Ocenaudio User Guide: A Step-by-Step Guide to Preparing Audio Recordings

Preparing an audio recording for submission to eBird or the Macaulay Library requires attention to detail and careful editing techniques. One of the most important steps in this process is creating a clean three-second buffer before the first sound from your target species. In this article, we will guide you through the process of using Ocenaudio, a free sound editing program that makes it easy to prepare your recordings for submission.

Before we begin, let's take a look at an example recording. In the following sound file, the Lazuli Bunting begins singing near the 4-second mark. However, loud handling noise caused by the recordist moving occurs shortly before this moment. If we included a three-second buffer in this case, the loud handling noise would prevent us from normalizing the recording.

To create a clean three-second buffer, follow these steps:

1. Trim the beginning of your recording to remove any unnecessary audio.

2. Look for the last sound from your target species and include a three-second buffer of ambient sound after that sound. Then, trim any additional audio after the buffer.

3. If there is any additional audio before the buffer, delete it.

Looking at the waveform of this recording, we see that the three seconds highlighted are 'clean audio,' with no recordist noise or prominent, potentially confusing background species.

When using Ocenaudio, it's essential to keep in mind that it is a destructive editing program. This means that if you edit a file and then use the 'Save' function, the file will be permanently altered to reflect the changes you made. To deal with this issue, we recommend keeping two copies of your original sound files (one on your computer and another on an external hard drive), and making edits to a third copy.

For a more in-depth overview of using Ocenaudio, we encourage you to download our PDF guide to editing sound recordings in Ocenaudio. This guide provides detailed instructions and tips for getting the most out of this powerful editing program.

By following these steps and using Ocenaudio, you can easily prepare your audio recordings for submission to eBird or the Macaulay Library. Remember to always keep a clean three-second buffer before the first sound from your target species, and be mindful of the destructive nature of this editing program. With practice and patience, you'll be able to produce high-quality recordings that will help scientists and researchers around the world.

Ocenaudio user guide