Hi,
I would like to split long recordings which contain basically the same content but with different timing.
For this and for the automatic naming of the exported parts I have a text file template which contains the filenames and the rough positions of begin and end of the pieces.
For example:
100 200 01_FirstPiece
300 400 02_SecondPiece
500 600 03_ThirdPiece
…
3000 3100 99_LastPiece
In order to avoid annoying clicks I want to set the breaks at zero crossings. That’s why I position the cursor in the waveform track with (Z) to the zero crossings and now would like to let the corresponding label marker snap to the cursor in the waveform track.
How can I do this with Audacity 2.2?
Snapping the waveform cursor to the label marker seems possible but not the other way round.
In general, what is the most efficient workflow for splitting large recordings and automatic naming the pieces when exporting?
Thank you for any hints.
If the labels have little or no label text, then probably the quickest way would be to create a new label at the zero crossing position and delete the label that it replaces.
Breaking that down into keystrokes:
Click in the audio track somewhere before the first label
Press the cursor down button so that focus is in the label track.
The audio track is selected (the panel on the left end of the track is highlighted) and the label track has focus (it has a yellow border).
Tab to the first label
Enter key (close the label text)
Z key (snap to zero crossing)
Tyoe the new label text (the new label is created when you start typing)
Enter key (close the label text)
If the old label is after the new label, Tab to the old label. If the old label is before the new label, Shift + Tab to the old label.
Backspace repeatedly to delete the old labe
Tab to the next label and repeat steps 4 to 10 as required.
Thank’s @steve,
well, that’ exactly what I wanted to avoid! Typing my 99 labels for each recording again and again…
What is the import of text labels for, if I have to type the labels again??? Isn’t there a smarter way?
Its for importing labels, which you say is working correctly.
If your label text file does not have the exact times that you want, then you could drag the labels to where you want them. Click on the “o” on the label stem to drag a point label, or drag on the “<” or “>” to move the ends of a region label.
yes, I can drag them. No problem.
BUT I want them to be exactly at a zero crossing! How to realize this without typing the labels again?
And yes, I can always zooooooooom in to single sample scale and drag the text marker and zoom out again 99 times (x2)… absolutely not efficient.
I guess that you want someone to say “Oh, just click this button and labels will automatically snap to the cursor / zero crossing position”.
You will be disappointed. Audacity does not have a feature like that.
well, the waveform cursor can snap to a text marker. So it’s technically possible. Why not the other way round?
I’m just astonished (or more shocked) that apparently nobody thought of such basic helpful functionality.
… unless there is another efficient way to move an existing textmarker to a zero crossing… but seems not to be the case…!?
