The all-new "HELP! I have an Audacity problem" thread

Post your questions & get help from friendly LibriVoxers
loon
Posts: 2903
Joined: December 31st, 2016, 9:14 pm
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Post by loon »

SowasVon wrote: August 7th, 2022, 1:53 pm But when you click the little minus in the top left part of the volume bar, that mutes it.
Well, I guess muting the sound is one interpretation of lowering the volume. LOL.
Rich Brown - Minneapolis, MN
Winnifred
Posts: 2410
Joined: February 4th, 2022, 4:50 pm
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Contact:

Post by Winnifred »

SowasVon wrote: August 7th, 2022, 1:53 pm Funny solution to the problem! You got me to check Audacity's shortcuts, to see whether there is one for muting the playback volume (it could happen that one presses it accidentally), but there isn't.
But when you click the little minus in the top left part of the volume bar, that mutes it. Maybe you've accidentally clicked it, who knows!
Anyway, good to hear that you could solve the issue :)
That's exactly what I must have done! I just tested that, and it's much too easy to click it accidentally.

Thanks,
Winnifred

Away from my computer March 30 to April 6.

Readers Wanted:
The Powder of Sympathy by Christopher Morley (humorous short essays on a wide range of topics including literature, Buddha, cars, New York, Oxford, recipes, and a dog named Gissing)
mightyfelix
LibriVox Admin Team
Posts: 11099
Joined: August 7th, 2016, 6:39 pm

Post by mightyfelix »

Winnifred wrote: August 10th, 2022, 11:19 am
SowasVon wrote: August 7th, 2022, 1:53 pm Funny solution to the problem! You got me to check Audacity's shortcuts, to see whether there is one for muting the playback volume (it could happen that one presses it accidentally), but there isn't.
But when you click the little minus in the top left part of the volume bar, that mutes it. Maybe you've accidentally clicked it, who knows!
Anyway, good to hear that you could solve the issue :)
That's exactly what I must have done! I just tested that, and it's much too easy to click it accidentally.

Thanks,
I have hidden that toolbar for that very reason. I clicked it too many times accidentally. To hide it, go to View>Toolbars>Mixer toolbar. It will disappear. Ta-daa!
Winnifred
Posts: 2410
Joined: February 4th, 2022, 4:50 pm
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Contact:

Post by Winnifred »

mightyfelix wrote: August 10th, 2022, 5:13 pm I have hidden that toolbar for that very reason. I clicked it too many times accidentally. To hide it, go to View>Toolbars>Mixer toolbar. It will disappear. Ta-daa!
That's a great tip! I've done it.

Thanks,
Winnifred

Away from my computer March 30 to April 6.

Readers Wanted:
The Powder of Sympathy by Christopher Morley (humorous short essays on a wide range of topics including literature, Buddha, cars, New York, Oxford, recipes, and a dog named Gissing)
7A2c3Ml
Posts: 1110
Joined: March 13th, 2019, 7:52 am

Post by 7A2c3Ml »

I recorded a short story, a little over thirty minutes. I tried going back to it today, to take out some silence at the start, add some at the end. The recording, imported back to Audacity, is in some new, compressed form. Before, it was in what I guess would be called an "expanded" form, in intervals of seconds. What came back is only in minutes, so everything is squashed on top of everything else. How do I go back?
My name is Mark
TriciaG
LibriVox Admin Team
Posts: 60576
Joined: June 15th, 2008, 10:30 pm
Location: Toronto, ON (but Minnesotan to age 32)

Post by TriciaG »

Audacity opens the file zoomed out, so that the whole thing shows in the window. Yes, it does squish it all horizontally. :)

You can click the plus magnifying glass to zoom in, or go to View > Zoom to set the level.

You can also hit Ctrl-2 to go to "normal" view.
Serial novel: The Wandering Jew
Medieval England meets Civil War Americans: Centuries Apart
Humor: My Lady Nicotine
7A2c3Ml
Posts: 1110
Joined: March 13th, 2019, 7:52 am

Post by 7A2c3Ml »

Thanks, that works!
Second problem: How do I fast forward from beginning to end?
My name is Mark
loon
Posts: 2903
Joined: December 31st, 2016, 9:14 pm
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Post by loon »

7A2c3Ml wrote: August 12th, 2022, 10:27 am Thanks, that works!
Second problem: How do I fast forward from beginning to end?
The J and K keys jump you to the very beginning and end respectively. To get to other parts of the recording there is a slider under the waveform display. Just move that left or right and click at the place in the waveform where you want to start playing.
Rich Brown - Minneapolis, MN
7A2c3Ml
Posts: 1110
Joined: March 13th, 2019, 7:52 am

Post by 7A2c3Ml »

Thanks!
My name is Mark
Majorisk23
Posts: 2
Joined: February 23rd, 2022, 8:20 pm

Post by Majorisk23 »

Hello! I have tried everything I can think of (still very amateur) to get my dB's higher than 68 but I just can't get it. Did my best to go through as much of this thread as I could to no avail.

Hardware: Shure MV7 mic
Software: Audacity, Checker, ShurePlus MOTIV

If there's anyone who has Discord who would be willing to help me live this weekend (20-21AUG22) when I'm off work, please let me know!

Also, if this is the wrong thread for this I'm very sorry :-S

Thank you!
7A2c3Ml
Posts: 1110
Joined: March 13th, 2019, 7:52 am

Post by 7A2c3Ml »

How do I reduce the noise level on my entire reading? And how do I raise the volume on my entire reading?
My name is Mark
TriciaG
LibriVox Admin Team
Posts: 60576
Joined: June 15th, 2008, 10:30 pm
Location: Toronto, ON (but Minnesotan to age 32)

Post by TriciaG »

7A2c3Ml wrote: August 18th, 2022, 6:56 am How do I reduce the noise level on my entire reading? And how do I raise the volume on my entire reading?
https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php?title=Noisecleaning_With_Pics

To raise the volume, either move up the microphone slider or amplify.
https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php?title=Amplifying
Serial novel: The Wandering Jew
Medieval England meets Civil War Americans: Centuries Apart
Humor: My Lady Nicotine
7A2c3Ml
Posts: 1110
Joined: March 13th, 2019, 7:52 am

Post by 7A2c3Ml »

I'm trying to "normalize" my reading. You said to hit "Ctrl-2". I've tried that many times, and nothing is happening. Don't I hit "Ctrl" AND "2" at the same time? If I do it the other way, how do I use "zoom in" to normalize the entire track?
My name is Mark
TriciaG
LibriVox Admin Team
Posts: 60576
Joined: June 15th, 2008, 10:30 pm
Location: Toronto, ON (but Minnesotan to age 32)

Post by TriciaG »

Zooming in (Ctrl-2) doesn't normalize the track; it just changes the horizontal scale / view of the wave forms. It's a visual thing only.

To normalize, select the entire track, then go to Effect > Normalize.
Serial novel: The Wandering Jew
Medieval England meets Civil War Americans: Centuries Apart
Humor: My Lady Nicotine
7A2c3Ml
Posts: 1110
Joined: March 13th, 2019, 7:52 am

Post by 7A2c3Ml »

OK, then the question is, how do I "select the entire track"? Right now, when I click Zoom, nothing changes. And when I click "Select all", and then Ctrl 2, or the reverse, it does nothing.
Last edited by 7A2c3Ml on August 18th, 2022, 11:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
My name is Mark
Post Reply