Sync problem with export multiple

[waxcylinder]

I know that Audacity is a big team, and decisions are not easy to take...

Actually you'd be surprised how small the team is - a few developers, a few documenters and a few QA folk (some have double roles and all are part-time volunteers).

However - decsions are still not easy to take and can take quite a while to talk through

But having said that, you are working hard and well to convince (at least some of the team) of a possible need for a change re. this topic.

WC

[steve]

I know that Audacity is a big team

If you include the worldwide user base then yes it's huge - many millions.

In my opinion, a track shifted because of latency should be automaticaly converted to a regular track (that means without the symbol '<-' ) as soon as it is recorded. But I suppose it causes more problems than it solves.

Is there any reason why audio before time = zero needs to be included in Export Multiple? Wouldn't it be easier to "always" exclude audio from behind zero from Export Multiple?

Thinking about this more I've changed my mind a bit.
In my work-flow for overdub recording I check that the latency correction is set up accurately for the hardware and sample rate that I'm using before I start recording. This may not be everyone's work-flow.
If a user is recording in Audacity with the intention of exporting all tracks and mixing on a real-time DAW then they may not bother to set up latency correction accurately, with the intention of doing that manually in the real-time DAW. In such a case they will probably want to export the entire track including any "before zero" audio.
I therefore think that including (or not) before zero audio needs to be an option that is available in the Export Multiple dialogue.

[steve]

When a software doesn't do what you you want it to do, there are two kinds of reactions: You complain on a forum or a hotline if it's a professional stuff... Or you switch to another software.

A third kind of reaction - accept the "problem" as "just the way that Audacity works", find a workaround and get on with the job without reporting the issue. I've certainly done this.

[pfeuh]

A third kind of reaction - accept the "problem" as "just the way that Audacity works"

Yes, of course.

find a workaround and get on with the job without reporting the issue. I've certainly done this.

But it's a long and dangerous workaround:

1: Save the current project.

2:
Ctrl+A
J
Shift+K
Ctrl+T

3:
Center all pans, set the volumes to 0db.

4:
Delete muted tracks.

5:
Export multiple

6:
Close the project withut saving.

Aren't computers done to simplify our lives?

Regards,

Pfeuh

[steve]

But it's a long and dangerous workaround:
....

The other approach (which I often use) is to export each track in WAV format immediately after recording it using Export Selection. This also serves as a backup.
At this stage the pan is centre and gain is 0. Then I only have the relatively minor inconvenience that I will need to manually adjust for latency in the other DAW.

[pfeuh]

In such a case they will probably want to export the entire track including any "before zero" audio.

I'm not sure to understand because I'm not native english speaker. You mean if somebody create a track begining at the middle of the project instead of time 0.0, exportation should fill with zeros before? It seems logical. Perhaps a list of tracks with checkers? An other way could be to put a special offset information chunk in the wave, invisible for all but recognized by Audacity and save it like it is. I've noticed that Audacity already adds it's own chunk.

Anyway, the workaround is enough for me, I will continue to use Audacity, I think it's simply the best application to record and edit audio, the most intuitive... But it's in human nature, always asking for more!

Regards,

Pfeuh

[pfeuh]

The other approach (which I often use) is to export each track in WAV format immediately after recording it using Export Selection.

It is not possible for me, I work alone and want to stay concentrated on music. I generally just use 'record', 'play' and 'Ctrl-Z' during recording sessions. I record/delete tracks until i feel that the interpretation is good enough. Then, I do a 'save project' and I concentrate myself on the next track. At the end of the session, I clean all the tracks, there are always unwanted noises, breathes and so on. After, I generally do an 'export multiple' to mix on something else.

Regards,

Pfeuh

[steve]

Anyway, the workaround is enough for me, I will continue to use Audacity, I think it's simply the best application to record and edit audio, the most intuitive... But it's in human nature, always asking for more!

Indeed

An other way could be to put a special offset information chunk in the wave, invisible for all but recognized by Audacity and save it like it is.

You could label the track and export the label track.
If you are then going to import the track into a new Audacity project, you can then import both the audio track and the label track, then align the audio track with the label track (see: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/tr ... html#align )

[Gale Andrews]

Please recheck by double-clicking the click track then the recorded track and comparing the length in Selection Toolbar at the bottom.

The len of the click track is 4.000sec. I have recheck the recorded track (4.010 seconds).

OK that is normal (the actual recording is slightly longer than the selected area).

The workaround for losing the last note of your overdub recording is easy - either hover over the end of the selected track and drag the selection another 130 ms to right (or whatever distance the latency is), or click underneath the tracks to remove the selection then stop the recording manually.

Usually when you record just the selected area (which happens when Transport > Overdub is "on")

I use Audacity in french,

You do have "Overdub" set to "on" (ticked); "Overdub" is called "Doublage" in French. So if you have a selection made in Audacity and you record with "Overdub" enabled, Audacity records for a fraction more than the length of the selection, then stops.

I have tried to uninstall/reinstall in english, I had failed, it could be another topic

You can change language in the "Interface" Preferences:
http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/fa ... l#language .

In my opinion, a track shifted because of latency should be automaticaly converted to a regular track (that means without the symbol '<-' ) as soon as it is recorded. But I suppose it causes more problems than it solves.

Recordings will always be laid down after playback, so if the recording starts at time zero it must be pushed behind zero in order to synchronise (sync) with the other tracks.

The issue you have correctly identified is that if tracks are synced when some tracks are behind zero and some starting at zero, then to keep all tracks synced, the audio behind zero should not be exported.

• Export does not export audio behind time zero.
• Export Selection exports exactly what is selected, so if you select the audio behind zero by double-clicking the track, the audio behind zero will be exported; if you select from time zero to the end of the track, the audio behind zero is not exported.
• Export Multiple does export behind time zero.
• You cannot configure the behind zero behaviour for Export or Export Multiple.

You mean if somebody create a track begining at the middle of the project instead of time 0.0, exportation should fill with zeros before?

That is another issue again, as I already remarked. As all export methods are now, the white space between zero and the start of the audio will be disregarded. If you want that space preserved in the export, you must select from the start of the recording to time zero and generate silence. There are already eight votes for there to be a global preference for all types of export to export the space before the start of a track as leading silence.

I therefore think that including (or not) before zero audio needs to be an option that is available in the Export Multiple dialogue.

Two votes have already been added to Feature Requests for that. But I'm thinking this is a potential problem with straight export too, so if a global export preference is too "undiscoverable", the standard export dialogue would need the same checkbox (greyed out if exporting the selection).


Gale

[pfeuh]

You can change language in the "Interface" Preferences:
http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/fa ... l#language .

It works fine.

Regards,

Pfeuh