Editing in Real Time

hello, i’m new to this forum, i hope i’m posting this in the right section!
i’m obviously new to Audacity, i have the SECOND most recent version of the program, i’m not sure how to update, if it’s as simple as installing it over the current application or if there’s something more involved i need to do, i also use the Reaper DAW for my main mixing/mastering program (amazing by the way) and i know for it, you simply download the update and install it like you would the first time and it just updates on it’s own, is this what i should do for the newest update for Audacity?

second question: i’m using this program mainly as a wave editor, like if i record something through my other DAWs that i want to manipulate/process further (i work with a lot of processed sounds and recordings for noise/drone/ambient textures and atmospheres) which i was told, and am learning myself, that Audacity is a great tool for in-depth sculpting of specific audio files, so the question is, is there any way to edit in real time? some of the ‘effects’ and such in this program, i’m not totally familiar with, i’m definitely no master producer i just produce my own work, so i’m experimenting here and there, but this software seems to be geared more for people who know exactly what they want to do to each file.
anyway thanks to anyone who’s read this far, (i’m a little long-winded, lol!) and anyone who helps me
cheers!

hello, i’m new to this forum, i hope i’m posting this in the right section!
i’m obviously new to Audacity, i have the SECOND most recent version of the program, i’m not sure how to update, if it’s as simple as installing it over the current application

Right. Just install the new version. Your settings and preferences will remain.

second question: i’m using this program mainly as a wave editor, like if i record something through my other DAWs that i want to manipulate/process further (i work with a lot of processed sounds and recordings for noise/drone/ambient textures and atmospheres) which i was told, and am learning myself, that Audacity is a great tool for in-depth sculpting of specific audio files, so the question is, is there any way to edit in real time?

No, unlike REAPER you can’t apply effects in real-time.

And, I don’t now how you can edit anything in real time… :wink: What kind of edits would those be??? You can mix in real time (not with Audacity) or apply effects/processing in real time (not with Audacity), but you can’t edit in real time.

You can mix in real time in Audacity in the sense of manipulating gain and pan while playing the tracks.

Audacity 2.0.7-alpha has experimental real-time preview of VST effects.


Gale

i suppose by editing in real time i was referring to equalizers and compressors, like changing the settings to hear how they sound while the file is playing so you know if it works or not.

thanks for letting me know about updating
cheers

Well, Audacity 2.0.7 will have that feature if it passes testing. After adjusting the settings, you apply them to write the changes to disk.

Note that Audacity does not open files directly, but copies in their data to projects. It’s a subtle but important difference.


Gale

It’s for the time being only available on VST effects.
But I do not doubt that the shipped effects (e.g. Equalizer) will soon be ready for real time adjustment too.