Audacity Forum

Having spent ages recording an interview, I then spent even more time adjusting the FFT Filter settings. I then realised that the default settings were the best option. How can I get the settings back to the default ones? I have saved the master, which does has the default FFT settings.

Thanks.

In Audacity 1.2, the default FFT setting is flat (no change). If you don't want to apply any FFT to your edited master and you still have the project open, Edit > Undo to undo the mistaken FFT.

If you don't have that project open, you can either re-edit the original master which does not have FFT applied, or draw an upside down version of the FFT curve you applied before and apply that to the edited master. The "upside down" curve will undo the previous FFT. This is easier in Effect > Equalization in Audacity Beta, where you can save EQ presets and there is a button to invert curves.



Gale

Is this enough of a scare to prompt you to Export As WAV when you finish a live performance capture? The wav file becomes the backup if you completely drill your self into the mud with the project, or the computer does something nasty and you're left with thirty-five million tiny au files in a folder instead of a show.

I still have WAV files of live performances I completed months ago. When I run out of room, I'll start deleting the older ones and work up.

If it's an important enough performance, I'll make a copy of the WAV file and lock it up. There is never any reason to pay the actor/singer to repeat the performance. That's very bad form.

Koz

Audacity 1.2 is not fully supported on modern computers. We didn't chase you off to download and install Audacity 1.3.12 because you created a user problem. Had we discovered a computer problem, that would be the end of Audacity 1.2.

You can install both Audacity versions, but only use one at a time. Audacity 1.3 Projects will not open in 1.2

http://audacityteam.org/download/

Koz

Thanks, Gale, for such a quick reply. Unfortunately, the only way round this was to spend hours reediting as once your adjust the FFT a few times, adjusting the pattern to a flat line in 'neutral' will not return the file to the original form. From what I understand, you're saying that Audacity Beta has the ability to save the default FFT as a preset. Is this right? It would be good to know for the future.

Thanks for your reply, Koz.

I'm not clear about your answer to this specific problem and who created what problem is not really my concern. You seem to know which version does what so could you tell me which version has the ability to save the default FFT settings as a preset? After you've adjusted the FFT settings a couple of times the 'undo' button doesn't return the sound to the original.

Alison

<<<'undo' button doesn't return the sound to the original.>>>

The point of my post is the desire to Export a WAV file of the work in addition to the Saved Project that will contain the later edits. Had you done that, it wouldn't matter how badly the show becomes damaged, you can always go back to the original WAV file and start over. Several of the elves use a variation of this by Saving the Project under two different names, thus creating a backup that way.

Audacity has several UNDO surprises. Audacity does not retain UNDO information if you save, close Audacity and then open the show again.

And to specifically answer you, I don't know. I do know Audacity 1.3.12 has far more tools, greater control, and more stability than 1.2 did. There are some newer computers that don't support Audacity 1.2 at all.

Koz

In Audacity 1.2.6 you can reset the FFT effect to "flat" by clicking the "Clear" button.
However, that will not allow you to "reverse" the effect of a previously applied FFT filter - it just resets the effect to a "neutral" (does nothing) setting.

In Audacity 1.3.12, the FFT effect has been replaced with the much more versatile "Equalizer" effect.
In this version you can save a setting by giving it a unique name (I don't think that it has to be a unique name, but it needs to be a unique name if you want to find it again).
The default (flat/neutral/does nothing) setting can be reset at any time by pressing the "Flatten" button.
The current settings can be "turned upside down" by clicking the "invert button" - If you apply a setting to some audio, then apply the upside-down (inverted) version to the same audio, it will return the sound (very close) to the original unprocessed sound.
There are a couple more features that have been added since the manual was written, but most of the features are covered here: http://manual.audacityteam.org/index.ph ... ualization

kozikowski wrote:<<<'undo' button doesn't return the sound to the original.>>>

The point of my post is the desire to Export a WAV file of the work in addition to the Saved Project that will contain the later edits. Had you done that, it wouldn't matter how badly the show becomes damaged, you can always go back to the original WAV file and start over. Several of the elves use a variation of this by Saving the Project under two different names, thus creating a backup that way.

Audacity has several UNDO surprises. Audacity does not retain UNDO information if you save, close Audacity and then open the show again.

And to specifically answer you, I don't know. I do know Audacity 1.3.12 has far more tools, greater control, and more stability than 1.2 did. There are some newer computers that don't support Audacity 1.2 at all.

Koz

Thanks, Koz.

Clear as crystal - Ta very much.