Paste with Matching Length

[Zoomer547]

I'm doing screen recordings in another program and I occasionally cough or screw something up. So I strip the audio track from the recording and then bring it over to edit all that junk out.

I've been copying a dead spot and then pasting it over the mistake to effectively create silence - using my best guess at the proper length of the edit. There must be a better way to do this.

I don't want to go completely silent because there's ambient noise in the background.

Is there a way to 'paste special' in Audacity that will allow me to copy a 'silent' section of audio, highlight a cough (or something) and then paste to match the lenght of audio I'm replacing?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[kozikowski]

Stop using Audacity 1.2. Get Audacity 1.3.12 from here...

http://audacityteam.org/download/

Everything I tell you happens on Audacity 1.3.12.


One way is to use the Envelope Tool.

Open your show on the first track.

Then, Tracks > Add New (What ever it is. Match the first one.)

You can take background noises (Room Tone) from the home track and copy and paste onto the second track. Use the Time Shift Tool (black sideways arrows) to shift the Room Tone left and right until it's right under your belch. Then use the Envelope Tool (white arrows and bent blue line) to suppress the belch and advance the cover track. Those control lines are rubber bands. Grab and push. You can fade or do whatever transition you wish and the home track will stay perfectly in time. Mix and Render and then Export your new show (although I would Save a Project with all the pieces in case you change your mind.)

Remember, Audacity will not Save a sound file. You have to Export

Koz

[Zoomer547]

Awesome. Thank you. I'll give it a shot.

I'm working on almost 30 short instructional videos. This will be a BIG help!

(And I'm using the latest version!)