User:PeterSampson/Sand-Box

My experimentation page

Sand-Box for when I have to make tricksy edits.

Audacity's ability to select a precise part of a sound for editing makes it a very powerful editing tool. The selection is usually made by mouse but visually impaired users can instead fully manipulate the selection using the keyboard, while a very precise selection can be made by using Selection Toolbar.

Special characteristics of audio selection

In some ways selecting and changing audio is like selecting and changing text in a word processing program. Just as you might select then remove text or make it bold, one length of audio can be selected then deleted or moved, while another selection could have an effect applied to it to louden or otherwise change its sound.

Audacity selections can also be more complex than word processor selections because the audio selection includes both a set of selected tracks and a range of time within those selected tracks. You can thus select multiple tracks so that changes apply to all of them, but you could instead select individual tracks, changing each track in a different way. In either case, you may or may not want the changes to apply to the whole time range of the tracks.

Gale's attempt at a more digestible intro without note.

Most Audacity operations involve selecting a time range of audio in one or more tracks, then deleting or moving the selection or applying an effect to it which changes its sound. The selection can be made by mouse or can be manipulated using only the keyboard. Selection Toolbar enables selection of an exact time range accurate to various units of time.

You have the flexibility to select entire multiple tracks (or only a time range within those tracks). This makes your change affect the entirety of those selected tracks (or only the selected range within them). Alternatively you could select all or part of an individual track, and then change each track in a different way.

Alternative shorter second para:

You have the flexibility to select entire multiple tracks (or only a time range within those tracks). This makes your change affect the entire (or selected) range in all those selected tracks. Alternatively you could select all or part of an individual track, and then change each track in a different way.