I have many mp3 files stored in many subfolders under the main music folder.
Is there a way to tell audacity to run a chain on all the files in all the subfolders all at once. So that I can then wait (a long time?) for it to finish doing that?
Instead of having to run the chain over and over again in by selecting ALL FILES in each individual subfolder?
In other words, I have over a hundred subfolders and do not wish to run the chain over a hundred times.
No, Chains can only process files from one directory at a time.
Depending on what processing you want to do, you may be able to write a script to process files recursively using the command line audio application “SoX”.
ok, looks like Windows File Explorer has a search in the upper right of that window. You can search any folder and subfolder using wildcards, such as *.mpe. And it will open a new window with all the file names listed. From which you can copy those files to a new folder (thus it puts all the .mp3 files in all the subfolders into one new giant folder. Which is what I wanted.
Next, I found Audacity is limited in how many files it can run in a batch. I know it can do 1800 files because it just did that now for me, but not 6000. Not sure what the upper limit is, but it’s fairly large.
If the number is too many than the Audacity batch won’t even start, so you know you need to select fewer files.
We generally recommend up to about 500 in a batch. Experience / user feedback has shown that to be a safe figure for arbitrary Chains. It has been known for a Chain to give up half way through a selection of over 2000 files (very annoying if that happens).
Yes, as I further tried I found that to be true. Chain would halt with over 1000 files selected. Thanks for the limit of 500 tip. However, my chains ended with an export audio step. So when the chain halted I could just check which was the last file exported and start the chain on the next file. And end up with all the cleaned (altered) files as if the chain never halted.
