Multi-Tool Mode

Multi-Tool mode in Transport Toolbar (called Control Toolbar in legacy Audacity 1.2) lets you access all five tools on this toolbar at once, depending on the location of the mouse and the keys you are holding down. This page describes for legacy 1.2 how to access each tool when in Multi-Tool mode. It is strongly recommended to download current Audacity then view the current Manual page for Multi Tool.

To use Multi-Tool Mode, press the button on the Control Toolbar or hit F6 on your keyboard:

Multi-Tool automatically selects one of the five tools on the Control Toolbar in response to mouse moves and key presses. The mouse cursor changes to show which of its functions is currently available (the cursor will appear like the button for the relevant tool on the toolbar).

Selection Tool is available when the cursor looks like an "I" with a top and tail. You can click in the track and draw selection areas.

Envelope Tool is made available by hovering the mouse over the waveform at either boundary between light and dark blue. The cursor then changes to an upward and downward pointing white triangle. Click and drag with the mouse and then use the envelope tool as you would as a separate tool.

Draw Tool is made available by zooming in to close to sample level, and hovering the mouse close to the line joining the individual samples. The cursor then changes to a pencil. Zoom Tool is shown by the magnifying glass with "+" symbol when hovering over the vertical scale to left of the waveform. Right-click (CTRL + click on a Mac) to zoom out, or left-click to zoom in by a factor of 2, centered on the click point. You can also left-click, drag and release to zoom into a drag-selected region. For zooming the Timeline horizontally, right-click the mouse at a point to zoom out, or right-click, drag and release to zoom in to a drag-selected region.

Time Shift Tool is made available when you hover over one of the drag bars at the left or right edge of the waveform. The cursor will change to <--->. To shift the track, left-click and drag with the mouse in either direction. If the track ceases to drag as you approach the end of the track, continue the drag from the drag bar at the other end of the track.