Record on 2nd Track Playback from 1st Track

[Dennis Galon]

I am brand new to Audacity, and have a project I need to start right away before I properly learn my way about. So assistance with what I assume is a simple request would be greatly appreciated.

I have a language learning set of MP3s containing dialogues. I want to re-record this audio with a pause after each sentence equal to the time required to repeat the sentence. Adding silences would be difficult, mind-numbing work, because every silence would be a different length.

What I think I want to do is:
(1) play the origianal MP3 in one track and have it recorded in another track.
(2) Pause the playback on the first track while the recording track continues to run recording nothing.

I am merely trying to duplicate with Audacity what I used to do decades ago with two tape recorders--play and pause one tape deck while the other continue to record the playback and the pauses as silence.

Alternate solutions to accomplish same result are welcome.

[billw58]

What I think I want to do is:
(1) play the origianal MP3 in one track and have it recorded in another track.
(2) Pause the playback on the first track while the recording track continues to run recording nothing.
I am merely trying to duplicate with Audacity what I used to do decades ago with two tape recorders--play and pause one tape deck while the other continue to record the playback and the pauses as silence.

Think of Audacity as one, multi-track tape recorder. Then you can see that what you want to do is not possible within Audacity. However, if you had a second "tape recorder", you could do this. Play back your files in one application while recording "what you hear" in Audacity. Audacity continues to record while you pause the playback machine.

One of the Windows elves will have to step in here and help you set that up.

-- Bill

[steve]

I am merely trying to duplicate with Audacity what I used to do decades ago with two tape recorders--play and pause one tape deck while the other continue to record the playback and the pauses as silence.

Yes, very easy to do with two tape recorders. Also very easy to do with two computers, but I presume that you want to do it with one computer (which is like trying to do it with one tape recorder).

Alternate solutions to accomplish same result are welcome.

I've go a possible solution, but it depend on what the original recording is like - are there (on the original MP3) gaps between the phrases? If so, how long are the gaps and how quiet?

[Dennis Galon]

StevenTheFiddle,

Thank you. I have a couple of computers, if that helps.

There are pauses between sentences, but only the pauses we all leave during ordinary speach. These pauses tend to be quiet, except for inhaling (we all gotta breath, no?). The pauses very in length. Of course, one could zoom in, and then the pauses (as an image) appear as long as you want.

Given Bill's extremely helpful comment, I'm guessing that what I want to do is play the MP3 via some other software, and then grab that output as input into Audacity. But how grab that audio output to speakers as input into audacity? And does this mean going digital to analogue and back again?

Dennis

[Dennis Galon]

Thank you folks; I've got it.

There is an FAQ post "How to record the speaker output" that explains how to grap the audio output from other software playing my MP3 as input into Audacity. Real simple.

Dennis

[waxcylinder]

And does this mean going digital to analogue and back again?

Yes Dennis, unfortunately it does. Which also means if you re-export to MP3 you will inevitably increase further the MP3 compression damage - no way round that.

BTW you are lucky that your PC is set up to enable you to record what is playing on the computer. Many have that functionalty disabled by the manufacturer these days (presumably to try to stop piracy). One of my PCS, my older desktop, will not do this - but my newer laptop handles it fine.

WC