Could not be more basic - new user: I’ve inported an mp3 piece of music and played it ok. All I want to do is cut out a section. When I highlight the selection with the mouse (or any other selection tool available), none of the editing tools are active. I can do nothing with the selection. What am I missing - very frustrating!
You can drag-select your work in Stop (not Pause). Copy.
Make a new blank track. Tracks > Add New. Paste.
If you have trouble finding your clip, you can magnify and place labels at the In and Out points. The labels are sticky so when you zoom out they will grab your drag-select cursor as it goes by.
You’re fine as long as you don’t need to make a new MP3.
Audacity doesn’t edit MP3. It converts the show to a very high quality internal format and then makes a new MP3 when you’re done. When it makes a new one, the compression damage doubles. So you now have a show with half quality. No, it doesn’t sound very good.
If you’re doing simple cutting and editing, you would be far better served with one of the pure MP3 editors which don’t cause additional damage.
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Lame_ … tion#lossy
Scroll down.
If you need complex filtering and effects, then you’re stuck with Audacity tools and the reduction in sound quality.
Never do production in MP3. It’s a great way to kill your show.
Koz
Thanks so much for your help. I guess my basic problem was trying to perform the operation(s) while paused rather than stopped. Thanks again.