I am using Audacity 2.0.5 on Windows 8.1. I have 2 questions:
I am wondering, when I save an Audacity project, does it alter and save the source file? Or does it save all the changes you made to the source file externally and re-apply them the next time you open the project?
For example, let’s say I have a WAV file and open it up in Audacity. I make some changes to it, and “Save Project” which creates an AUP file. If I then close the project without exporting or overwriting the original WAV file, has the original WAV file been changed? I am guessing it does not change the WAV file unless I export to it. If that is the case, the next time I open the AUP file, I assume it will have those changes in it even though the source WAV file doesn’t. Correct?
If I make an equalization change to a section of a file, and then make another equalization change, does Audacity put the 2nd change “on top” of the first one so the effect is combined? Or does it revert back to a flat equalization and then apply the 2nd equalization? I"m pretty sure it’s the first case but just want to make sure.
Your question is a bit complex to answer directly because there are a lot of things that you “may” be doing (or “may not”).
Probably the best approach is if you read this article from the manual, which I expect will answer most of your questions, then ask if you need clarification or more detail about any specific points. Here’s the article: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/audacity_projects.html
Many of us Save individual projects as we go in a complicated show to avoid the computer taking a dive in the middle. We just go back to the last save and keep working. I use the date and time (in ISO format). Now is 2004-10-23-1301.
I had to read that twice, so here’s the same thing in alternative words:
“Saved projects do not save the Undo history. When you save a project, it saves (only) the current state of the project”.
For example, let’s say I have a WAV file and open it up in Audacity. I make some changes to it, and “Save Project” which creates an AUP file. If I then close the project without exporting or overwriting the original WAV file, has the original WAV file been change? I am guessing it does not change the WAV file unless I export to it.
Correct. The original WAV file is not changed unless you export to the same folder with the same name and overwrite it.
If I make an equalization change to a section of a file, and then make another equalization change, does Audacity put the 2nd change “on top” of the first one so the effect is combined? Or does it revert back to a flat equalization and then apply the 2nd equalization? I"m pretty sure it’s the first case but just want to make sure.
Correct, the changes are “added”. If you boost the bass, then go back and boost the treble as another step, both bass & treble will remain boosted.
but if by “file” you mean the “imported” audio file, then note that the “file” is not changed at all unless you export and overwrite it. The changes that you make are to the “audio track” in the “Audacity project”. The audio track is normally a copy of the file, unless you used the “read directly” method of importing, in which case it is a “reference to the file” until you start processing it.
If the project has tracks that reference audio files (are reading the data directly), the project is said to have “dependencies” (the project depends on external files). When you process a track that is referencing an external file, the file will at that point be copied, processed and the modified data stored in the project (Audacity does not directly modify the external file).
A fuller explanation of all this is in the article that I linked to previously: Audacity Manual
but you do agree that Audacity does not edit audio files (which was implied by the original question), and you do agree that there is an important difference when alias files are involved. From the original question I think it is clear that Garry was not fully aware of how Audacity projects work, which if he has now read Audacity Manual he hopefully will do now, but if he still has questions I have invited him to ask.
Absolutely, Doug missed that detail in the second question.
If you choose to read the file “directly from the original” you still do not change the original source file unless you export over the original file.
If you do export over the original file, the difference when reading “directly” is that Audacity will create a copy of the original file with -old and a number appended to the file name, so that it can can continue to refer to the original source data.
Yes, when you read “directly” Audacity only copies in the audio data for those parts of the file that you edit, rather than copying in all the data when you first import the file.
It was good to give the link - I just did not see the complication in answering the two key questions directly.