No-Waveform View

[chris319]

How about an alternate view which would potentially be useful when recording?

This alternate view would eliminate the drawing of the audio waveform. The waveform would be replaced with level meters. By eliminating the waveform, more screen real estate would be available for horizontally elongated meters, and would be useful when recording multiple tracks (displayed vertically). Eliminating the drawing of the waveform would unburden the CPU somewhat if the user deems a waveform view unnecessary, preferring to see meters only.

The View menu would have an item added called "Waveform" with a check mark beside it to indicate whether the waveform is to be drawn or not (meters only). The default would be the existing view with waveforms.

Here is an example of what I am talking about in Boom Recorder: http://www.vosgames.nl/products/BoomRecorder/

While we're looking at Boom Recorder, I like the way it color codes the meters. There is a positive indication when levels have exceeded a predetermined value, say -18 or -20 dBFS.

There are many improvements I would like to see in Audacity's metering, especially if this alternate no-waveform view is adopted, but that's a different topic.

[kozikowski]

I don't particularly like the default meters either, but they can be changed. Grab the right edge and pull larger...

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/Audacity ... andard.jpg

They can be undocked and made even larger...

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/AudacityPanelFull.jpg

The waveform graphic is also on a rubber band and can change size.

Audacity has only limited support for multi-channel, so I don't know what would happen if you did connect a multi-channel audio source. It doesn't happen very often.

Are you after meters that are green from here to here, yellow from here to here and then red? That might interfere with the two-tone green which generally indicates the peak and RMS values and the red overload flasher.

Koz

[chris319]

Those things change the size of the meters/waveform.

I would like to have the CPU's load lightened by not drawing the waveform if the user doesn't need it (CPU cycles aren't free ).

I'm starting another thread on meters.

[steve]

I would like to have the CPU's load lightened by not drawing the waveform if the user doesn't need it (CPU cycles aren't free ).

The CPU load for drawing a few seconds of waveform is very small (should be insignificant unless the computer is seriously underpowered for the job). Drawing can be limited to the first few seconds by disabling "Update display while playing" in "Edit > Preferences > Tracks" (and ensure that you are zoomed in to show no more than a few seconds).

CPU load can be reduced further by disabling "Overdub" (if not required) in the Transport menu.

If "Overdub" is needed, then CPU load can minimised by ensuring that all tracks have the same sample rate as the "Project Rate". The sample rate for each track is shown in the track information panel on the left end of each audio track. The Project Rate is set and shown in the bottom left corner of the main Audacity window.

[chris319]

by disabling "Update display while playing" in "Edit > Preferences > Tracks"

Would that be in effect during recording?

CPU load can be reduced further by disabling "Overdub" (if not required) in the Transport menu.

During recording?

If "Overdub" is needed, then CPU load can minimised by ensuring that all tracks have the same sample rate as the "Project Rate". The sample rate for each track is shown in the track information panel on the left end of each audio track.

I'm talking about straight recording. Why draw an audio waveform if the user doesn't want or need it?

Are you absolutely certain that drawing the waveform is done at a lower priority than everything directly related to audio recording? Metering and waveform drawing should be done at normal priority regardless of the level of CPU-cycle consumption. Audio functions should be done at a much higher priority.

[steve]

Would that be in effect during recording?

Did you try it?

CPU load can be reduced further by disabling "Overdub" (if not required) in the Transport menu.

During recording?

If there is more than one audio track, yes.
If you're running into CPU load problems with a single track recording then you really need a faster machine - even an antique Pentium II computer should manage several tracks without CPU load issues.

Why draw an audio waveform if the user doesn't want or need it?

Because Audacity is a multi-track audio editor. To edit audio there needs to be a representation of the audio that is being edited. If you don't want to edit audio then there is no need to use Audacity. You could even use a command line recorder with no GUI at all (such as SoX http://sox.sourceforge.net/)

If you are interested in the detailed inner workings of Audacity, the source code is available here: https://code.google.com/p/audacity/source/checkout