The next step
Whether you’re wanting to record yourself to hear
how your skills are shaping up, or you want to record
a song you’ve thought up, Audacity is a great, free
bit of software to help you record your playing.
Audacity can be used to record audio from a variety
of sources and edit it – you just need a few select
bits of hardware, which you can find more on in our
‘Recording hardware’ section over the page.
An input and output device needs to be
connected to the PC where any recording or editing
is to take place. The output device is the component
that will allow the user to hear any recorded audio;
typically, this comprises headphones or speakers. An
input device is the device with which the recording
is going to be made. When recording a piano in
Audacity there are two common scenarios: direct
input or microphone. Direct input is where an
instrument is plugged into a sound card ready for
recording. The alternative is to use a microphone.Once an input device has been recognised, the
desired recording device will need to be selected
from the Device toolbar. Alternatively, this can be set
up via the Edit menu and Preferences>Devices. This
will list the Interface option alongside the Playback
and Recording device.
The Meter toolbar will need to be activated
to set up the recording levels. Spend a little time
playing with the Input Volume Slider to get the best
recorded output. Make sure it is not too quiet, and
make sure it is not too loud. With the levels set, it’s
time to record. Users are able to play back a single
track, or hit Record again in order to create multiple
tracks. Then it is time to bring out the producer in
you; trimming tracks, adjusting volumes and adding
effects to create a complete pro-sounding track.
Follow this simple tutorial to take your first steps in
recording, including getting connected and testing
the levels.“Once an input device has been recognised,
the desired recording device will need to be
selected from the Device toolbar”
Record your piano Create an audio track
01 Create a new project
By default Audacity will open at a project window. Before you start recording,
the project must be saved. Head to the File menu and select ‘Save project as’.
Click the OK button, name the project and click Save.02 Get connected
To record a track, an input device will need to be connected, eg microphone
or direct input. The input device will be listed in the Device toolbar; select the
desired device from the drop-down list.Top tip
Add oomph
The recording levels of a
piano may not always be
exactly as expected; perhaps
not as powerful as desired. To
give some extra oomph to an
individual track, select the
audio and turn up the
Gain slider under
Mute/Solo.Get started with Audacity
Record your first track straight onto your PC
Location courtesy of Music Is Life, Bournemouth