Audacity Forum

Is there a command line parameter that means, "Startup and start recording now"?

I currently have a script that automatically starts Audacity at a preset time, waits 7 seconds, then sends "r" to start it recording. It always works when I test it, and usually works when it's time, but sometimes I find the Audacity window is up but it never started recording. I thought if there was a command parameter to tell it to start recording immediately it would be more reliable.

I suspect this is a cousin of the request that we could run Audacity from a network computer. Audacity is a very simple audio program and likes running on very simple computers. It's not designed to cope with command delay and shared action events. If all the moons and stars happen to line up, then you win. If the network or Windows decides to scratch its knee at the exact instant that Audacity is expecting the command, it fails.

Some of the other much higher power recording programs have specific hooks into the operating system's scheduler modules to do this job with much higher reliability. Audacity 1.3 also has much better built-in scheduling tools. I don't think 1.2 had any.

Before you get indignant about this shortfall, remember whatever the developers do has to work on the last several versions all three platforms, not just one version of Windows. You're working in Windows 7, right?

Koz

kozikowski wrote:Audacity 1.3 also has much better built-in scheduling tools.

I didn't know 1.3 had scheduling tools. Is there any documentation on this?

I'm running Windows XP.

(I see there's a Beta 1.37 . I've been running Beta 1.34 . I'll download the latest.)

deleyd wrote: I didn't know 1.3 had scheduling tools. Is there any documentation on this?

Not much - see this section for the manual in development for 1.4/2.0 (whichever it is to be called): http://www.audacityteam.org/manual/inde ... _Recording

The quickest way to invoke the timer is to use the k/b shortcut Shift+T

As I said the manual for the next release is under development - and writers are eagerly sought by the development team (my past experience managing developers shows that not many of them like writing manuals) - so if you have the time/ability/inclination you could consider volunteering ...

WC