Chains for Intro / Outro

Programming and Development Macros and Scripting
1

Hi,

I’m trying to figure out a way to automatically insert an intro before and an outro after a bunch of tracks. There has to be a way to do this with chains (I can see import options, snap to this, snap to that), but I’m struggling to figure this out.

If this isn’t possible, I’d like at the very least to be able to create a template that I can open with my intro in place, and a vocal record track ready to go, that would start recording right after the intro (so my vocal track need to have a specific default start time)

Thank you so much for your help

2

Probably the easiest way would be to create a project containing only the intro (one audio clip) and the outro (a second audio clip). Save the project with a name that allows you to recognise it easily. This is your “template”.

To use the “template”, open it in Audacity and save it as a new project (so that you don’t overwrite the “template”.
Then you can record the show content to a new track (“Shift + R” or “Shift + Record” to record to a new track).

When the project is complete, use the Time Shift tool if necessary to adjust the positions of the audio clips. Save the project and export your finished show.

3

That’s how I’m doing it now but I was hoping to save all this trouble and batch it if I have a lot of files.

4

A simpler template might be Into in one track (top track) outro on bottom track

  1. Open Template
  2. Press Record to start recording the content - this will append record at the end of the first track (i.e. after the intro)
  3. when you finish recording with Stop
  4. Select all with Cmd+A
  5. Tracks > Align Tracks > Align End to End (this will place the outro audio still in its own track but after the top track)
  6. Export your audio

WC

5

But I would have thought it should be achievable with Macros (Chains are now replaced in Audacity by Macros).


Export your intro as an audio file
Export your outro as an audio file
Record your content as an audio file

Create a Macro that

  1. imorts your intro
  2. imports your content
  3. imorts your outro
  4. align end to end
  5. Export

WC

6

Open the file in Audacity then run this macro.


CursProjectStart:
Import2:Filename=“C:\Path\to\in.mp3”
SelCursorToTrackEnd:
Copy:
Select:Mode=“Set” Start=“0” Track=“0”
Paste:
Silence:Use_Preset=“”
Import2:Filename=“C:\Path\to\out.mp3”
Select:Mode=“Set” Start=“0” Track=“0”
SelCursorToTrackEnd:
Copy:
Select:Mode=“Set” Start=“0” Track=“2”
Paste:
Silence:Use_Preset=“”
FitInWindow:
CursProjectStart:

You can import by creating a .txt file at “C:\Users<username>\AppData\Roaming\Audacity\Macros”.

7

Thank you for your contribution yak27, but the original poster is unlikely to see it as they have not visited this forum since 10th May 2019.