My editing life would be made much simpler if I could create a keyboard shortcut (CTRL-Q, or any other single letter I could easily hit with my left hand leaving my pinkie on the CTRL key) that produced the effect of amplifying the selected audio segment by -10db. (I use this for breathing suppression). A step by step set of instructions would be very much appreciated. THANKS! Bill
If you apply the Amplify effect with 10 dB boost, then you can use “Ctrl + R” to repeat the last effect.
Have a look at this page in the Manual: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/keyboard_preferences.html
But what you can’t do is to create a shortcut for any effect with your preferred settings. There is a Feature Request for that, would you like us to add your vote?
WC
Yes, I’ve been using CTRL-R but that only works if -10db amplify was the last command. Thanks for the pointer to the right spot in the manual, let me see if I can use that to figure it out. The risk is manually messing with that file without the assistance of a proper editor as I’m sure there a 100 ways I can hurt myself. Saving a backup copy of the defaults is a good idea.
Fortunately the “Default” button will take you back to standard settings.
As waxcylinder wrote, you can’t currently create a shortcut to an effect with specific settings.
Attached is a very simple Nyquist plugin that amplifies by -10 dB.
cut-10-db.ny (395 Bytes)
Installation instructions: Missing features - Audacity Support
Once that is installed, you can create a custom shortcut to it and it will always provide -10 dB cut.
If you open the file in a plain text editor (NotePad) you will see the line:
(mult s (db-to-linear -10))
The “-10” says that it will be 10 dB cut.
If you want it to amplify by, for example, +3 dB, then change that line to:
(mult s (db-to-linear 3))
THANK YOU! Worked like a charm; man you guys are good. I can’t tell you how much time this will save me. I should have come here a long time ago.
May the force be with you. / Bill
PS. So, I record and edit a weekly talk show - completely self taught on audacity - and found that since it is all talk and no music, using the compressor function smooths out the audio levels nicely without me having to manually amplify passages where the guest gets too quiet. The problem is, it also brings up the breathing to intolerable levels, which means I have to knock every breath down by hand. Doing this with a keyboard shortcut will be a godsend. (Now, all you need to do is invent a “knock the breaths down” function.) 
That effect can be reduced by increasing the “Noise Floor” level. If the breaths are below the “noise floor” then they will be amplified less. Audacity Manual
Have you tried a “Noise Gate”?
Installation instructions: Missing features - Audacity Support
Will give both a try, oh font of wisdom! Who knows what power lurks in all these knobs and settings.
BillFrezza appeared to say “Yes” so I added the “vote” and someone else’s vote for that too.
Gale