I have just got and did another upgrade so upgraded to 3.3.2 last evening.
Tried out a wee test…
Checked Preferences, default rate 44100 and project rate 44100.
Opened a wav file that was already saved at 32000.
It opened OK, 4 secs long and showed 32000 on track and played at 32000 and preferences project rate was 32000, the default still 44100.
Then imported a second track from another 4 sec. file already saved at 48000. It opened, shows 4 secs, track1 still showed 32000 and track2 showed 48000 as imported.
Both tracks play together as one 4 sec sound and shows playing at Actual rate 32000 and sounds in tune with tuning meter. Zoomed in to see waveform, both waves look in alignment regards the time line but graphic display of the 48000 track displays more samples and the 32000 shows less samples per cycle. If I drag mouse over 1 cycle to select 1 cycle I get 73 samples selected which corresponds to 440 Hz at 32000 rate OK. yet other track shows at 48000 and has more samples that that displayed on the track graphic…??
Is this different from 3.3.1. version…???
Muting the 32000 track and play the 48000 track sound same as muting the 48000 track and playing the 32000 track…??
Can Audacity actually play both tracks together at different sample rates…all as one…??
If I select all to select both tracks completely and use Menu, Tracks, Resample and set rate say 32000, both tracks show the same number of samples per cycle and both still play correctly at correct pitch as measured by tuner. Also both tracks now show 32000…
Is there a technical or logical reason for having it this way and what is the intended procedure for using it…??
The Default Project Rate is only used the next time you launch Audacitym or when you open a new project when you have Audacity open. Changing the Default Project rate will not cahnge the Project Sample Rate in any already open projecst that you have.
If the first audio file that you inport into a project (or if you use File>Open to “open” that audio file) and if that aufio file has a different sample rate to the current Sample Rate then Audacity will change the Project Sample Rate to be that rate. Now that with the latest releases the Project Rate has been removed from the Selection Toolbar and thus removed from visibility in the Audacity window this change takes place invisibly and silently to the user with no warning give. This may well change soon, it is something that Muse is considering (see 4) bekow). This behavior was originally provided in Audacty to try to make life “easier” for users who imported a single audio file edited it and then exported the result, wanting the same sample rate to obtain.
Yes audio files of different rateas will play fine together in Audacity - the Project Sample Rate is maily used on Export.
Currently Muse is re-working Export such that the user can specify the requires sample rate on export.
Aside: relating to 2) above, although the menu structire in Audacity looks as though you can use File>Open to “open” an audio file that is not actually what is happening. What does happen is that Audacity opens a project and then silently imports the audio file into it (converted into Audacity’s internal project format).
Thanks for your reply and info. I wouldn’t have got that manual only for your link… OR is is available somewhere in the Audacity menus…??
I had got most of this info from working with 3.3.1 and earlier versions, but my Query was really about the different numbers of samples per cycle in each waveform displayed in the tracks.
If I have 2 files exactly the same …tone of 440, 4 secs long but one is already saved at 32000 and other is say saved at 48000. when I import them I have 2 tracks 4 secs long and can play them together and in tune, but when I zoom in one shows more samples per cycle that the other.
Is there a section on this in the manual on how to use this…???
Some of the older versions used to change the length of the track if it was resampled…I think this version does not, but I would need to read up on it
My understanding is that Audacity just plays these different sample rate tracks, it doesn’t stretch or shrink to fit.
BUT when you come to export the tracks are exported at the sample rate defined by the Project Sample Rate. How it hadles this “magic” with varying sample rates I don’t know - but it works.
The tracks are not resampled in the project unless and until you actally resample them - you can do this from a track’s Track Control Panel context menu, obtained by clicking in the track name at the top of the TCP. This will change the track length.
Thanks waxcy for the info… your link takes me to alphamanual whereas the Menu help manual takes me to the ordinary manual. I just did the update by accepting the update popup m, maybe it doesnt update the manual…I will keep reading… should menu help open the alpha manual…??
The new layout and methods are working quite well now that I got my head around default and project rates etc…But the rate shown on the track itself and the samples per cycle is confusing and what does the option to change the rate on the track actually do. I can have muilt tracks all showing different rates but when playing all play at project rate, even muting all and playing one at a time all play at project rate. If I copy part of a track to another track that shows a different rate it seems to resample and show the same number of samples per unit time as the rest of the sound that was there…??? so no need to have same sample rate if copy and paste…??
Well spotted - I did that deliberately so you could see the very recent changes I have made in order to clarify how the rate management works. The app always opens the on-line released Manual NOT the alpha manual.
The alpha Manual is unlikely to be pulled again until the upcoming 3.4 - as Muses’s Release Mangaer the 3.3.1. and 3.3.2 were so close to 3.3.0 in functionality (only bug fixes) that it wasn’t worth pulling the manual afresh.
From alpha manual…
Default Sample Rate: This just sets the Project Sample Rate which will be used each time Audacity is launched and also when a new project window is opened.
From help manual…
Default Sample Rate: This just sets the Sample Rate which will be used each time Audacity is launched and also when a new project window is opened.
Need to read the whole line to make more sense, and Project Sample Rate is probably the better wording, but also needs to say here that Default is used at launch of a new empty project only and not at any other importing or exporting etc
Default Sample Rate: This is only used each time Audacity is launched or a new project window is opened. It just sets the Project Sample Rate which will be used in the project. It offers a choice …
Personally this leaves me wondering just wht we have both “Project Sample Rate” and “Default Sample Rate” - a single rate parameter would seem to be fine to me. Note that we don’t have both for “Sample Format”.