Splitting/inserting/Merging

Audacity Help Forum Windows
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Win7 Professional; v2.0.6; .exe version.
I have a 160 minute long USB microphone voice recorded audio project in Audacity. I have been following instructions by Steve for inserting new audio.

Re: splitting/inserting

Permanent link to this post Posted by steve » Wed Dec 04, 2013 9:29 pm

Launch Audacity
“File > Import > Audio” to import the file that you wish to work with.
Shift+A can be used to start and stop playback, but unlike using spacebar to start and stop, when you use shift+A to stop, the cursor remains at the place that playback stopped. So when playback gets to the point where you want to insert your own words and press shift+A to stop.
Ctrl+I to split the recording at the cursor position.
F5 to switch to the Time Shift tool.
Drag the audio on the right of the split to the right to make room for your new recording.
“R” to start recording then spacebar to stop.
Drag the audio from the right hand part of first track so that it matches up with your new recording.
F1 key to switch back to the normal selection tool.
Click on the first track at the point where you want to resume playback.
Press spacebar (or shift+A) to resume playback, the shift+A to stop at the next insert point.
Ctrl + I to split the recording at the cursor position.
F5 to switch to the Time Shift tool.
Drag the audio on the right of the split to the right to make room for your new recording.
Press Enter, the the down cursor key, then Enter so that the second track is selected
Shift+R to record your next bit.

and so on.

I will probably be doing this another 20 or so times. That will lead to a lot of tracks. I am wondering the following: Is there any way, after a new track creation, to immediately merge it up into the main audio track? OR - is that not advised, and why?

Thanks,

Dekade

2

Yes you “can” merge the tracks, but with 160 minutes it will be quite slow, and the major disadvantage is that, once merged, they can’t be “un-merged”, so if you make any mistakes, you can’t go back and adjust that bit.

Personally, what I’d do is to split the 160 minutes into two or three more manageable size sections. Anything over about an hour duration and I find it to be quicker and more convenient to split the track rather than working on one huge track.

3

Thanks Steve,

I understand what you are pointing out and it does make sense. I think I will choose to not merge the tracks.

Dekade