Can't Use Effects on MP3's

[Cerebreal]

Below are two versions of my problem, the bold words are the simple version, all other s are a difficult version ( for bored people ), enjoy and help!

I can't use any effects on my mp3 files, not one of them, heres the list if you're just bored: amplify, bass boost, change pitch, change speed, change tempo, click removal, compressor , echo, equalization, fade in, fade out, FFT Filter, Invert, Voice Removal, Normalize, Nyquist Prompt, Phaser, Repeat, Reverse, Wahwah, Cross Fade In, Cross Fade Out, Delay, GVerb, Hard Limiter, High Pass Filter, Low Pass Filter, SC4, Tremolo, Time-Shift Tool, Envelope Tool, Multi-Tool, Draw Tool and some other stuff. WTF PLZ HELP

[kozikowski]

Just to cover the bases, you can't apply affects to anything unless you select some of the track first. You are doing that, right?

Koz

[kozikowski]

OK. Mine worked. Eagerly awaiting your reply.

Koz

[jmcnabb]

My first effort to use Audacity; my first visit to this forum. And I share this problem.

I have an audio file loaded and have selected a portion. I want to slow the tempo down considerably to help learn the fingering. When I pull down the "Menu" file everything is greyed out.

I downloaded the user documentation -- got a zip file with a bunch of HTML pages, but no framework within which to run it as a program.

How do I break into this so I can learn how to use it?

Many thanks for any help anyone can provide.

[alatham]

In order to use effects in Audacity, you must first select some audio to apply the effect to. Use the selection tool (it's the default tool you use when opening Audacity, the mouse cursor looks like an uppercase 'i') and click and drag with that to highlight some audio. Then the effects should work.

Alternately, you can select an entire track by clicking on the information box to the left of the track. Clicking directly on the words "44100 Hz" will work just fine (that number will change to reflect the sample rate of the track, it's not universal).

Documentation can be found here:
http://audacityteam.org/help/documentation

And the wiki here:
http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

There are also many tutorial videos on YouTube, but I haven't watched any so I can't comment on quality. Here's one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jlgFvxT ... ed&search=

[Cerebreal]

THANK YOU PEOPLE! YOUR REWARD WILL BE GREAT IN HEAVEN, MEANWHILE I SAY THANK YOU

[alatham]

You're perfectly welcome. I'm an Atheist, but thanks for the blessing all the same.

[kozikowski]

To recap, you said that you selected some audio and the tools were all gray. Latham told you that you had to select some audio for the tools to work. You said everything was fine now.

That's a Burns and Allen moment, isn't it?

Can you spread a little more information as to what actually happened there besides easily winning the non sequitur of the week award?

Koz