OK, something happened in saving a file that I hadn’t expected.
I created a file from approx. 14 clips. while working on it, I could access all the clips individually, move them around in time, etc. Then I saved the file as a .aup and all the breaks between the components disappeared. I can understand why, but wonder if there’s a way to save the base “component” file with all the original clips separate. (Hmmm, maybe I did this to myself by combining all the tracks into one stereo track - that makes sense - but it would have been smarter for me to save the project prior to starting to combine the tracks. In education, we call this a “learning opportunity” not a “dumb mistake”.)
Anyway, I now have one 30 minute stereo track that I need to break up to add time checks or station breaks to. I found the “Auto duck” that I could use, but if I want to actually insert a (17 second) (i.e. random length) announcement (rather than talk over the existing file), I don’t seem to be finding the command. (this may be a vocabulary problem - maybe I don’t know the right command to look for…)
Sorry about all these posts but I’m at that early stage of the learning curve where the slope is nearly vertical . Besides, this is how people writing software find out how newbies can get into trouble. “Testing”.
Absolutely. Consider that to be a valuable learning opportunity
What I quite often do when working with multi-track projects, is:
Before saving the project and exporting the finished file, I select all of the tracks (Ctrl+A) then “Tracks menu > Mix and render to new track” (Ctrl+Shift+M).
That gives me a “mixed down” copy of the project on a new track.
Then I mute all of the tracks (Ctrl+U or look in the Tracks menu).
Then un-mute the new “mix” track (click on the Mute button of that track).
There are variations on how to set just one track “not muted”, depending on which “solo” button behaviour you have selected in Preferences (Audacity Manual)
You need to “split” the track at the point where the new audio is to be inserted.
“Edit > Clip boundaries > Split”
Then use the Time Shift tool to drag the second part (after the split) to the right so as to make a gap.
Usually I would put the new audio on a separate track, then I can position each of the three “audio clips” carefully so that there is a smooth transition.
If necessary, a short fade in/out can be used on each clip and the clips slightly overlapped so that they “crossfade” from one to the next.
Thank you. “Clip boundaries” was not obvious to me.
If I understand you correctly, by mixing/rendering to a new track, I have a copy of my desired finished stereo track in the same file as all the bits.
But I’m not sure I understand the purpose of Muting/un-muting the tracks. Presumably this is just for Playback. (I just had a revelation - my problem arose when I dragged all the component sections into one stereo track. I could have left them on their own tracks, then Mix/Render. Then when the project is saved I have both the stereo track and all the components. I think. Yes?)
Once I’ve done that (assuming that I’ve done that ), there must be a way to export just the desired stereo track as .mp3 or .wav to an ipod or CD or… Is that the point of the muting? If I export with everything muted except the stereo track, all I export is the unmuted stereo track?
Absolutely. Consider that to be a valuable learning opportunity
What I quite often do when working with multi-track projects, is:
Before saving the project and exporting the finished file, I select all of the tracks (Ctrl+A) then “Tracks menu > Mix and render to new track” (Ctrl+Shift+M).
That gives me a “mixed down” copy of the project on a new track.
Then I mute all of the tracks (Ctrl+U or look in the Tracks menu).
Then un-mute the new “mix” track (click on the Mute button of that track).
There are variations on how to set just one track “not muted”, depending on which “solo” button behaviour you have selected in Preferences (Audacity Manual)
You need to “split” the track at the point where the new audio is to be inserted.
“Edit > Clip boundaries > Split”
Then use the Time Shift tool to drag the second part (after the split) to the right so as to make a gap.
Usually I would put the new audio on a separate track, then I can position each of the three “audio clips” carefully so that there is a smooth transition.
If necessary, a short fade in/out can be used on each clip and the clips slightly overlapped so that they “crossfade” from one to the next.[/quote]
I very much appreciate the help - I the sort of guy who knows much less than he thinks he does. Just enough (when combined with a lack of fear) to be dangerous.
You then have a copy of my desired finished stereo track in the same Audacity Project as all the bits.
Yes. If you don’t mute them and start playback, both the original “bits” (audio clips) and the mixed down track will play at the same time (sounding very loud and probably distorting in places).
Also for when you Export. Muted tracks are not included in the exported file. The exported file is the same as what you hear on playback.
You can do that if you wish, but generally it is an unnecessary waste of time
It can sometimes be useful/convenient when dealing with large multi-track projects to drag similar clips into one common track. For example, for a “music + speech + sound effect” podcast, it may be convenient to have all of the music clips on one track, all of the speech clips on another, and all of the sfx clips on another.
If they are all on the same track, then there is no need to Mix and Render. Just leave them as separate clips. They will be “mixed / rendered” when you export (one “mixed” track in the audio file) but you will still have separate “clips” in the “Project”.
I was considering cutting and pasting your responses into a document I could refer to at need. Then I realized I’d creating a manual - which, of course, you’ve already done! (Talk about “Department of Redundancy Department”!)
Especially the point about Mute/Un-mute for Exporting the track I actually want. For some reason, to me “Mute” just means I don’t hear it - I didn’t understand that “Mute” keeps it from being in the output file altogether. Vocabulary again.
To clarify, not always so, unless in the Tracks Preferences you choose the non-default “Simple” mode for the Solo button.
With the default “Standard” Solo button mode, the Solo button does not operate the Mute button on the other tracks. So if you had two tracks, one soloed, none muted, then both tracks would export even though you could only hear one of them in the project.
I was re-reading this thread and suddenly realized what I had missed first time through:
It’s the bit about it being in the Audacity Project that I missed! Yes, you said it, and Yes, you even underlined it. The key seems to be “Don’t mess with the Project”. “Save As” or “Export”, 'Mute" or “un-Mute”, .wav or .mp3 - do what you like to the project but remember that what you’re sending to a file is a modified “View” of the Project, NOT a modified Project. (It’s sort of like the early days of Database files - you can manipulate the way you look at it all you want, just don’t screw with the actual data.)
Thanks - that’s a key piece of advise, and a reminder that every word is important.
Roger.
