Book of Audacity

Book of Audacity

Record, Edit, Mix, and Master with the Free Audio Editor
by Carla Schroder
March 2011, 384 pp.
ISBN-13: 
978-1-59327-270-8

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

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

You’ll learn how to:

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

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

Author Bio 

Carla Schroder is the author of Linux Cookbook, Linux Networking Cookbook (O’Reilly), and hundreds of how-tos for various technology publications, and is the managing editor of Linux Today and Linux Planet. Carla enjoys playing instruments and recording local bands using Audacity. She is a systems and network administrator.

Table of contents 

Introduction

Chapter 1: Audacity from Start to Finish
Chapter 2: Building a Good Digital Sound Studio on the Cheap
Chapter 3: Transferring Vinyl LPs (and Other Legacy Media) to CD
Chapter 4: Creating and Editing Live Tracks for CD
Chapter 5: Authoring a Compilation CD
Chapter 6: Authoring Super High-Fidelity Audio DVDs
Chapter 7: Creating Podcasts
Chapter 8: Becoming an Online Star
Chapter 9: Multitrack Recording
Chapter 10: Making Your Own Ringtones
Chapter 11: Audacity Plug-ins for Special Effects
Chapter 12: Fix-its and Cleanups
Chapter 13: Configuring Linux for Best Audio Quality
Chapter 14: Configuring Windows for Best Audio Quality
Chapter 15: Customizing Audacity
Chapter A: Audio Hardware
Chapter B: Glossary
Chapter C: Seven Myths of Digital Audio

View the detailed Table of Contents (PDF).
View the Index (PDF).

Reviews 

"I've already learned some things even I didn't know about."
—Roger Dannenberg, Audacity Developer and Professor of Computer Science, Art, and Music at Carnegie Mellon University

"The time you'll save and the tricks you'll learn make The Book of Audacity as highly recommended as the software it showcases."
—Recording Magazine

"Schroder's pleasant writing style, combined with her real-life examples, make The Book of Audacity a must-read for anyone using Audacity."
—Elisa Pacelli, MyMac (Read More)

"Recommended for both beginner and advanced audio folk."
—Max Breakwell, Musician (Read More)

"The Book of Audacity serves as a useful and thorough primer for anyone who's exploring audio recording and editing."
—Allan Hoffman, Journalist and Author (Read More)

"Hands-on learners will love this."
—Charles Howlett, Kokujin Chronicles Podcast (Read More)

The Book of Audacity "strikes a balance between technical discussion and everyday reality, with a tone that is both engaging and entertaining."
—Michael Larsen, TESTHEAD (Read More)

"The Book of Audacity reads like a chat with a friend—the style is entertaining while still being informative."
—Ed Musgrove, Audacity Manual Editor (Read More)

"This book is for a lot of people—or at least, there's a chapter here for each of them. Anyone wanting to do home recording, podcasting, music mixing, or just creating a CD to play at a party will find very useful material here."
—Free Software Magazine (Read More)

The Book of Audacity "certainly deserves a place on the bookshelf of journalism teachers, colleges, musicians and anyone interested in mastering quality audio."
—Dan Mason, Thomson Foundation (Read More)

"With this book the time spent sweating is reduced and the time spent making good audio is increased!"
—Paul Rj Muller, The CaffiNation Podcast (Read More)

"Readers looking for practical advice on how to perform common audio tasks will find the answers here."
—Zoltan Hunt (Read More)

"The layout is clean, bright, and welcoming, with lots of graphs and images, and equally welcoming text."
—Stereophile Magazine (Read More)

Updates 

Page 57:
Working in 32-bit float gives you the benefit of editing without losing quality.