Toolbars Overview

Peter 24Apr11: Checked spelling and grammar - should we have full-stops (periods) at the end of the text lines describing the toolbar functions? . Tested links - all ok. Since the actual information on this page is fairly minimal, but with a lot more detail available by clicking through, would it be worth mentioning the click-ability in the intro note?
Bill 03Jun11: ToDo-2 New image needed of Device toolbar with stereo recording channels as default.

The Toolbars provide quick access to many functions in Audacity. In some cases the functions provided by a toolbar are available only through that toolbar.

Device Toolbar Selects audio host, input device, output device and number of input channels

Edit Toolbar Cut, copy, paste, trim, silence, undo, redo, sync-lock, zoom

Meter Toolbar Displays levels for playback and recording

Mixer Toolbar Controls the mixer settings of the sound card

Selection Toolbar Controls selection points and ranges "by the numbers"

Tools Toolbar Chooses various tools for selection, volume adjustment, zooming and time-shifting of audio

Transcription Toolbar Plays audio at a slower or faster speed than normal, affecting pitch

Transport Toolbar Controls playback and recording

Arranging Toolbars

Toolbars can be located in two areas of the Audacity project window: either above the Timeline, or below the tracks (the Selection Toolbar is in this location by default). Toolbars can be docked at any position in the toolbar areas by dragging on their serrated left edge. When moving a toolbar into a toolbar areas, a blue triangle will appear indicating an available docking position. All position changes are remembered in the next Audacity session. The default toolbar positions can be restored at any time by clicking View > Toolbars > Reset Toolbars.

The images below show the Tools toolbar being docked to the right of the Transport toolbar.

Peter 24Apr11:

• I don't understand the relevance of the two images above - they don't seem to bear any direct relation to the text above them. Am I missing something?
• I'm not sure that your explanantion of moving an re-docking a toolbar within "toolbar locations" (whatever they are technically called) rather than leaving them floating, comes across clearly enough. But I'm at a bit of a loss to reword it any better. Personally I would recommend re-docking over floating as better practice.
• Is it worth mentioning here the best re-size that any user can do, which is to resize the meter toolbar (Mixer Toolbar) to full window width. I note that your example in the above left-hand image has exactly that re-size. Aside: personally I would prefer to see the Mixer toolbar set to that size by default.

Bill 07June11:

• The images show the Tools toolbar being docked beside the Transport toolbar - now noted above the images.
• Explanation rewritten to talk about "toolbar areas" and "docking".
• Different users may have different feelings about "best" size and location for the Meter toolbar, so I'd leave that out.