Mixing In Audactiy

  • Thread starter Thread starter TameImpala
  • Start date Start date
It's possible, but Audacity isn't really designed for serious production. Reaper is probably your best bet for an affordable DAW.
 
I have mixed projects in Audacity, but I don't recommend it. Audacity tends to be a pretty destructive editor (as in, it's difficult to undo changes you've made, especially if you've performed some intermediate steps.)

I'd recommend trying Reaper instead.
 
VomitHatSteve said:
Audacity tends to be a pretty destructive editor (as in, it's difficult to undo changes you've made, especially if you've performed some intermediate steps.)

I'd recommend trying Reaper instead.
Click to expand...

Totally - Audacity applies effects and stuff to the wave form - as opposed to most DAWs like Reaper that process the wave through a VST effect so you can back it off or disable it easily.
 
It's very limited in what it can do. To get a good mix you need to be able to adjust parameters in real-time and audacity doesn't offer anything real-time. It does apply any effect you use to the physical waveform so if you add an effect you cant take it off once it writes it to the track. Also I dont believe you an adjust any eq's for the tracks in audactiy. But for free it is pretty hard to beat and can give you a basic understanding of how recording and multi-tracking works.

Reaper is definitely the cheapest alternative although I prefer Audition to Reaper (Personal preference), you would definitely benefit from checking it out.
 
You can EQ each individual track in Audacity. I don't mind it at all, but then I don't mind chives in my mashed potatoes. No, you can't adjust in real time, and the effects aren't great, but as a freebie it gives you more then your money's worth.
Actually, I lied. I've added my own vocal harmonies more then once, and it works great. The effects to add to guitar (flange, fuzz, etc.) kinda blow.
 
Do you have to apply the eq to the tracks? I think I found it. In the effects menu.
 
Brenton said:
It does apply any effect you use to the physical waveform so if you add an effect you cant take it off once it writes it to the track.
Click to expand...

Which is exceedingly useful. (I use it for normalization, trimming some peaks, and fades on almost every project.) But you definitely want to have more tools in your belt as it were.
 
Can't you just copy any track you want to work on, so you can non-destructive edit? I don't use it, but it floats around on my computer. I would think, sure its an extra step, but it isn't that much of a stretch to keep the origional track and just make copies for any processing you want to try. delete if you dont like it and make a different copy etc. Can't audacity be used like that?
 
Audacity actually has that as an option. You can set it to copy the original files before editing them.
When I said "destructive" though I meant that changes within the editor are hard to undo. Let's say you cut a chunk out of a track and then do 3 or 4 other things to different tracks. If you want to recover that chunk you deleted, you have to mash the undo button until it's back, but then all your other changes are gone.
 
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