I’m in no doubt of the usefulness of some kind of “text envelope” not only, but especially for blind, partially sighted and other non-mouse users.
As non-mouse users have no other way to modify the envelope (other than compression) I think that accessibility must be the overriding priority with this effect.
The question is in getting the balance right between providing enough features and flexibility without it being too cumbersome.
After some very useful feedback from the Audacity4Blind, the current version seems to have a lot going for it and is at least close to that balance.
It seems that the main use is when there is a need to make a section go to a different level, then back again.
The “Manual Duck” effect (https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/manual-duck-fade-down-and-back-up-again/24037/8 ) is also quite popular, though a little less flexible in some ways.
What I have in mind at the moment is to go somewhere between these two effect.
Q. Would a “text envelope” effect be sufficiently flexible if it had just three sections to the envelope?
The Manual Duck effect fades from the initial level, to a new level (section 1), then remains at that level (section 2) before fading back to the original level (section 3).
What I have in mind is a similar 3 section envelope, but in which all “control points” can be set to any value:
Essentially this means that there is a fade at the start of the selection (Start Fade), and a fade at the end of the selection (End Fade).
The section between the Start Fade and the End Fade is an extrapolation.
- Initial gain level of Start Fade
- Duration of Start Fade.
- Final gain level of Start Fade.
(Extrapolate from end of Start Fade to the beginning of End Fade.) - Initial level of End Fade.
- Duration of End Fade.
- Final gain level of End Fade.
I think that this would cover the vast majority of user cases.
If more fade points are required, the effect could be repeated section by section along the track.
As with the full version of “Manual Duck”, a choice of fade shapes (linear, log, sine) could be available.
Would this be simpler?
Would this be sufficiently flexible?
Would the “fade shape” need to be individually selectable for both Start Fade and End Fade, or would it be a global option? I think I’d prefer individual selection, with a clever choice selected automatically for the extrapolation.