Why are so many features locked out when I set Timer Recording?

Audacity 3 Help Forum Windows
1

It could take me 10 to 20 clicks to set a timer for recording. Once set, it locks out many features that I may need to adjust. To do so, I have to cancel the timer, make the adjustments then redo the 10 to 20 clicks to set the timer again.

I may need to enable silent recording, adjust the volume, or even move the Audacity window on the monitor. Why are these, among others, locked?

Is there an option to set?
Can I get into the code and comment-out or change a line of code or few?

2

It’s like baking bread in a bread-maker. You have to choose your recipe and enter the necessary ingredients before starting the timer.

3

My guess is that you don’t do much baking, do you?
I don’t think I have ever baked bread without some mid-bake correction. A comparison here would be as if I had to wait for the oven to cool down before I can rotate the pan or apply mist to the surface. Then turn the oven back on to let it warm up to get back to temperature. No, my oven doesn’t have that kind of lock-out and I can’t see why Audacity should.

Is there a reason for it?

4

My guess is that you don’t do much baking, do you?

You guess wrong :slight_smile:
You should try using a bread maker, they’re so easy. Just put in the ingredients, select the required program, choose how dark you like the crust, and press “Start” (or start the timer). 4 hours later, perfect fresh bread - Mmm. Fantastic if you want fresh bread for breakfast.

The “Timer Record” feature was developed for a very specific purpose: Unattended recording sessions. The procedural model is a 2 step process:

  1. Set up for the recording.
  2. Start the recording timer.

The “lockout” is intentional to ensure, as far as possible, that the recording, once set up, will happen as scheduled. It isn’t (and can’t be) totally foolproof, but it was pretty robust (I know that @waxcylinder used it a lot).

1 Like
5

So, if it is good for some then everyone has to tolerate it.
Can this not be an option even if it is at my own risk?

To develop the bread maker scenario:
Ok, You set all the ingredients and start the maker. At some point, you realize that a very important bill was left on the counter and it is under the maker.

Either you wait for the bread to be done or you stop the timer, dump out all the ingredients, and move the maker to retrieve the bill. Now you have to start all over making the bread.