This idea is inspired by the UX of the Magix video editing software.
When two items (recorded snippets) overlap on the same track, I would like to have a cross fade within the overlapping time. This makes it easier to arrange snippets and also makes it easy to avoid “clicking” noise when joining recordings with some white noise.
Additional Motivation
Suppose I have two snippets of a music recording and want to arrange them within one track so that they are timed correctly. (For example, I have recorded verse and chorus for the same instrument and want to arrange them so that they line up well.) Currently, I can move the items closer together so that they overlap, in which case the currently selected item obtains precedence and the other one is shortened. If I moved the items too far, the original one does not extend back to its original length and a gap occurs. This makes the process tedious. Working in separate tracks becomes messy quickly. Also, the effects applied to one track may be different to the effects on another track.
Thanks for these hints. I understand that a crossfade is already doable in audacity - which does not surprise me at all. However, my request is not concerning the “if” this is possible but the “how” (the UX).
Look at the screenshot in the answer by RogerGunkel here and have a particular look at the audio channel. Overlapping of clips results in a cross fade directly, which is applied dynamically not destructuvely. That is, the clips keep their original lenght, and the overlap determines the length of the cross fade.
I have found this feature extremely useful and super intuitive. It would be awesome to have this in audacity as well.
Muse group have said that they intend to add non-destructive fades to Audacity. They have not yet said when that will be. Hence my reply about what is currently available in Audacity.