I’m not using projects. I’m using audio files. And I’d like to edit them. Of course changes must be saved again. So what I’m looking for is a simple Save File function like every application that can import files has one. When I opened a .wav file, I want it to overwrite that file with what I have changed. No questions asked, all defaults as in the original file. Directory, file name, sample rate, format, everything. It’s that simple. All the information is already there, but with the current user interface, saving changes to a single audio file is the most complicated task. It begins with that I need to manually select the correct format, directory etc. Nothing has a reasonable default, everything is like it was for the last file I saved (which has nothing to do at all with the current file, really).
Would it be possible to add such a simple Save File menu command?
PS: My base line is Cool Edit Pro 1.2, back from when Windows 98 was new. That’s the easiest to use audio editor with advanced features I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately it’s starting to fail with newer Windows 10, and what Adobe has made of it the years after isn’t worth mentioning.
Not really, because Audacity does not operate directly on audio files. Like most other multi-track audio editors, Audacity “imports” and “exports” audio into and out from its native “project” format. You never really “open” an audio file in Audacity, you open a “project” and import the audio data into it from the audio file.
More info about Audacity projects here: Managing Audacity Projects - Audacity Manual
I guess that there “could” be an option to export in the same format as the last file that was imported, but I immediately see several problems with that:
What if the project contains audio from two or more files that are different formats?
What if the audio was imported from a video file? (Audacity does not support video)
What if the audio was imported from an MP3 and you don’t have LAME installed? (Audacity natively supports importing from MP3, but requires LAME to export MP3).
CoolEdit Pro 2.1 was awesome in its day, though now rather dated (obsolete)
Not really means “The developers do not think of Audacity as a WAV file editor”, and although users wish that it was one, Audacity has decided that when you say “Open this file”, it will “Import it” and then forget where it imported it from.
Yes, the software COULD do this if the DEVELOPER wanted it done.
But that’s not the MENTAL MODEL that the developers operate with.
As it says on the front page of the website, Audacity is primarily a “multi-track audio editor and recorder”.
You missed out the word “some”.
“and although some users wish …”
I drive a rather boring old saloon car, although sometimes “I wish it was” an open top sports car.
I drive an open top sports car, although sometimes “I wish it was” a bit more practical around town and more economical on long journeys.
Audacity is extremely versatile and can be (and is) used for all manner of things, including file format conversion, audio file editing, signal processing, scientific research, and of course, multi-track audio recording and editing.
I have checked the code out, and I see no reason why Audacity must forget all audio metadata, including file names, folder names, file formats, and the details of the encoding types that the imported file had when opened (96 khz, 24 bit float, or whatever). This amnesia is a sad thing, as it makes some workflows very tedious indeed.
I will see if I can contribute to the dev effort to make audacity also be a decent IN PLACE FILE OPEN AND SAVE .wav editor.
