Audacity 4 removed Sync-Lock and now lets you choose whether later audio moves when you cut or delete a section. The change puts timing in the edit itself, not behind one switch.
For old users, this is a real shift. Sync-Lock used to keep linked tracks lined up while you worked across a project. Audacity 4 asks you to choose what each edit should do.
The Audacity 4 editing workflow now gives you two basic paths. You can leave a gap, or close it and pull later audio back.
Pick Close gap and later audio moves left. The project gets shorter by the time you removed. This is the basic ripple move.
Both choices suit real jobs. Leave gap works well when a music bed, guest track, or sound cue must stay at the same time. Close gap is handy when you cut a bad word or long pause from one voice track.
Your first choice is not final. Audacity saves it as the normal Delete action, but you can change it later in the Audio editing settings. The other forms stay ready through their own commands.
A per-track ripple delete moves later clips on the track you edit. On Windows, Shift+Delete does this by default. It is useful when one track needs to close up, but the rest should stay where they are.
The wider command matters more for a busy show. Ctrl+Delete closes the gap across all tracks on Windows. Later clips move together, so a voice, music bed, and sound cue can keep their timing.
Shortcuts can also be changed in Preferences. You are not stuck with the factory key set.
This makes multi-track timing control much more direct. A small voice fix does not need to drag the whole session with it. A cut that must shorten the full show can still move every later track in one go.
Cut follows the same broad idea. You can remove audio and leave the space, or cut while closing the gap. The audio still goes to the Audacity clipboard when you use Cut.
Delete differs in one key way. It removes the audio without putting it on the clipboard. The timing choice still works in the same way.
Paste has its own choices too. One command can push clips on the selected track. Another can make room across all tracks while keeping them in sync.
On Windows, the current default for the full sync-safe paste is Ctrl+Alt+Shift+V. Audacity also lets you remap it. The shortcut matters less than knowing which paste will move the rest of your project.
This is useful when you add a new line to a podcast. A one-track paste can shift only one lane. A sync-safe paste can make room across the full session.
The old Sync-Lock model used a project state to guard linked material. Audacity 4 puts more of the choice on the action you take. You decide how wide the edit should reach.
Check the first delete on a copy of a project. Watch what happens to later clips before you carry on. One quick test shows whether Delete is leaving space or closing it.
Podcast work is where the split is easy to feel. If you cut four seconds from only the host track, the guest may drift out of step. A ripple delete across all tracks avoids that when both voices must move together.
Music work can need the opposite. You may want to remove a bad take while a pad or other track keeps its exact place. A leave-gap edit keeps the later material still.
Grouping clips can help with moves, but it is not the same tool. Groups keep chosen clips together when you move, copy, paste, or duplicate them. Ripple editing decides what later material does when time is removed or added.
Audacity 4 also lets you change the ripple shortcuts. This helps if the default keys feel slow or hard to reach. A custom key can make the new method feel closer to the old one.
Choose the scope before a large edit. Use one-track ripple when only that lane should close. Use the all-track form when the whole project must stay in step.
For old users, this is a real shift. Sync-Lock used to keep linked tracks lined up while you worked across a project. Audacity 4 asks you to choose what each edit should do.
The Audacity 4 editing workflow now gives you two basic paths. You can leave a gap, or close it and pull later audio back.
Delete can leave space or pull audio back
The first time you delete audio, Audacity asks how you want Delete to work. Pick Leave gap and the cut space stays put. Everything after it keeps the same place on the timeline.Pick Close gap and later audio moves left. The project gets shorter by the time you removed. This is the basic ripple move.
Both choices suit real jobs. Leave gap works well when a music bed, guest track, or sound cue must stay at the same time. Close gap is handy when you cut a bad word or long pause from one voice track.
Your first choice is not final. Audacity saves it as the normal Delete action, but you can change it later in the Audio editing settings. The other forms stay ready through their own commands.
A per-track ripple delete moves later clips on the track you edit. On Windows, Shift+Delete does this by default. It is useful when one track needs to close up, but the rest should stay where they are.
The wider command matters more for a busy show. Ctrl+Delete closes the gap across all tracks on Windows. Later clips move together, so a voice, music bed, and sound cue can keep their timing.
Shortcuts can also be changed in Preferences. You are not stuck with the factory key set.
Ripple edits now show how far the move will reach
Audacity 4 does more than swap one name for another. Close gap can work at more than one level. The app can move the selected clip, all clips on one track, or all clips on all tracks.This makes multi-track timing control much more direct. A small voice fix does not need to drag the whole session with it. A cut that must shorten the full show can still move every later track in one go.
Cut follows the same broad idea. You can remove audio and leave the space, or cut while closing the gap. The audio still goes to the Audacity clipboard when you use Cut.
Delete differs in one key way. It removes the audio without putting it on the clipboard. The timing choice still works in the same way.
Paste has its own choices too. One command can push clips on the selected track. Another can make room across all tracks while keeping them in sync.
On Windows, the current default for the full sync-safe paste is Ctrl+Alt+Shift+V. Audacity also lets you remap it. The shortcut matters less than knowing which paste will move the rest of your project.
This is useful when you add a new line to a podcast. A one-track paste can shift only one lane. A sync-safe paste can make room across the full session.
The old Sync-Lock model used a project state to guard linked material. Audacity 4 puts more of the choice on the action you take. You decide how wide the edit should reach.
Old Sync-Lock habits need one small reset
The main risk is muscle memory. An Audacity 3 user may press Delete and expect old Sync-Lock rules to guard the rest of the session. Audacity 4 can act another way if your saved delete choice is different.Check the first delete on a copy of a project. Watch what happens to later clips before you carry on. One quick test shows whether Delete is leaving space or closing it.
Podcast work is where the split is easy to feel. If you cut four seconds from only the host track, the guest may drift out of step. A ripple delete across all tracks avoids that when both voices must move together.
Music work can need the opposite. You may want to remove a bad take while a pad or other track keeps its exact place. A leave-gap edit keeps the later material still.
Grouping clips can help with moves, but it is not the same tool. Groups keep chosen clips together when you move, copy, paste, or duplicate them. Ripple editing decides what later material does when time is removed or added.
Audacity 4 also lets you change the ripple shortcuts. This helps if the default keys feel slow or hard to reach. A custom key can make the new method feel closer to the old one.
Choose the scope before a large edit. Use one-track ripple when only that lane should close. Use the all-track form when the whole project must stay in step.
