Audacity Forum

Hi,

Can Audacity open a local directory of audio files, then create clips of a given length (say 30 sec.) for each file automatically?

Thanks!

soundser wrote:Can Audacity open a local directory of audio files, then create clips of a given length (say 30 sec.) for each file automatically?

Audacity Beta has batch processing ability at File > Edit Chains, whereby you could set up a "chain" to import files, apply effects to them and then export them automatically. But Chains as currently implemented can only work on the whole track, not on parts of it.

Depending on what exactly you want to do, you could in 1.2 or Beta import the files (each will import into its own track), select from zero to 30 seconds in all the tracks, Edit > Trim, then File > Export Multiple which would export all the files at one go.



Gale

Gale Andrews wrote:

soundser wrote:Can Audacity open a local directory of audio files, then create clips of a given length (say 30 sec.) for each file automatically?

Audacity Beta has batch processing ability at File > Edit Chains, whereby you could set up a "chain" to import files, apply effects to them and then export them automatically. But Chains as currently implemented can only work on the whole track, not on parts of it.

Depending on what exactly you want to do, you could in 1.2 or Beta import the files (each will import into its own track), select from zero to 30 seconds in all the tracks, Edit > Trim, then File > Export Multiple which would export all the files at one go.



Gale

Thanks, this is definitely better. After importing the files, then selecting the first 30 second region of the first track, if I try to select the first 30 seconds of the next track before using Edit->Trim (or apply something from the the Effect menu), the selection from the first track is lost. It would be great if each track did not have to be trimmed separately. Is this possible?

Excellent program.

To select multiple tracks, use the Up/Down cursor keys to move focus from one track to another and use the Enter key to toggle selection of that track.
Alternatively you can make a selection across multiple tracks using the mouse - click on a track and while holding the mouse button down, drag across the other tracks.

stevethefiddle wrote:To select multiple tracks, use the Up/Down cursor keys to move focus from one track to another and use the Enter key to toggle selection of that track.
Alternatively you can make a selection across multiple tracks using the mouse - click on a track and while holding the mouse button down, drag across the other tracks.

The drag method works (Woohoo!), but the Up/Down cursor keys do not move the focus from one track to another (unless I'm missing something). Left/Right cursor keys move the time frame indicator within a track.

soundser wrote:the Up/Down cursor keys do not move the focus from one track to another (unless I'm missing something)

You're missing the benefits of the superior 1.3.12 beta version
I very rarely use the old 1.2.6 version, and forgot that it did not have that feature.

Another way of extending the region or selection into multiple tracks is to hold SHIFT then click on the other multiple tracks you want to include. This should work in 1.2.6 as well as Beta.

In Beta, you can also hold SHIFT then use up or down arrow to select multiple tracks. That may be easier than up or down then ENTER for each track.

The advantage of selecting the tracks to extend the region into them is that the region will stay the same. If you drag the region down it can easily drift to something a bit different even though you can finalise it again on the last track.



Gale

Gale Andrews wrote:Another way of extending the region or selection into multiple tracks is to hold SHIFT then click on the other multiple tracks you want to include. This should work in 1.2.6 as well as Beta.

In Beta, you can also hold SHIFT then use up or down arrow to select multiple tracks. That may be easier than up or down then ENTER for each track.

The advantage of selecting the tracks to extend the region into them is that the region will stay the same. If you drag the region down it can easily drift to something a bit different even though you can finalise it again on the last track.



Gale

Yes, this has already saved me a lot of time. If only I knew this before!