Tools Toolbar

Tools Toolbar allows you to choose various tools for selection, volume adjustment, zooming and time-shifting of audio.

Gale, it's your call on the keyboard shortcuts. I have a mild preference for leaving them all on the reference section. It clutters the page here, and why not mention 'A' as well which is used to cycle between tools. Also its some work to do this consistently across the entire reference section, and in any case is visible in the menu screenshots... so would we do those or not?
It was an idea that crossed my mind for the toolbars only, not for Preferences for the reason you state. Also Tools Toolbar in a way is different as the shortcut accesses the tool itself with which you can then do more (i.e. it's not an end-command in itself). However on reflection, possibly best only to div note on each toolbar different ways of accessing the same function (which we already seem to have been doing), and any way of navigating within the toolbar which is peculiar to that particular one (as "A" is here). Another idea, as we have not yet alt-texted these mini-images for the toolbars, would be to stick the default shortcut there as a "bonus", since we have to have some text there anyway, and this does not clutter the page. - Gale

Selection F1

Click to select a start point for audio playback, or click and drag to select a range of audio to play or edit. You can also create a selection area between two points by clicking at one point, then holding down SHIFT while clicking at the other point.

Envelope F2

Allows smooth volume changes to be made over the length of a track by means of embedded volume "control points". Click in the track to create a control point, then set the volume of that point by dragging one of its four vertically arranged "handles". When you create other control points at different levels, a smooth curve is interpolated between them. Dragging either the top or bottom handle ensures you can never distort the track by dragging outside its original volume envelope. Dragging an inner handle allows you to amplify a quiet piece of audio beyond the original volume envelope of the track.

Draw F3

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When zoomed in to maximum level, lets you adjust the volume level of individual audio samples. It can be used to eliminate narrow clicks and pops in audio by smoothing out the contour of the samples, so that one sample is not at a very different vertical position to its neighbors.

• Click above or below a sample to move it to that point (holding down CTRL while clicking ensures only one sample is affected, even if you click near another sample). Remember, the closer the sample is to the horizontal line through the center of the track, the quieter the sample will be.
• Smooth a group of samples by holding down ALT, which changes the cursor symbol to a brush. Then click halfway along the group to progressively smooth out the samples.

Note: Draw Tool only works when using the default Waveform (dB) view (selectable on the Track Drop-Down Menu).

For very short lengths of audio up to 128 samples long, you can smooth out audio automatically with Repair tool under the Effect Menu

Zoom F4

Clicking once zooms in one step. Shift-click or right-click zooms out one step. If you have a middle button, middle-click zooms in or out to Audacity's default zoom level of about one inch per second. Otherwise, use View > Zoom Normal to do the same thing. You can zoom in without using Zoom Tool by using keyboard shortcuts, or the zoom buttons on the Edit Toolbar.

Time Shift F5

Drags audio tracks or clips left or right along the timeline to change their start time. Can also drag individual tracks or clips up or down into another track. In either case, the area being dragged into must be empty. Mainly used to to synchronize audio in different tracks. See also the automatic Align commands in the Tracks Menu.

Multi F6

Combines all five tools in one. One tool is available at a time, according to the mouse position.