Audio File Import Order Matters Audacity 3.3.3

[AudyMusik]

Recently updated to Audacity 3.3.3 for windows

The order by which files are imported matters…??

To try out as a simple test…set project rate at 44100 samples per sec.

Generate a simple tone 441 HZ, length 1 sec., this gives 100 samples per cycle at 44100 rate.
Play tone and check it plays 441 Hz, and screen shows playing at 44100 on screen.
Export this as wav file at 44100.
Then in order to export it again this time as wav at 48000…do…
Change project rate to 48000, check it still plays at 441 Hz but shows playing at 48000 on bottom of screen and track still shows 44100 rate and track wave still has 100 samples in each cycle. Now export it as wav file at 48000.

Then close Audacity and open again. All settings should be back again to project 44100 rate.
Now import the 48000.wav, track1 reads 48000 rate and plays at 441 Hz and shows 48000 at bottom screen and track1 wave has 109 samples per cycle.
Now import as 2nd track the 44100.wav, track2 reads 44100 rate and plays at 441 HZ and shows playing at 48000 at bottom of screen and track2 wave has 109 samples per cycle. Both play together in tune at 441 Hz. showing playing at 48000 rate.

Now close Audacity and open again. All settings should be back again to project 44100 rate.
Then import the 44100.wav, track1 reads 44100 rate and plays at 441 Hz and shows 44100 at bottom screen and track1 wave has 100 samples per cycle.
Now import as 2nd track the 48000.wav, track2 reads 48000 rate and plays at 441 HZ and shows playing at 44100 at bottom of screen and track2 wave has 100 samples per cycle. Both play together in tune at 441 Hz. showing playing at 44100 rate.

Is this behaviour intentional or is it a “Bug”… and why…??

[DVDdoug]

It’s intentional.

Your “project” can have only one sample rate. When you open/import a file the project rated changes to match the 1st file you import.

Any subsequent imported files won’t be permanently changed until you export, or temporarily on-the-fly as you play back from within Audacity.

[AudyMusik]

Thanks for reply, I understand what you say, but that was not the point of my test.
There are two parts to my test…
First… generating the tone files and exporting them at 2 different sample rates.
This gives 2 files each is tone 441 Hz one at 44100 and other at 48000 rate.

Second … see how they import and play …

… importing the higher sample rate file 1st and then import the lower sample rate 2nd.

… import the lower sample rate file 1st and then the higher sample rate file 2nd.

… in both cases they play at the correct pitch or frequency 441 Hz.

… in both cases the track2 display shows a different sample rate to what the samples per cycle shows when I zoom in on the wave…???

… in both cases the track1 shows correct sample rate corresponding to the samples per cycle on the wave.

Is this behaviour intentional…??

[AudyMusik]

As follow on question from my previous posts… What is the point of Audacity displaying track2 showing the sample rate of the original file and the waveform having a different rate and number of samples per cycle than what is playing in the project…??. I would be grateful if someone can explain please.