Re: [Audacity-devel] Macros - make stereo track

[Steve F. <ste...@gm...>]

That's right.

There's no way that Audacity can know which tracks are mono and which are
stereo, as that depends on what the user plugs into their audio interface.
If only one channel is being recorded, then obviously it must be mono.
If two channels are being recorded, then it's a reasonable guess (is
usually the case) that it should be stereo.

Previously Audacity guessed that the first two tracks should be a stereo
pair, but that's not a reasonable guess as it is rarely the case. As of
Audacity 2.4.2, if more than 2 channels are being recorded, then Audacity
treats all channels as mono.

If you know in advance that, for example, your channels will be:
1 mono
2 mono
3 & 4 stereo
5 mono

Then you could create a project with empty tracks of those kinds,  then
record into those empty tracks.

Steve

On Mon, 5 Oct 2020 at 19:52, John Colket <jc...@gm...> wrote:

> Thanks again, Steve.  So I wouldn't need the  "Split Stereo Track To Mono"
> option then.  However, I could still use the  "Make Stereo Track" to
> format tracks 17&18 properly.  Also, a few other tracks in the mix are
> frequently stereo.  Thanks again.
>
> - John
>
> On Mon, Oct 5, 2020 at 8:46 AM Steve Fiddle <ste...@gm...>
> wrote:
>
>> In Audacity 2.4.2, multi-channel recordings (more than 2 channels) are
>> recorded as multiple mono tracks.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>> On Mon, 5 Oct 2020 at 13:44, John Colket <jc...@gm...> wrote:
>>
>>> Steve,
>>>
>>>    Thank you for your speedy response.  I haven't yet compiled 2.4.2
>>> w/ASIO, which I will have to do.  I assume when you say "That", you are
>>> referring to the stereo assumption that audacity was making?  Will 2.4.2
>>> also make make tracks 17 & 18 stereo for me or will I still have to do a  "Make
>>> Stereo Track" ?
>>>
>>>  - John
>>>
>>> On Sun, Oct 4, 2020 at 2:23 PM Steve Fiddle <ste...@gm...>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, 4 Oct 2020 at 13:11, John Colket <jc...@gm...> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi, Steve.  I just ran into this "Make Stereo Track" and "Split Stereo
>>>>> Track To Mono" Issue.  I have recorded 18 channels from an XR18 via
>>>>> Audacity ASIO.  Now, for some reason, Audacity assumes the first two tracks
>>>>> are a stereo pair, which is not my case, because the first two channels on
>>>>> the XR18 are high impedance and I don't want them to be stereo inputs.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> That won't happen when you update to the current Audacity 2.4.2.
>>>> Audacity 2.4.2 for Windows is available via the Audacity website:
>>>> https://www.audacityteam.org/download/windows/
>>>>
>>>> Steve
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Conversely, the last two channels are in fact the stereo Left and
>>>>> Right outputs, but Audacity treats them as mono tracks.  I am able to
>>>>> create a macro using "Select Tracks" and "Set Track" and am able to Name
>>>>> each track according to my current assignments, In fact, "Set Track" allows
>>>>> a whole host of options including Mute, Solo, Gain, and Pan, and display
>>>>> options, but not the Make Tracks Stereo, or Split Stereo Tracks that I
>>>>> need.  Any thoughts?
>>>>>
>>>>> On Thu, Oct 1, 2020 at 6:58 PM <pan...@gm...> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> “make stereo track” ignores the pan
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> *From:* Steve Fiddle <ste...@gm...>
>>>>>> *Sent:* Thursday, 1 October 2020 8:33 PM
>>>>>> *To:* Audacity-Devel list <aud...@li...>
>>>>>> *Subject:* Re: [Audacity-devel] Macros - make stereo track
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I see your point, but it's not arbitrary. "Mix and Render" is a
>>>>>> normal menu command that operates on all selected track. "Make Stereo
>>>>>> Track" is not a main menu command, it's a command in the track context menu
>>>>>> and is specific to the track that the menu belongs to, irrespective of
>>>>>> which tracks are selected.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I guess it would be possible to add the "Make Stereo Track" an option
>>>>>> in the "SetTrack" command, but given that tracks are mixed automatically on
>>>>>> export, is there a compelling case for why it is needed?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Steve
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Wed, 30 Sep 2020 at 23:58, Mike Pannekoek <pan...@gm...>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I want to make this clear, I’m not asking for help, it just seems
>>>>>> arbitrary that downmix to mono is in macros, but create stereo track is not.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Michael Pannekoek
>>>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>>>
>>>>>> *From:* Steve Fiddle <ste...@gm...>
>>>>>> *Sent:* Wednesday, September 30, 2020 10:55:05 PM
>>>>>> *To:* Audacity-Devel list <aud...@li...>
>>>>>> *Subject:* Re: [Audacity-devel] Macros - make stereo track
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> To iterate through multiple tracks you would need to use a proper
>>>>>> programming  language, such as Nyquist or Python. Macros are just simple
>>>>>> lists of commands, but you would need to do something like (in pseudo code):
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> FOR i ==  0 TO LastTrack:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>    MakeStereo(Track[i], Track[i + 1])
>>>>>>
>>>>>>    i += 2
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> There are no plans to make Macros more complicated than a list of
>>>>>> commands. Users that need more complex programming structures (such as
>>>>>> iteration and/or conditionals) can use the Nyquist programming language
>>>>>> that is built into Audacity, or another language external to Audacity via
>>>>>> mod-script-pipe.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Note also that in most cases it would not be necessary to mix the
>>>>>> tracks, as the tracks will be mixed automatically on export.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If you need to do something like this and need help, I'll be happy to
>>>>>> help you on the forum.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Steve
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Wed, 30 Sep 2020 at 11:31, <pan...@gm...> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The reason I asked is that it seemed to be a missing script in the
>>>>>> macros, not that I wanted to get help. Besides, the way I wanted to use it
>>>>>> involved applying it to multiple tracks one after the other, but this
>>>>>> appears to only work with the first two tracks
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> *From:* Steve Fiddle <ste...@gm...>
>>>>>> *Sent:* Wednesday, 30 September 2020 8:05 PM
>>>>>> *To:* Audacity-Devel list <aud...@li...>
>>>>>> *Subject:* Re: [Audacity-devel] Macros - make stereo track
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In which case you could do something like:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> SelectTracks:Mode="Set" Track="0" TrackCount="1"
>>>>>> PanLeft:
>>>>>> SelectTracks:Mode="Set" Track="1" TrackCount="1"
>>>>>> PanRight:
>>>>>> SelectAll:
>>>>>> MixAndRender:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> but please note that this is not a support address. If you have
>>>>>> further questions, please ask on the Audacity Help forum.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Steve
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Wed, 30 Sep 2020 at 10:25, <pan...@gm...> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So far I’ve been using it to make two tracks into a stereo track
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> *From:* Steve Fiddle <ste...@gm...>
>>>>>> *Sent:* Wednesday, 30 September 2020 7:23 PM
>>>>>> *To:* Audacity-Devel list <aud...@li...>
>>>>>> *Subject:* Re: [Audacity-devel] Macros - make stereo track
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If you have a project containing one mono track, and you want to make
>>>>>> it into a 2 channel ("stereo") track, then you can do something like:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> SelectAll:
>>>>>> Copy:
>>>>>> RemoveTracks:
>>>>>> NewStereoTrack:
>>>>>> Paste:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If you need more help, come and talk to us on the help forum:
>>>>>> https://forum.audacityteam.org/viewforum.php?f=69
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Steve
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Wed, 30 Sep 2020 at 09:39, <pan...@gm...> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Can this be done?
>>>>>>
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