Audacity Forum

First of all, thanks so much to everyone involved for making this software free and available for everyone.

I thought it would be a little more intuitive, but maybe I just don't have good intuition.

All I want to do is take several WAV files and cut them up, discarding the pieces in between. Then I want to normalize the levels and finally convert to MP3. Just one track. No effects. No tweaking of the parts I want to keep. (Well, except for normalizing.)

I tried, I really did, to check out the tutorials and "check before posting" topics, but what I got, for example, was the instruction on how to press "stop" instead of "pause" when recording a cassette or album to Audacity in order to make the split. My file is already recorded, however.

I like how you guys are sarcastic, especially after dealing with all the nitwits like myself who probably ask the same questions over and over. But I have a job. And a kid. And I've been at this for hours.

So if you would be so kind, start at the beginning. You know, after I've imported the project and I'm looking at the entire 50-minute file wave picture thing. Can I drag to the point I need to split? If so, I haven't figured it out. I already know generally where I need to split but I need to get to the exact point, make the split, and discard what's in between. I'll probably need to do this 20 or 30 times for one file. I'm sure the normalizing and MP3 conversion will go better once I get going. And yes, I downloaded LAME already.

Sorry for the basic question, but this is yet another case of an excellent thing that does WAY more than I need it to.

to delete the bits you don't want, just click and drag with your cursor to selected the unwanted selection and then press Delete or CTRL+K. To get to the exact point you will need to zoom in - use the magnifying glass icons to zoom in and out. Note that you may have to do some smoothing around the joins the Effects Fade-in and Fade Out should help you with that (there are tricksier ways - but this is Audio Editing 101).

When youv'e cut out all the bits you dont need and then want to normalize (you may wish to consider Amplify instead - there are some subtle differences which have been detailed elsewhere on the forum) - just select the whole project with CTRL+A and then use Effect > Normalize

Then you may wish to reset the MP compression bitrate - the default is set at 128 which is the minimum normally regarded as ok for music. In 1.2 go to Edit > Preferences > File Formats > Mp3 Export Setup - and you have got LAME installed properly then you will be able to change the bitrate from the dropdown list - otherwise it will be grayed out.

Then to get your MP3 use File > Export as MP3 where you can set the filename and the folder location.

See, no sarcasm

WC

It will take you about fifteen minutes to get tired of that magnifier tool, but you can't edit without it, so once you figure out about where in the blue waves you want to edit by mouse click and Spacebar Play, click and drag a blob around the edit and zoom into that selection Control-E. Play the selection and if you need to zoom further in, drag-select and Control-E again.

When you're tired of zooming in, you can zoom all the way out full with Control-F. There is a partial zoom out that I'm thinking is Control-3.

This is actually second level editing, but you get here quick when you figure out how awkward using the mouse and icons is. The Spacebar will play and stop every time you hit it. You don't need those play and stop icons at the top. I would die without Spacebar Play.

Koz

There is one setting that may need to be changed for beginners. Audacity comes out of First Birthday trying to change the screen view to match where the cursor is. That means just when the play cursor reaches the right edge of the screen, the whole screen snaps to a new view of the song. This makes me crazy and I can't imagine what it would do to a newbie. I turn it off in Edit > Preferences > Interface > Auto Scroll.

Koz

Thanks. Not sure when I'll be able to get back to it, might have some time tonight.

And the software might be free, but I would totally pay for a print manual

illiterate wrote:And the software might be free, but I would totally pay for a print manual

Load up your printer with ink and paper - the Audacity 1.2 manual is available in PDF format here: http://audacityteam.org/help/audacity-manual-1.2.pdf

It can also be viewed on-line here: http://audacityteam.org/manual-1.2/

The Audacity 1.3/1.4 manual is not yet complete, but you can view it (and download it in RTF format) from here: http://audacityteam.org/manual/index.ph ... =Main_Page

Wow, once I got going, that was about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on
Spacebar play, control E, magnify, all three were crucial.
Only thing left to do is convert, so you might hear back.
Thanks again.

See, you got through Editing 101 AND second level editing and beyond ....

Soon you'll be helping others out here on the forum

WC