Hey Mac users! Do you import your vinyl records into iTunes? Digitize old cassette or reel-to-reel tapes? Have the desire to control the overall speed of your recordings, while affecting both tone and pitch? If so, today’s post walks through the steps of using our favorite free, open-source audio editing software (Audacity) to help set the pace by applying a Change Speed effect.
Looking for Setup instructions? We’ve got you covered! Our recent Audacity for Mac OS X Installation Tutorial includes setting up LAME as well!
For today’s walk-through, we’ll be applying the Change Speed effect using Audacity 1.3 Beta (Unicode) for Mac OS X.
Step 1: MP3 Download
Before one can edit their AudioAcrobat recording in Audacity, the first step is to make sure that the file resides on the hard drive of the computer on which editing will be performed.
1. Login to your AudioAcrobat account
2. Click Audio (L)
3. Click the Title of the Audio you wish to Download
4. Click Download Audio
Looking for Expanded Steps? Try HERE.
Step 2: Open in Audacity
Now that the file our readers wish to edit is on their computer’s hard drive, they will want to open the file with Audacity. Right-click the file and choose Open With and select Audacity from the list. Don’t see it listed? Open Audacity from the Applications folder in the dock. Open the software and click File >> Open, selecting the audio to be edited.
Once the file opens in Audacity, our readers will see something like this:
Step 3: Highlight, Change Speed + Export
It really is that simple. Click and drag with the mouse cursor or for those keyboard enthusiasts out there use Shift + Left / Right arrow keys to make a selection.
For the Change Speed effect, our readers will want to make sure to select the area which encompasses the intended duration for which the effect is to be applied.
Here our readers will want to select Effect >> Change Speed as seen below:
Immediately after selecting the Change Speed effect, the following pop-up window will appear:
Use the Percent Change value / slider to apply a custom change of speed. Use the Standard Vinyl RPM drop-down menus to use the included presets for switching between standard vinyl RPM’s.
Use the Preview button to sample the effect before making a commitment and press OK to confirm the settings and apply the effect.
When satisfied, select File >> Export to save the newly edited version and head over to AudioAcrobat in an internet browser to begin the upload process.
Well that was quick … we’ve already walked through the process of downloading and opening our file, applying a Change Pitch effect using Audacity for Mac OS X and exporting our new file … and it still seems like the blog post had just begun. If you agree, go ahead and click the ‘Previous Post’ link beneath this article to continue the joyride!
Did you get stopped somewhere in the process? Make sure you have LAME correctly setup then shampoo, rinse and repeat the steps listed above. Success will be yours!
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