00 Introduction
00:55 Move the Meter Toolbars into the Track Control Panel and Make Vertical
02:34 Arm Individual Tracks to Record
03:10 Assign Individual Audio Interface Inputs to a Track for Multi-Track Recording
04:37 Give Us a Master Track With The Ability to Add Effects
05:49 Save FX as FX Chains For Quick Reuse
06:35 Save a Track as a Track Template
07:49 Save a Project as a Project Template
08:36 Make more of the destructive built-in effects real-time and non-destructive
09:40 Make Loudness Normalization a real-time effect
10:26 Make the Noise Reduction plugin a real-time effect
11:10 Make the ACX Check plugin part of the Audacity installation package
12:33 Make the FilterCurve EQ a real-time plugin and add the loaded preset to the interface window.
13:28 Make the Compressor and Noise Gate real-time effects
13:45 Summary
14:21 The Audacity Bootcamp 30% off sale is going on now thru January 1, 2024. Enter coupon code HOLIDAY30 at checkout.

Thanks for joining me on this episode of The Audacity Channel podcast. If you're looking for quality Audacity training, be sure to check out my Audacity courses at https://www.audacitybootcamp.com/ and enter the coupon code HOLIDAY30 to save an additional 30% off of the already low price. I hope to see you there!

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 the music world but little if anything it seems, for those of us who don't do music creation.

Audacity's overview video of version 3.4 for musicians:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgdYuSHdkso&t=0s

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 will still be here - I'm not taking it down - and I may drop a new episode from time-to-time. We'll see what the future holds.

Thanks to everyone who follows this podcast. I appreciate you all.

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 like barking dogs or other background noises that don't belong. That's a problem for a different episode.

• Link to ACX Check Plugin if Needed: https://support.audacityteam.org/troubleshooting/missing-features#audacity-wiki
• Link to my video demonstrating what I talk about in this episode: https://youtu.be/akizoySBus4

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 me!

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 Audacity training courses at the Audacity Bootcamp. You'll find me there by visiting https://www.audacitybootcamp.com.

I'll see you in Season 3, beginning May 24th.

Here's a look at where we've been in this season of The Audacity Channel podcast:

• Episode 1: Recording Room Preparation
• Episode 2: Microphone Types
• Episode 3: Microphone Placement
• Episode 4: Microphone Technique
• Episode 5: My Recording Hardware Chain
• Episode 6: Audio Quality: Hitting the Mark with Sample Rate, Bit Depth, and Bit Rate
• Episode 7: Editing Multi-Track Projects in Audacity
• Episode 8: Adding Realtime Effects in Audacity
• Episode 9: Bonus Episode - Audacity 3.3.0 Released
• Episode 10: Setting The Correct LUFS Level For Your Podcast
• Episode 11: Exporting Our Audacity Project as an MP3 (This Episode)

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 loudness leveling minimizes the loudness fluctuations that can otherwise occur, things like audio trailing off at the end of a sentence or loudness differences between multiple hosts or guests.

The LUFS level for a stereo podcast is -16dB LUFS. For a mono podcast, it's -19dB LUFS. In this episode I suggest a few different tools that are available to help you hit your LUFS target level for the kind of podcast you're doing, either stereo or mono.

Resources for LUFS leveling I mention in this podcast:
In addition to Audacity's built-in loudness leveler, I talk about...

• Waves WLM Plus Loudness Meter - https://www.waves.com/plugins/wlm-loudness-meter
• The Auphonic website and desktop leveler - https://auphonic.com/

Here's a look at where we've been and where we're going in this season of The Audacity Channel podcast:

• Episode 1: Recording Room Preparation
• Episode 2: Microphone Types
• Episode 3: Microphone Placement
• Episode 4: Microphone Technique
• Episode 5: My Recording Hardware Chain
• Episode 6: Audio Quality: Hitting the Mark with Sample Rate, Bit Depth, and Bit Rate
• Episode 7: Editing Multi-Track Projects in Audacity
• Episode 8: Adding Realtime Effects in Audacity
• Episode 9: Bonus Episode - Audacity 3.3.0 Released
• Episode 10: Setting The Correct LUFS Level For Your Podcast (This Episode)
• Episode 11: Exporting Our Audacity Project as an MP3

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 my Audacity 3.3.0 Video:
https://youtu.be/-qzvqn-08D0

Audacity's GitHub Page:
https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases

Enjoy!

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 task). My purpose is to talk about how to add realtime effects and then describe my order of realtime effects when editing a podcast. I don't mention compression as one of my effects because I use a hardware compressor (my DBX 286S) so my audio is compressed before it ever gets recorded.

Here's a look at where we've been and where we're going in this season of The Audacity Channel podcast:

• Episode 1: Recording Room Preparation
• Episode 2: Microphone Types
• Episode 3: Microphone Placement
• Episode 4: Microphone Technique
• Episode 5: My Recording Hardware Chain
• Episode 6: Audio Quality: Hitting the Mark with Sample Rate, Bit Depth, and Bit Rate
• Episode 7: Editing Multi-Track Projects in Audacity
• Episode 8: Adding Realtime Effects in Audacity (This Episode)
• Episode 9: How To Set The Correct LUFS Level
• Episode 10: Exporting Our Audacity Project as an MP3

Links I talk about in this episode:

• Audacity De-Clicker: https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/updated-de-clicker-and-new-de-esser-for-speech/34283
• VIDEO: Audacity De-Clicker vs. The iZotope Mouth De-Clicker: https://youtu.be/EQHaWQRYViw

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 you have more than one person on your podcast, what works for EQ and other tonal adjustments for one of them, probably won't work as well for the other. In addition, if the person not speaking makes a sound while the other person's talking it's going to be hard, if not impossible to delete that piece of audio. Multi-track makes post-production so much easier.

Here's a look at where we've been and where we're going in this season of The Audacity Channel podcast:

• Episode 1: Recording Room Preparation
• Episode 2: Microphone Types
• Episode 3: Microphone Placement
• Episode 4: Microphone Technique
• Episode 5: My Recording Hardware Chain
• Episode 6: Audio Quality: Hitting the Mark with Sample Rate, Bit Depth, and Bit Rate (This Episode)
• Episode 7: Editing Multi-Track Projects in Audacity (This Episode)
• Episode 8: Adding Realtime Effects in Audacity
• Episode 9: How To Set The Correct LUFS Level
• Episode 10: Exporting Our Audacity Project as an MP3

Links I talk about in this episode (these are affiliate links so I get a couple of dollars if you purchase using these links).

• Zoom H6 Recorder: https://amzn.to/3mv6DyD
• Zoom Podtrak P4: https://amzn.to/3UsOvls
• Zoom H8 Portable Recorder: https://amzn.to/43n7nqa

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 season of The Audacity Channel podcast:

• Episode 1: Recording Room Preparation
• Episode 2: Microphone Types
• Episode 3: Microphone Placement
• Episode 4: Microphone Technique
• Episode 5: My Recording Hardware Chain
• Episode 6: Audio Quality: Hitting the Mark with Sample Rate, Bit Depth, and Bit Rate (This Episode)
• Episode 7: Editing Multi-Track Projects in Audacity
• Episode 8: Adding Realtime Effects in Audacity
• Episode 9: How To Set The Correct LUFS Level
• Episode 10: Exporting Our Audacity Project as an MP3

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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!

Here's a look at where we've been and where we're going in this season of The Audacity Channel podcast:

• Episode 1: Recording Room Preparation
• Episode 2: Microphone Types
• Episode 3: Microphone Placement
• Episode 4: Microphone Technique
• Episode 5: My Recording Hardware Chain (This Episode)
• Episode 6: Audio Quality: Hitting the Mark for Excellent Audio
• Episode 7: Editing Multi-Track Projects in Audacity
• Episode 8: Adding Realtime Effects in Audacity
• Episode 9: How To Set The Correct LUFS Level
• Episode 10: Exporting Our Audacity Project as an MP3

Reminder: MARCH MADNESS IS HAPPENING NOW AT THE AUDACITY BOOTCAMP! There are only a few days left in The Audacity Bootcamp 50% off March Madness sale. To take advantage of this 50% off sale, simply enter the coupon code MADNESS when signing up for a course. This is 50% off the already low cost of my Audacity courses and I cover your sales tax!! To take advantage of this March Madness sale, point your web browser to The Audacity Bootcamp Online School for Podcasters and Audiobook Narrators at:

• https://www.audacitybootcamp.com/

Once there, select the course(s) you're interested in, enroll and enter the coupon code MADNESS. But hurry! This sale ends in just a few short days! Once you enroll, you own the course. There is no recurring fee and there are no strings attached. My course videos are comprehensive and will give you the skills and confidence you need so you can produce exceptional audio using Audacity. But don't take my word for it. Check out the reviews while you're there and take advantage of the free preview videos I've provided.

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 audio recorded in a well-treated room sound mediocre, or just downright bad. Good microphone technique is tied to the type of mic you're using and is one more ingredient to making sure our initial audio is as good as it can be.

Here's a look at where we've been and where we're going in this season of The Audacity Channel podcast:

• Episode 1: Recording Room Preparation
• Episode 2: Microphone Types
• Episode 3: Microphone Placement
• Episode 4: Microphone Technique (This Episode)
• Episode 5: My Recording Hardware Chain
• Episode 6: Audio Quality: Hitting the Mark for Excellent Audio
• Episode 7: Editing Multi-Track Projects in Audacity
• Episode 8: Adding Realtime Effects in Audacity
• Episode 9: How To Set The Correct LUFS Level
• Episode 10: Exporting Our Audacity Project as an MP3

Reminder: MARCH MADNESS IS IN FULL SWING AT THE AUDACITY BOOTCAMP! The Audacity Bootcamp 50% off March Madness sale is happening the entire month of March. To take advantage of this 50% off sale, simply enter the coupon code MADNESS when signing up for a course. This is 50% off the already low cost of my Audacity courses and I cover your sales tax!! To take advantage of this March Madness sale, point your web browser to The Audacity Bootcamp Online School for Podcasters and Audiobook Narrators at:

• https://www.audacitybootcamp.com/

Once there, select the course(s) you're interested in, enroll and enter the coupon code MADNESS. Once you enroll, you own the course. There is no recurring fee and there are no strings attached. My course videos are comprehensive and will give you the skills and confidence you need so you can produce exceptional audio using Audacity. But don't take my word for it. Check out the reviews while you're there and take advantage of the free preview videos I've provided.

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 untreated space. Bass tones like to hang out in the corners of a room and those reflections can get back into our mic and become a problem. So let's take a few minutes and talk about it.

Here's a look at where we've been and where we're going in this season of The Audacity Channel podcast:

• Episode 1: Recording Room Preparation
• Episode 2: Microphone Types
• Episode 3: Microphone Placement (This Episode)
• Episode 4: Microphone Technique
• Episode 5: My Recording Hardware Chain
• Episode 6: Audio Quality: Hitting the Mark for Excellent Audio
• Episode 7: Editing Multi-Track Projects in Audacity
• Episode 8: Adding Realtime Effects in Audacity
• Episode 9: How To Set The Correct LUFS Level
• Episode 10: Exporting Our Audacity Project as an MP3

Reminder: MARCH MADNESS IS IN FULL SWING AT THE AUDACITY BOOTCAMP! The Audacity Bootcamp 50% off March Madness sale is happening the entire month of March. To take advantage of this 50% off sale, simply enter the coupon code MADNESS when signing up for a course. This is 50% off the already low cost of my Audacity courses and I cover your sales tax!! To take advantage of this March Madness sale, point your web browser to The Audacity Bootcamp Online School for Podcasters and Audiobook Narrators at:

• https://www.audacitybootcamp.com/

Once there, select the course(s) you're interested in, enroll and enter the coupon code MADNESS. Once you enroll, you own the course. There is no recurring fee and there are no strings attached. My course videos are comprehensive and will give you the skills and confidence you need so you can produce exceptional audio using Audacity. But don't take my word for it. Check out the reviews while you're there and take advantage of the free preview videos I've provided.

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 majority of our post-production time being spent trying to fix bad audio instead of making good audio, better.

Here are some microphones to consider. Full discloser, these are affiliate links. That means that while the price is the same, I earn a little bit (very little) from each purchase using these links.

Condenser Mics

• RØDE NT1 Large Diaphragm Mic - https://amzn.to/3IK2pKs
• RØDE NT1A Large Diaphragm Mic - https://amzn.to/3ZsObF5
• RØDE NT-USB-MINI - https://amzn.to/3ZlAUhG
• Synco D2 Small Diaphragm Shotgun Mic - https://amzn.to/3ywQf3f
• Sennheiser MKH 416 Small Diaphragm Shotgun Mic - https://amzn.to/3KUVMHZ
• Audio-Technica AT2020 XLR Mic - https://amzn.to/41KKlst
• Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ Mic - https://amzn.to/3EUCrDe
• Lewitt LCT440 Pure Large Diaphragm Mic - https://amzn.to/3L0KFxu
• Neumann TLM 102 Large Diaphragm Mic - https://amzn.to/3ZlD4xz

Dynamic Mics

• Samsom Q2U USB/XLR Mic - https://amzn.to/3SPIezu
• Samsom Q9U USB/XLR Mic - https://amzn.to/3F0oROq
• Audio-Technica ATR2100 USB/XLR Mic - https://amzn.to/3Jh3smA
• Audio-Technica AT2040 XLR Mic - https://amzn.to/3ZZySDV
• Shure SM57 Mic - https://amzn.to/3mubSOV
• Shure SM58 Mic - https://amzn.to/3SUe5iv
• Shure MV7X XLR Mic - https://amzn.to/41P0wF2
• Shure MV7 USB/XLR Mic - https://amzn.to/3ybgHz0
• Shure SM7B XLR Mic - https://amzn.to/3ydAFJr
• Electro-Voice RE-20 XLR Mic & Shock Mount - https://amzn.to/3KXcvKQ
• Electro-Voice RE-320 XLR Mic - https://amzn.to/41OBWo0

It's March Madness at the Audacity Bootcamp! Save 50% on my courses at https://audacitybootcamp.com

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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Welcome to Season 2 of 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 room treatments. Good recorded audio for our podcasts and audiobooks starts with a well-treated room or recording space and room treatments don't have to be expensive to work well. In fact, you may already have everything you need to treat a room for spoken word recordings.

Here's a look at the topics we're covering in each episode of Season 2 of The Audacity Channel podcast:

• Episode 1: Recording Room Preparation
• Episode 2: Microphone Types
• Episode 3: Microphone Placement
• Episode 4: Microphone Technique
• Episode 5: My Recording Hardware Chain
• Episode 6: Audio Quality: Hitting the Mark for Excellent Audio
• Episode 7: Editing Multi-Track Projects in Audacity
• Episode 8: Adding Realtime Effects in Audacity
• Episode 9: How To Set The Correct LUFS Level
• Episode 10: Exporting Our Audacity Project as an MP3

MARCH MADNESS STARTS NOW! The Audacity Bootcamp 50% off March Madness sale is happening the entire month of March. To take advantage of this 50% off sale, simply enter the coupon code MADNESS when signing up for a course. This is 50% off the already low cost of my Audacity courses and I cover your sales tax!! To take advantage of this March Madness sale, point your web browser to:

• The Audacity Bootcamp Online School for Podcasters and Audiobook Narrators

Once there, select the course(s) you're interested in, enroll and enter the coupon code MADNESS. Once you enroll, you own the course. There is no recurring fee and there are no strings attached. My course videos are comprehensive and will give you the skills and confidence you need so you can produce exceptional audio using Audacity. But don't take my word for it. Check out the reviews while you're there and take advantage of the free preview videos I've provided.

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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[S1, Ep12] 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 requirement and how to get there using Audacity
• Peak audio requirements and how to get there using Audacity
• Sample rate requirements and how to get there using Audacity
• Noise floor definition and requirements using Audacity
• How to check your audio before uploading it using ACX Check
• Meeting MP3 file requirements using Audacity

A Look Ahead at Season 2:
This episode of the Audacity Channel podcast brings Season 1 to a close. We'll resume in Season 2 beginning March 1st. Season 2 will consist of 10 episodes dropped over a 10-week period and the entire season will be dedicated to making our initial recording as good as it can be. In Season 2 we'll explore topics like room conditioning that doesn't have to cost a lot, microphone types and their strengths and weaknesses as it relates to podcasting and audiobook narration, microphone placement and microphone technique. We'll also take a look at the role of an audio interface and we'll talk about sample rates, bit depth, and bit rates and what each of those terms is referencing. We'll also talk about non-destructive editing and using realtime, stackable effects, and I'll show you the order of effects I usually use and we'll take a look at my recording hardware chain. We have a lot to cover in Season 2 and I will see you there, beginning March 1st.

The Link I Mention in This Episode:
For a deeper dive into using Audacity for ACX audiobooks, be sure to check out my online, on-demand video course, ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity at https://www.audacitybootcamp.com/p/acx-audiobook-production-using-audacity

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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[S1, Ep11] 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 the fundamentals in my online Audacity courses, in addition to the more recent, realtime capabilities. I'm a fan of both!

You'll find the iZotope sale I mentioned in this episode at: https://www.izotope.com/

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 for having me on his YouTube channel to talk about Reaper. Here's a link to that video and to Chris's Podcast Engineering Show.

• Reaper Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfWCkfGKeoM
• Podcast Engineering School: https://podcastengineeringschool.com/
• Podcast Engineering Show: https://podcastengineeringschool.com/category/show/

Don't forget, I teach Audacity for podcasters and audiobook narrators at the Audacity Bootcamp online school. If you're looking for a deep dive into Audacity for spoken word production, the Audacity Bootcamp can meet that need. And now, I even pay the sales tax when you purchase a course.

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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.org/viewtopic.php?p=245549#p245549

If you need help installing it or if you want to see how to install a Nyquist plugin in Audacity, this short video of mine can help.

https://youtu.be/BMZ5gwkn2uo

-Enjoy!

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 literally save us hours of cleanup later on. Not everything can be fixed in post but doing everything we can to make sure our initial recording is as good as it can be, means fewer problems in post. And ensuring our recorded audio is as good as it can be, doesn't have to be expensive.

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 to do with it. Computers can't do anything with analog audio but once it's converted into digital audio, we can use programs like Audacity to do our magic and make the audio sound amazing. Before the emergence of digital audio, we couldn't see audio. But now, we can see our audio in the form of digital waveforms, as well as hear it. A waveform is a digital representation of the audio we captured during our recording. We captured the digital audio using a sample rate and bit depth. When we export our audio to our podcast or audiobook, bit rate becomes important. So let's talk about it.

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 on new projects or different tracks within the same project.

Here's a link to the image I mentioned showing a proposed method for saving realtime effects chains: Audacity Bootcamp on Twitter.

40% off codes for The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and audiobook narrators:

• Use BOOTCAMPLAUNCH to save 40% off the course, Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced through January 15, 2023
• Use ACXLAUNCH to save 40% off the course, ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity through January 15, 2023

That's it for now... Let's talk again next week.

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 Effects in the left-hand column. When I started version 3.2.3 the first time, it started in this Default configuration which grouped my effects by type. But not everyone on the 3.2.3 experienced that same thing. There's an updated YouTube version of this if you prefer it:

• https://youtu.be/-vAETZD4FLQ

That's it for now... I'll be back!

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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. The new Share Audio button is a convenient way make your audio available to others without sharing the entire project file.

This launch of the Audacity Channel podcast coincides with the launch of The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. If that's you, check it out! Several of the videos are available for free preview. Use the discount coupon codes below to get 40% off the already low price. Once purchased, these on-demand video courses are yours for life and they come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. This discount is available now through January 15th, 2023 as a holiday and launch incentive. Don't miss it!

There are three Audacity courses at The Audacity Bootcamp online school:

1. Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
2. ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
3. Audacity Version Updates (FREE!)

Launch/Holiday Coupon Codes:

• Use coupon code BOOTCAMPLAUNCH to receive a 40% discount on Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced.
• Use coupon code ACXLAUNCH to receive a 40% discount on ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity.

My Audio.com Profile: https://audio.com/mike-adams

Other Places You'll Find Me:

1. The Audacity Bootcamp online school for podcasters and ACX audiobook narrators. The school consists of the following online courses:
   • Audacity Step-by-Step: Beginner to Advanced
   • ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
   • Audacity Version Updates
2. The Learn Audacity YouTube Channel
3. The Learn Audacity Homepage
4. The Audacity Channel on YouTube

5. Facebook

6. Contact Me

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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 clipping could occur on one side of the waveform when applying gain or loudness normalization. For me, it was being caused by my dbx 286S audio processor in my recording chain. More specifically, it was being caused by activating the high-pass filter in the dbx 286S. I disabled the high-pass filter and it solved the problem. If you use the dbx 286S like I do and are seeing lopsided waveforms, this might be the solution you need.

Links talked about at the end of this episode:

• The Audacity Bootcamp Online School
• Beginning Audacity: Step-by-Step
• ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity

Hardware I used in this video (NOTE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases).

• Audio-Technica ATR 2100 Cardioid Dynamic Microphone https://amzn.to/3Tx7UAA
• DBX 286s Microphone Pre-Amp Processor https://amzn.to/3CMt4EV
• StarTech.com 4U 19″ Desktop Open Frame Rack https://amzn.to/3fWrE1E
• ZOOM H6 All Black (2020 Version) Portable Studio https://amzn.to/3rIpfdl
• 2022 MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro processor and 32 GB memory
• Audacity Version 3.2.1

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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 MacOS running on an M1 or M2 processor. When 3.2.0 came out it had an issue with the previous ffmpeg libraries for M1 and M2 Mac users. The temporary fix was to download an x_86 version of Audacity 3.2.0 that would recognize the version of ffmpeg previously installed. Long story short, this has been resolved and starting with version 3.2.1 Audacity for Mac locates and installs the correct ffmpeg file. Here's the link I mentioned for more information:

• Audacity 3.2.1 Bug Fixes and Minor Improvements.

This is pre-release episode of The Audacity Channel podcast. The official launch will be in the winter of 2023 and coincide with the launch of The Audacity Bootcamp Online School for Podcasters and ACX Audiobook Narrators. For more information about the Audacity Bootcamp online school, visit:

• https://www.audacitybootcamp.com/

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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 Audacity, the solutions we've found for resolving issues that arise, and unpacking the new features in Audacity 3.2 and higher. Along the way we'll be talking about recording environments, microphones, how and when to use different Audacity effects in post-production, and a host of other topics.

Follow to stay up-to-date and visit the Learn Audacity website for more information about The Audacity Bootcamp online school.

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I've been contemplating the future of this show and whether to shut it down for several months now and I've decided to do just that. So much of what I do depends on video that doing an audio-only show gets a little challenging. If I was doing interviews it would be different but that's not what I do. So this podcast will soon disappear completely from the podcast universe but as I mention in this episode, I'll still be carrying on in my other venues. Here are some links to those projects in case you're interested:

• Learn Audacity Website
• Learn Audacity YouTube
• Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced
• ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity
• Zoom H6 Audio Recording Essentials
• A History of Glen Canyon Dam and Page Arizona (YouTube)
• Navajo Generating Station Remembered (YouTube)
• The UnSunday Show Podcast

-Mike

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Computers can't do anything with analog audio. In order for your computer to do anything with the audio you record, that audio has to first be converted into a digital format. Some sort of device has to be connected between your microphone (if that's what you're using to record) and your computer that converts the analog sound waves from your voice into a digital version of those same sound waves. If you're using a USB mic to record, that conversion takes place inside the mic. The USB mic itself has analog-to-digital conversion electronics built in to it that convert your voice to a digital version and then sends that version to your computer where Audacity (or any DAW) recognizes it and knows what to do with it.

If you're using an analog microphone (any XLR-connected mic is an analog mic) you'll need to plug it into an audio interface unit (like a Scarlett Solo or something similar) and that audio interface unit converts the analog audio from your XLR mic into a digital equivalent and sends that digitally sampled audio into your computer where Audacity displays it back to you as a digital representation of your recorded audio. From there, you can manipulate it in post production to add effects, etc.

In this video, I talk about 3 things related to digital audio:

1. Sample Rates
2. Bit Depth
3. Bit Rates

Here's the link to the video on this topic that I mention in this episode:

• VIDEO: Audacity Sample Rates and Bit Depth

My setup for this episode:

• Audacity version 3.1.3
• 2017 MacBook Pro
• Zoom H6 Audio Recorder/Interface
• SYNCO D2 Hyper Cardioid Directional Condenser Shotgun Mic

Find me online at https://learnaudacity.com/

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About a year and half ago, I stumbled into my first experience at making instructional videos. A friend had suggested I make a couple of videos on using Audacity. I knew next to nothing about making videos but I decided to jump in and see what it was like. Now, a year and a half later, I've published over 200 instructional videos, most of them teaching Audacity. Based on the response I've received, instructional and tutorial videos have emerged as a strength of mine I didn't know I had until after taking that initial video plunge.

That being said, I've decided to put this podcast on hiatus for the time being to give more attention to the video side of things and develop that further. Videos are where I'm getting the traffic and traction so I need to turn my attention fully in that direction for now. While this podcast will still be there, I won't be adding any new episodes to it for the time being. I have a few ideas for it but now isn't the right time for me. I am still online at the following places:

• First Person Audio Website: https://firstpersonaudio.com/
• First Person Audio YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/FirstPersonAudio

The 3 courses I teach can be found at:

• Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced: https://learnaudacity.com/
• ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity: https://www.udemy.com/course/acx-audiobook-production-using-audacity/?referralCode=3ACDF9A20E203DF02AC2
• Zoom H6 Audio Recording Essentials: https://www.udemy.com/course/zoom-h6-audio-recording-essentials/?referralCode=07943EF5AD9364FFD05B

I recorded this episode in my Zoom H6 recorder using my Audio-Technica AT2040 microphone and I edited it in Audacity version 3.1.3 Beta 1.

-Mike

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Audacity has announced plans to create a new online manual to replace the current one. The new manual will have a cleaner look and (it looks like) easier navigation. In addition, it can include video tutorials. I believe this would be a huge step forward in the betterment of Audacity. The link below will take you to Audacity's public announcement regarding the new online manual.

Audacity version 3.1.2 is out and includes a fix to the loop function that I mentioned in an earlier video. I created a video showing that fix and other functions of the new loop feature including the Play-at-Speed tool and the Effects Preview button. The link to that video is below as well. Check it out when you can.

Links:

• Audacity's new manual announcement: https://www.audacityteam.org/rethinking-the-manual/
• Audacity 3.1.2 loop function fix, Play-at-Speed, and Effects preview. https://youtu.be/OIdsfdvzULM

-Enjoy! 

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I think I’ve uncovered a problem in Audacity version 3.1.0 regarding sync-lock tracks and the new way of moving audio clips. I use sync-lock tracks on every podcast I do to keep the intro/outro music and narration synched together but separate from the host and guest(s), who are also in sync with each other. When Audacity announced the new way of moving audio clips, beginning in version 3.1.0, my first thought was how that was going to work with sync-lock tracks enabled. It’s different now and you need to know about it if you use sync-lock tracks like I do.

The video I mentioned showing these changes can be found here:

• https://firstpersonaudio.com/2021/11/17/sync-lock-tracks-unexpected-behavior-in-audacity-3-1-0/

My recording setup for this episode. NOTE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases. This does not affect pricing:

• AT2040 Dynamic Microphone: https://amzn.to/3clg4YJ
• Zoom H6 Recorder: https://amzn.to/30ADjfb

Other places you'll find me:

• First Person Audio: https://firstpersonaudio.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/FirstPersonAudio

The on-demand video courses I teach:

• Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced: https://learnaudacity.com/
• ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity: https://bit.ly/30GIjyN
• Zoom H6 Audio Recording Essentials: https://bit.ly/30sv3xo

FYI: Audacity version 3.1.1 is out with some minor bug fixes.

-Mike

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The loop function in Audacity 3.1.0 has changed significantly. This episode is a deeper dive into those changes and the new attributes of the loop function which are far more complicated than in previous versions.

Here's the link to the video I mentioned in this episode:

• What's New in Audacity Version 3.1.0?

-Enjoy!

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It's been about a week since I launched my latest course at Udemy called ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity. It's an Audacity-only course for creating exceptional audiobooks for ACX using Audacity and only Audacity. And the reviews from those enrolled are starting to surface. In this episode I share a few of them with you so you can hear what others are saying about this brand new course.

Here's the 1/2 off link I promised in this episode. Keep in mind that this link is only good until November 27, 2021.

• ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity: https://www.udemy.com/course/acx-audiobook-production-using-audacity/?couponCode=EB9CBF74636B235268B7
• Here's the second link I promised to my best-selling course at Udemy called Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced - https://www.udemy.com/course/audacity-bootcamp-beginner-to-advanced/?referralCode=2929789AFB4340922D9A

-Mike

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I have been buried these last couple of months with creating a new online, on-demand video course called ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity. I'm happy to say that this shiny new course has been rolled out onto the showroom floor as of this morning and it's ready for public consumption. Here's a feel for some of the topics in this new course:

• The ACX Requirement for Room Tone
• The ACX Standard for Noise Floor
• The ACX Standard for File Size
• The ACX Standard for RMS Loudness
• The ACX Standard for Sample Rate
• How to set Audacity Preferences for ACX audiobook recording
• Simple definitions of Noise Floor, Sample Rate, RMS Loudness, and Bit Rate
• How to fix narration mistakes as they happen using Punch and Roll Record
• How to apply Equalization and when
• How to apply Compression
• How to level your audio using RMS Loudness to meet ACX requirements for RMS
• How to apply the Limiter effect to meet ACX standards
• How to apply the De-Clicker effect to reduce/remove mouth sounds
• The importance of running Audacity's ACX Check Plugin
• How to build and run a Macro to automate our process
• How to clean up breath sounds using Punch Copy/Paste
• How to clean up breath sounds using Attenuation
• Content editing and final MP3 export
• How to meet the ACX requirements for MP3 file size and bit rate

The course consists of 19 videos, 8 practice assignments, 9 downloadable resources, and 5 quizzes to track your progress. We don't cover things like mic technique, mic placement, vocal technique or inflection, or room conditioning like soundproofing, etc. There are unlimited resources for those important subjects out there and I supply you with the links to several in the last lecture. Instead, we stay fixed on Audacity and how to make it work for us in producing great audiobooks that will pass ACX's requirements. We don't venture into 3rd party software or 3rd party plugins or effects. Instead, I show you how to create exceptional audiobooks for free, using Audacity. Here's the 50% off link to the course I mention in this episode. That's only $12.99 and the link is good for 30 days!

• ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity

Here are the links to my two other courses I mentioned:

• Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced
• Zoom H6 Audio Recording Essentials

-Enjoy!

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Are you thinking about starting a podcast? What kind of hardware and software will you need and how much is it going to cost? Do I need to sink hundreds of dollars into microphones and other hardware? Do I need to spend thousands of dollars on a studio quality room? How about software training? Am I facing a huge expenditure for software training? These are great questions that need to be asked when taking on any new project and podcasting is no exception. It's also the subject of this podcast episode. Links to things I talk about in this episode (NOTE: The Amazon links above are affiliate links meaning that there is no additional charge to you but if you purchase an item from these links, I'll receive a couple of dollars.)

• RODE NT USB Mini Microphone: https://amzn.to/3l4fKS1
• AT2040 XLR Dynamic Mic: https://amzn.to/3hbec7A
• AT2020USB+ Microphone: https://amzn.to/3ncmEHU
• Shure SM58 Microphone: https://amzn.to/38LkyWO
• Audacity Audio Editing Software: https://www.audacityteam.org/
• Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced - https://learnaudacity.com/
• Zoom H6 Recorder: https://amzn.to/3BSvYEW

You'll find me online at First Person Audio: https://firstpersonaudio.com/

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Here's some techy stuff for you: I recorded this episode using my Rode NT1 condenser mic recording into my Zoom H6. I did the editing and post production in GarageBand using the Waves NS1 Noise Supressor Plugin, along with Graphic EQ and a Limiter set to -1dB. I exported it from there as a WAV file and leveled the audio to -19 LUFS with a true peak of -2dB in my Auphonic Desktop App. From there I exported it as a mono MP3 to my audio host.

I've been giving a lot of thought to why I podcast and that's the topic in today's episode. I'm an introvert (sometimes extremely so) and as of this recording I have 3, count 'em, THREE podcasts. if you are into the enneagram, you should know that I am a 9. Not only that, but I'm a social 9. That means that even though I am an introvert who is sometimes happiest in a quiet room with no one around, I also have something in me that makes me want to be around people. It's like a cruel joke at times.

I'm a bit of an anomaly to some and maybe just plain weird to others because I seldom do the things that I'm told I need to be doing in order to be successful as a podcaster or video producer. But I'm ok with not doing those things or not being that person because I don't podcast in order to be a huge success that everyone is talking about. I podcast because I find it therapeutic and calming to be alone in a quiet, mostly dark room (except when I'm recording a video - then the room is well lit) talking into a microphone with no one else there. It's good therapy for me. It's my therapy session for the day. I love doing that, even if no one listens or follows.

I'm thankful that I have an income that's not tied to my podcasting or video production because if that weren't the case I would have to monetize myself and what I do and I know that I wouldn't be any good at that. Here are some links I talk about in this episode.

• Typology: An Enneagram Podcast - https://typology.libsyn.com/
• First Person Audio Website: https://firstpersonaudio.com/
• First Person Audio YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/FirstPersonAudio
• Rode NT1 Condenser Mic Kit (Affiliate Link): https://amzn.to/3xXyeYR
• Zoom H6 Recorder (Affiliate Link): https://amzn.to/3yYx2G2

-Enjoy!

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I'm back from a month long road trip and while I was gone, I started hearing and reading concerns over Audacity becoming spyware under its new ownership. Also today, April 26, 2021, a new version of Audacity (3.0.3) was released. Coincidence? Let's talk.

Here are the links I mention in this episode:

• Steve Stewart in The Podcast Editors Club on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/podcasteditors/posts/4509499399138772
• The Audacity Desktop Privacy Notice https://www.audacityteam.org/about/desktop-privacy-notice/
• What's New in Version 3.0.3? https://www.audacityteam.org/audacity-3-0-3-is-out-now/

NOTE: As I was editing this episode, Audacity crashed and I was given the option to send the crash report or not send it, just as the privacy notice stated would happen.

-Mike

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This episode is a shameless plug for my online, on-demand video course, Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced. If you're interested in diving deep into Audacity and learning things about Audacity that will give you advanced editing skills and techniques, in addition to greater confidence with Audacity, consider enrolling in my course. It's 6+ hours of video instruction that, like the title suggests, will take you from beginning concepts to advanced topics that can be hard to find elsewhere. Plus, I've priced it incredibly low on purpose to fit any budget.

Want to know more? Push Play and listen in. You'll find the course by visiting:

• https://learnaudacity.com/

There's a complete outline of the course there as well as several of the videos you can preview so you can make an informed decision.

You'll also find me online at First Person Audio and there are links there to every resource I have on Audacity.

-Enjoy!

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"We’re scared and excited. We hope you are too."

Those are the closing words on the Audacity Team's announcement of the recent acquisition of Audacity by the newly-formed Muse Group. The deal to purchase Audacity was announced on April 30th. The financial details of the acquisition have not been disclosed. With this acquisition, changes on the horizon for Audacity include:

1. Non-destructive editing via stackable Virtual Studio Technology (VST) effects.
2. An updated user interface that includes a non-Windows 95 appearance and feel.

As part of this announcement, Muse Group (https://mu.se) vows to keep Audacity open source and free.

In this episode, I share with you a couple of online articles concerning this purchase. One thing is certain; the future of Audacity means change. Here's hoping it's change in the right direction for us podcasters.

Links in this episode:

• The Register announcement: https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/04/audacity_muse_group/
• MusicTech announcement: https://www.musictech.net/news/industry/audacity-acquired-muse-group-ultimate-guitar-musescore/
• AudacityTeam announcement: https://www.audacityteam.org/audacity-musescore-announcement/

You can find me online at First Person Audio with links there to the Audacity courses I teach, Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced, and ACX Audiobook Production Using Audacity. You'll also find links there to my YouTube channel and this podcast.

-Enjoy!

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One of the bad raps Audacity gets is that editing in Audacity is destructive. That simply means that once you edit and/or put an effect on your Audacity project and then save and close the project, the edits you just did, along with the effects you just put on it, are permanent and can't be removed. This is referred to as destructive editing. 

But did you know that non-destructive editing can be done in Audacity? Version 3.0.0 of Audacity introduced a new feature called Project Backup. In this episode, I explain how I use Project Backup as a way to eliminate destructive editing in Audacity. It's easy and it works!

Links I mention in this episode:

• Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced
• Audacity Bootcamp Website
• Audacity Bootcamp YouTube Channel

-Enjoy and happy podcasting!

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What's Apple doing with our podcasts? I've had some weird experiences with Apple on my podcasts these last few days. I updated my iPhone to iOS 14.5 (I probably should have waited) and weird things started happening. The latest episode of another show I do never showed up in my Apple Podcast app. But it did appear other places including my wife's Apple Podcast app. Weird. Push Play to hear more weird stuff. The links I mention in this episode:

The Audacity Bootcamp - https://audacitybootcamp.com/ 

Audacity Bootcamp: Beginning to Advanced - https://www.udemy.com/course/audacity-bootcamp-beginner-to-advanced/?referralCode=2929789AFB4340922D9A 

-Enjoy!

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In this short episode, I point you to an interview I had the privilege of being a part of, on the Red Podcast - The Marketing Podcast for Experts, hosted by David Hooper. David asked me to come on his show and talk about my philosophy of podcasting and what's important to me in the audio podcasts I do, as well as my videos. 

We talked about a number of topics including my on demand video course, Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced. In addition to the Red Podcast, David also hosts the Build a Big Podcast. Check them out when you get a chance. Links to both are below.

• My Conversation with David Hooper on the Red Podcast
• The Build a Big Podcast, hosted by David Hooper

-Enjoy!

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I'm always curious about what others use for their podcast setup. I've watched countless videos and listened to a lot of podcasts by podcasters who've taken the time to talk about the recording hardware and software they use to record and edit their show. It's like peeking inside their recording environment and I always benefit from hearing about what others are doing. So I thought I would make one of those episodes too.

My recording setup has changed a lot over the years to the simple and uncomplicated setup I use today. I started with a laptop and builtin microphone and then I went from there to buying various USB and XLR mics, mixers, and pre-amps that I used for a while but ended up selling most of them because I couldn't find that one magic configuration that seemed to fit me. Then a few years ago, I purchased my Zoom H6 and started building my recording environment around it.

Today, my Zoom H6 is at the center of my podcast recording and Audacity is my software of choice for post production editing. It's a simple, uncomplicated setup that produces great audio consistently. Here are the links to what I talk about in this episode:

• Zoom H6 Recorder
• Zoom H6 Dual XLR/TRS Mic Adapter
• Shure SM58 Microphone
• Auphonic Desktop Leveler
• Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced
• The Audacity Bootcamp Website

Thanks for listening!

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I teach podcast courses on Audacity and a question that comes up frequently has to do with the difference between loudness (LUFS) and volume. It can be a challenge to wrap our brains around, but there is a difference.

The bottom line is that loudness is digitally embedded in the waveform as part of our editing. When I level a piece of audio to a LUFS level, I'm manipulating the waveform to adjust it to a consistent loudness end-to-end, eliminating extreme peaks and valleys in the loudness and creating a more consistent listening experience. This reduces or eliminates the need for the listener to chase the volume up or down while listening because the loudness has been leveled. The listener can't adjust the loudness because they can't get to the waveform to manipulate it. But you and I can as editors. Let's talk...

Other places you'll find me:

• Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced
• YouTube
• Website
• Facebook

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Welcome to this 5th episode of the recently launched Audacity Bootcamp Podcast. Today, let's talk about the new macro features in Audacity 3.0.0. I've started using macros to run repetitive commands within Audacity and it's a real time saver. Unlike Office programs like Word or Excel, where you can record mouse clicks to create a macro, you have to build macros manually in Audacity. But once they're built, it's a pretty sweet feature.

Audacity macros aren't new to this version of Audacity but the ability to import and export them is. This means that macros can now be easily shared. In addition, you can now put comments inside a macro to explain a step or describe the macro. These are great features if you use macros like I do. Let's talk.

• My macro video I mention in this episode

-Enjoy!

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Welcome to the Audacity Bootcamp Podcast. Let's talk about 2 new features in Audacity 3.0.0. The first one I talk about is project backups. This is a powerful tool that's new in version 3.0.0. At any point while working on a project we can now save a backup copy of it. The backup copy is a snapshot of the entire project at that moment in time. This gives me a quick and easy way to retrieve the last saved version of my project should something go wrong, like my program crashing. It also gives me a quick way to share my project with someone else while continuing to work on the original file. This is a great feature!

Another new feature in Audacity 3.0.0 is in the file structure and naming convention. The old file folder that carried all the information about my project is no more! Now Audacity saves my project as one file with a .aup3 file name extension. All of the project information is in that one file, eliminating the need for that file folder that previous versions of Audacity always saved, along with my project file. This has resulted in Audacity running faster (at least on my computer) and it makes sharing or moving projects much simpler.

Links I talk about in this episode:

• Video: Project Backups
• Video: File Names/Structure
• Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced is my on-demand video lecture series on Audacity for podcasters. It consists of 6+ hours of video instruction aimed at podcasters who use Audacity.
• Audacity Bootcamp YouTube Channel is another resource I've created for podcasters using Audacity
• The Audacity Bootcamp Facebook page. This page is fairly new but in many ways it's a mirror of what I'm doing elsewhere.
• The Audacity Bootcamp Website. This is the centerpiece of the Audacity Bootcamp where information, resources, and links to everything Audacity Bootcamp reside.

Thanks for joining me on this new podcast venture!

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Welcome to the Audacity Bootcamp Podcast. The noise gate in Audacity version 3.0.0 doesn't work. It's broken. It looks like it works, but it doesn't. There's a promised fix pending in the upcoming version 3.0.1 but until then, there is no noise gate in 3.0.0.

If there's an upside, it's that the Attack Time has been separated out from the Decay Time. In previous versions, the Attack/Decay time was bundled together in one setting. In this new version, they have been separated out and each can be adjusted independent of the another. Plus, the Attack time can now be set as low at 1ms. Previously, it could only go as low as 10ms. This is a great enhancement for the noise gate. Now we just need it to work.

I have a video illustrating this that shows this setting change and how you can tell the noise gate doesn't work in 3.0.0. Here's the link if you would like to watch it.

• What's New in Audacity 3.0.0? A Broken Noise Gate

I teach a 6+ hour Audacity video course for podcasters. Ready to go beyond the basics of Audacity? Take a look and watch the previews before deciding:

• Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced

-Enjoy!

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Did you know it's a good idea to press Z on your keyboard while editing your podcast? Pressing Z invokes the Zero Crossing Tool and it's something that should be done every time you have a section of audio highlighted, but before you edit that section. For example, if you're going to amplify, delete, attenuate, or insert silence in section of audio, it's a good practice to press Z once you've highlighted the audio, before amplifying, deleting, attenuating, or inserting silence. Doing so will help ensure that the ends of your selection will move slightly to the quiet spot or zero line in your waveform (the zero crossing). This helps eliminate pops that can be created during these edits.

My rule of thumb is to always press Z after I highlight a section of audio, before doing the edit. Here's the link to the Zero Crossing Tool video I mentioned in this podcast:

• How to Use the Zero Crossing Tool in Audacity

In addition to this podcast, you'll find me online at:

• The Audacity Bootcamp Website
• The Audacity Bootcamp Facebook Page
• The Audacity Bootcamp YouTube Channel
• Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced - My online, on-demand video course designed for podcasters using Audacity

-Enjoy

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Welcome to the first episode of the Audacity Bootcamp Podcast. This first episode is a brief introduction of me and an outline of my on-demand video course for Audacity podcasters, called Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced. Here are the links I mention in this episode:

• Audacity Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced an online, on-demand video teaching series for Audacity podcasters.
• The Audacity Bootcamp YouTube Channel
• The Audacity Bootcamp Website

This Audacity Bootcamp is an online resource for Audacity podcast editors. Please subscribe to this podcast so you never miss an episode. I recorded this episode using my Audio-Technica AT2020 USB+ microphone, recording directly into Audacity version 3.0.0 on my MacBook Pro.