# Tutorial - Your First Recording

### From Audacity Manual

## Step 1: Plug in your input source

Talk about various types of audio cables you might have and how you need to adapt them for a typical sound card. Some of the images to use.

## Step 2: Configure Audacity to record from that device

Start with Audio I/O Preferences

Next, input source from Meter toolbar - though note that this is less and less necessary these days. (Is the input device on the toolbar yet? If so, the Preferences may not be necessary!)

Click on the recording meter in the Meter toolbar to start recording. Show a before and after picture so it's really clear to the user.

## Step 3: Do a test recording, set levels

Adjust based on meter, then try recording a few seconds, and play it back

Talk about clipping and why it's bad. Show pictures of egregious clipping:

Undo

## Step 4: Full Recording

Also talk about timed recording

## Step 5: Edit Recording

Trim beginning and end, normalize volume

## Step 6: Save or Export

##### Views

##### Help Location

- Local manual in use
- Internet manual