Edit Menu
Undo
This will undo the last editing operation you performed to your project. You can undo as many times as you want, all the way back to when you opened the window. To undo many operations, select History... from the View Menu.
Redo
This will redo any editing operations that were just undone. After you perform a new editing operation, you can no longer redo the operations that were undone.
Cut
Removes the selected audio data and places it on the clipboard. Any audio to the right of the selection is shifted to the left. Only one "thing" can be on the clipboard at a time, but it may contain multiple tracks and clips.
Split Cut
Same as Cut, but none of the audio data to the right of the selection is shifted. This leaves a gap and also splits the existing audio clip into two clips that can be moved independently using the Time Shift Tool.
Copy
Copies the selected audio data to the clipboard without removing it from the project.
Paste
Inserts whatever is on the clipboard at the position of the selection cursor in the project, replacing whatever audio data is currently selected, if any.
When you select Paste and the cursor is inside a clip, the audio gets inserted into the middle of the clip and the following audio is shifted to the right to make room
When you select Paste and the cursor is outside a clip, and there is enough room for the audio on the clipboard, the audio on the clipboard is inserted without any other clips being shifted over
Trim
Removes all audio from the current clip except the selected part. Does not affect other clips in the same track.
Delete
Removes the audio data that is currently selected without copying it to the clipboard.
Split Delete
Removes the selected audio without placing it on the clipboard, but does not shift the following audio. The preceding and following audio are now separate clips that can be moved independently.
Silence Audio
Replaces the selection with silence
Split
Splits the current clip into up to three clips at the selection boundaries. The audio before, within, and after the selection can now all be shifted independently
Join
If you select an area that overlaps one or more clips, they are all joined into one large clip. Regions in-between clips become silence.
Disjoin
In a selection area that includes absolute silences, creates individual non-silent clips between the regions of silence. The silence becomes blank space between the clips.
Duplicate
Creates a new track containing only the current selection as a new clip
Labeled Regions...
A labeled region is a region of audio that is selected by clicking on a label in a linked label track.
The selection shown above was created by clicking in the label name and then pressing the enter key. Note that both the audio track and the label track are selected, and the label name is highlighted. When these conditions are satisfied the Labeled Regions commands will be enabled.
The Labeled Region commands apply the following commands to the current selection area, if that area is denoted by a labeled region.
Cut, Split Cut, Copy
Delete, Split Delete, Silence
Split, Join, Disjoin
"In all cases, the labeled region itself is unaffected. ///not true/// For example, if you used the standard command on a labeled region, the label itself would also be deleted. ///true, as far as it goes, but Labeled Regions > Delete also deletes the label but leaves the selection///"
The former description above was confusing and inaccurate.
Here's what I've learned about the actions of these commands when applied to a labeled region. I think we should include a table like this so users know exactly what these commands do.
| Action | Standard edit command | Labeled Regions command |
|---|---|---|
| Cut | Audio is cut to clipboard, label is deleted, selection does not remain, cursor remains at cut position, twice as much audio removed from track. On subsequent paste, if a label track is included in the selection the system clipboard is pasted to the label track, creating a point label at the cursor position. If the system clipboard contains text, that text is pasted into the label. If the system clipboard contains graphics, an empty label is created. If a label track is NOT included in the selection audio is correctly pasted into the selected audio track. |
Same, but cursor is reset to start of track. Sometimes removes twice as much audio, sometimes not. |
| Split Cut | Audio is cut to clipboard, label is deleted, selections remain in timeline and label track. On subsequent paste, same behaviour as for Cut. |
Audio is cut to clipboard, label remains, spanning the cut section, selections remain in timeline and label track |
| Copy | Audio is copied to clipboard, label is unaffected. On subsequent paste, same behaviour as for Cut. |
Same |
| Delete | Audio and label are deleted, selection does not remain, cursor set to delete point. | Audio and label are deleted, selection remains |
| Split Delete | Audio and label are deleted, selections remain in timeline and label track | Audio is deleted, selection and label remain |
For the four remaining commands - Silence, Split, Join and Detach at Silences - the behaviour is identical for the standard and labeled regions commands.
So, for two commands - Split Cut and Split Delete - the label and selection are retained. For Delete, the selection is retained but the label is deleted - perhaps this is the intended behaviour of the Cut command. For the five remaining commands there is no difference, so why do we have them?
ToDo: Should the Labeled Regions menu really be enabled when the selection cursor is at a label point?
I don't think they should. They should follow the enabling behaviour of the standard edit items, should they not? - Bill
Select All
Selects all of the audio in all of the tracks.
Select None
Deselects all of the audio in all of the tracks.
Select Left at Playback Position
Select this command while Audacity is playing or recording to set the left edge of the selection.
Select Right at Playback Position
Select this command while Audacity is playing or recording to set the right edge of the selection.
Select Track Start to Cursor
Selects a region in the selected track(s) from the start of the track to the cursor position.
Select Cursor to Track End
Selects a region in the selected track(s) from the cursor position to the end of the track.
Find Zero Crossings
Moves the edges of a selection region (or the cursor position) slightly so they are at a rising zero crossing point. This is a point where a line joining the audio samples rises from left to right and crosses the zero horizontal line. Cutting and pasting at a zero crossing helps avoid clicks by matching the height of the waveform at the join. Note: this feature does not necessarily find the nearest zero crossing to the current position. It aims to find the crossing where the average amplitude of samples in the vicinity is lowest.
Move Cursor To Selection Start
Changes the right edge of the selection to equal the left edge.
Move Cursor To Selection End
Changes the left edge of the selection to equal the right edge.
Move Cursor To Track Start
Moves the cursor to the start of the selected track
Move Cursor To Track End
Moves the cursor to the end of the selected track
Region Save
Saves the current selection region and its position on the Timeline. Note this function does not save any actual audio data currently inside the selection boundaries.
Region Restore
Restores the selection region to the project at its saved Timeline position. The restored region is only explicitly placed inside those tracks which are currently selected.
Snap-To...
Turns snapping of the cursor to a grid of time values on or off. When off, your cursor can be positioned on any sample in the audio file. When on, it is restricted to certain points in time, determined by the time format in use. This is useful if your project must follow an external timecode exactly. You can change the current timecode using the Selection Bar.
Play Region...
Lock and unlock the play region in the ruler. See Play Regions in Playing and Recording.
