Audio Assignment
April 13, 2010

Objective:
Become familiar with the workings of digital audio editing.

Learning Outcomes:
As a result of the lecture, demonstration, and lab practice regarding image manipulation, students should be able to:

• Be able to set up a basic audi recording session.
• Become familiar with audio file types.
• Learn a basic digital audio editor like Audacity.

Coursework Procedure:
I would like you create an audio file that is ready to upload to a web site for your student's use. To do this, you will need to decide just what it is you would like to use audio for in your content area. I have some suggestions you can do (or come up with somehting on your own):

• Read or tell a story and include sound effects in your final edit.
• Record a lecture/demonstration/instruction of some kind in you classroom (if this 'live' recording does not require you to insert sound effects, place a short piece of music at the beginning and end as an intro and exit).
• Record a discussion with some of your students (rather than the whole class) and include an intro narraration and intro/exit music.
• Have some students create an audio presentation of some kind. Include a narrated intro explaining what is going to happen plus intro/exit music.

As mentioned in the classroom demonstration, you must record your audio digitally. This can be accomplished by either:

• Connecting a microphone to your computer and using Audacity to record (most newer laptops have them build-in)
• Use a digital voice recorder
• Record with a camcorder. To do this, you need to download the video and audio files as you normally do, then use the video editing software to export the audio only so you can import it into Audacity. (Do this only if you know what I'm talking about).
• Use a digital camera for short audio segments. Believe it or not, some compact digital cameras actually record audio so you can annotate your pictures. (Do this only if you know how to retrieve you audio files from your camera).
• As will digital cameras just mentioned, some cellphones have the same capability. (Do this only if you know how to retrieve you audio files from you phone).

Here is the best way to complete this assignment:

1. Decide what you want to do and record your audio.
2. Download your audio (if necessary) from your device.
3. Open up Audacity and import your audio.
4. Edit your audio as demonstrated in class
5. Insert sound effects or music if necessary or required
   • I have listed many web sites on my resources page. You can get free music and sound effects from these sites or you can Google "free sound effects" to find your own sites to download from.
6. When you are done editing, you will need to export your audio to a compressed file format as explained in class. (Audacity project files are unique to Audacity, include several components, and do not email or upload). Please go to File -> Export As MP3 (if you were able to install the LAME library) or Export As Ogg Vorbis
7. Attach that file to and email message to me at tom.rathke@usu.edu or upload to Blackboard

Assignment Due:
You must complete your audio assignment, compress to .mp3 or .ogg, and email it to me or upload to Blackboard by classtime on April 27, 2010 1:00 PM.

[NOTE: In order to get Audacity to export to MP3 format, you will need to install the LAME library on your computer as mentioned in class. You can go to the plug-in page for the LAME library here.].