Version 2.0.6 - Restoring Cuts

Hi:

There appears to be a bug in 2.0.6. When I make a cut, undo it, and then make a different cut and attempt to undo it, audacity does not seem to remember the 2nd cut and reverts back to the starting position of the first cut instead. This did not happen with 2.0.5. In that version, all cuts were remembered. I am reverting back to 2.0.5 until this is resolved.

Thank you.

mdubin

I’m can’t reproduce this with Audacity 2.0.6 and OS X 10.9.4
Steps:

  • new project
  • generate 30 seconds tone
  • select 3 - 10 seconds
  • cut
  • undo
    – cut region is restored and selection is from 3 - 10 seconds
  • select 13 - 20 seconds
  • cut
  • undo
    – cut region is restored and selection is from 13 - 20 seconds

– Bill

Here I’ll give you an example.

Under 2.0.6, I imported an audio track and then made a cut starting at 8:38:125. I found it was not to my liking so I did an undo and decided to cut starting at 8:37:650. It also was not to my liking so I did an undo. The starting point after this undo should have been 8:37:650 but instead it was at 8:38:125.

I reinstalled 2.0.5 and did the exact same thing. After the 2nd undo, the starting point was at 8:37:650 like I expected.

I hope this explains it.

Thank you.

mdubin

By “making a cut,” you mean you deleted everything after that time?
Koz

Not everything, just from that point till another point which could be several minutes later. In my situation, the end point was not changed, just the starting point.

mdubin

Thank you. When you’re waving the “B Word” around, it’s good for us to be able to exactly reproduce your work.

“When you have a 44100, 32-bit Stereo show duration of XX and you cut from YY to ZZ, etc.”

Was the original show compressed (MP3, etc.)?

Koz

The original was a WAV file ripped from a CD. Sorry I cannot do any better but to describe what happened. Maybe I was being too strong by using the “B” word and I am sorry. But cutting audio, listening to the results, and if not to my liking undo the cut is something I have done countless times in Audacity. I always expected “undo” to restore the cut exactly. But that is not happening in 2.0.6 when doing repeated cutting and undoing.

All I can suggest is to load a WAV (of FLAC) file into audacity. Make a cut and undo it. Then make a slightly different cut and undo it. Is the starting point the same as from the 2nd cut or from the 1st cut?

FWIW, Windows 7 SVN HEAD (but I don’t think anything’s changed since the release), trying many combinations of keyboard & menu gestures to cut and restore the cut, I was unable to duplicate this.

What operating system are you using?

I installed 2.0.6 again so I could give you an exact description of the problem as I currently am editing.

The total WAV track time is 11:29:787.

I made a cut from 5:41:583 to 9:24:400. I then went back about five seconds so I could hear if it was to my liking. It was slightly off so I selected “undo”. After the undo, the cut section started at 5:40:883, not 5:41:583. In other words, the start point of the cut shifted 1.7 seconds early. This shift did not happen in 2.0.5 or earlier.

My operating system is Windows 7 Pro 64 bit.

I will now restore 2.0.5 and do the exact same thing and report back here in a few minutes.

mdubin

Edit: Restored 2.0.5 and did the same procedure. The undo restored the beginning to 5:41:583 just as I expected. So I hope you can understand the problem now. In 2.0.6, the starting point of cuts are not being “undone” correctly. In both versions, I have “snap to” set to “off”.

Have you looked at the snap-to settings?
Do you mark the regions per mouse?
Does zooming in and out before undo change anything?
How does redo work, i.e. is it always the same outcome when you alternate (and change e.g the zoom inbetween)?

Exactly how do you go back about five seconds?

To be clear, are you saying that the 1.7 seconds of audio is not lost, but that the restored region is offset 1.7 seconds to left?


Gale

Hi:

LIke I just said, Snap To is “Off” in 2.0.6 and unchecked in 2.0.5.

I do not mark the regions with my mouse, I listen and then use the Selection Start and End boxes at the bottom of the screen to “fine tune” my start and end points. After making a cut, I go back about five seconds to hear if the result is to my liking. If it is not and I then undo the cut, that is where the difference is between 2.0.6 and 2.0.5. I stated that in 2.0.6, the starting point of the cut was placed 1.7 seconds earlier than it should have been. This did not happen in 2.0.5 so I am sticking with that version for now.

I did not do any zooming.

mdubin

There is a way to install a “portable” version of Audacity and have that separate and distinct from the regular install. In this way you can have two different Audacities without constantly reinstalling.

I don’t know how to do that in Windows and I can’t find the instructions.

Koz

I can now reliably reproduce this.
Steps:
1 new project
2 generate tone 30 seconds: note 0 - 30 seconds is selected
3 USING THE SELECTION TOOLBAR ONLY: set selection start to 1 sec and selection end to 2 sec
4 cut
5 undo: 0 to 30 seconds is selected

If, at step 3, you use the mouse to select the region from about 1 - 2 seconds, then cut and undo, the selection from immediately before the cut is restored.

It seems that the selection is not being pushed on the undo stack when that selection is made from the selection toolbar instead of the mouse.

– Bill

The same on Windows (with Audacity 2.0.7a)
It applies only to the selection via spin boxes (Selection Start, Selection Length). Selecting audio with brackets works properly, i.e. undo after cut restores this selection.

Now we’re talking about a bug. Multiple people on different machines experiencing the same unintentional evil behavior.

~~

You can install multiple Audacity versions on your Mac by creating a unique folder in /Applications and installing your Audacity to that (attach).

In my case the “real” install is Audacity 2.0.5 and the other is 2.0.3. The preferences and settings do not affect each other.

Koz
Screen Shot 2014-10-24 at 12.20.17.png

Hi Gale:

I click in the Selections Start box and go back 5 seconds with the down arrow. Similarly I do the same in the End box using the up arrow to advance 5 seconds so I can hear 5 seconds before and 5 seconds after the cut.

Yes, you are correct. 1.7 seconds is not lost but the restored region is offset 1.7 seconds to the left in 2.0.6. This does not happen in 2.0.5. and earlier.

mdubin

Furthermore, you can have each Audacity version have its own preferences and other local settings by creating a “Portable Settings” folder, like this:
Snap 2014-10-24 at 17.14.04, 200x467.png

Furthermore, you can have each Audacity version have it’s own preferences and other local settings by creating a “Portable Settings” folder, like this:

Excellent. Now you know I’m going to ask you where is that written other than right here, right now? I did a fly-over on both the on-line manual and the wiki and didn’t find anything on the nitty-gritty of installs.

I found the Windows technique. It’s pretty scary. I think that one just resets preferences on one Audacity rather than have multiple versions. I think the Windows people are stuck.

Koz

“Portable Settings” folder

I appear to have independent settings and preferences without such a folder.
Koz