Resampling Project

Audacity Help Forum macOS
1

In the lower left-hand corner of a project is a dropdown called “Project Rate”.

If I change that from the default 44100 to 8000, do I then have to goto Tracks and choose “Resample” to make the effect take place?

Thanks,


Mac Audio

2

Audacity supports multiple tracks with different sample rates.
The “Project Rate” is the rate that the project is working in.

Example: If you have a project with two tracks, one with a sample rate of 8000 Hz and one with a sample rate of 48000 Hz, and the “Project Rate” is set to 44100 Hz, then

  • playback will be 44100 Hz,
  • any new tracks created by “Tracks menu > Add track” will be 44100 Hz,
  • new track created by recording to a new track will be 44100 Hz,
  • when the audio is exported, it will be exported as a 44100 Hz file.
  • Mixing down tracks will mix to 44100 Hz.
3

That was such a useful clear explanation Steve that I added it, as a tip, to the upcoming 2.3.0 Manual:
https://alphamanual.audacityteam.org/man/Selection_Toolbar#Project_Rate_.28Hz.29

Peter.

4

Let me provide some context…

I am trying to create a produced music and voice track for my VoIP IVR system.

Have been in Hell the last two weeks, because while my Audacity project sounds awesome - at least to me as a newbie - the IVR system keeps giving me anomolous behavior like playing loud, annoying static after a given recording plays.

I have spent two weekends troublleshooting - with no help from Tech Support - and late last night I think I figured out the problem…

The Project’s “Sample Rate” and the individual Tracks have been set to 44100, and that seems to piss off the IVR system.

What wasn’t clear to me when I posted was if by virtue of just changing the Project’s “Sample Rate” to 8000, and then immediately Exporting to a test .WAV file, but without svaing the Project first was actually making the temporary test .WAV at a rate of 8000 Hz or still at the original 44100 Hz since I hadn’t saved the Project, and also possibly because I didn’t do Tracks > Resample.

Sounds like the minute you change the Project “Sample Rate” to 8000 Hz, exporting things to a ,WAV file would indeed be at 8000 Hz even though the Project is unsaved, correct?

5

Correct.