Making a Collection Track

Audacity Help Forum macOS
1

OS-X 10.9.5
Audacity 2.1.2

I have a ten minute, spoken-word, mono piece on the timeline. I would normally have chopped it down by drag-selecting pieces I didn’t want and deleting them, but this time, the valuable chunks were out of order, so I couldn’t do that. The goal is to do assemble editing onto a fresh track.

How would you do that (in broad strokes rather than keystroke detail)?

Koz

2

Do “Split delete” rather than normal delete of the bits that you don’t want, then add a new “destination” track (mono or stereo as required), then drag the pieces down onto the new track (Time Shift tool), and slide them left/right into position.

If you will need to crossfade, then create two “destination” tracks and drag the pieces so that they alternate between the two tracks, and overlap where you need crossfades (Crossfade Tracks: http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/crossfade_tracks.html)

If you’re not bothered about precise crossfading, but just want a short’ish crossfade, then using just one track and “Crossfade Clips” may be quicker (http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/crossfade_clips.html).

Optional: If there two (or more) tracks), they may be rendered (Tracks > Mix and Render) to make a single continuous audio clip in one track.
Optional: If there is one track, you can join the clips into one continuous clip with “Edit > Clip boundaries > Join (Ctrl+J)” (Command+J?)

3

If you’re not bothered about precise crossfading

I’m bothered that nothing in that first paragraph worked right.
I need to go back and read through it again.

Koz

4

In what way not right?

Perhaps if I break it down more:

Mac OS X users: CTRL = COMMAND and ALT = OPTION. So, for example, CTRL + ALT + K = COMMAND + OPTION + K

  1. Ensure that “Sync-Lock” is off (http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/edit_toolbar.html#link)
  2. Select a part that you wish to delete, then “Edit > Remove Special > Split Delete” (Alt+Cntrl+K, or on a Mac see above)
  3. Repeat step 3 for each part you wish to delete
    firsttrack000.png
  4. Add a new track with the same number of channels (“Tracks > Add New > Mono/Stereo Track”)
    trackpanel001.png
  5. Press “Enter” to deselect the track.
  6. Switch to the Time Shift tool (F5)
  7. Drag the pieces down to the new track and position them where required.

*** NOTE: some movement is restricted in recent versions of Audacity. It is not possible to drag along and down unless there is sufficient space**
trackpanel002.png
It is not possible to drag clip A down to the second track as indicated by the red arrow. The space between clips C and B is not sufficient to accommodate clip A, so even though there is plenty of room in the second track, clip B gets in the way. This is a bug / limitation (not user friendly).

To work around this limitation, do the drag as two separate actions. First drag it to the right as show by the green arrow “1”, then drag it down as shown by green arrow “2”.

5

I think that’s still being too fancy.

I left the top track intact. After I figured out simple deletions wasn’t going to do it by way of a quick survey, I just left the track as it was. Everything from here is drag-select > Copy > Paste. After I get the new track assembled, it’s pretty standard shifting slightly, cutting, trimming, etc, and Export. Go make tea. No fading or other interstitial tricks.

Piece 'o cake, right?

I did my first drag-select > Copy and clicked in a blank spot in the Audacity work surface…and no new track appeared. I know that’s delusional magic thinking, but hey, why not?

Tracks > New Track. Select the track and Paste. Nothing.

Generate > Silence. Select > Home > Paste. Success!!

Back to track 1, select the next segment > Copy.

Select the end of the last Paste on track 2 and Paste. It did Paste and on track 2, but it did it at the ten minute point, at the point defined by the end of track 1. So I appear to have semi-selected track 2.

Time Shift Tool to the rescue! I think it only did that once. All the rest of the clips arrived on track 2 in more or less good order.

I join the other posters complaining about the thick black bar that seems to get stuck at the join point between clips. Why is that there? Is it optional?

Select track 2 > Export Selected > Go lie down for a while.

Koz

6

If you mean the vertical black “split” line, it indicates the boundaries of two adjacent clips.

7

It seems to indicate a mistake. Fix Me!!

What’s scary about this is I’m not a new user…

Koz

8

To amend that, I’m not an editing New User. I’ve put together TV shows. I’m a total Audacity Editing New User, so I haven’t internalized the oddities and tricks.

I’m modeling the newbie.

Koz

9

What is the exact problem you are having with Split Lines ?


Gale