Can't repeat 1 times on Audacity 2.1.1

[dejavu494]

Hi guys,
Just update to Audacity 2.1.1 today. It throws an error "Validation error: Not in range" when I try to repeat track 1 times (effect. It only allows to repeat greater than 2 times. Can I change it somewhere or it's a bug? Please help, thank you in advance.

[steve]

It's a bug.
I thought that this had been fixed several weeks ago, but apparently not.
The workaround is to copy and paste for a single repeat rather than use the Repeat effect. Ctrl+C to copy, Ctrl+V to paste.

The quickest way to copy and paste in your example is:
1) Ctrl+C
2) Set "Length" in the Selection toolbar (at bottom of main window) to 00h 00m 00.000s
3) Ctrl+V

[steve]

This does raise the question, (and since this needs to be fixed I think it's a good time to address this question), should "Number of times to repeat" mean:
a) the number of additional repeats
b) the total number of repeats.

In other words, if you select some audio and set the "Number of times to repeat" to 16, should you end up with 16 x the original or 17 x the original? Previous versions of Audacity have given 17 x the original.

[waxcylinder]

This does raise the question, (and since this needs to be fixed I think it's a good time to address this question), should "Number of times to repeat" mean:
a) the number of additional repeats
b) the total number of repeats.

I think it should be the former "the number of additional repeats" - as basically you are taking the selected audio and making repeats - i.e. original plus repeats. I suspect that the intent may be clearer if the default was set to 1 rather than 10 as it is now.

If it were to be option b) then that text in the dialog should really be changed to something like "Number of instances" rather then the existing "Number of times to repeat" to give more clarity of the intent.

An by the way its always been option a) the number of additional repeats in Audacity - I just tested my vintage 1.2.6 version

But yes there are bugs:

1) in 2.1.0 you can specify zero repeats , this is not trapped with an out of range error message - rather it creates one repeat - this is clearly wrong

2) in 2.1.1 RC2 if you specify either zero or one you get the Validation error: Not in range message. This is correct behavior if the user should ever type zero in there, but wrong when the user specifies 1 repeat.

It is not worth logging the former - but have you already logged the 2.1.1 RC2 bug on Bugzilla Steve? I suspect that this will remain unfixed (and thus release noted) for 2.1.1 now - but for my money it is an irritating bug (even thought there is a simple copy&paste workaround). And note that this is a regression on 2.1.0 where it is possible to make a single repeat.

Peter.

P.S. I can't update the Manual right now as it is in freeze mode while we are in the release process for 2.1.1 until we make the release - but I will try to add some further clarity to the Manual page at least. And maybe, Steve, you could look at clarifying the text in the dialog then too? I had thought that the dialog and the Manual expressed the intent with sufficient clarity - but maybe not given this Forum thread.

[waxcylinder]

OK I see, Steve, that you have already posted this bug and Gale has already replied: http://bugzilla.audacityteam.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1060

I've added my comments too.

Peter.

[steve]

I suspect that the intent may be clearer if the default was set to 1 rather than 10 as it is now.

+1.
Currently it says (as the default):

Number of times to repeat: [ 10 ]

but then when I play it back, it plays 11 times - that is not obvious. I bet that has caught out most users when they use the effect for the first time.

If it just said (as the default):

Number of repeats: [ 1 ]

which then produces "1 repeat" (+ the original), then I think that would be clear and obvious for first time users.

Also,

1. I think it would be worth showing the current selection duration as well as the new duration.
2. The duration time could be in the same format as selected in the Selection toolbar.

Thus the default would be something like:

Number of repeats: [ 1 ]
Current selection duration: 00h 00m 30.000s
New selection length: 00h 01m 00.000s

[waxcylinder]

If it just said (as the default):

Number of repeats: [ 1 ]

which then produces "1 repeat" (+ the original), then I think that would be clear and obvious for first time users.

Yes, it would be much easier to see and count one original plus one repeat when you first try it out - 10 versus 11, not so obvious

Also,

1. I think it would be worth showing the current selection duration as well as the new duration.
2. The duration time could be in the same format as selected in the Selection toolbar.

Thus the default would be something like:

Number of repeats: [ 1 ]
Current selection duration: 00h 00m 30.000s
New selection length: 00h 01m 00.000s

+1 to that too

Peter

[Gale Andrews]

If users are getting confused as has been suggested, then I think only changing to "Number of repeats" and no other changes would if anything be less clear than now.

So I think the text should be "Number of repeats to add" or similar and we don't add the current selection length, OR if we add the current selection length then "Number of repeats" is OK.

I also thought about adding the current selection length, but it might make the effect "look" more complex than necessary.

I agree that a default of "1" repeat makes what will happen clearer.

Gale

[steve]

I also thought about adding the current selection length, but it might make the effect "look" more complex than necessary.

Looks good to me:

fullwindow-Repeat-001.png (14.49 KiB) Viewed 314 times

[Gale Andrews]

I also thought about adding the current selection length, but it might make the effect "look" more complex than necessary.

Looks good to me:

I do like the idea of using the current Selection Toolbar format for the displayed length. If we did that the default format would give us text that looked like:

------------------------------------------------------------
Number of repeats: [ 1 ]

Current selection length: 00 h 00 m 03.367 s
New selection length: 00 h 00 m 06.734 s
--------------------------------------------------------------

I can only vote one way or the other, so I would vote not to add current selection length on the grounds it adds a lot of extra text versus adding "to add".

But I can be outvoted on this one.


Gale