If I export a slice of a track by using the “Current Selection” feature, then unfortunately it automatically stays selected again for the next export. I don’t like that, but it seems some people do. OK fine. It’s a thing.
HOWEVER, it should NEVER export a completely zero-length file when a slice is not highlighted. It should export the ENTIRE track then, by default.
I can’t believe I even have to mention this. But after closing a completely irreplaceable once-in-a-lifetime recording after exporting it, only to find the export as a 4kb nothing file… Who in their right mind thought this was an acceptable way to dev this??
I know you guys already know the concept because you have a Preference called Track Behaviors “Select all audio, if selection required” for other features. Somehow not this most important one of all?
I imagine 99.99999% of people want their entire track length as the file (same as “Entire Project”). Whereas 0.00001% of people want a zero-length track.
If a slice is selected, export ONLY that.
If nothing is selected, export the WHOLE thing (not NOTHING…FFS).
Make a selection and do File > Export Audio.
In the dialog, “Current Selection” is selected. “Entire Project” is enabled, and “Multiple Files” is greyed out.
Click “Export” and the selection is exported.
Click in the track so there is no selection.
Do File > Export Audio.
In the dialog, “Entire Project” is selected. “Multiple Files” and “Current Selection” are greyed out.
So it seems (with 3.7.4) that it is impossible to choose “Current Selection” in the Export dialog when there is no selection.
I have a memory of a setting for effects that is something like “if nothing is selected, select everything before doing this.” I don’t know if it has any effect on things other than effects though.
In 3.0.4 there is a menu item File > Export Selected Audio. When you invoke this command without a selection, it exports the entire track that the cursor is in.
Version 3.1.3 still has the Export Selected Audio menu item. When you invoke this command without a selection, it puts up a dialog “No Audio Selected: Select the audio for Export Selected Audio to use (for example, Cmd + A to Select All) then try again.”
Versions 3.2.5 and 3.3.3 seem to have reverted to the 3.0.2 behaviour.
The integrated Export dialog appeared in 3.4.0 and from that version forward the “Selected audio” option in the dialog is greyed out if there is no selection.
My conclusion is that, since version 3.0.3 it has been impossible to export a zero-length file using either File > Export Selected Audio or File > Export .
So I ask again: what version of Audacity are you using?
It is always possible to accidentally make a teeny selection when clicking in a track. I find it happens (very rarely) when using a track pad. Perhaps this is what happened?
To answer your question of what version I’m using: I’m essentially always using the latest, within a week or two of its release.
To answer your other question as to accidental selection, here’s what I’ve found so far: It’s complicated, and I’ll try to summarize accurately. (I may get something slightly wrong because I don’t have tons more time to spend on this):
2 SCENARIOS:
I MANUALLY export the track after doing my work. The export function works as expected/described where only certain selections are possible (depending on what’s highlighted) and I cannot export a zero-length track.
I use a custom MACRO, that exports as the last step (using “Export as MP3”). The export function seems to use the latest previous manual export selection (of the 3 “Export Range” options). This is important to note. If it is from a recording = “untitled”, or an import = original file name. Works as described in #1, where I cannot export a zero-length track. HOWEVER, it will depend on what the macro leaves as a last highlighted selection area, just before exporting.
This last part is what got me, thinking I was making a zero-length track. As you guys hinted at: It actually was very short-length (0.4 sec), and very very small (at 64kbs and even often mono). The reason is complicated though. It requires a chain of events:
A) having previously manually exported using “Current Selection”
B) using a macro…
C) …that ALSO leaves the audio highlighted selection as something very short.
I personally was using one of the greatest tools ever: Chris’s “Compress Dynamics” in order to level everything. That works great… except for some unknown reason it randomly leaves an increasing-volume static-noise for the last 0.3 seconds or so when used IN a macro. So I eventually added to my macro to “Select” the last 0.4 sec and then “Fade out” couple times to get rid of that noise.
Unfortunately, that last 0.4 sec is also what it was only exporting when I ran that macro, AND had previously manually exported using “Current Selection”… which is rare. I did this on some very important microphone recordings (which i foolishly failed to save the original file for), and saw the exported file was made, just didn’t notice that it was so short.
So, I’m sorry for wasting people’s time here. It took me a while to figure out it was my fault trying to correct some artifact effect from that other tool, but only after he previous chain of events were also met, that would only happen to me because of my custom macro.
Maybe something good of it will come from reviewing that Preferences setting, as well as maybe someone has a recommendation for a now built-in equivalent to Chris’s tool that works better in macros.
Great idea. I just added it to all my macros. No loose ends. Thanks.
What I would really like to know are:
MAYBE (?) some sort of notification BEFORE running the macro (especially on a batch of files) that notifies the user what the last PREVIOUS export setting was and that it will be used, which could result in “selection only” instead of full file.
Why Chris’s tool would make the weird static at the end of exports, especially when used in a macro (or come to think of it now i recall also in a multiple file export when using track labels too… there are so many combinations of options though it’s gets confusing.)
If there is now a built in compressor tool that duplicated Chris’s, just without the bad artifacts.
