How to clip/trim/cut off end of audio????

Audacity 3 Help Forum Windows
1

Hello all,


I hate to ask such a seemingly simple question.
But I’ve been struggling with this for at least a 1/2 hour now
(about an hour with this post).

I managed to make a recording from cassette tape.
When I pressed stop, the recording was a few seconds too long.
I’d like to clip/trim/cut those last few seconds off.
(What is the correct term? )


Here is the tutorial I’ve been working with:

Cut, Copy and Paste
http://audacityteam.org/manual-1.2/tutorial_ed_beginner2.html

But the behavior of Audacity is not what is described in the tutorial.



Selecting:

  • hit the select icon, that looks like a big I
  • go to the timing marks,
  • press the left mouse button
  • slide the mouse along the timing marks
  • release


    This creates a long two sided arrow in the timing marks
    but no highlighted selection

And, every time I release the mouse button, the music starts playing
from the start of the selection. No, I don’t want it to play,
it’s just supposed to select.

I’ve also played with Edit, Select.
Edit, Select, All highlights the whole file.
Edit, Select, None highlights nothing.



What is the secret to
1)
do a Select?

clip/trim/cut off the last few seconds of the audio?


I’m using Audacity 2.0.6 on XP, installed with the .EXE file, if that makes any difference to anyone.



Thanks a lot!

2

That documentation is way out of date - it is for Audacity 1.2.6 which has been obsolete for a long time.

The current version of Audacity is 2.0.6 and is available here: Audacity ® | Downloads

The recommended Windows Installer includes the current Audacity manual and can be accessed via the Audacity Help menu.
If you look on the first page of the manual, there are a number of tutorial listed (also available here: Audacity Manual)

The “Getting Started” guide is a good place to start: Audacity Manual

You’re clicking in the wrong place.
Click and drag on the actual waveform track, not on the “time ruler” (“Timebar”).