Audacity Forum

I am brand new to Audacity. I would like to record the audio from a Keith Urban DVD I have. I would like to put it on my iPod. How do I record the right file type for this?

Jeff

Your iPod can play either WAVs or MP3s = you are likely to want MP3s as they occupy a lot less space - around 1/10 or so of the equivalent WAV file,

Record the project in Audacity. Do any editing, breaking into tracks that you require. Then Export or Export Multiple (for multiple tracks) as MP3 at whatever bitrate you require (Audacity default is 128, but I would recommend going to 192 or even 256 for music).

The MP3s can then be loaded into your iTunes library and thence onto your iPod.

WC

Thanks for the reply - how do I tell Audacity to record from my computers DVD drive?

You should have a little drop-down selection box at the top right hand corner of the Audacity window. What you get in there is dependent on your souncard and it's drivers. If you're lucky one of those options should let you record from the DVD drive.

WC

When I record using the drop down, which does not list a DVD source, but does have a Video source, Audacity records left channel only and the volume is so low that it is not usable. Audacity does list a CD source in the drop down, so I tried recording a music CD and it just recorded noise. Is Audacity hard to use?

I did say "if you're lucky" - I can't do it from my onboard soundcard either.

However I did solve this problem as my wife despeartely wanted a soundtrack song that is just totally unavailble on any album. Rather than using my PC's soundcard, I have an external USB soundcard (an Edirol UA-1EX - others uou could consider are the Behringer UCA202, or the Griffin iMic). I then hooked up the RCA outputs of my DVD player the the inputs of my soundcard and recorded in Audacity.

"Is Audacity hard to use?" - depends on your definition (hard to use is say, Neil Armstrong piloting Apollo 11 capsule down onto the lunar surface - I am so in awe of that guy's skill).

Audacity has lots of complexity (if you need it) - like most things you get a lot better with practice - and you get better by reading the manuals. So it can be a bit intimidating at first - but no I don't think it's particularly hard to use. What is sometimes hard is getting it set up right in the first place - as you are discovering.

WC

WC - thanks for your replys. I have decided to get external DVD player and use the line in on my computer. I hope it is a stereo line in...

Jeff