Lesson video

Hi, everybody.

It's Mrs. Dodds here.

Welcome back.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson.

Let's get started and find out what this lesson is all about.

So, let's start by looking at the outcomes of this lesson.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to edit and combine tracks to make a new audio.

Let's have a look at our key vocabulary.

Let's start by looking at the keywords for this lesson.

I'm going to say them first, and then I'm gonna ask you to copy me, and then we'll have a look at the meaning of each of the words in turn.

Let's start with the first one: track.

You try.

Brilliant.

A track is a single recording of a sound.

Let's look at the next one: waveform.

You try it.

Excellent.

This is a graphical representation of an audio.

Let's look at the next one: trim.

You try it.

Excellent.

You're doing really well at this.

To remove parts of an audio waveform.

So, to trim parts.

You might have come across that word before.

Let's look at the last one: align.

You try it.

Excellent.

This is to change the time at which an audio track starts playing.

We'll have a look at that later.

So, let's start by looking at part one of this lesson.

This is all about how we record audio tracks.

A podcast is a recording that is made available over the internet.

It can be downloaded and played on a digital device.

Jacob's asking a question here: "Who creates a podcast and why?" Well, podcasts are produced by recording engineers in recording studios with high-quality equipment.

If you look at the picture, you'll see how podcasts are created and the type of equipment you might use.

So, who might record a podcast? People who feel they've got something interesting to say maybe.

It could be people who share the same hobby or interest as you.

Or it could be people who like to teach other people.

So, we're gonna think about some topics that you could use for a podcast.

For example, it could be creative, an adventure story, solving a mystery, or a joke hour.

It could be educational, so it could be about space explorers or dinosaur detectives, or how something might work.

It could be an interview, so it could be "meet a hero," interviewing an inventor, or a family story.

It could be a game, like a memory challenge or a brain teaser, or a guessing game.

So, it's time now for check for understanding.

This is where I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to look at the possible answers, and you can have some time to discuss what you think and why.

So, who can create a podcast? Is it A, only famous people? B, only teachers? C, anyone with the right idea and equipment? Or D, only people who work for a radio station? Pause the video now and spend some time just having a think about the possible answer and why you might think that.

Pause your video now.

Excellent.

You're back.

Hope you had time to think about that.

So, I'm gonna ask the question again.

Who can create a podcast? Let's see what the answer is.

It is C, anyone with the right idea and equipment.

Let's move on.

So, we're going to listen to a podcast now, and you're gonna use the questions to help you decide the features of a podcast.

Let's have a look.

So, these are the possible questions: Who can you hear? What topic is being spoken about? Is there any music, or are there any sound effects? So, it's time now to listen to that podcast, and then we'll meet again once you've listened to it.

See you in a moment.

(groovy upbeat music) <v Jenny>Hi, gamers.

</v> Welcome to "Gaming Smart," the podcast that helps you play safer and smarter.

I'm Jenny, and today we are talking about something super important: staying safe while gaming online.

Whether you love "Minecraft," "Roblox," or "Fortnite," these tips will help you have fun and stay safe and protected.

So, let's dive in.

First up, protecting your personal information.

Did you know that sharing your real name, address, or school online can be risky? Instead, use a fun, creative username that doesn't reveal too much about you.

And remember, never share your password, even with your best friends.

Next, let's talk about privacy settings.

Most games let you choose who you can message or play with.

Ask a grown-up to help you check your settings so that only friends can contact you.

This keeps random people from bothering you while you play.

Here's another important rule: be kind and play fair.

No one likes a bully, and being nice makes gaming fun for everyone.

If someone is being mean, don't argue, just block, report, and move on.

And if anything makes you feel uncomfortable, always tell a trusted adult.

Speaking of breaks, yes, you need them.

Taking breaks helps your brain recharge and keeps your eyes from getting too tired.

Try the 20/20/20 rule.

Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

And don't forget to stretch.

All right, gamers, let's wrap up with our top three tips.

One: Keep your personal information private.

Two: Use privacy settings to control who can contact you.

Three: Be kind, take breaks, and ask for help when needed.

Stay smart and stay safe out there.

If you liked this episode, share it with a friend and join us next time for more gaming tips.

Until then, game on and game safe.

(groovy upbeat music continues) <v ->So, now you've had time to review the podcast</v> and listen to it, I'm going to ask you those questions again.

Who can you hear? What topic is being spoken about? Is there any music? Are there any sound effects? So, it's time now to pause this video to discuss these questions with a partner or just to think about them yourself.

Pause the video now.

Great.

Let's move on with this lesson.

So, when sound is recorded, the audio appears as a track.

The track appears like a wave.

This is called a waveform.

So, as we think about that word "wave," you can see the audio track in front of you on the screen.

The waveform will be big if you are speaking very loudly, and if you whisper, the waveform will be smaller, just like that picture that I've shown you on the screen.

When a sound is recorded, the waveform will appear.

You'll be able to see how loud or how quiet your track is by using the scale.

Let's have a look at what this scale might look like.

So, as you can see, I've put a little black box around the scale here, and this scale shows the volume of the track.

So, it goes from 1.

0 to 0.

5 to 0 to -0.

5 to -1.

0, and you can see that that waveform gets larger and smaller depending on how loud or how quiet you are being when you are recording.

So, now it's time for a check for understanding.

This is where I'm going to give you a question.

I want you to spend some time discussing it.

So, let's have a look at this.

I want you to look carefully at this waveform that I'm going to show you below, and it has been labelled with letters.

So, I want you to identify the labels where it shows a loud sound, a quiet sound, and where there's silence.

So, using those labels, A, B, and C, I want you to decide where there's a loud sound, a quiet sound, and where there's silence.

Pause the video now and spend some time discussing that.

Excellent.

You're back.

I hope you've had time to discuss that and that you've come to some kind of conclusion, and I want you to be able to explain why you think what you think.

Let's have a look at the correct answers.

So, compare your answers with these answers below.

Were you correct? So, A was the quiet sound, B was the loud sound, and C was the silence.

Why should you keep your recording between positive 0.

5 and negative 0.

5? Spend some time discussing that, looking at the scale on that picture.

Pause the video now and spend some time discussing that.

Brilliant.

You're back.

Let's have a look at the answer to that question.

Why should you aim to keep your recording between positive 0.

5 and negative 0.

5? The sound will be clear to listen to and will not become too loud.

It will not hurt the listeners' ears, and the sound won't become distorted.

So, when we talk a little bit later on about that scale, I want you to be looking very carefully at how loud your sound is when you are recording.

Let's move on.

So, now it's time for task A.

It's your turn.

What I'd like you to do is record yourself humming three different tracks.

I want you to practise controlling your volume.

So, let's have a look at what I need you.

So, Sam has introduced task one, which is to record a waveform that gets louder.

So, if you look really carefully at that picture, you'll see how the waveform is getting louder.

Task two: This is a waveform that stays between positive 0.

5 and negative 0.

5.

So, we're going to practise being quite quiet on this one.

Task three: Task three is a waveform that looks like a pulse.

So, it's gonna be louder and quieter, louder and quieter, louder and quieter.

Okay? As we're doing this, what I want you to think about is why do you think you might need to be able to control the volume of your tracks? So, I'd like you to start with your task A now, recording those three different challenges or three different tracks.

I'd like you to stop the video now so that you can go away and practise those skills.

Pause the video now.

Excellent.

You're back.

I hope you worked really hard on that.

So, let's have a look back at that question: Why do you think you might need to control the volume of a track? Let's have a look.

So, we need to be able to control the volume because if you listen to music and it's too loud, it can actually hurt your ears.

If it's too quiet, you might not be able to hear it.

So, controlling that waveform helps us make sounds just right.

Let's move on.

So, now we are going into part two of our lesson, which is trim audio tracks.

Let's take a look at how we do this.

So, computers let you change audio in a recording.

You can take out any section of the track you do not need or want.

So, looking at this waveform, can you identify and explain which sections you don't think are needed? Pause the video so that you've got time to discuss this.

So, I hope you've had time to discuss that.

Let's have a look.

You might want to, when you're recording, remove quiet parts at the beginning or end of a recording.

So, let's have a look at what this looks like.

So, at the very beginning of a track, you might just want to trim off that little section at the beginning where you're waiting to start speaking.

Maybe leave a little bit just as a bit of an introduction.

To select or choose the section of the waveform you want to delete, you'll click at the very end, and then you drag over the section that's no longer needed.

Time for check for understanding.

I'm going to read out a statement, and I want you to decide is it true or is it false? If you make a mistake while recording on Audacity, you need to start all over again.

Is it true or is it false? I want you to pause the video now and spend some time having a think about that, or maybe discussing it with a partner.

Pause your video now.

Brilliant.

I hope you've had time to have a think about that.

Let's see if you are right.

The answer is false.

You can pause for a moment and then start recording again, or start talking again.

When you go back to recording, and you can delete the section that you don't want by just trimming it out.

To select the section of the audio you do not want, you will need to be able to use your computer mouse or trackpad.

So, let's have a look.

So, here's a mouse and here's a trackpad.

You might be really confident using a mouse and trackpad, or you might not.

It depends on how much experience you've got.

So, Sam said, "I'm confused.

How do I use my computer mouse to trim the audio?" And Sofia said, "I'm using a laptop with a trackpad.

How do I trim the audio?" So, we're now gonna watch the short video clip to see how to use the mouse and trackpad to trim your audio.

Let's take a look.

(computer mouse button clicks) (computer mouse scraping) (computer mouse button clicks) (computer mouse scrapes) (computer mouse button clicks) (computer mouse scraping) (computer mouse button clicks) (trackpad button clicking) (trackpad button clicking) So, I hope that video is helpful, and it gives you an idea of how to use your mouse and trackpad.

Let's move on with the next challenge.

So let's look at the steps that you need to do to help you trim your track.

So, step one, you are going to record an audio.

Step two, you are gonna set up the section that you want to remove.

And step three, you are gonna delete that bit of audio.

So, let's have a look.

We're going to now watch this short video, and it explains the steps needed to trim a track.

Laura just said, "I keep forgetting what I needed to say.

Do I have to record it all again?" No, you don't.

Trimming a track means that what you can do is carry on speaking, or you can have a pause and then start talking again.

It allows you to take out that bit of recording that you no longer need.

Let's have a look at the video and find out a little bit more.

So now it's time to have a look at how we would trim our audio.

So, I'm just going to record an audio.

You can see me talking, and the audio track is showing the audio that I'm just recording.

Gonna press stop.

Now, there might be sections of your audio that you do want to edit and trim.

So, holding down, as we've practised on our mouse, dragging until the section is highlighted.

And then, on your keyboard, finding the button "delete" just to delete it off.

Just going to do that to the beginning as well.

Click down, hold it down right to the beginning, press delete on my keyboard.

So now, when I press play: You can see me talking.

When I press play, you can see I've taken out sections of my audio recording.

So, I hope that video was helpful and it gives you that reminder that when you are recording, if you do make a mistake, just pause and then carry on speaking, and then you can go back and trim it later.

Let's move on with the lesson.

So now it's time for check for understanding.

Again, this is a statement, and I want you to decide is it true or is it false? You have to delete the entire track if you make a mistake.

Is it true or is it false? Pause the video now so you've got time to discuss your answer.

Pause the video now.

Excellent, you're back.

Let's have a look and see if you were correct.

It is false.

If you do make a mistake in your recording, just take a short break and you can start recording again.

This will make it much easier to delete out the mistake later when you are trimming.

Let's move on.

So, we're going to think about a topic you are studying at school or something that you're interested in to help you with your own recording.

When you are doing this, what I would like you to do is make some deliberate mistakes.

So say "um" or "eh," speak too closely to the microphone, maybe two people talking at the same time, or repeating something that you've already said.

Now we're gonna move into task B.

It's time to open Audacity and create a recording to practise these trimming skills.

Step one, I'd like you to record your own track.

Step two, select that section that you want to remove.

And step three, delete that section.

So it's now time to pause the video and go away and open Audacity and have a go at these skills.

Pause the video now.

Great, I hope you were successful and that you managed to complete that task.

Let's have a look.

You can use, when you are deleting and trimming parts of your track, this zoom tool.

It does make your track easier to edit and trim.

So, as you can see, I've just put a little black box around it so that you can see.

By clicking on the plus and the minus, you can zoom in and make your audio track a lot bigger.

And if you use the take away, it's going to make your track much smaller.

So, if you are really looking for that little bit that you've made a mistake on, that zoom function is really, really helpful for you.

So now it's time to move into part three of this lesson.

Let's have a look at what this is looking at.

We're going to look at how to align audio tracks.

Let's have a look.

So, splitting your audio up into different tracks will help you when you're editing.

You can see all I've done here is I've gone onto the menu at the top of the bar, and I've clicked on tracks, and this gives me an "Add New." And I'm going to add in a new stereo track.

And if you look at that second picture, you can see that there's now a second track underneath.

So, aligning an audio track ensures sound happens at the right time, okay? So let's have a look at what this might look like.

So, here we've got a picture of two tracks: one track at the top and one track at the bottom.

I want you to look closely at this picture.

How are these two pictures different? I want you to pause the video now and spend some time talking to a partner about this, or just thinking about how are these two pictures different.

Pause your video now.

So you're back.

How are these two different to one another? So, instead of the tracks being stacked one on top of the other, we now have them following on from each other, okay? So you can see that as one finishes, the next one then starts.

Time for a check for understanding: Which sentence best describes aligning audios? Is it A, making sure sounds happen at the right time? B, making sounds louder? C, changing all sounds to be the same? Or D, removing sounds from a track? I want you to pause the video now, and I want you to have a think about your answer and try and explain it.

See you in a minute.

Brilliant, I hope you've had time to discuss that.

Let's have a look.

Which sentence best describes aligning audio? It is A, making sure sounds happen at the right time.

So now we're going to watch this short video, and it will show you the steps needed to align two audio tracks.

Alex has said, "How do I move the tracks so they sit side by side?" Let's watch this short video here to help us find out how to align our audio tracks.

Let's take a look.

So now it's time to show you how to align your audio tracks.

So, this is when you are creating more than one track and thinking about where they're positioned.

So, I'm going to record my first audio track.

You can hear me talking here.

Just gonna call this audio track one and stop it.

I'm just gonna mute this one for the moment so that when I create my new audio track, this won't play.

I'm gonna pop up to my tracks, click on add, add in a stereo track, and now I'm ready.

Here you can see an audio track two, audio track one.

Audio track two, I'm going to start recording.

This is audio track two.

You can hear me playing audio track two.

Going to stop it.

Now I'm going to unmute this so both are in blue rather than one being in grey.

Now, to move this, what I want to do is move this audio track to the very, very end over here.

I'm going to where the hand is, hold down with my mouse, and pull it right across.

You can see it jumped up onto the top there.

I'm just going to put it below, and I'm gonna press play.

First audio track.

You can hear me talking here.

Just gonna call this audio track one and start.

This is audio track two.

You can hear.

So now you have got these aligned.

So, I hope that video was helpful to help you find out a little bit more about how to align your audio tracks.

Let's move on with the lesson.

So, now you need to use these steps to help you align your own audios.

Let's take a look at the steps.

Step one, add your second track.

Step two, record your second audio.

Step three, use that grab tool to align your audio.

So, look carefully at that grab tool that I've just added onto the screen there.

That will allow you to grab that audio, hold onto it, and pull it to where you want it to be.

Let's move on to the next part of the lesson.

A check for understanding.

Let's have a look.

Which of these tools allows you to align your audio tracks? Is it A? Is it B? Or is it C? Pause the video now and spend some time discussing that with a partner or simply have a think for yourself.

Right, time to look at the answer.

Let's have a look.

It is A.

Right, so now it's time to think of a topic that you might want to talk about in your own podcast.

It could be creative, so an adventure story.

It could solve a mystery or a joke hour.

It could be educational, so it could be about space explorers or dinosaur detectives, or how something works.

It could be an interview, so it could be "meet a hero," or interviewing an inventor, or a family story.

Or possibly a game, like a memory challenge or a brain teaser, or a guessing game.

Task C: I want you to think about that topic that you are confident in speaking about.

I want you to record two separate audio tracks using Audacity, and then I want you to use that grab tool to move one of the waveforms so that they are following on from each other.

Pause the video now so you can go away and practise that skill.

See you in a moment.

Great, you're back.

I hope you've managed that, and I hope you were using that grab tool really well to help you move those waveforms around.

Let's move on.

So, after recording your two audio tracks, I want you to consider any problems that you have faced.

What problems have you experienced when aligning and trimming audio tracks? Pause the video now and talk about this with a partner, or just have a think.

What problems have you faced? Pause the video now.

Great to see you back.

Let's have a look.

So, what problems have you experienced when aligning and trimming audio tracks? It could be: Sam has said, "Too much background noise makes it hard to hear the important parts." Sofia has said, "I trimmed too much off my audio, and it sounded a bit jumpy." And Alex has said, "I had too many pauses when I listened back to my work." So, we've come to the end of the lesson, so we're going to have a look at the outcomes and what we've actually achieved during this lesson.

So, a podcast is a recording that is made available over the internet.

It can be downloaded and played on a digital device.

When sound is recorded, the audio will appear as a waveform.

Audio tracks can be edited by trimming them to make them shorter or aligning tracks to order them.

Thank you for joining me during this lesson.

You've learned a lot of skills this lesson, so do remember, if you need to, you can go back to any of those videos at any time to support you.

See you soon.

Bye-bye.