Audacity project.

Freshmen Physics Audacity Project
Purpose: To fully grasp and visualize complex sounds using a free sound editing piece of software called Audacity
Procedure:
1) Go to http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/ and download both the main program (use the stable 1.2.6 version) and the LAME MP3 encoder for your computer. Carefully follow directions for the LAME encoder as that add on allows you to save your work as an mp3 that you can bring in to school.
2) Open Audacity and continue your exploration of that program as we have begun in class last week.
3) When you feel confident in what the program can do, get together with your small group (total of 3 members each) and choose from one of the following projects to present to the class on Friday April 25th:
a. Combine two mp3’s into one. Split the tracks and then paste in the left and right channel to a brand new file. Adjust the tempos before you paste to have the new song sound as if it were meant to be played together. Add other effects like “wah wah” to further personalize your song.
b. Remove the vocals to one of your favorite songs and add your own vocals on top of the track. You may also add effects and adjust the tempo to suit your personal style. (Note that you will not be graded on your vocal abilities for this choice, you don’t need to be a professional singer to do well in this project.)
c. Remove the vocals to one of your favorite songs and add your own instrumentation or repetitive machinery noise on top of the track. For example, you may want to add some everyday sounds like the way Beck did on the SNL clip we showed in class. You may also add effects and adjust the tempo to suit your personal style.

What you should do first:
1) Get together with your group as soon as possible and decide which songs you would like to use for the project and whose house you will be doing this at mainly. Don’t forget, my room is available after school most days if you would rather meet at school and use these computers. You may use my mp3’s on our network if you would rather not use your own.

What you will present:
• By Friday the 25th, you should have your project uploaded as an mp3 to our general drive on the network and have a backup version in your own network or on a CD or on a USB device.
• You will take no longer than 2 minutes to present your clip to the class and I expect each of the three of you to discuss some aspect of the project while in front of the class.
• You will only play about 1 minute of your clip for everyone but you may certainly record a longer mp3 if you wish.

Grade: (40 points)
• You will be graded on following directions, your technical and presentation abilities, and your creativity.

Sites for Assistance:
1) https://wiki.brown.edu/confluence/display/CISDOC/Audacity+Tutorial
2) http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audacity