Transport Menu

-Bill

• Peter 17Nov09: Checked for spelling/typos/consistency
• Peter 24Nov09: Checked Links

Play

Standard-speed playback. If a region of a track is selected, only that selection will be played. Otherwise, playback begins wherever the selection cursor is. Same as clicking the Play button in the Control Toolbar.

Loop Play

Plays the selection over and over again. Same as holding the SHIFT key while clicking the Play button in the Control Toolbar.

Pause

Temporarily pauses playing or recording without losing your place. Same as clicking the Pause button in the Control Toolbar.

Stop

Stops playing or recording immediately. Same as clicking the Stop button in the Control Toolbar.

Skip to Start

Moves the cursor to the beginning of the project. This is useful if you want to play everything, or record a new track starting from the beginning. Same as clicking the Skip to Start button in the Control Toolbar.

Skip to End

Moves the cursor to the end of the project. Same as clicking the Skip to End button in the Control Toolbar.

Record

Recording begins on a new track at either the current cursor location or at the beginning of the current selection. Same as clicking the Record button in the Control Toolbar.

Timer Record...

Brings up the Timer Record dialog for scheduling when a recording ends and optionally, when it begins. Pressing "OK" starts the process of recording, or waiting for the recording to start.

"Start Date and Time" shows the current live time on opening the dialog, meaning that the recording you schedule will start immediately unless you change this control. You can set the end of the scheduled recording either by specifying this at "End Date and Time", or by choosing the length of the recording at "Duration".

The time controls are interlinked, so that the "Start Date and Time" updates the "End Date and Time", and changing the "End Date and Time" modifies the "Duration" (and vice-versa).

There is no default "Duration". When you open Timer Record next time, Audacity remembers the duration that was used for the previous scheduled recording.

It isn't currently possible to undertake any other activities in Audacity while recordings are running or waiting to start. To work in other computer programs while Timer Record is running, use the Task Switcher utility on your system, usually ALT + TAB.

Append Record

Starts recording at the end of the currently selected track(s). Same as holding down the SHIFT key while clicking the Record button in the Control Toolbar.

Overdub (on/off)

Toggles on and off the Overdub option in the Recording Preferences dialog.

Software Playthrough (on/off)

Toggles on and off the Software Playthrough option in the Recording Preferences dialog. This menu item should be unchecked when recording computer playback because it will create feedback echoes.

Sound Activated Recording (on/off)

Toggles on and off the Sound Activated Recording option in the Recording Preferences dialog.

Sound Activation Level...

Sets the activation level for sound activated recording. See the Recording Preferences dialog for details.