Thread: production software with synchronisation

That syncing feeling

One area where music-production software sometimes comes unstuck is with synchronisation - that is, keeping everything in time. If you're singing along to a guitar recording, for example, it's important that the two tracks are played back exactly as you performed them. Sadly, though, Audacity tends to play tracks a few milliseconds later than intended.This problem can be fixed, but it's fiddly.Click File then New to start a new project, then click Generate, then Click Track, then OK.Turn on the speakers, hold your microphone up to a speaker and click Record to capture the sound to another track.

Play these two tracks back and you'll probably hear a slight echo. Zoom right in so you can clearly see the gap between the original click and the delayed recording and use the time ruler atthe top to see how late it is - in our example, it's 0.066 seconds, or 66ms.To fix this, highlight 66ms from the start of the lower track and delete it, slipping it back into the correct time. The same applies to any tracks we have recorded as part of a song while listening to other tracks: delete the same tiny amount of time from the start and they will play in time with the original track. More sophisticated and more expensive software can work out the difference and compensate automatically, saving time and effort.



Click it to activate it and speak into the microphone. If the level meter starts flashing, great, but if not we need to switch 'it on somewhere else too. Don't click the level meter lots of times, as you'll lose track of whether it's on or off - its setting isn't clearly marked in the software.

Even if the microphone is working, it's unlikely that it will be at the ideal volume for recording. The aim is for the loudest part of a performance to register at about -6 on the level meter in Audacity. Most of the recording will be much quieter, but that's fine. Quiet sounds can be turned up but if the microphone level is too high the results will sound crackly and distorted.

Check to see if the microphone has a built-in switch or volume knob, and make sure it's turned up. If you're using a USB soundcard with its own volume dials, make sure that any Microphone dials are turned up too. Most people will need to adjust a software volume control.