Audacity Setup and Configuration
From Audacity Manual
- Peter 16Nov09: Checked for spelling/typos/consistency.
Contents |
Temporary Files
Most users have only one hard disk. However, if you have multiple hard disks, you will want to make sure that Audacity uses your largest or fastest hard disk to store audio. Open the Preferences (in the Edit menu, or the Audacity menu on Mac OS X) and click on the Directories tab. Make sure that the directory listed is on your preferred hard disk.
Audio Devices
Locate the three colored analog audio ports on the back of your computer - almost every PC will have these as part of its built-in sound card. The red jack is for microphone input (usually mono, not stereo), the green jack is for line output (to your amplified speakers or headphones) and the blue jack is for stereo line input (like from a cassette player).
 Back of a typical PC |
 Close-up of the audio ports |
If you have a Mac, your audio ports will look something more like the image below. In this picture, the left jack is for stereo line input (like from a cassette player) and the right jack is for line output (to your amplified speakers or headphones).
For better audio quality, many people use an USB audio device. If you have such a device, attach your microphone and speakers to that device, and plug the device into your computer's USB port.
 USB Cable and Plug |
 USB Ports |
If you are using a USB audio device, or if your computer has more than one built-in sound card to choose from, you will need to tell Audacity which device to use for recording and playback. Open the Preferences (in the Edit menu, or the Audacity menu on Mac OS X) and click on the Devices tab. Choose your preferred sound card or audio device from the lists provided. Usually you should choose the same device for recording and playback, but it is possible for them to be different.
Volume Controls
After you have set your preferred audio device, look at the Mixer Toolbar:
The two sliders control the volume levels on your sound card; the selector on the left controls the output volume and the selector on the right controls the input source for recording (such as "Line In" or "Mic"). Adjust these appropriately.
Project Sample Rate
The sampling rate, sample rate, or sampling frequency defines the number of samples per second (or per other unit) taken from a continuous signal to make a discrete signal. For time-domain signals, it can be measured in samples per second.
Now you are ready to play and record audio.
