My standard workflow is to start a new, blank chapter file (they usually run 15 to 20 minutes long when finished) and record 2-3 seconds of dead space or room tone before I start speaking. When I finish the chapter, including all the starts and stops, (which can carry on over more than one day if I start late), I use the Noise Reduction effect to sample the initial room tone and apply it to the whole file. Next, I use Save Project As to make a backup copy in the same folder. I have discreet folders for all my chapters. Then comes all the other editing I mentioned earlier.
I completed an entire audiobook and was more than halfway through a second one before discovering Noise Reduction and it has saved me a LOT of time since. I also use the Amplify effect with a value of -20 to drastically reduce most of my loud breath intakes. Ctrl-R helps afterward to apply that effect to the next selection.
Going forward, one of my next tasks it to research envelope control points. I am such a noob for not doing more homework and exploring more features before now. I wonder if I am doing something unknowingly to engage envelope effects.
Another task is checking out Audiobook Mastering Suite, and I am figuratively kicking my own bum for missing that!
The slowdown problem is a certified bug. Undocumented evil program behavior experienced by many different people on many different machines.
You’re not supposed to know what an envelope control point is. That’s like being concerned about the critical fuel/air mixture in your car’s engine. You can worry about that if you want to, but it doesn’t pay very many dividends.
checking out Audiobook Mastering Suite
That was the research project while sitting in the audiobook forum and gazing at the explosion of different processes people dreamed up to master their chapters. The original formula had separate plugins to get the right tools. Most Audacity tools ignore loudness and that’s at the core of chapter processing. Later Audacity versions published all the right tools and also ACX-Check. ACX-Check is a cousin to ACX Audiolab. “Am I loud enough and where are my peaks?”
ACX-Check also checks Noise. That’s the test all home readers fail.
I bet you’re wondering if Mastering is now a simple go-to-completion process with easily available tools, why hasn’t someone created a one-step Macro.
You’re not supposed to know what an envelope control point is.
Thanks. You’ve saved this old designer a lot of needless worry.
That was the research project while sitting in the audiobook forum and gazing at the explosion of different processes people dreamed up to master their chapters.
“the” research project? Sounds like someone had some spare time on their hands.
As for a one-step macro, I looked at it and am puzzling how to apply. I had envisioned more of a list of processes and effects with settings that would streamline the work more efficiently.
I had envisioned more of a list of processes and effects with settings that would streamline the work more efficiently.
That’s pretty much what it is. If you open it up in a text editor (don’t save anything), it’s an introduction and top to bottom list of the tools in Audiobook Mastering along with the detailed instructions of how each tool is to be applied. Pull the display really wide to get the best effect. It’s doing everything you’d be doing if you were running the three tools in the suite manually.
You don’t need to call the newspapers. It reduces three steps to one, but it was my first Macro, so I’ll always have a warm spot. Either that or I spilled my tea again.
– Install –
Audacity > Tools > Macros > Import… > Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.txt > Open (the code) > Close (the panel).
– Use –
Select the timeline or chapter to be mastered. > Tools > Apply Macro > Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.
I’ve had to use you tools a few times now. Strangely enough, the number of envelope points doesn’t seem to scale linearly to what I’m doing, and don’t seem to affect Audacity the same way at all times.
The first time around, 600k points after 2hrs of editing made my Audacity nearly crash (v3.0.2). The next time around I did edit for about 1.5hrs and started experiencing the same issues (v3.0.3); this time around I had to remove 1.6M envelope points. I’ve experienced Audacity screeching to a halt with less than 300k evenlope points too, after only 20 minutes of editing. Very mysterious for someone who doesn’t know how Audacity works under the hood
Luckily, I’m basically done with this project for now and won’t have to touch Audacity for a few weeks (hoping the bug will be fixed by then, or already has been with 3.0.4…?).
Once you are happy with the envelope settings in any particular track you can always use Mix&Render to render that that back to itself, that will process the track and remove the envelope points.
See: https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/tracks_menu_mix.html
Advanced use: to also retain the original track for possible later re-work
As the OP for this thread, let me say that I am pleased with 3.0.4, which I installed this morning (Eastern Time USA).
Not only am I able to resume work on my narrations with edits and pastes happening at speeds to which I have been accustomed, but when I saved my file and opened it in the Rescue version, it didn’t find any control points to delete. I’m guessing part of the new release was to eliminate unnecessary control points during the Save and/or Close. Again, not a coder, so IDK.
Thanks for all the "point"ers (sorry , not sorry) especially from you, Koz. Until next time!
Hello, new to the forum, but have been using audacity for a bit over a year.
I updated to 3.0.3 a few weeks ago, and it ran fine up until this morning. I had the slowdown issue as well. I have fewer than 10 tracks, over 6.5gb left on my drive.
Simple tasks like Solo-ing a track took upwards of 30 seconds. Opening, 20 seconds, and saving about 30 seconds. I restarted the program, my machine, and tried again. Same issue.
I’ve updated to 3.0.4, and have the same problem still. I’m in the middle of editing a narration and the program has become practically unusable.
Where would I start on trouble-shooting this? I’ve briefed this thread, and saw info dealing in an audiobook mastering suite (doesn’t apply), and some other highly detailed info… but it’s like 2am and I’ve not absorbed much of it. Please let me know if you have a path to finding the issue and fixing this…
The rescue program deleted some 650,000 points, so I think that helped immensely. I’m going to try to reinstall 3.0.4 and see if I can, or perhaps an earlier version.
In the meantime, I am ELATED with this hand-drag/editing cursor tool, and I’m flabbergasted that this wasn’t introduced before in the regular program!
I think I’m going to try to proceed in this rescue version for now. Let me know if that’s a bad idea…
Do re-install 3.0.4 - the earlier versions will bring back those nasties!
So you’ll have something to look forward to when 3.1.0 comes out. The developers are currently hoping to release this in October - they have emphasized: no promises.
Yes - you are absolutely correct. This is a bad idea - a very bad idea. This can come back to bite you in the end.
If you must play with fire, I would prefer you play with the most recent Alpha. You can find it by going here: https://github.com/audacity/audacity/actions. Find the uppermost link where there is both a green checkmark on the left and the single word “master” in the the middle (bluish) column. Click just by the green checkmark. On the next screen, you should see the phrase “4 jobs completed”. Scroll down to the bottom of this screen. Then click the job that is appropriate for your machine.
Thanks for the warning. I’ll proceed in 3.0.4 for now. I’m almost done with this project, hopefully it will release around the 3rd of October.
I’ll post a link for anyone who’d like to hear it, it’s a narration with sound design and music laced in.
I’m struggling with matching the EQ from different recording sessions at the moment. It’s a bit tough… some spots sound like they have too much bass and/or mids of certain frequencies. From the way Audacity works, it’s not quick to go from a reference clip back to the one you want to repair, and compare them both. I’ve sort of hacked it with a snip of the spectrum plot of the reference clip, and comparing my repair clip to that, but it’s slow and painstaking. This isn’t exactly a topic for this thread though… so I’ll digress there.
Ok. So I’ve been doing my head in for three days with this same old issue (slow performance, not responding, envelope points, etc, etc, etc.)
At this point I just want to be able to open my project, export the darn thing to WAV and find an alternative product that offers a paid tier with support, so please don’t try to educate me In audacity outside of how to retrieve my project and save it to a file, because once I do that I’m out.
So I was using some older version of audacity (don’t know) when I starting having problems do I uninstalled and downloaded this 3.0.1 that’s supposed to the latest version. Obviously the problem didn’t go away, I’ve been reading this forum until my eyes hurt; I downloaded Audacity rescue, it had a few hundred thousand envelope points. Was able to make like two edits to it after that and then I had the same old problem. I tried to use audacity rescue again, to no avail. I’m aware of the bug that is causing this problem, I have little interest in getting audacity working again now; I just want my project back and I will never put myself in this horrible position again. I’ve learned my lesson on too many tracks in a project, time to move on to something else that can handle multiple tracks simultaneously
In the meantime there’s my many hours of love and creativity that went into that project that I’m scared I’ll never get back in heartbroken
I’ll make you the same deal I have made with others. If you zip up your .aup3 file and upload it to a file sharing service and post (or PM me) a link, I’ll look at it. No guarantees, and it probably won’t happen today as I have a pretty full schedule.
, not sorry) especially from you, Koz. Until next time!
