It’s a hockey night in Youngstown! 1 VS.

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial The purpose of this lesson is to teach students how to use a simple non-linear audio recording application to create a well-produced radio commercial. Broadcast radio relies on paid advertisements to stay in business. It is essential that good-quality commercial productions are made to ensure the profitability of the radio station. In this lesson we will utilize a basic audio application and recording devices (microphone & headphones) to record and piece together a multi- track commercial. 2

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial Review: Non-linear audio recording applications are designed to record sound, convert it into a digital format, and manipulate the recording into a multi- track production. Non-linear audio applications can be used for simple recordings to elaborate musical projects. Radio and television stations, recording studios, and production houses all rely on non-linear audio recording and editing software to create their audio productions. 3

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial The computer application used for this lesson is Audacity. It is fairly simple to use and master, works well with many computer platforms, and can easily be downloaded for free. It can be found at: 4

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial Aside from a computer, we’ll be using a microphone and a set of headphones. There are several different models available but for our purposes we’ll be utilizing consumer versions that are relatively inexpensive but generally of decent quality. 5

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial Let’s begin! Located in the upper left hand corner of the Audacity application, you’ll find the Play, Record, Pause, and Stop buttons. These buttons work in exactly the same manner as those found on many recording devices. 6

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial Once you’re ready to record an audio track, be sure to set the microphone level. After it has been set to the desired level, click the “record button” and begin speaking. Remember to speak clearly with good voice inflection. 7

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial Once you’ve successfully recorded an audio segment, the graphical representation of that segment will appear as an audio track. At this point you can begin to manipulate or edit the recording. 8

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial Once a track has been recorded, you now have the ability to edit the track. With the “Time Sift Tool”, you can move the track to the left and right allowing you to both manipulate the start of the track as well as search for possible edit points. 9

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial Once you’ve found a section to edit or cut- out, use the “Selection Tool” to hi-light the section. After the section is hi-lighted, use the “Cut Tool” to remove it. However, be aware that cutting sections from the recording will affect your overall time. 10

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial After you’ve successfully recorded and edited your vocal track, you now can add a music bed. Click on the “Project” menu and select the “Import Audio”. If the music file you import is in stereo, two tracks will appear. Remember the files that work best are MP3 and WAVE formats. 11

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial Once you’ve imported your music track(s), you may have to adjust the volume levels. To do so click on the “Envelope Tool”. This tool allows you to either increase or decrease the volume on your tracks. Also, by making edit points, you can choose which part of the track to manipulate. 12

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial Another use for the “Envelope Tool” is to create a “fade-out” affect. This adds to the overall aesthetics of your piece and helps to give a clean ending to your project. 13

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial After you’ve completed your final edits and you’re ready to save your project as a working audio clip, open the file menu and select the export options. There are three to choose from. Remember the MP3 and WAVE are the most common audio files to use. 14

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial Activity: Make a recording using a microphone. Manipulate the volume and delete long pauses. Add a music track. For non-copyrighted music go to Mix the two tracks together. Be sure to focus on: Good audio levels Well balanced volume Clear vocals A music bed that fits your theme 15

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial If you need to review this material, return to the beginning of this presentation. If you need more information on the Audacity application itself, please refer to the following website: 16

Proper Recording and Editing for a Radio Commercial Happy Audio Designing! 17