Is this possible?

Programming and Development Macros and Scripting
1

I’ve been using Audacity for years, and am looking to automate a workflow. Here’s the process I’m trying to execute:

Open a file “n.wav”
Raise the gain
Duplicate the track 10x
Export as “n+1.wav”
Close project
repeat process with n+1.wav, ending up with n+2.wav and so on.

I can’t see a way to execute the looping (n, n+1, n+2) file creation in Nyquist, but may have missed it. Is there another or better way to automate this workflow? Thanks in advance for all the help!!

2

So then you have 11 tracks in the project?


and then you have a massively distorted track called “n+1.wav” ?


What’s the purpose of this?

3

If you duplicate all tracks 10x, you would actually have 1024 tracks - by default when you “select All”, Audacity keeps everything selected after duplicating, including the new tracks, so it’s a geometric progression.

I can’t really go into the purpose of what I’m doing due to IP issues.

4

I don’t understand what you are trying to do, so I’m not able to help. Perhaps someone else will figure out what you mean.

5

I outlined the steps of what I want to do……simple question: Can it be done? Just because I can’t tell you the purpose doesn’t mean the steps I outlined are invalid.

6

They don’t make sense to me, but maybe you could do what you want by automating the task with AutoHotKey https://www.autohotkey.com/

7

Except that hotkeys also don’t allow for the indexing file numbers. It doesn’t look like Nyquist will do it, either……which is too bad because from a programming standpoint it’s a dead simple procedure.

8

The steps of the workflow I outlined in the original post are largely accomplished with hotkeys, but doing an audio export with a distinct name isn’t and that’s where automating the process reduces error - which is the focus of what I’m looking to do.

I can’t divulge why this is my workflow, nor what it is intended to achieve, but I also think that fact shouldn’t disqualify me from getting help. Hard to have an open forum when a request for help is only met with judgement.

9

I thought I saw mention of python scripts being used for Audacity, but when I check the Audacity wiki on plug-ins, it doesn’t mention python as a type. Am I missing something? I’ve never created in python before, but all the commands I need seem to be available to it. Is python a scripting type or is it used by Audacity in another way?

10

Did you look at AutoHotKeys? It can do a lot more than just operating hot keys.


Python may be used to run “Scripting Commands”. See: https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/scripting.html
The available commands are here: https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/scripting_reference.html
It “may” be possible to do what you want by writing a Python script, but I think AutoHotKeys would be easier.

11

Sometimes the simpler tools are best.
I have dabbled in pure-Audacity macros, but not in any of the 3rd party mechanisms (NyQuist, AutoHotkeys etc)

I have had success in using good old DOS batch files to process large numbers of files through Audacity.
You are looking for a procedure to manipulate a significant number of tracks.

Audacity tends to work on whatever tracks are open.
If you are prepared to set up your procedure to work on one track (or on a pair, or triplet of tracks etc) using a fixed name, then the outer shell of DOS batch files can take care of the names of the candidate files for you.

I grant you that the DOS process might take longer to execute, but when using computers, your savings in time comes mainly from being able to repeat a simple task multiple times without creating any manual/manipulative errors.

The DOS batch process boils down to this:-

For each candidate file/track to be processed
    Copy it to the fixed name "myInput"
    Launch Audacity to execute a fixed Audacity macro
    {the Audacity macro edits  "myInput" to "myOutput")
    copy "myOutput" to the target file name

As an aside, I have yet to see a procedure/algorithm that can not be presented while masking its true purpose.

Your process as outlined in the first post of this topic seems to reduce to:-

    take some file
    process it
    save the results of the processing in a different file

and a DOS batch file procedure will accomplish this without knowing the details of your Audacity process.


Cheers, Chris