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

[TheBanjo]

I haven’t come across that… yet. Hope I don’t, because reverting to 3.3.3 isn’t an option for me — the new Sonoma OS on my Mac messed that one up as well.

The old 3.3.3 is still available for download and installation if you need it. Not sure why you say it's not an option for you, in that case. You can have multiple versions installed simultaneously. I installed 3.3.3 on Sonoma just a few days ago. Subsequently removed it when I found it didn't fix my particular problem, but I could definitely install it (and use it).

[Winnifred]

The old 3.3.3 is still available for download and installation if you need it. Not sure why you say it's not an option for you, in that case. You can have multiple versions installed simultaneously. I installed 3.3.3 on Sonoma just a few days ago. Subsequently removed it when I found it didn't fix my particular problem, but I could definitely install it (and use it).

.

Sorry, I wasn’t very clear, was I?

I can download it, but I find using it difficult. Under Sonoma, it crashes every time I open it, saves a backup file of nothing, and asks me twice if I want to keep it. And my mouse doesn’t function properly; I can’t see what I’ve selected and it’s jerky. After a few weeks of enduring that, I decided I’d just have to put up with what 3.4.1 can throw at me. So far, it’s still better than 3.3.3.

Cheers,

[NicoleJLeBoeuf]

You can have multiple versions installed simultaneously.

OK, now, that I did not know! I guess one just specifies a different install location for each version? No problems with, say, conflicting Windows Registry keys or whatnot?

Specific to the paste clips bug that appears to be expressing itself when applying effects: One way I avoided the bug was by running effects on the newly recorded correction clip only after pasting it back into the main track over the selection it was replacing. That, for some reason, did not result in my clip getting pushed around or truncated, like it had when I applied effects to the clip in its separate track.

[TheBanjo]

You can have multiple versions installed simultaneously.

OK, now, that I did not know! I guess one just specifies a different install location for each version? No problems with, say, conflicting Windows Registry keys or whatnot?

Sorry. I wasn't thinking of whatever issues might arise on Windows. On a Mac it's very straightforward. Have no knowledge of what might be the situation with Windows.

[NicoleJLeBoeuf]

You can have multiple versions installed simultaneously.

OK, now, that I did not know! I guess one just specifies a different install location for each version? No problems with, say, conflicting Windows Registry keys or whatnot?

Sorry. I wasn't thinking of whatever issues might arise on Windows. On a Mac it's very straightforward. Have no knowledge of what might be the situation with Windows.

Fair enough! I may try it myself and report back.

[TheBanjo]

The problem where versions of Audacity 3 are unable to save a project file safely (without prject corruption) to a folder on a Mac that is replicated to iCloud Drive (ie, to the Documents or Desktop folder, or to any subfolders of those) appears to have been resolved with the release of the latest version of Sonoma (14.1.1).

[pmessina]

I continue to have problems with gaps in the recordings; that is sections separate. I am not doing anything to create these gaps. If I connect one gap, another pops up elsewhere in the recording. I did highlight the entire recording and did control j. That worked, but the recording is left with long silent spaces that must be deleted. This is the recording equivalent of whack a mole.

Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

Thanks.

Paula

[bountonw]

They made a patch. Does the problem persists with the new patch?

[Winnifred]

I continue to have problems with gaps in the recordings; that is sections separate. I am not doing anything to create these gaps. If I connect one gap, another pops up elsewhere in the recording. I did highlight the entire recording and did control j. That worked, but the recording is left with long silent spaces that must be deleted. This is the recording equivalent of whack a mole.

Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

Thanks.

Paula

The only way to prevent the silent spaces is to go through your whole recording from start to finish, find all the separated sections and align them (move each right hand track over to be flush with the previous one), before you select all and use Ctrl-J. If you don't do that, Audacity assumes that the gaps between sections need to become silences.

The only time I've been getting separate sections is when I insert a re-recording into the track (it automatically splits the tracks when I do that). If I then edit that insert and it gets shorter, that's when the gap appears. I smoosh them together before joining them.

[pmessina]

Dear Brian and Winnifred,

My audacity is up to date. I installed all three recent versions. Perhaps there's a patch I'm unaware of.

As I said, this is like whack-a-mole. When I join two sections, more pop up. The gaps are enormous, making it time consuming to join sections.

Paula

[pmessina]

I reinstalled Audacity. I'll see what happens.

[barbara2]

Dear Brian and Winnifred,

My audacity is up to date. I installed all three recent versions. Perhaps there's a patch I'm unaware of.

As I said, this is like whack-a-mole. When I join two sections, more pop up. The gaps are enormous, making it time consuming to join sections.

Paula

Hi Paula, I had a similar problem with the Linux version. I fixed it by making sure that under:

Preferences
Tracks
Track Behaviors

the following option was ticked - "Editing a clip can move other clips".

Best,

Barbara

[pmessina]

Thank you, Barbara. Between downloading Audacity again and your suggestion, I think the problem is solved. Fingers crossed.

Paula

[NicoleJLeBoeuf]

They made a patch. Does the problem persists with the new patch?

Apparently not! I have upgraded to 3.4.2, and made a test recording in which I 1. recorded about 10 seconds of nothing much, 2. placed the cursor midway through and recorded to a new track, 3. applied De-Clicker to a piece of the new track. The track did not jump or split or anything. Hooray!

Obviously, that was just a test. I'll keep an eye on it as I go about my "real" work. But I'm hopeful!

[emmacharliebrowning]

https://i.postimg.cc/05ZB69wJ/Screenshot-2023-12-12-at-11-27-06.png

THe audio sections on the audacity update are quite useful but they seem to separate out (leaving gaps) and when I moved them next to each other the speeds had changed... I am not even sure what it means by speed and if that affects the recording once converted to MP3?

Thanks