What Is Audacity Screen Reader For Mac
Posted By admin On 05.06.20Audacity, according to the developers, is a “free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds.” This means that we can all work together, regardless of our preferred operating systems, to participate in the art of creating and editing audio. And Audacity supports plugins! Plugins are amazing, wonderful things, especially when the base program itself is amazing.
When compared to the commercial competition that can cost upwards of $800 and is restricted to Windows-only platforms, why shouldn’t we give Audacity a shot?
What is the best place to get torrents and what is the best torrent reader for a MAC? Really don't know much about torrents so you'll have to spoon feed me. Report Abuse. I have audacity but it's not good for this? Audacity 2.1.1-screen-reader.zip file (16.50 MB, accessible version, Universal Binary for OS X 10.5 Intel/PPC Mac, no help files) View Checksums. We do plan to make Audacity accessible on Mac again in the future. We’re catching up with changes in the libraries we use.
Who should use Audacity?
Audacity is a free, easy-to-use and multilingual audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. You can use Audacity to: Record live audio.
Audacity is great for anyone who wants to record and edit audio, but it’s not that great for recording music. Audacity is not a multi-track recorder. It can only record two channels at a time, left and right. If only one instrument is being recorded at a time, Audacity works fine. People who want multi-track recording should probably take a look at Ardour.
Now that we know what Audacity is not for, here are some projects that Audacity excels at:
- Voice acting – People have been known to use Audacity on Fiverr to get started.
- Audio Books – The librevox project recommends Audacity to their volunteers.
- Screen cast tutorials – Sure, screen recording software can typically capture voice, too, but it’s nice to edit voice separately from sounds produced on the computer.
- Let’s plays – Similar to screen casting, using Audacity to record commentary separate from in-game audio makes post-production less of a nightmare.
Installation
Audacity is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It is available in most Linux distribution’s repositories, so you can easily install it directly from your package manager. In Ubuntu you can install it from the Software Center or just run the following command:
For those Ubuntu users who want the bleeding edge Audacity experience, feel free to add the audacity team ppa to get a daily build:
A word of warning: while daily builds can showcase the most up-to-date features, they may also contain catastrophic bugs and are generally not recommended for use in a production environment.
Configuration
After everything is nicely installed and running, the first thing we need to do is check the Preferences to make sure our audio devices are correct. To do this we will go to “Edit -> Preference.s”
The defaults should be fine, but let’s say we have a Blue Yeti Pro USB microphone plugged into a laptop. Audacity’s default will most likely be the laptop mic. To fix this we need to click the recording device’s drop-down menu and select the one that says, in this case, “Blue USB Audio.” Other USB microphones should have a similar listing.
Note: USB microphones must be plugged in prior to Audacity being started for Audacity to recognize them.
For those who are using a cheap 3.5mm microphone, choose the “Analog” option. In the case of the more professional XLR mics, special equipment is needed to interface the microphone with the computer and is beyond the scope of this guide.
Usage
Audacity is one of those things that is easy to start but difficult to master. Since we already have Audacity installed and the mic setup, all we need to do is hit Record (the big red Record button at the toolbar) and start talking.
When we’re done recording, we click stop, and the wavelength of our voice will show up in Audacity. If we click Record again, Audacity will play the track we already recorded while simultaneously recording a new one. This is incredibly handy for musicians trying to add another instrument to a mix.
To visualize recordings is useful even from a basic perspective. Particularly, we can even use it to leave a note for ourselves.
Once you determine which version(s) of Acrobat you want your file to be compatible with, click ‘ok’ and then name your file and save it in a folder where it will be easy to find. You have a smaller PDF file that can easily be shared. Optimized PDF As you can see from the above, you don’t have much control over the exact size of your final PDF when you save it using the Reduced Size option. • You can see that the later the version, the smaller the file. How do you compress a pdf file. The larger the original file, the more extreme the size differences will be.
So there we are, reading a passage from some short story, and we mess up on the second paragraph. To make it easy on ourselves we clap, or make some other loud noise, to cause a spike as shown in the second recording in the above image. Now when we come back and edit the audio, we can easily find the place where we made the mistake and edit it out.
All we have to do is click somewhere in the audio, hold “Shift,” click somewhere else and we will have a section highlighted. From here we can cut/copy/paste, play the selection, or add some sort of effect. To make things easy, the team behind Audacity decided to use shortcuts many of us are familiar with from using file managers. Some examples:
- Ctrl + x – Cuts a selection of audio
- Ctrl + v – Pastes a selection of audio
- delete – Deletes, as expected
Plug-ins and special effects
It would be insane to try and go through all of the plugins and special effects of Audacity, so we are going to focus on two major ones.
First, the ability to relatively easily filter out background noise. Derrik Diener wrote a great piece on how to do this last year.
To make things a little easier, we need to be sure to have five to ten seconds of empty audio at the begging of the track.
Why? The preview button will play the first five seconds of audio on the track, and it’s a lot easier to listen for background noise when there are no other distracting sounds.
At the end of his article, Derrik did mention the use of normalization to make audio sound better. While this works, the librevox project recommends replaygain, which aims to get volume as close to 89 dB as possible.
This is particularly important for serialized content such as let’s plays, where we don’t want our voice to be louder or quieter video to video.
Have any thoughts on Audacity? Did you use it to make something awesome? Let us know below!
Ebooks
Screen readers are a form of assistive technology.
Current screen readers[edit]
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
BRLTTY | The BRLTTY Team | *nix, Windows console, DOS, Android | Free and open source (GPL2) | Available to download; part of most Linux distributions |
ChromeVox | Chrome OS or, with a speech processor, Linux, Mac, Windows | Free | ChromeVox is a screen reader for Chrome and Chrome OS. | |
COBRA | BAUM Retec | Windows | Commercial | Supports Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) and the Java Access Bridge. |
Edbrowse | Karl Dahlke | *nix console | Free and open source | Makes a complete audio desktop, including web access with JavaScript support. |
Emacspeak | T. V. Raman | Emacs (on *nix) | Free and open source | Turns Emacs into a 'complete audio desktop'. |
iZoom | Issist | Windows | Commercial | Screen magnifier with low-vision speech capabilities. Includes support for Mozilla Firefox. |
JAWS | Freedom Scientific | Windows and DOS | Commercial for Windows; freeware for DOS | Includes support for MSAA, the Java Access Bridge, and PDF. |
Lingspeak | Lingit | Windows | Commercial | A visual screen reader, which highlights the object and text being read. Supports MSAA, Java Access Bridge (OpenOffice), per line reading from Win32 classes 'Edit'(Notepad) and 'RichEdit'(Wordpad), MS Word. UIA and IAccessible2 is being worked on. One-month trial version available. |
MAGic | Freedom Scientific | Windows | Commercial | Speech magnifier with low-vision speech capabilities. It can be used together with JAWS. |
Metalmouth | Evaluera Ltd. | All that run Chrome browser | Free and open source (Apache 2.0) | metalmouth is a simplified open source screen-reader application which can be used to read out any HTML5 web pages and interact with most HTML5 input controls. It also supports multi-tab navigation. |
Microsoft Narrator | Microsoft | Windows | Commercial | Bundled with recent versions of Windows, this basic screen reader makes use of MSAA. |
Microsurf | Microsurf | All that run Chrome browser | Free | Microsurf is a screen reader for Chrome |
NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) | NonVisual Desktop Access project | Windows | Free and open source (GPL2) | Programmed and scriptable in Python. Supports Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Word, Excel and Outlook Express, and Mozilla Thunderbird. Supports web content using JavaScript. Supports Java Access Bridge. IAccessible2 is supported. |
Orca | GNOME | *nix | Free and open source ( LGPL 2.1) | The development of Orca was started by Sun Microsystems as part of the GNOME project with contributions from many community members, but since Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems in 2010, Orca turned into a completely community-driven project. It supports AT-SPI, so it works with the GNOME desktop, Mozilla Firefox/Thunderbird, OpenOffice/LibreOffice and GTK+, KDE/Qt and Java Swing/SWT applications. Though it is developed by the GNOME project, it is the most popular screen reader for Unix like systems with graphical environments other than GNOME, like KDE or Unity. |
PC-Talker | Kochi System Development | Windows | Commercial | Japanese screen reader. Supports MSAA and Flash[1] |
PCVoz | EzHermatic | Windows | Commercial | Available to buy or download trial. Supports MSAA. |
ScreenReader (formerly Supernova) | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows | Commercial | Includes a screen magnifier and output to Braille devices. 30 day Free Trial available for download. Supports MSAA, the Java Access Bridge, and PDF. |
Simply Talker | EcoNet International | Windows | Commercial | Trial download available. |
SpeakEasy Media System | NDU | Windows | Commercial | Specialized suite of vocalized programs designed for ease of use |
SUSE-Blinux | Novell | Linux | Free and open source | |
System Access | Serotek | Windows | Commercial | Trial download available. Supports Microsoft Internet Explorer (including DHTML/Ajax and Flash), Outlook Express, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Skype, and Adobe Reader. No support for Java yet. |
TalkBack[2] | Android 1.6+ | Open Source | Use with SoundBack and kickback | |
TalkButton[3] | Upward Spiral Software | Mac | Commercial | TalkButton works together with Microsoft Word to create an extensive text-to-speech environment. Features include highlighting of spoken text and keyboard echo. Trial version available. |
Text to Speech[4] | SpeakComputers.com | Windows | Freeware |
|
Thunder ScreenReader | Sensory Software | Windows | Freeware | Last update 2015[5]. Supports MSAA. |
Virtual Vision | MicroPower | Windows | Commercial | Brazilian screen reader. Supports MSAA. |
VoiceOver | Apple Inc. | Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad, iPods, and Apple TV | Free, Commercial | Free and included with any Apple product. No installation or setup required. Available in over 30 language voices, which are also included for free. See Apple Accessibility [6] for more information. |
WebAnywhere | University of Washington | Web | Free and Open Source (new BSD) | Doesn't require any software installation to run so can be used at any public terminal that has sound available - works on any platform. |
WinZoom | Clarity | Windows | Commercial | Screen reader with magnifier. USB version does not require any installation and can be used on any public computer. |
Screen Access for All | National Association for the Blind, New Delhi | Windows | Open source | Last update: 2004 |
ZoomText | Ai Squared | Windows | Commercial | Includes a screen magnifier. Trial download available. |
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
Unfinished Screenreader Projects[edit]
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Screenful | Screenful Team | Windows | Open source | Concept is done. Due to problems finding skilled developers, the project is idling |
The Longhorn Screen Reader Project | OSSRP Team | Windows Vista | Open source | Concept ideas have been made. Latest news said that the project had not succeeded. Whether or not they will continue or let it die is not known at the moment. |
Apple Pie Project | Simnix Software | Windows Phone 7 & 8 | Open source https://web.archive.org/web/20100109011430/http://applepie.codeplex.com/ | To help blind and partially sighted people to use a Windows Phone. |
Discontinued and/or obsoleted screen readers[edit]
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
95Reader | SSCT | Windows | Commercial | Japanese screen reader; latest version (ver. 6.0, release date unknown) has specific support for Internet Explorer 6 and Macromedia Flash 6 [7], so seems obsolete and its availability seems unlikel |
ASAP (Automatic Screen Access Program)[8] | MicroTalk | Dos | Commercial | |
ASAW (Automatic Screen Access for Windows)[9] | MicroTalk | Windows | Commercial | |
Blindows | BAUM Retec (formerly Audiodata) | Windows | Commercial | Substituted by COBRA |
DRACULA family | Eurobraille | Windows | Commercial | |
Enable Reader Professional Speech System | Enable Talking Software | DOS | Uncertain | |
Enhanced PC Talking Program | Computer Conversations | DOS | Uncertain | |
Fire Vox | Charles L. Chen | All that ran Firefox browser up to version 3.6 | Free and open source | For browsing with Firefox only (plugin), is not compatible with Firefox 3.6 or newer, that made it obsolete long ago |
Gnopernicus | GNOME | *nix | Free and open source (LGPL 2) | It was developed by BAUM Engineering, a partner company of Baum Retec AG. Used to be bundled with GNOME, but it was replaced by Orca in GNOME 2.16. Included a screen magnifier. It supported AT-SPI. |
HAL | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows, DOS | Commercial | Windows version was superseded by Supernova (later renamed to ScreenReader) |
HT Reader | HT Visual | Windows | Commercial | Included support for MSAA and PDF. Disappeared from the price list of HT Visual [10], absolutely no other sign of it being available |
Leitor de Telas | MC / CPqD | Windows | Free | Brazilian Portuguese screen reader. MSAA support. Latest info about it is from December 2007 [11] |
Linux Screen Reader (LSR) | GNOME | *nix | Free and open source (New BSD License) | It was an alternative screen reader to Orca led by IBM started in 2006. However, it was ceased in 2007 when IBM focused their resources in other projects.[12] It supported AT-SPI. |
LookOUT | Choice Technology | Windows | Commercial | Was also available integrated with a screen magnifier. Last mention of it is from 2003. [13] |
Mobile Speak | Code Factory | Symbian OS, Windows Mobile | Commercial | Full-fledged screen readers and Braille interfaces that let you access your mobile phone. One-month trial version available. The discontinuation of Simbian in 2013 and of Windows Mobile in 2010 made it obsolete. |
Model T Reader | Dolphin Computer Access | DOS | Freeware | |
Pocket Hal | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows Mobile PDA and PDA Phones | Commercial | |
PROVOX | Kansys, Inc. | DOS | Uncertain | |
Screen Reader | Research Centre for the Education of the Visually Handicapped (RCEVH) | BBC Micro and NEC portable | ||
Screen Reader/2 | IBM | OS/2 | Commercial | |
Smart Hal | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows Mobile and WM Smartphone | Commercial | |
Soft Vert | TeleSensory Systems | DOS | Commercial | |
Talks & Zooms [14] | Nuance Communications | Symbian OS Series 60 3rd and 5th Ed and Simbian^3 | Commercial | Presentation and free Trial Version to be found on the site. The discontinuation of Simbian OS in 2013 made this obsolete. |
TeleTender | TeleTender.org | All Platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad, iPods, Windows, Android etc. | Free | TeleTender is a voice communication platform for sight impaired people, embedded with a cloud based screen reader. Users can interact with any web pages on the internet by issuing voice commands over the phone. To use it, just dial one of its access numbers. |
Tinytalk | OMS Development | DOS and perhaps Windows | Shareware | |
Virgo | BAUM Retec AG | Windows | Commercial | Substituted by COBRA. |
Window Bridge | Syntha-voice Computers (now out of business) | Windows | Commercial | |
Window-Eyes | GW Micro (merged with AI Squared in 2014, [15] acquired by VFO Group, later Vispero, in 2016[16]) | Windows | Commercial | As of 2017, no longer available for sale. |
WinVision | Artic Technologies | Windows | Commercial | Not officially discontinued, but there has been no further release since 1997. |
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
Software aids for people with reading difficulties[edit]
- Automatik Text Reader from Davide Baldini (Firefox extension)
- BrowseAloud from Texthelp Systems Inc
- Capture Assistant from Renovation Software
- ClaroRead from Claro Software
- Claro ScreenRuler Suite from Claro Software
- ClickHear[17] from gh LLC
- ClickHear Mobile[18] from gh LLC
- ClipSpeak[19] (last update: 2009) from Daniel Innala Ahlmark
- EasyTutor from Dolphin Computer Access
- EnVision: basic multi-featured Windows accessibility tool
- Kurzweil 1000 (for the visually impaired) and Kurzweil 3000-firefly (for those with reading or writing difficulty) from Kurzweil Educational Systems
- Penfriend from Penfriend Ltd
- Proloquo from AssistiveWare
- ReadHear[20] from gh LLC
- ReadSpeaker from ReadSpeaker Holding B.V.
- Read & Write from TextHelp Systems
- ReadPlease from ReadPlease Corporation [21]
- Read:OutLoud from Don Johnston, Inc.
- Screen Reader from SourceBinary.com (no longer available, latest trial version can be obtained from other download sites)
- SodelsCot[22] from Sodels Factory
- TextAloud from NextUp.com
- Ultra Hal TTS Reader from Zabaware, Inc.
- VoiceText from Neospeech, Inc.
- yRead from Spacejock Software
Screen Reader Free
References[edit]
- ^Bob Regan, Best Practices for Accessible Flash Design (PDF)Archived 2007-03-23 at the Wayback Machine
- ^TalkBack: An Open Source Screenreader For Android
- ^Talkbutton.net
- ^Speakcomputers.com
- ^https://www.webbie.org.uk/blog/end-of-the-thunder-screenreader/
- ^Apple Accessibility
- ^95Reader ver 6.0 product information page (in Japanese)
- ^Wael Zakareya
- ^Kenneth Frasse, GUI Access: A Comparison of Screen-Readers (Part I), Access Review (Summer 1997)
- ^HT Visual price list (in Czech)
- ^Leitor de telas has become freely downloadable from the homepage of the Ministry for Communication of Brasil (in Portuguese)
- ^'Status of IBM a11y'. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ^Lookout screen reader information page
- ^Talks & Zooms product homepage
- ^'Ai Squared And GW Micro Merge Forces'. Retrieved Apr 16, 2019.
- ^'Breaking: VFO Group, owners of Freedom Scientific and Optelec, Acquires AI Squared'. Retrieved Apr 16, 2019.
- ^ClickHear
- ^ClickHear Mobile
- ^Clipspeak.codeplex.com
- ^ReadHear
- ^Ross, Ian (1 May 2004). 'Software developer builds on artificial intelligence'. Northern Ontario Business. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018 – via Highbeam.Cite uses deprecated parameter
dead-url=
(help) - ^Sodels.com