New features in this release
Version 3.0.0 is primarily a release for a unitary, single self-contained, project file.
- Details of all the major changes since 2.4.2 can be found in Audacity Release Notes 3.0.0.
Contents
- Unitary Project
- Enhanced Directories preferences
- Improvements to Macros
- Noise Gate improved
- Multi-view can be set as user-default view
- Preferences settings that affect Edit behavior
- Bug Fixes
Unitary Project
Audacity 3.0.0 introduces the new AUP3 project format. Files saved with this version will have an aup3 extension, for example My-Project.aup3. We hope that this new project format will make life easier for Audacity users, as it replaces the previous project storage format - which used an AUP file and its associated _data folder full of little audio clips - with a single project file that integrates those two parts.
The old structure caused too many users to lose or damage their projects by moving or deleting the project components. The new single project file structure precludes that happening.
AUP projects from previous versions of Audacity can be opened or imported in Audacity 3.0.0 (Audacity converts them to the new unified file format). But once you have saved the project in the new AUP3 format they can then no longer be opened in previous versions of Audacity.
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With the new project structure it is now possible to import a project into another open project. Just as with importing audio files this will add the contents of the imported project to the existing open project. |
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Active projects should not be saved to a FAT/FAT32 formatted drive as FAT is subject to a maximum file size of 4GB which can easily be temporarily exceeded when editing.
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For more details please see Managing Audacity Projects
Project size
Projects with the new unified file structure should not be larger than similar projects with the old multiple files structure.
As you work on a project, Audacity will consume additional temporary disk space. This is normally released on closing the project. This is not new with Unitary Project File, previous versions of Audacity also used to do this.
You can, if you wish, compress your project with or its shortcut Shift +A but note carefully that this will remove your Undo History.
Performance
Extensive speed testing has shown that for most work in Audacity the new project file can be a little faster than the old project structure.
This is especially true of using the Effects and Generators which run faster with the new project file.
You will get a progress dialog informing you about the Compaction progress.
Saving backup copies of the project
There is a new backup command for projects: .
This replaces the two previous commands:
Automatic Recovery
Automatic Recovery (following a crash) is different in Audacity 3.0.0. It is simpler with no orphan block-files or missing block-files to worry about
- When Audacity is launched following a crash it will offer to recover the crashed projects.
- You can choose to either accept the recovery or to discard the projects.
- You can select projects for either action by clicking on their checkbox, or you can select all by clicking on Select.
- You can discard just some and then the recovery dialog will remain open enabling you to select others for recovery.
For more details please see Automatic Crash Recovery
Temporary work files
In addition to the single database project file the database also creates two temporary work files WAL & SHM files. For example My-Project.aup3-wal and My-Project.aup3-shm. On Mac there is only the WAL file.
- Peter 09Sep20: yes Bill, good catch, I forgot about that. And actually it creates more temporary files while it is vacuuming. but I don't think we need to talk about that, do you agree ?
- Bill 09Sep2020: Yes, I agree. Those other temp files come and go very quickly and the user is not likely to see them.
These are deleted on closure of the project or on exit from Audacity.
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Do not delete them or move these temporary files while the project is open as this will destroy the project. Windows blocks you from doing this but macOS and Linux do not. |
Enhanced Directories preferences
Default folder locations have been added enabling you to specify the folders to be used for each of the Audacity actions: Open, Save, Import and Export.
If you set a default folder for any of those actions Audacity will always offer that folder location when you invoke that action.
If a particular action's default folder is left blank (default setting) then Audacity will offer the last-used location for that action.
The default setting is for all to be blank.
See Directories Preferences for more details.
Improvements to Macros
Import and Export of Macros
Import and Export of Macros has been added to the Manage Macros dialog.
Only one Macro can be imported or exported at a time.
Comments in Macros
Comments can now be added to Macros to enable you to document what is happening in the Macro.
There is a new command "Comment" in the Macro command set. Editing its parameters enables you to type the text of your comment.
Noise Gate improved
The Noise Gate effect has been improved for version 3.0.0 of Audacity. It now supports faster Attack times (down to 1ms), and provides separate controls for Attack, Hold and Decay. The effect can also process much longer selections in one pass (up to 13.5 hours at a sample rate of 44100 Hz.)
Multi-view can be set as user-default view
In Tracks preferences you can now set Multi-view as your preferred user-default view for tracks.
Preferences settings that affect Edit behavior
We realized that we had a couple of settings in Tracks Behaviors Preferences that affect the operation of the Cut, Paste, and Delete editing commands in perhaps unexpected ways:
So a new page was added to the Manual to explain these behaviors, please see Preferences settings that affect Edit behavior.
Bug Fixes
There are likely to be some ...
Here is a small selection of some of the most important.
Key P1 bugs fixed
None
Key P2 bugs fixed
None
Links
> Audacity Release Notes 3.0.0 - detailed release notes for this release of Audacity
