Selections, Time Shfit Tool, and Label Tracks

[edwinn]

Win7-32 SP1, Audacity 2.1.1

Hi, I love this software because it's PACKED with great features.


Have found the Label Tracks are very good for adding "quotes" or lyrics to some parts of the audio.

However when selecting and cutting an audio segment BEFORE the labels (in time), the labels stay put and no longer match-up. I'd like to select the segment across both L&R channels AND the labels. The work-around is the note the selection time span, and use that exact span to CUT a section out of Labels.

Sorry for being dense, I searched through the HELP, etc but need just a clue, or a hint WHERE in the Help to look.

TIA,

-Ed

[steve]

when selecting and cutting an audio segment BEFORE the labels (in time), the labels stay put and no longer match-up. I'd like to select the segment across both L&R channels AND the labels.

The standard way to do that is to make the selection extend across all of the tracks that you want the edit to affect (in your described case that is the stereo audio track and the label track. The selection will then be deleted from each track as show below:

Selection in audio track and label track

tracks004.png (12.95 KiB) Viewed 671 times

Deletion from audio track and label track

tracks005.png (12.2 KiB) Viewed 671 times

More about "selections" here: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/au ... ction.html

An alternative approach is to use the "Sync-Lock" feature as described here: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/sy ... roups.html

[edwinn]

More about "selections" here: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/au ... ction.html

An alternative approach is to use the "Sync-Lock" feature as described here: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/sy ... roups.html

Got it, thanks. Works great.

The answer is in the section directly ABOVE this link.. http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/au ... .html#menu


-Ed

[edwinn]

So far, so good.

I'm moving along, cutting stammers and "ahh's" etc.

Sometimes it's necessary to INSERT a small 'space' or silences into the audio, but I need to have ALL the Labels to the right of the insertion move accordingly, but having trouble figuring what to select for the source segment, and how to paste into the audio so the LABELS will shift downstream.

Any tips or tricks would be much appreciated.


And do note.. the LABEL track is GREAT, it's used a lot here. Keep on integrating and improving this feature!


-Ed

[steve]

Sometimes it's necessary to INSERT a small 'space' or silences into the audio, but I need to have ALL the Labels to the right of the insertion move accordingly, but having trouble figuring what to select for the source segment, and how to paste into the audio so the LABELS will shift downstream.

Rather than inserting "absolute silence" (which will tend to sound like a black hole in the audio), select part of the recording which has only "room tone" (ambient noise of the room) and copy / paste that into the place where you want the gap. Ideally the "room tone" throughout your recording should be at a very low level (hardly audible at normal listening levels), and constant throughout the recording.

To keep the labels synchronised with the audio track, enable "Sync Lock".
See: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/ed ... .html#link
and: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/sy ... roups.html

[edwinn]

Sometimes it's necessary to INSERT a small 'space' or silences into the audio, but I need to have ALL the Labels to the right of the insertion move accordingly, but having trouble figuring what to select for the source segment, and how to paste into the audio so the LABELS will shift downstream.

To keep the labels synchronized with the audio track, enable "Sync Lock".

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/sy ... roups.html

Thanks, I missed that link.. but went back [to the thread] this morning and see it now. Will need to experiment some.


Edit: It worked! here's a view of inserting 5-sec of silence:

Add Silence - Sync Lock

add_silence_256.png (8.73 KiB) Viewed 618 times

Also discovered last night that LABELS can be added `on the fly´ by doing a Ctrl+B during playback which is great. So now it's easy to add a quote while playing the lecture in real time.. and even drag the end-markers to adjust in real time (I think is the functionality).

-Ed

[waxcylinder]

Ctrl+B marks the current cursor position - you can also use Ctrl+M to mark the current recording/playback position.

WC

[edwinn]

Ctrl+B marks the current cursor position - you can also use Ctrl+M to mark the current recording/playback position.

Good tip, thanks!

The ability to add LABELS `on the fly´ is a BIG feature, which I just discovered. And it works while recording too, not just playback.
Later on, you can go back and tweak/ adjust the handles (label marker pins) but the ability to `mark´ a spot in a lecture in real time is fantastic!!

The ` [ ´ and ` ] ´ keys can be used to place Start and Stop markers and then a Ctrl+B to add comment on the fly!!

1) I'm still having trouble adding SILENCE to an audio/ label track sync pair. The Label track isn't shifting, even though it's sync'd.

2) The FILENAME for the audio track is displayed in YELLOW font in the upper-left part of the track, but there's no yellow filename displayed for the LABEL track.

3) The software should generally know and use the same File Folder when opening or exporting audio and label tracks. Currently these track open/ export functions aren't integrated as well as they are synced.


Please comment.


Not sure if these are bugs, omissions, or my lack of experience/ learning curve with Audacity.

-Ed

[steve]

2) The FILENAME for the audio track is displayed in YELLOW font in the upper-left part of the track, but there's no yellow filename displayed for the LABEL track.

Yes, that feature is only for audio tracks http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/in ... #behaviors

1) I'm still having trouble adding SILENCE to an audio/ label track sync pair. The Label track isn't shifting, even though it's sync'd.

Label tracks create a "track group" with audio tracks above them. A label track above the audio tracks is not part of the same group as the audio tracks below it. Details are here: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/sy ... roups.html

[waxcylinder]

The ability to add LABELS `on the fly´ is a BIG feature, which I just discovered. And it works while recording too, not just playback.
Later on, you can go back and tweak/ adjust the handles (label marker pins) but the ability to `mark´ a spot in a lecture in real time is fantastic!!

Just be careful Ed when you move point labels - just make sure you have grabbed the center white dot - if you grab on of the angled handles you will end up stretching it out to create a range label (these can be useful) - but it's virtually impossible to turn a range label back into a point label.

Note too that range labels can be defined on the fly while recording or playing - just make a selection and press Ctrl+B.

See this page in the manual: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/label_tracks.html

WC