wanting to duplicate 40s sound quality

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

this is an example of what I want to achieve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFKLTdb0iNw

primarily I want to apply it to a music track. I want to do it to voice, but I haven’t got a mic in order to implement voice to my project.

I tried to find tutorials, but what I found falls into 2 categories. It either assumes that you know a fair deal about sound desing and technical(I don’t know anything. Im basically a clueless dummy) or the result was not what I was looking for.

The only thing I ever used audacity for was to pitch some songs for fun.

2

wanting to duplicate 40s sound quality

Start with Effect → Equalization. Click the “Graphic EQ” button because a graphic equalizer is easier to experiment with.

Move all the sliders below 300 Hz all the way down.
Move all the sliders above 6000Hz all the way down.

Move the sliders between 1000Hz and 2000Hz up by about 6dB (or more).

Use the Preview button and experiment with the settings as necessary.

Note that boosting frequencies will push the levels into clipping (distortion). But, you may not hear the distortion 'till you save the file… You have some options…

  • You can try the Compressor Effect. This may add to the old-time effect while bring the levels back down. (The default settings are a good start, and you may want to Amplify after compression to bring the up to "normal’.

  • You can use the Amplify effect to bring the levels down to a “safe” level.

  • You can leave the distortion, which may add to the old-time sound.

  • You can use the hard-limiter, which is very similar to leaving the clipping/distortion.

Optionally, you can Generate Noise at a low level (in a new file) and mix it in.

3

ok thanks. Found some scratching noise effects to go with it too