Workshop 3: Audio

Format

This is a 2.5 hour face-to-face workshop with follow-up activities.

Focus

This workshop explores the use of digital audio in storytelling or as a stand-alone activity in which sound and music can support oral and musical literacy development. Digital audio is a powerful medium that caters for the preferred learning styles of many students and educators. Audio recording and editing is an inexpensive technology and this workshop uses the free, open source software called Audacity. This software is available for Macs and PCs and works well even on quite old computers.

Participants will:

·       listen to a range of examples of audio recordings with a focus on curriculum integration and oral literacy development

·       explore the software and hardware requirements to create high quality digital audio

·       investigate the many features of Audacity software to edit multitrack recordings

·       create some practice recordings that exploit the features of Audacity software

·       understand file formats suitable for CD audio production, web based audio and multimedia production

·       learn how to integrate audio from web sites, CDs and other sources

·       learn how to use edited audio in other applications such as Photo Story, PowerPoint and Movie Maker

·       develop a narrative script for their story focusing on beginning, middle, end

·       understand different microphone types and how to use them effectively

·       learn about pitch, tone, voice modulation and pacing when recording.

Workshop outcomes

Participants:

·       gain a clear understanding of the power of audio resources in literacy development

·       develop the skills and understandings necessary for integrating audio recording into the curriculum

·       use audio recordings to improve the quality of narration and music in digital storytelling

·       use the skills developed to create polished multimedia productions.

Workshop outline

Participants should log on to the network and Internet when they arrive.

Session

Topic

Activities

Time

3.0

Welcome and housekeeping

Review follow-up activities
Provide a brief overview of this workshop

10 mins

3.1

Digital audio examples

Showcase examples of digital audio in the curriculum

15

3.2

Hardware and software

Look at microphone types, headsets, headphones, speakers and sound cards
Overview of Audacity software

25

3.3

Audacity software basics – hands on

Explore recording and editing basics
Explore voice basics

30

3.4

Audacity software advanced – hands on

Explore multitrack recording

30

3.5

File formats

Look at examples of files using aup, wav and mp3 formats

20

3.6

Web audio resources

Download audio from the web and integrate into the Audacity environment

20

 

Follow-up activities

Practise narration and create a story based audio recording
Save file to a USB drive
Keep an online reflective journal

150 mins

 

3.0  Welcome and housekeeping

·       Review follow-up activities

·       Provide a brief overview of this workshop.

3.1  Digital audio examples

·       View examples of digital audio in the curriculum.

Showcased examples focus on oral language:

·       Early Childhood through to Senior Secondary

·       language development – eg Arabana, LOTE

·       musical

·       integration into animation, PowerPoint and video.

Examples are available on the CD under ‘Language and Sound’.

3.2  Hardware and software

·       Look at microphone types, headsets, headphones, speakers and sound cards

·       Overview of Audacity software.

Look at microphone/headset combinations, and dynamic and USB microphones. Discuss the benefits and limitations of each approach.

Discuss types of soundcards and input/output options eg Mic/Line/other audio sources (eg tape and audio CD).

Demonstrate the basic functions of Audacity:

·       Record

·       Play

·       Rewind

Demonstrate Audacity’s editing capabilities:

·       Cut

·       Paste

·       Normalise

·       Effect

·       Delete Audio Track(s)


3.3  Audacity software basics – hands on

·       Explore recording and editing basics

·       Explore voice basics.

Plug in and set up the input source and appropriate record and playback levels.

Participants are asked to record a sentence, poem or song and practise editing using cut, paste, effects etc.

Use the delete track functions and editing features to fine tune a piece of audio.

3.4  Audacity software advanced – hands on

·       Explore multitrack recording.

ICT coach demonstrates how to use the multitrack capabilities in Audacity to layer tracks.

Use the Move tool and Envelope tool to control position and levels of tracks.

Fine tune a piece of multitrack audio.

3.5  File formats

·       Look at examples of files using aup, wav and mp3 formats.

When preparing audio for use in Photo Story, wav format is the preferred option.

Saving and editing

Save an Audacity project file (.aup) – this format is used only for the Audacity software. It works in the same way as a Photo Story project file – ie for when you need to revisit the editing process, particularly when using multitracks. The .aup file is saved with an associated folder named ..._data. When copying this audio project to another computer make sure you copy both the Audacity project file (.aup) AND the associated folder.

Exporting

Export as .wav for use in other programs such as Photo Story, PowerPoint, audio CD production, video editing etc. This .wav file is a mixed down single file that is used when the editing process is complete.

3.6  Web audio resources

·       Download audio from the web and integrate into the Audacity environment.

mp3 music file

Go to Freeplay Music www.freeplaymusic.com and look at how to download an mp3 music file. mp3 files are compressed to make them smaller for use on the web and in portable audio players such as the iPod. Right mouse click on an mp3 file and use ‘Save Target As...’ Audacity can use mp3 formats.

wav sound file

Go to FindSounds: search the web for sounds www.findsounds.com and look at how to download a wav sound file. Another excellent option is to use the link ‘types of sounds you can find’ to see categories of sounds. Right mouse click on a wav file and use ‘Save Target As...’ Make sure you know where it is being saved!

There are other audio formats used on findsounds.com, including au formats. Audacity can use most audio formats.

ICT coach demonstrates importing the downloaded sounds into the Audacity software – Project > Import Audio.

Follow-up activities

Spend 2.5 hours before the next workshop sessions to consolidate learning covered in this workshop, choosing topics and activities that interest you and complement your present learning and teaching program.

journalicon20px Document your reflections from this workshop in a Moodle journal entry http://dlb.sa.edu.au/ltmoodle/ – your concerns and successes plus demonstrate time spent on follow-up activities.

Create an audio recording

Create an audio recording using the techniques covered in this workshop.

Export the finished file as wav or mp3 ready to bring to Workshop 4.

With your planned Photo Story 3 project in mind, select two or three pieces of royalty free music that:

·       complement your story

·       match the mood and genre.