Tracks Menu: Align Tracks

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The Align Tracks submenu provides a set of commands to help you align your selected tracks in various ways. In particular there are two very useful commands that enable you to align tracks end-to-end, one after the other, or align them all together.
Tracks Menu provides commands for creating and removing tracks, applying operations to selected tracks such as mixing, resampling or converting from stereo to mono, and lets you add or edit labelsGenerate Menu lets you create audio containing tones, noise or silenceAudacity includes many built-in effects and also lets you use a wide range of plug-in effectsThe Analyze Menu contains tools for finding out about the characteristics of your audio, or labeling key featureThe Tools Menu contains customisable toolsThe Extra menu provides access to additional Commands that are not available in the normal default Audacity menusThe Help Menu lets you find out more about the Audacity application and how to use it. It also includes some diagnostic tools.Adds a new trackMixes down selected tracks to mono or stereo tracksAllows you to resample the selected track(s) to a new sample rate for use in the projectRemoves the selected track(s) from the projectMutes or unmutes audio tracks in the projectPans left right or center audio tracks in the projectCommands that provide an automatic way of aligning selected tracks with the cursor, the selection, or with the start of the projectSorts all tracks in the project from top to bottom in the project window, by Start Time or by NameEnsures that length changes occurring anywhere in a defined group of tracks also take place in all audio or label tracks in that groupAligns the selected tracks one after the other, based on their top-to-bottom order in the project windowAlign the selected tracks so that they start at the same (averaged) start timeAligns the start of selected tracks with the start of the projectAligns the start of selected tracks with the current cursor position or with the start of the current selectionAligns the start of selected tracks with the end of the current selectionAligns the end of selected tracks with the current cursor position or with the start of the current selectionAligns the end of selected tracks with the end of the current selectionToggles on/off the selection moving with the realigned tracks, or staying putThe MenusTracks-Align TracksMenu.png
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These commands provide an automatic way of aligning selected tracks with the cursor, the selection, or with the start of the project.

With the exception of the first two commands ("Align End to End" and "Align Together"), each selected track is moved along equally so they remain synchronized with each other. If a label track is included in the selection, its labels will also move equally so they remain synchronized.

When aligning end to end or aligning together, the tracks are always moved individually to enforce the requested alignment (as described below). Label tracks are not affected by these two commands.

When there is a selection, the commands that align tracks with the cursor/selection will align with the start of the selection, and when there is a cursor, the commands that align tracks with the cursor/selection will align with the cursor.

Warning icon If Sync-Lock Tracks is enabled, unselected tracks in a Sync-Locked Track Group will also move so that all the tracks in that group remain synchronized, except for the Align "End to End" and "Together" commands where only the selected tracks will move. Aligning end to end or together overrides Sync-Lock Tracks if necessary, so the selected tracks in that group may become desynchronized.
If a track contains multiple clips and one of the Align commands is applied to that track then all the clips move and maintain their relative positions to each other within the track. The start of the first clip is the "start of the track" and the end of the last clip is the "end of the track".

Align End to End  

Aligns the selected tracks one after the other, based on their top-to-bottom order in the project window. The first selected track remains where it is, the start of the second selected track aligns with the end of the first selected track and so on. If you name a group of imported files from an album so that their alphabetical order is the same as the order you want to align them in, Align End to End will make the imported files play in their album order.

After the align, all tracks in the project (not just the selected tracks) will be fitted to the window so that the end of the last track will be visible in the project window.

Before doing Tracks > Align Tracks > Align End to End
AlignEndToEnd Before.png
After doing Tracks > Align Tracks > Align End to End
AlignEndToEnd After.png
Note that zoom level has changed to display the entire project, and that the original selection has been retained.

Align Together  

If you select multiple tracks, this command moves the tracks so that they all start at the same time, so audio within them changes its synchronization. The resultant start time is an average of all of the tracks' original starting times. To adjust the starting times of tracks with complete flexibility, use Time Shift Tool.

Before doing Tracks > Align Tracks > Align Together
AlignTogether Before.png
After doing Tracks > Align Tracks > Align Together
AlignTogether After.png
Note that the three tracks now start at the same time, and the start time is the average of the original start times of the three tracks.

Start to Zero  

Aligns the start of selected tracks with the start of the project.

Start to Cursor/Selection Start  

Aligns the start of selected tracks with the current cursor position or with the start of the current selection.

Start to Selection End  

Aligns the start of selected tracks with the end of the current selection.

End to Cursor/Selection Start  

Aligns the end of selected tracks with the current cursor position or with the start of the current selection.

End to Selection End  

Aligns the end of selected tracks with the end of the current selection.

Move Selection with Tracks (on/off)  

When this option is off (not checked), the cursor or selection remains in its position relative to the Timeline. When it is on, the cursor or selection is moved to maintain its position relative to the tracks being moved. For example, Tracks >Align Tracks > Start to Cursor/Selection Start will align the selected tracks with the current cursor position or selection start, but then also move the cursor or selection along so that it remains at the same position relative to the new position of the aligned tracks.

This option has no effect on the Align End to End and the Align Together commands.
Before doing Tracks > Align Tracks > Start to Zero
MoveSelectionWithTracks Before.png
After doing Tracks > Align Tracks > Start to Zero, with Move Selection with Tracks off.
MoveSelectionWithTracksOff After.png
Note that the cursor remains at the same position relative to the Time Line.
After doing Tracks > Align Tracks > Start to Zero, with Move Selection with Tracks on.
MoveSelectionWithTracksOn After.png
Note that the cursor has moved to retain the same position relative to the audio.


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