Recording on top of recording

[tkent]

I use the Audacity 2.0.0 version on MAC. I record using the internal microphone. I believe I downloaded the program from the internet.

I was working with a student and wanted to record the session so I could refer to it later. I opened audacity, began recording, and then clicked on stop while we were discussing other issues. To record again, I simply pressed record. I did this approximately 4 times. When I went back to listen to my session, all the recordings are on top of each other. I can hear all of them by they are simultaneous. Is it possible to separate them? I have spent hours looking through the manual trying to figure it out. Please help!

[kozikowski]

First, if that happens again, you can use "Append Record" to make the existing recording longer. Shift-R.

I think I would Save a Project before you try to do anything else. This will freeze the content so you can go back to the saved project if you break anything.

You can use the Mute and Solo keys to the left of each track to listen to any track or any combination.

Click just above the Mute button on any one track (to select it) and File > Export Selected. This will make divorced audio files.

You can also cut, copy, paste, drag-select, or any production tool to, for one example, copy the contents of track two to the end of track one.

Koz

[tkent]

The problem is that I can't separate the tracks. I can't figure out where the separate tracks are. When I select the file to export, the entire thing is copied again. It doesn't separate. They are literally on top of each other.

[kozikowski]

Make sure the show is open and visible and make a screen capture. Shift Command 3. The machine will produce a picture file on your desktop. Post it here.

http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic ... 49&t=64936

Koz

[tkent]

Screen Shot 2013-05-26 at 3.23.49 PM.png (360.48 KiB) Viewed 818 times

I uploaded the picture of the screen....I wasn't sure how else to do it. It should be attached.

[Gale Andrews]

The problem is that I can't separate the tracks. I can't figure out where the separate tracks are. When I select the file to export, the entire thing is copied again. It doesn't separate. They are literally on top of each other.

As Koz said, use the Mute/Solo buttons to hear one track at a time.

There are several ways to export one track at a time. Mute the tracks you don't want to export, then only the unmuted tracks will export. Or click a track above its Mute / Solo buttons to select it, then File > Export Selection to export only that selected track. Or easiest of all, File > Export Multiple and split files based on tracks. This exports each track as a separate file.

If the tracks are intended to follow on from one another, follow the procedure here to join them end-to-end:
http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/fa ... .html#join .

Or press F5 then drag the tracks to the correct place using your mouse. Drag track 2 to the end of track 1, track 3 to the end of track 2 and so on.

Then you can just export the tracks as one file that will play the recordings in the correct sequence.


Gale

[tkent]

I tried to do what Koz said. I clicked mute and all sound went off. I either hear everything at once or I hear nothing with the mute. I cannot click a track because they are not separate. I click on it and it's the whole thing. I am unable to click on any one track. No matter what I try it's either all or nothing. I'm starting to go crazy. I am trying to do everything that you guys are telling me, but from the very beginning, the problem is that I am unable to drag, click, mute, or do anything to any one single track.

[Gale Andrews]

I tried to do what Koz said. I clicked mute and all sound went off. I either hear everything at once or I hear nothing with the mute.

The Mute or Solo buttons we mean are on each track:

I cannot click a track because they are not separate. I click on it and it's the whole thing. I am unable to click on any one track. No matter what I try it's either all or nothing. I'm starting to go crazy. I am trying to do everything that you guys are telling me, but from the very beginning, the problem is that I am unable to drag, click, mute, or do anything to any one single track.

You said

I opened audacity, began recording, and then clicked on stop while we were discussing other issues. To record again, I simply pressed record. I did this approximately 4 times. When I went back to listen to my session, all the recordings are on top of each other.

If your description is correct then you have four or however many Audacity tracks on top of each other. If you have a small Audacity project window as in your image, you may be only able to see one of those tracks.

If that is the problem, choose View > Fit Vertically to fit all the tracks in the vertical space. You can also hold CTRL and SHIFT on your keyboard then press F to do the same thing. However the tracks may then be sufficiently less tall that they don't show the Mute / Solo buttons unless you drag down on the line separating each track.

Alternatively you can leave the tracks at their current height then drag the vertical scrollbar on the right of the project window, or use UP arrow or DOWN arrow on your keyboard to navigate the tracks.


Gale