More help for tech challenged

[hhba]

Prior posts helped somewhat to better understand how this thing works. Thanks for the help so far. Our unresolved questions:
As you suggest, we will use wav to produce a file, then later convert to mp3.
When we load each of the 3 files we need to produce a new file (call it New) we get more horiizontal set of lines. i.e., when we load the intro (call it Intro)we get a set of horiontal lines. When we load the middle file (call it Sermon), we get another set of horizonal lines. Sermon need so be edited to eliminate silent spots and some content. We are not sure if we should pause or stop to do the editing. When we load the end file (call it End) we get another set of horizonatal lines. How do we merge, if that is the correct term. all 3 files into one recording, New? In other words, we need a single recording, in the order, Intro, Sermon, End.
Thanks for helping this very challenged person. If you were in the area, we would buy the coffee. Thanks
hhba

[billw58]

I don't understand what you mean by "horizontal lines". Are you referring to the tracks or the waveform?
http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Auda ... _and_Clips

By "load" do you mean "import" or do you mean "record"?

If you are importing, this might help: http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Tuto ... sting_File

After you "load" the 3 files, does your project look like this?

3-track_01.png (73.88 KiB) Viewed 392 times

If so, you can use the Time Shift tool http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Tool ... #timeshift to move the content of the three tracks onto one track, like this:

3-track_02.png (73.56 KiB) Viewed 392 times

Once you have all three clips on one track, do File > Export to make a WAV or MP3 file.
See: http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/File_Export_Dialog and http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Audacity_Projects

Please read the provided links. Then we'll be able to talk about tracks, clips, waveforms, tools, import, export, record etc. and we'll all know what we're talking about.

-- Bill

[Edgar]

hhba,

In this recent forum thread: http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic ... ut#p140881 we discussed a method for joining audio. It might give you some ideas.

[hhba]

Thank you. Some of this is making sense, finally. We are not able to understand how to make one track out of the 3 wavesforms. Your cam shot of the sample is what we are trying to do. Regarding the second shot we see the yellow vertical line with the second waveform moved from its position up the top timeline and missing from the second wavefom. Exactly how do we make that happen with our situation. Is it a matter of cut and past or some other function we cannot locate.. If you can get help us get the second and third waveforms to join the first one on the timeline, we will have done what we need to do on a weekly basis to get a file (mp3) ready to post to our webserver, Thanks so much for your patience and help.
hhba

[Edgar]

Since I have no idea what you are trying to join, I will give you one (of a few) methods of joining 3 audio files. In this example I will join testMP3.mp3 testM4a.m4a and another file.

1) start Audacity
2) select menu item File > New
3) select menu item File > New again

you will now have three empty Audacity Projects (see top half of picture at bottom)

4) in one of these empty Projects select menu item File > Import > Audio (see bottom half of picture)
you will get the Import file requester--use it to import one of your desired audio files (in my case testMP3.mp3)

5) in one of the other empty Projects select menu item File > Import > Audio
you will get the Import file requester--use it to import one of your other audio files (in my case testM4A.m4a)

6) in the last empty Projects select menu item File > Import > Audio
you will get the Import file requester--use it to import your other audio file

7) in the Project with end audio select menu item Edit > Select > All
8) in the same Project with end audio select menu item Edit > Copy

9) in the Project with sermon audio select menu item Transport> Skip to End
10) in the same Project with sermon audio select menu item Edit > Paste

11) in the Project with sermon (now has both sermon & end) audio select menu item Edit > Select > All
12) in the Project with sermon audio select menu item Edit > Copy

13) in the Project with intro audio select menu item Transport> Skip to End
14) in the Project with intro audio select menu item Edit > Paste

15) in the Project with intro (now has all 3) audio select menu item File > Export
you will get the Export file requester--use it to export in your desired format--make sure to click the Options... button before clicking the Save button so that you may select your desired compression level.

(Feel free to substitute keyboard shortcuts where I have presented menu selections--it will make things faster!)

There are other methods but I think this is probably the easiest to understand and foll step-by-step! I you have all your tracks in a single project like in the example Bill shows you will need to learn about clips and timeshifting, not hard, but not necessary since your audio is in separate files.

[billw58]

Are you sure you are using Audacity 1.3.13? Audacity 1.2.x has the time shift tool but does not allow shifting clips between tracks.

Please read these links:

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Auda ... _and_Clips specifically the section on "Time Shifting Clips".

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Audacity_Projects explains the difference between an Audacity project and an audio file such as WAV or MP3.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/File_Menu specifically the sections on the "Open" and "Import > Audio" commands.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Tools_Toolbar

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Transport_Toolbar

Regarding the second shot we see the yellow vertical line with the second waveform moved from its position up the top timeline and missing from the second wavefom. Exactly how do we make that happen with our situation.

Make sure you are using Audacity 1.3.13. If not, download and install it.

Click the Skip to Start button in the Transport toolbar. Select the Time Shift Tool. Click in the waveform in the second track and drag it up into the first track. You will have to drag it right so that it will fit. When the left edge of the second waveform (now in the first track) exactly aligns with the first clip in the first track the yellow snap line will appear.

-- Bill