Fades feature in Audacity

Fades feature: Audacity is a platform that provides you with various services and features. It is a one-stop solution to all your recording needs. Along with this, Audacity provides a number of effects that can help you in enhancing your audios and recordings. One of the very useful effects is Fades.

Fades feature is used to provide different transitions to your audio, or any particular part of your audio. There are basically four types of fade effects in Audacity. Specifically, they are Linear Fades (In and Out), Studio Fade out, Adjustable fade, and Crossfades. These are easily available under the fades option in the effect menu in Audacity.

Linear Fades 

Fade in

Fade out

To access this effect, you need to follow the steps that are available below:

1. Click on the Effect menu
2. Click on Fade in/ Fade out

Linear fades is a simple fade option that you can apply to any part of your audio. Or, you can apply it to the entire audio itself. There are two types of linear fades. The two types are Fade-in and Fade-out. If you apply fade-in to any part of your audio, then audio amplitude will mute to the original one. And if you use a fade-out option in your audio, then the audio will go from the original amplitude to complete silence.

Since it is a linear fade, Audacity displays it as a straight line from the starting till the end.

Studio Fade Out

If you wish to use this fade option, then you can follow these steps:

1. Open the Effect menu
2. Click on the Studio Fade Out option

Audacity displays this effect as a curve that shapes like the letter S. It produces a very smooth fade. The fade goes from the original sound to complete silence. It is a sound that genuinely feels as if the sound is gradually reducing. You can easily repeat this fade option using the repeat last effect. Also, the shortcut key for the same is Ctrl+R.

Adjustable Fade

To open this fade option, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Effect menu
2. Open the adjustable fade option

When you click on the adjustable fade option, a dialog box will appear on the screen. Using that dialog box, you can choose the shape and pattern of the fade as per your wish. In case you wish, you can also create partial fades using this feature.

Crossfades

The steps to open and use crossfades option are:

1. Click on the Effect menu
2. Click on the crossfades option

When you use this effect, you have two options. Either you can create a crossfade manually on your own, or you can use the already available crossfades in Audacity. There are two crossfades that are available in Audacity. They are Crossfade clips and Crossfade tracks.

Crossfade clips helps in crossfading between two different clips. Moreover, Crossfade tracks are more precise and help in crossfading between two audio tracks. While using this type of crossfade, you need to keep the tracks one over the other with the lower track below the upper track, overlapping its end.

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