Want too "overlay" ("mix"?) two segments of same track

Audacity 3 Help Forum Windows
1

Windows 10
Audacity 2.3.3

Rank newbie here - just started using Audacity.

Have a recording of a play rehearsal in which recorded applause, laughs, or musical transitions have been inserted at appropriate spots. Would like to eliminate the brief pause between the end of the spoken line and the beginning of the laugh/applause/music and actually mix the start of the laugh/applause/music with the end of the previous spoken line.

What steps might I take to accomplish that in Audacity?

2
  1. select the silence (using click&drag)
  2. Ctrl + K to delete it
  3. Select a small amount of audio either side of the deletion
  4. Effect > Crossfade Clips

You might want to drop a temporary label after the deletion to aid the step 3 selection - use Ctrl + B

WC

3

Have upgraded to V4.2.1 of Audacity.

Thanks, WC - you’ve got me started on the right track (no pun intended).

I see where I can split the single track I’m working with, and time shift one of them. However, beyond that point, I don’t see where I can mix them back again. In attached image you can see where I want to mix (crossfade) the two overlapping clips (not sure “clips” is the appropriate term - “segments,” maybe?)
Audacity Clip.jpg
No matter what I do, I never do see “crossfade” in the Effects menu - do I have to have carried out a specific series of preceding operations before it shows?

4

When you play the file/project you should hear the mix and when you export they will be automatically mixed.

(There is a “custom mix” option under preferences which would allow one track on the left and one on the right, but the default settings should mix-down to the “original” mono.)

5

Forgot to add in previous:

I tried creating two clips (Edit → Clip Boundaries → Split), but when I selected audio to either side of the split boundary, I saw no way to mix the two. That’s why I tried the Edit → Clip Boundaries → Split New approach (shown in image).

6

You can Select All use Ctrl + A

then use Tracks > Mix > Mix and Render

WC

7

OK - thanks.

I was not finding Crossfade at all in Effect, but finally scrolled the menu using down-arrow at bottom of list and - voila! - there it was.

8

It depends on what you want but looking at how the 1st track fades-out already, you might not what the actual crossfade effect. You may just want the overlap.

I’ve made a couple of “crossfaded” CDs. I usually just overlap the beginning of the 2nd song while the 1st one fades-out “naturally” (if it ends with a fade-out). I call that a “DJ style crossfade” but I’m just overlapping with no (additional) fade.