# Macro Express can't operate on Mp3Tag
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [October 1, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599 "2021-10-01T23:56:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sebastian42](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian42)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/1 "2021-10-01T23:56:37Z")
I use MP3Tag routinely and want to automate the repetitive steps, however Macro Express fails to select all the all the files so that they can have numerical codes deleted from the title. Insight Software has no ideas left to suggest how get Macro Express to operate on MP3Tag. Can you help me automate the operate of MP3Tag ?
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2021, 6:21am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/2 "2021-10-02T06:21:29Z")
Without a much more detailed description than "does not work" it will be very difficult to contribute anything to the solution.
Also, I wonder what could be more convenient than to start action groups that it makes it necessary to run a third party program.
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### Author:  [@Sebastian42](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian42)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2021, 6:45am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/3 "2021-10-02T06:45:52Z")
I wrote "Macro Express fails to select all the all the files (or any)" - That is the first hurdle to be overcome; there may be others after that. I do not understand the sentence about starting action groups. I would be happy to avoid third party programs (Macro Express ?) if I could do automation without them. I would like to automate a routine Mp3TAG procedure, so that one or merely several clicks would remove numerical code from the titles of podcasts.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2021, 6:50am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/4 "2021-10-02T06:50:08Z")
So: show us a real life title that needs treatment.
In the meantime, have a [look at the help about actions](https://docs.mp3tag.de/actions).
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### Author:  [@Sebastian42](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian42)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2021, 7:08am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/5 "2021-10-02T07:08:18Z")
The files are podcasts - so MP3; the upload tool of this reply does not include MP3 as an option.
However I include a snap of the way it appears in Windows Explorer !
[MP3Tag|323x71](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/short-url/dskfVdX5aGwfJMW8Rg2xEs9nEw1.jpeg)
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2021, 7:11am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/6 "2021-10-02T07:11:39Z")
One way could be:
Create an action of the type "Guess value"
Source: %title%
Target string: %dummy%: %title%
Or: check whether the RELEASETIME is filled (see the extended tags dialogue for that)
If it is not filled, you could recycle the leading number as data for that field (plus a little post-processing):
The suggested action would then have to be modified to:
Target string: %releasetime%: %title%
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### Author:  [@Sebastian42](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian42)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2021, 7:41am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/7 "2021-10-02T07:41:43Z")
You seem to be telling me how to remove the code from the name/title. THAT problem was solved a long time ago.
I get a number of these podcasts at once and I want to automate the process but my automation program (Macro Express) - while it can launch MP3Tag, it can not do the nest step - selecting (all) the podcasts to be processed. That is what I'm asking help with - or an alternative automation process.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2021, 8:21am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/8 "2021-10-02T08:21:43Z")
> [@Sebastian42](#):
>
> or an alternative automation process
The alternative automation process is to use actions.
I don't know anything about the features of your selected tool. But as I know that MP3tag has an option to select all files on startup (See Tools\>Option\>General) I cannot tell what the problem with your tool is.
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### Author:  [@Sebastian42](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian42)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2021, 8:41am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/9 "2021-10-02T08:41:25Z")
That may well be the answer I was looking for. Only time will tell. I can confirm that ALL the files did get selected. So the first hurdle has been overcome (hopefully it's the last hurdle ...)
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### Author:  [@Sebastian42](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian42)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2021, 1:57pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/10 "2021-10-02T13:57:50Z")
So far so good - my macro opens MP3TAg and because of the setting you alerted me to, all the relevant files are selected. Now the macro needs to apply ALT2 to them - that works if I do it manually, but not if I code for it in the macro. I don't expect YOU, Ohrenkino, to guide me through making the macro, but since you have already been very helpful, MAYBE you can contribute to the next step as well. If not, there was no harm in telling you about my next challenge....
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2021, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/11 "2021-10-02T14:46:13Z")
I take it that you now need some kind of keyboard shortcut to address the action.
If you put the ampersand in front of a letter in the name of an action (group) then this letter becomes the hotkey for that action.
E.g. if you have an action (group) called "Delete Date" then "&Delete Date" would call that action with Alt-2-D
You will see the hotkey in the actions menu as the letter that has an underscore.
Is that that what the macro program needs?
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### Author:  [@Sebastian42](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian42)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2021, 2:38am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/12 "2021-10-03T02:38:18Z")
"I take it that you now need some kind of keyboard shortcut to address the action."
I have the shortcut - I found it in the CONVERT MENU - it is ALT2.
When I do it manually, that works, but when I code for it in the macro, it does not.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2021, 7:26am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/13 "2021-10-03T07:26:09Z")
> [@Sebastian42](#):
>
> I have the shortcut - I found it in the CONVERT MENU - it is ALT2.
Yes, this is the shortcut to open the actions menu. But how do you address the action then? That is what I described.
In respect to how and if at all the macro program allows to send keybaord input to the application with focus, you now have to have a look at the features of that program. MP3tag has the functions to be controlled by keyboard input. If the macros does not support that then I would go for the actions only and leave out that macro stuff.
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### Author:  [@Sebastian42](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian42)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2021, 7:47am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/14 "2021-10-03T07:47:03Z")
'leave out that macro stuff' I'm trying to use a macro because I do not know of another way that automates such processes. AUTOMATION is my aim. Macro Express CAN give 'keyboard input', but this is the second instance in MP3TAG where it fails to have effect.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2021, 8:13am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/15 "2021-10-03T08:13:47Z")
I just had a look at the screenshots on the Macro Express promo page - there is an option "When Alt key is pressed, capture it twice".
I wonder why they included that.
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### Author:  [@Sebastian42](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian42)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2021, 8:29am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/16 "2021-10-03T08:29:38Z")
I certainly can not answer your question. Are you hinting at using ALT ALT2
instead of ALT2 ?
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2021, 8:51am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/17 "2021-10-03T08:51:58Z")
> [@Sebastian42](#):
>
> Are you hinting at using ALT ALT2
> instead of ALT2 ?
If you have not noticed that option, then I would say it is definitely worth a try. It could be that the macro program intercepts the first Alt-key for its own purposes and then MP3tag gets only the "2".
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### Author:  [@Sebastian42](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian42)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2021, 9:20am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/18 "2021-10-03T09:20:49Z")
Not only had I not noticed it, but the Insight Software people did not suggest it to me.
I have now tried it - no success.
I had a look at the website for macro express 6 - did not find anythig about ALT ALT
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2021, 1:17pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/19 "2021-10-03T13:17:46Z")
> [@Sebastian42](#):
>
> did not find anythig about ALT ALT
I do not own that program, I only looked at their [promo pages and saw that screendump](https://www.macros.com/screen.htm).
Whether this leads to Alt Alt or whether the program duplicates a pressed Alt to another Alt - I have no idea.
But before we dig any further: have you succeeded to open a menu as part of a macro in any other program e.g. Editor?But this is just my guess work. I think the questions you have to ask the folks over there at the macro program: how do you send shortcut keys as part of a macro? And once this is solved and it works reproduceable with other programs and MP3tag then you can start to dig further into this automation scheme.
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### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2021, 2:48pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/macro-express-cant-operate-on-mp3tag/54599/20 "2021-10-03T14:48:10Z")
> [@Sebastian42](#):
>
> Not only had I not noticed it, but the Insight Software people did not suggest it to me.
Maybe you should use a program much more easy to learn and use like this:
> **[Official Download of Macro Recorder directly from the maker](https://www.macrorecorder.com/download/)**
>
> The official Macro Recorder download source of our best macro program for Windows and Mac.
And to say it again: No such software is needed to automate most of the repetitive steps inside Mp3tag.
-\> This is not a support forum for 3rd party software.
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