Applying real-time effects in Audacity

Audacity Try it →Watch full video →Joe at Claricast · Feb 2026

Demo summary

The narrator shows how to add live, non-destructive effects like EQ, compression, and reverb to a track while monitoring the output and visual response.

Step-by-step

Click the Effects button on the track header
Select Add Effect and choose a plugin like Bass and Treble
Adjust the sliders for bass or treble while monitoring the audio
Add additional effects like Compressor or Reverb to the stack
Press Play to hear the non-destructive changes in real-time
Toggle individual effects on or off using the power icon to compare the sound
Open the plugin interface to view the live visual response and adjust settings like Threshold

Options

Reduce bass and increase treble for basic EQ
Add Reverb to make effect changes more audible during testing
Modify plugin settings later without permanently altering the original audio

Tips

Listen to the output at the same time you are adjusting EQ settings
Avoid adding reverb to podcast intros as a general rule
Use the live visual response in the compressor to see exactly when the volume is being reduced
Reduce the threshold on the compressor to catch more of the loud sections for a more even sound

Highlights

“this is mega because you can now make edits... bringing it more closer in line to fully featured digital audio workstations”

All demos from “What's New In Audacity 2026 (Audacity Accelerator Update)”

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8:101:04Copying smart clips between Audacity sessionsA demonstration of copying an audio segment from one project and pasting it into another as a 'smart clip' to retain editing flexibility.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
10:001:53Applying real-time effects in AudacityCurrentThe narrator shows how to add live, non-destructive effects like EQ, compression, and reverb to a track while monitoring the output and visual response.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
11:550:53Using Master Effects and LimitersThe demonstration shows how to apply a limiter to the master bus in Audacity to prevent clipping across all tracks simultaneously.Audacity· AI Mastering
12:521:00Time stretching and pitch shifting clipsThe narrator demonstrates using the Alt/Option key to drag the edge of a clip for time stretching and using keyboard shortcuts to shift pitch independently.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
13:550:30Switching timeline to beats and measuresA walkthrough of changing the timeline ruler from seconds to musical beats and measures and enabling the snap-to-grid feature.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
Watch “What's New In Audacity 2026 (Audacity Accelerator Update)” →

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0:270:44Apply EQ filters in AudacityThe narrator demonstrates how to select audio and apply Bass Boost, Treble Boost, and Low Roll-off for Speech using the Filter Curve EQ effect in Audacity.GuideRealm
1:110:20Configure audio compressor in AudacityThe user shows how to navigate to the Compressor effect in Audacity and input specific values for threshold, noise floor, and ratio to normalize the audio.GuideRealm
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3:060:12Normalize audio in AudacityThe user shows how to navigate to the Volume and Compression menu to apply a -1 dB normalization to the selected audio track.Mike Russell
3:180:32Apply Compressor settings in AudacityThe demonstrator configures the Audacity compressor by adjusting threshold, makeup gain, and ratio settings to flatten the vocal dynamics.Mike Russell
3:500:09Second normalization pass in AudacityA second normalization step is demonstrated to bring the compressed audio back to the target -1 dB level.Mike Russell
4:080:17Apply Limiter in AudacityThe user demonstrates applying a limiter effect with a -5 dB threshold to chop off high-end peaks and finalize the audio levels.Mike Russell