Re: [Audacity-manual] {manual} Your First recording tutorial

[Bill W. <bi...@go...>]

On 17-Jun-11, at 2:55 PM, Gale Andrews wrote:

>
> To my mind, "Audacity Setup and Configuration" as it is being
> envisaged in:
> http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/User:Billw58/Audacity_Setup_and_Configuration
>
> isn't part of "Understanding Audacity" except for the first brief  
> sections
> "Temporary Files", "Project Sample Rate" and "Setting up for  
> playback".
> And those don't really say much that it isn't already in the  
> Reference.

Those sections are pretty much lifted straight from
http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Audacity_Setup_and_Configuration
which also includes images of ports and plugs. Of course, that was me  
that included the "Getting sound into your computer" section in the  
first place!

If YFR is going to do the hand-holding and step-by-step, then the  
current Audacity Setup and Configuration page can be trimmed  
significantly. If may even become redundant. But let's not forget our  
motivation for the expanded setup pages - to integrate information  
from the wiki into the manual (where it will hopefully be easier to  
find), with all information and images relevant to 1.3.14/2.0 (no  
reference to 1.2), and addressing the many support questions we get  
about recording with an external microphone or instrument.

If Peter's expanded YFR tutorial will do this, that's fine with me.

>
> Almost all the rest (except for recording computer playback) is about
> identifying and making hardware connections and seems like "Tutorial"
> to me. "Tutorial" may encourage uptake/reading (though of course
> "TLDR;" is a problem).

With Peter's "chapterized" version of the YFR tutorial it should be  
possible for readers to skip the sections they are not interested in,  
as I've tried to do in my proposed Setup pages.

>
> So I feel that the original motivation in integrating "Setup and
> Configuration" into YFR was probably correct. If needed at all, an  
> item
> in "Understanding Audacity" would provide an overview (probably an
> image of the Audacity project window with arrows) pointing to the
> relevant parts of the Audacity interface and describing what they do
> - Mixer, Meter and Device Toolbars, Transport Menu, Devices and
> Recording Preferences, Project Rate, Temporary Folder. It will only
> be useful for those who don't need hand-holding.

An interesting idea. Kind of like the current Quick Guide http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Quick_Guide 
, but targeted to setup?

>
> My feeling is that we need a separate, strongly targeted tutorial
> (with an OS-based structure) about "Recording Computer Playback",
> even if some of its content duplicates YFR. People who need help
> recording playback don't want complications thrown with huge
> images of computer ports or to see descriptions of largely irrelevant
> options in Device Toolbar. Such a tutorial would complement the
> existing ones for recording pre-recorded media and for creating new
> material (whether by mic, keyboard, guitar or whatever).

Yes, they'd need to duplicate at least the Device Toolbar settings.

>
> YFR and a new tutorial for recording computer playback would have
> subsections like Bill has been developing in:
> http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/User:Billw58/Audacity_Setup_and_Configuration

Agreed.

>
> The subsections should have a "Tutorial" name.

I'm not sure about that. The subsections of
http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Tutorial_-_Copying_tapes,_LPs_or_minidiscs_to_CD
don't start with the word "Tutorial"


> YFR should I think
> have subsections much as envisaged by Peter like "Connecting Up"
> and "Selecting Your Input" (except that possibly "Selecting Your
> Input"needs subsections too).

Agreed.

-- Bill

>
> As regards "Total Recorder", my feeling is that it is a good option
> especially as it solves Skype recording too, but from the feedback I
> get, it's far too complex for the technically challenged.
>
> Freecorder 3 (browser based) is a much simpler option for those
> whose main interest is only in recording something playing in the
> web browser. Of course you get a toolbar as well, but a small price
> to pay. I think Freecorder 3 should be recommended as a "free"
> alternative to TotalRecorder, unless someone knows something of
> comparable functionality that's free.
>
>
>
>
>
> Gale
>
>
>
> | From Peter Sampson <pet...@ya...>
> | Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:13:30 -0700 (PDT)
> | Subject: [Audacity-manual] {manual} Your First recording tutorial
>> Hi Bill,
>>
>> <<This assumes that the new Setup pages get the green light. They  
>> need
>> attention from Windows and Linux users for content of those  
>> sections,  and a
>> decision from James, Gale and others on overall appropriateness.  I  
>> don't think
>> the Setup pages are a tutorial.>>
>>
>> The problem is that the existing Setup page is not up-to date -for  
>> a start the
>> image of the mixer toolbar is now stale.
>>
>> Yes I agree that the Setup pages are not a tutorial - and indeed  
>> belong
>> correctly where they are now on the front page in understanding  
>> Audacity.
>>
>> And yes I agree that if your new Setup pages are greenlighted to go  
>> - then we
>> can shorten the YFR tutorial by providing links to the Setup  
>> pages.  And since
>> it would then only contain steps 3-7 it would probably then be  
>> short enough
>> without breaking it up.  So I will hold fire for now on YFR until  
>> your new pages
>> get greenlighted/redlighted.
>>
>> <<the new Setup pages ... need  attention from Windows ... users  
>> for content
>> ...>>
>>
>> My main comment is that for Windows users who cannot record  
>> streaming audio  we
>> normally recommend the TotalRecorderpackage - see: http://www.highcriteria.com/
>> It costs a liitle at $17.95, but it works well - my wife uses it on  
>> her new W7
>> laptop.
>> I added an editornote to your page.
>>
>>
>>
>> Peter
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: Bill Wharrie <bi...@go...>
>> To: For discussion of Audacity Manual <aud...@li... 
>> >
>> Sent: Fri, June 17, 2011 3:10:58 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Audacity-manual] {manual} Your First recording tutorial
>>
>> http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/User:Billw58/Audacity_Setup_and_Configuration
>>
>> grew out of the discussion on this wiki page
>>
>> http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/User:BillWharrie/Device_and_Input_selection_on_Mac
>>
>> (scroll down past the discussion of the Device/Mixer toolbar to the
>> discussion of how and where to advise users how to deal with "sound
>> card" issues).
>>
>> In short, we were leaning at that time to pulling the essential
>> information from the wiki about setting up your computer's sound card
>> (now confusingly placed on the "Mixer Toolbar Issues" page) and  
>> adding
>> it to the manual.
>>
>> I would start the YFR tutorial with "If you have successfully
>> connected the device you want to record from, to your computer and  
>> are
>> getting sound into Audacity, you are ready to begin. If you are  
>> having
>> problems getting sound into Audacity, please read the Audacity Setup
>> and Configuration pages." The end of the new AS&C pages link to YFR
>> and Editing an Existing File tutorials. This way people who find that
>> Audacity works "out of the box" can proceed with the test recording,
>> etc., while those that need help can divert to the setup pages.
>>
>> This assumes that the new Setup pages get the green light. They need
>> attention from Windows and Linux users for content of those sections,
>> and a decision from James, Gale and others on overall  
>> appropriateness.
>> I don't think the Setup pages are a tutorial.
>>
>> On 17-Jun-11, at 9:47 AM, Peter Sampson wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Bill,
>>>
>>> to be honest, yes I had forgotten that you had been working on that
>>> page.  That
>>> work was back in early May I see and I thought that momentum had
>>> been lost and
>>> your work on that had been kicked, by you, into the long grass.
>>>
>>> I was responding to the ToDo-2 note that you placed on the Your
>>> First Recording
>>> Tutorial (deeply conscious that a ToDo-2 blocks a stable release -
>>> and thus
>>> trying to prepare the path for 2.0 - and even for the 1.3.14 release
>>> it is
>>> currently a very unwieldy read, leading to TLDR).
>>>
>>> I still think it is worth breaking apart the existing tutorial and
>>> then
>>> reviewing it in the light of your new proposed Setup and
>>> Configuration pages.
>>> It is possible that your new stuff could replace items 1 & 2 in my
>>> proposed list
>>> of contents, linked to from the master tutorial page - but
>>> personally I prefer
>>> the flow h/w setup followed by Audacity s/w setup - it flows better
>>> that way for
>>> me.
>>
>> I have no problem with breaking up the tutorial. But note that the  
>> new
>> Setup pages have the hardware -> software flow as well.
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Or maybe we should ditch the whole "Your First Recording" Tutorial
>>> in favour of
>>> your new pages (which would need the "Tutorial - ..." labelling as
>>> Martyn
>>> pointed out).  The downside to doing this is that an awful lot of
>>> pages link to
>>> the "Your First Recording" tutorial - so a lot of links to fix too
>>> (many of the
>>> other tutorials link back to YFR).
>>
>> Not a good idea IMO. YFR is a tutorial, Setup is help.
>>
>>>
>>> There is possibly room for both sets of tutorials - but there is
>>> such a big
>>> overlap that it would lead to parallel maintenance and so best
>>> avoided.
>>
>> Overlap is the issue, which is why I'd link to the Setup pages from
>> the YFR tutorial.
>> -- Bill
>
>
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