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Creating Sound Gestures with Audacity

When you're creating sound gestures in Audacity, the main thing is DON'T TRY TO DO TOO MUCH. Try to change just ONE parameter, then start with a new sound file and try to change ONE parameter:

A. Dynamic Gesture.  Open a file, select the first part, and apply the filter 'Fade In'. Select the second half of the sound file and apply 'Fade Out'. You're done!

B. Timbre Gesture (timbre modulation). Open the 'A440Sine.mp3' file. Open the 'A440Sawtooth.mp3' file. Select-all (apple/command-A) the sawtooth wave file, and copy it. Insert a New Stereo Track into the A440Sine wave file. Click on the beginning of the new track, paste the Sawtooth wave. Select the middle third of the sinewave, apply the 'Fade Out' filter. Select the middle third of the sawtooth wave, and select the 'Fade In' filter.

Select the last third of the sine wave track, select 'Silence' under the 'Insert' menu. Select the first third of the sawtooth wave track. Again, apply 'Silence' under the 'Insert' menu.

Now, you've created a timbre modulation, changing from sine wave to sawtoothwave. 

C. Pitch Modulation. A smooth and seamless change of pitch is pretty difficult in Audacity - - it's really not the right tool for that particular job. You can create steps of different pitches pretty easily in Audacity, though. Simply select part of the sound file and apply the 'Change Pitch' filter. 

If you want a gesture that's a little more nuanced and gradual, follow these steps:

1. Select the last 90% of the sound file 'A440sineWaveExtended.aif' .  

2. Under the 'edit' menu, select 'Find Zero Crossing'. This adjusts your selection so the beginning and end are at zero points - the points where the sound wave crosses zero (zero amplitude). 

3. Select 'Change Pitch' under 'Filters'. In the pop up window, fill in 1% in the 'Percent Change' window. 

Repeat the above three steps, each time selecting 10% less of the sound file. Select 'Find Zero Crossing' , and press apple/command + fR (apply filter again).