1.3.10 default timer change to 1 hr is annoying

[roga]

I often use audacity to record live radio "off-air", quite often the programs are approx 30 mins, and sometimes 15 mins.

1.3.10 appears to have a default of 1 hour for timer record, so if I type "shift+T" then "15" I end up with 75 mins.

Perhaps the default length could be set in the preferences section, and allow "0" as the default.

roga

[steve]

The developers are reluctant to add non-essential options to Preferences as there are already 15 "pages" of preferences and the number of options could easily expand out of control. I would guess that there are as many people that find 1 hour to be a useful default as there are people that would prefer some other period. No one will want to do a timer record of zero duration so I don't think that would be a good default.

I think this comes down to a "feature request" but I'm not clear exactly you are asking for - an option in Preferences? A default timer record length of zero? Something else?

[waxcylinder]

Sorry Roga - I have to confess it was me who suggested the new default to the developers ...

There was a developer discussion about what the interface of the Timer Record feature and in particular the default length of recording. I tend to record a lot of hour long programmes off-air from the BBC hence my suggestion, which got taken up.

Steve is right that the developers are extremely wary about extending the Preferences - but personally I agree with you, this is something I would prefer to be able to set in preferences.

WC

[Edgar]

There was a developer discussion about what the interface of the Timer Record feature and in particular the default length of recording...
Steve is right that the developers are extremely wary about extending the Preferences...
WC

I'm the one who started the developer discussion with the suggestion to make this a preference. From the comments "extremely wary about extending the Preferences" is an understatement! Another option would be for Audacity to recall the last used value (I think a patch to do this is already on the patch wiki). A third option is to compile your own copy of Audacity and set the value to what you like.

Personally, +1 for adding a preference. I have no problem with adding to Preferences, it is not UI intrusive nor does is make the program work slower overall.

[steve]

A 4th option would be to have a "preference" in the audacity.cfg file without an option in the Preferences interface. I would expect that the 1 hour default is a reasonable value for the majority of users that use this feature (this is the first complaint that I've seen about it). For users that really want to set a different default they could manually edit the audacity.cfg file (which is a lot easier than editing the source code and compiling).

I can understand the concern about extending Preferences - If we have a preference setting for this default, then why not a option for the default Generate length? How about preferences for default values for effects?

My vote would be for Audacity to recall the last used value.

[roga]

Thanks all for the comments

I would be happy with retaining the last value used, or the cfg or preferences.

roga

[roga]

I would expect that the 1 hour default is a reasonable value for the majority of users that use this feature

It would be if there was only one "unit" of time and any keyboard entry would over-type the default. As it is with the current UI you have days, hours, mins & secs and, as I stated before If I type "15" (for 15 mins) what I get is 1hr 15.

Interestingly the UI does seem able to translate entries in minutes up to "99" to hours and minutes, so if a non configurable default was thought to be preferable can we please have a value of less than 1hr: those needing 1hr or so can just type (e.g) "65" and those of us who listen to shorter programs can type (e.g.) "35"

In other words a default value in mins would create less work for anyone setting a timer value of less than or equal to 1 hour 39, which I think would be a greater proportion of users than those who always need a timer of 1 hr or more.

R

[steve]

I'm on Linux so I'm not sure that this will be exactly the same for you:

To set the timer duration to 15 minutes starting immediately:
1) Shift+T (Timer Record)
2) 000015 (15 minutes)
3) Enter. (OK)