Selections, Time Shfit Tool, and Label Tracks

[steve]

Sorry but I cannot follow what you are describing or see the difference that the end label makes.

What edwinn is describing does work. Let me try more detailed steps.

Without the label:
In a new project, start recording. After about 30 seconds, while still recording, scroll to the right as far as possible. You can scroll so that there is about 1/3rd of the screen with "white space" and no further.

With label:
Open a new project and add a label track.
Add a label at about 2 hours.
"Zoom normal"
Start recording.
After about 30 seconds, scroll to the right - note that you can scroll anywhere within the 2 hour project length.

Another way to achieve the same result is to create a "dummy" audio track with a bit of silence at 2 hours. The key to this "trick" being that the project length is now 2 hours, so scrolling is not limited to "a bit more than the recorded duration". The flexibility to scroll around more freely can sometimes be useful, especially when "Update display while playing" is turned off (http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/timeline.html#menu).

[Gale Andrews]

Thanks, Steve. Yes, I see. I was concentrating on scrolling backwards to a label you were still typing, rather than forwards to what had not yet been recorded.

Once the recording gets past the visible project space, whether "Update display while playing" is on or off, I don't think it's that easy to add long labels while recording. I would find it easier with "Update display" off if I wanted to work at high zoom levels, except I have to type without seeing the label because the first CTRL + M does not move to the new label.


Gale

[edwinn]

Thanks for all the replies on the topic. I'm really EXERCISING the label function to the Max!

The posts/ comments are not meant as critical. I'm delighted with the ability to add Labels.


Another comment on Inadvertent Hotkey Pressing:

Many times, or too often, Audacity will jump modes in the middle of a real-time `add Label operation.´ To remedy, I've temporarily cleared Next Tool and Previous Tool hotkeys in the Preferences section.

That pref-edit, along with the Start/ Stop function pretty much clear the way for aggressive real time label-adding.


-Ed

[Gale Andrews]

Many times, or too often, Audacity will jump modes in the middle of a real-time `add Label operation.´ To remedy, I've temporarily cleared Next Tool and Previous Tool hotkeys in the Preferences section.

I don't accept that. Please provide exact steps to reproduce the problem where typing a and d changes tools when the yellow focus border is in the label track.

If you use UP arrow then the yellow focus border will move into the track and a and d will change tools. That is by design.

Gale

[edwinn]

Many times, or too often, Audacity will jump modes in the middle of a real-time `add Label operation.´ To remedy, I've temporarily cleared Next Tool and Previous Tool hotkeys in the Preferences section.

Please provide exact steps to reproduce the problem where typing a and d changes tools when the yellow focus border is in the label track. If you use UP arrow then the yellow focus border will move into the track and a and d will change tools. That is by design.

Thanks for the reply, exact steps are... furiously typing label track quotes during a live program, and it seems there's inadvertent use, or neglect in hitting arrow keys to shift FOCUS between AUDIO & LABEL tracks due to user workload.

Also please notice.. I've softened the description form "disable a hotkey" to "clear a hotkey" because DISABLE implies for a long time and even permanently, where as CLEAR is the button used in the key-def dialog box.

The problem isn't IMHO a software or program issue, it's a usage issue and I've simply customized the hotkeys in a way that works best for the purpose. The CLEARED hotkeys can easily be reset

-Ed

[edwinn]

Have been installing the alpha updates as they come out via Alpha webpage RSS feed. Suppose that's a bad habit?


There's still an issue adding SILENCE into the AUDIO Track (using Alt+S hotkey) where the LABEL track is not shifting accordingly, with Sync-lock enabled.. and it happens in a COMPLEX situation that I'll try to describe below.

Sometimes when recording real-time, the net drops or I do something stupid to disrupt the browser. Have also tried playing directly from host in VLC media player, but haven't done any recording [like that] yet.


To ADD missing segments, I download the lower quality MP3 file which is mono, open it, select & copy segments, and paste into the MAIN recorded track with the LABEL TRACK OPEN.

This is when the LABEL TRACK does not shift.. when SILENCE is inserted in the AUDIO TRACK above.. with Three window open: Recorded stereo audio, Label Track, and Mono downloaded program track.

* * But it needs to be exercised more to give you a better description.


The work-around is to manually shift every label to the right of the inserted silence.


Here's an EXAMPLE of a 2-hour Recording

Seg-4_Mar-4th.jpg (94.52 KiB) Viewed 332 times

You can see it's in RECORD mode but the program has DROPPED (where the cursor is positioned) and `filler´ material is being streamed.

There are many MORE labels in there.. below the bottom of window. Also notice there's a LABEL at the very end.. to improve scrolling/panning during record process.


-Ed

[Gale Andrews]

Have been installing the alpha updates as them come out via alpha webpage RSS feed. Suppose that's a bad habit?

Testing is always appreciated

Please just remember those are not builds intended for production use. Export and backup is good.

There's still an issue adding SILENCE into the AUDIO Track (using Alt+S hotkey) where the LABEL track is not shifting accordingly, with Sync-lock enabled.. and it happens in a COMPLEX situation that I'll try to describe below.

Sometimes when recording real-time, the net drops or I do something stupid to disrupt the browser. Have also tried playing directly from host in VLC media player, but haven't done any recording [like that] yet.

To ADD missing segments, I download the lower quality MP3 file which is mono, open it, select & copy segments, and paste into the MAIN recorded track with the LABEL TRACK OPEN.

This is when the LABEL TRACK does not shift.. when SILENCE is inserted in the AUDIO TRACK above.. with Three window open: Recorded stereo audio, Label Track, and Mono downloaded program track.

A label track can be selected or not.

A label can be open and selected, only selected, or not open. If a label is open or selected, then the label track will be selected.

If when you insert silence you generate it, this will not shift labels in a sync-locked label track due to http://bugzilla.audacityteam.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1340. If you like you can add that bug's feed to your aggregator so you can see when it is fixed.


Gale

[edwinn]

Another handy tip for Labelers (or Label adders), and I'm not labeling (adding Labels) as frantically as in past months.


Decided to reassign Add Label at Selection hotkeys from Ctrl+B to Ctrl+\ (directly under the Backspace key). Have also reassigned Cut from Ctrl+X to Ctrl+Delete. You see.. the Ctrl key is too close to the Shift key, as if you were going to type an uppercase X or V into a label. Ctrl+M seems to be ok and works fine.

The reason for this was.. the B key was too close to V which does a Paste. That was causing problems due to sloppy typing habits while trying to go fast.


So.. Track Label is an excellent feature which I'm using to point out (as if adding a marker) remarks real time in lectures, and then later Editing labels into Quotes and adjusting the handles.


-Ed