Audacity Forum

If I download Audacity, is there playback software included in the Audacity program? My Windows Media Player does not allow playback. I don't really know why. It came on my laptop but only plays back samples of albums included with the laptop.
This laptop uses Vista.
I have itunes and that plays back all audio; can I play back .wav files on itunes?
Basically, I just want to know, before I either buy a Zoom H1 and download Audacity, is Audacity capable of being played back through any other means than Windows Media Player?
Is Audacity only an editing program?
Sorry for the naivity; the Audacity website does not say much about what it IS.
Jeremie

Audacity can record, edit, and process in many ways, one or more audio tracks. Audacity works with audio in a special format called "Audacity Projects" which will not play back in any other program. These can be played back in Audacity, or Exported as standard audio files which can then be played back in other programs.
Audacity is free and open source. It will cost you nothing to try it.
The recommended version is Audacity 1.3.12 which you can download from the main Audacity web site: http://audacityteam.org/download/
There is also a lot of documentation to help you get started: http://audacityteam.org/help/documentation
There is also an extensive user manual included in Audacity 1.3.12.

However, it is a bit of a worry that Windows Media Player does not allow playback.
Windows Media Player is a core part of the Windows operating system, and if does not work then that would tend to indicate that something is seriously wrong with your Windows installation. If something is wrong with your Windows installation there are no guarantees that Audacity will work. I would highly recommend that get your computer fixed first so as to avoid further frustration.

Thanks, Steve, for your quick reply!
I will go ahead and download Audacity and try it out. And I will also go to my local Geek Squad to see what is wrong with my Windows Media Player.
I am planning on using Audacity to record a series of interviews with someone on short leave from his fourth deployment in Iraq, and I had not planned on purchasing anything like the Zoom H1 or Sony 6200 because I thought that there must be recording software out there that I could use with just a mic plugged into the jack on my laptop, and I read about Audacity. Am I correct, or do you need an actual dedicated recording device?
Before I post any further questions, I'll check out the documentation in your link. But the Windows Media Player issue has puzzled me. I will check into it tomorrow.
Thank you so much for your attention!
Appreciatively,
Jeremie

If you have enough back time, tell us the type and model number of the microphone you want to use. Some work plugged into a Windows laptop and some don't.

I don't see any problem with doing exactly what you want to do. If your laptop has a built-in microphone, you may be able to use that and not bother with the external at all. Try it before you commit. That won't work if your laptop has loud fans.

I too, am really concerned sending you to a shoot with a laptop that has known sound problems.

Koz

While Audacity can quite happily play its project files - you are right it is basically a piece of s/w for editing. You are much better off exporting uncompressed WAV files or compressed MP3s for use in player s/w.

And yes iTunes can indeed play WAV files - thoght you might be better off with high bitrate AAC (Apple's compression format) or AAC - particularly if you are using (or plan to use) an iPod too. I find iTunes makes a good PC jukebox - but it is a bloated piece of s/w - and I do use iPods.

I use Audacity for my capture and editing of LP/tape transcriptions. I export WAV files, load thos into oTunes and then use iTunes to convert these to AAC at 256 VBR bitrate. See this tutorial in the 1.3/2.0 manual for the workflow that I use: http://manual.audacityteam.org/index.ph ... _to_iTunes

WC