Getting Started with Audacity 1.3 [Paperback]

Bethany Hiitola (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1847197647 | ISBN-13: 978-1847197641 | Publication Date: March 2, 2010

Conversational and practical, this book is full of real life examples of where and how you would use the Audacity software. Not only does it give you task-based step-by-step instructions from installation to advanced audio editing techniques, it caters to the beginner to familiarize them with all the jargon, suggests recording equipment, it walks them through a simple sample project showing off everything Audacity can do. If you are new to audio recording and editing, and particularly using the Audacity software, this book is for you. It explains everything from common audio industry terms and software basics. Technical sound engineering details and jargon are omitted to keep the book friendly and easy to understand.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bethany Hiitola

Bethany Hiitola is a technical and marketing writer in a far north suburb of Chicago, Illinois. She's written countless user manuals for networks and consumer products, essays, short stories, academic papers, press releases, and feature articles. More details are at her website: bethanyhiitola.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Packt Publishing (March 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847197647
• ISBN-13: 978-1847197641
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #975,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entering the Daunting World of Audio Editing, March 30, 2010

By 

Chris Brooks (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting Started with Audacity 1.3 (Paperback)

Audio engineering requires a lot of technical and artistic skills so programs like Audacity can easily overwhelm the beginner. Bethany Hiitola has done a good job of creating a usable book.

She has 10 chapters with well written step-by-step guides that show you how to set up the software, record the sound files on computer, edit and repair the sound files, add effects, and then export your final product in a variety of formats. She tries to keep jargon to a minimum but that is pretty difficult so she provides a reasonable glossary in an appendix. Chapter 9 is a great reference chapter that could easily be overlooked. It has clear details on all the Audacity effects and how to apply them - it would have been more accessible as an appendix.

There are two traps for young players that are not dealt with adequately in the book: Firstly, there are only sketchy notes on what sample rates, sample formats and bit rates mean - these are things you have to select when you save a file and are totally daunting to a beginner. Secondly, there is no discussion of the pros and cons of working files in the most commonly used file formats of wav and mp3. Specifically, editing in mp3 is `lossy' which means that information can be lost every time you save a file, so it is better to edit in wav format and export into mp3 as the last step.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ideal for the novice in audio editing, March 17, 2010

By 

Varoli Piazza Adriano "Adriano" (Capital Federal, Argentina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting Started with Audacity 1.3 (Paperback)

A few months ago I was approached by the good folks at Packt Publishing to do a technical review of their brand new book "Getting Started with Audacity 1.3".

Throughout the time I spent reviewing the chapters, I found the book to be interesting and very readable, proposing projects that were both easy to do and immediately compelling, such as creating and editing useful soundbits from a ringtone to creating a podcast complete with a phone interview. I even used what I had learned to create my own ringtones: the first chords of "Fortunate Son" by Creedence for one, and a few bars of the main theme from the film "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" for another.

I recommend this book for those that want to create or edit their own soundbits and don't know how. It is the perfect introduction to audio editing. The fact that the app used is available on the three major operating systems for free, and that it has an intuitive interface is a major boon.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent step-by-step guide to audio editing with Audacity, June 22, 2010

By 

Daniel Mason "Dan Mason" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting Started with Audacity 1.3 (Paperback)

I use Audacity on my multimedia journalism courses and, with just one reservation, I'd recommend this book highly. It's a great starter guide.

FOR

Very clear, step-by-step approach (about 200 mono pages with screenshots, plus numerous hints and tips along the way)

An ideal starting point for online journalists, bloggers and students. (Includes easy-to-follow advice on using Skype/Audacity to record interviews and how to submit podcast-ready audio files to iTunes)

Very good chapters on `beyond the basics' (how to use echo, EQ, compression, ducking etc).

Helpful guide to output file formats and how to extend Audacity with plugins and libraries.

AGAINST

The price. Sorry, but an RRP of £24.99 ($39.99 US) is a bit too steep, in my view. However, an e-book version is available on the Packt website and watch out for Amazon deals.

VERDICT

This book will have you weaving audio magic in no time ... if you can afford it.