Replacing Audio Clip without knowing length

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

I noticed this on 2.3.3 but just installed 2.4.2.

I admit I’m a newbie to the forum but I’ve been using Audacity for a couple years.

I had a multitrack audio going, all mono tracks. I had the note shown on top, and I wanted to select it, and fully replace the note on the bottom, without changing the length of the track. (I had a pic here but it looks like there is a limit of 4 attachments. It looks just like the one below only not selected.)

The notes are, in fact different lengths. And even start at different times. I want the top note exactly where it is, but duplicated in the bottom track. I select the top note.
Select#2.JPG
I can see that the selection is .249 secs long and where it ends (I’d rather see where it begins, but that’s another issue.)
Select#3.JPG
I can select APPROXIMATELY the right space in the bottom track
Select#4.JPG
But now I have to go fiddle with the numbers in the meter to make it exact.
Select#5.JPG
What I’d really like to do is a drag and drop to copy the note to the 2nd track. Is that possible? Or set the cursor to the correct spot and Ctl V?

I got it done by fiddling with the meter (see above), but it seems so in-elegant for a feature-rich program like this. Tell me I’m just not looking in the right place in the manual or there’s an easter egg out there with my name on it.

Thanks!

2

You could try this:

Select the audio in the top track and do a Ctrl-C. Then Arrow down one track while holding down the shift key. The press Ctrl-V.

Not sure if that will do what you want or not.

Mike

3

If you click on “Length and End of selection:”, you will see that it is a dropdown menu with the options:

  • Start and End of selection: the start time and the end time of your selection (default setting)
  • Start and Length of selection: the start time and the length of your selection
  • Length and End of selection: the length and the end time of your selection
  • Length and Center of selection: the length and the time at the center of your selection

(See also: https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/selection_toolbar.html)

4

If you want to paste at exactly the same time position in another track:

  1. Select the part to copy
  2. “Ctrl+C” (copy)
  3. “Enter” (toggle the track selection) - now “not selected”.
  4. Cursor up/down keys to move “focus” (the yellow track border) to the destination track.
  5. “Enter” (toggle the track selection) - now “selected”.
  6. “Ctrl + V” (paste)

If you want to paste at a different time, but retain the exact same length:

  1. Select the part to copy
  2. “Ctrl+C” (copy)
  3. “Enter” (toggle the track selection) - now “not selected”.
  4. Cursor up/down keys to move “focus” (the yellow track border) to the destination track.
  5. “Enter” (toggle the track selection) - now “selected”.
  6. Set the time selection option to “Start and Length of selection”
  7. Type the required start time into the “Start” control.
    Note that if you click on one of the numbers in the “Start” control, you can use the up/down keys on your keyboard to increase / decrease the start time.
  8. “Ctrl + V” (paste)
5

Thank you all. These are all helpful tips. Once you know the answer, it’s easy! :wink:

Thanks again.