I need some advice.
I will be attending a DIY speaker conference where I will be giving a demo of some speakers I have built. I don't have a lot of time for the demo. I would like to assemble a single audio file which contains short excerpts of various musical files. My files are mostly 24 bit/96k flac files.
What is a good tool to edit and splice my music files? I would like to maintain the 24 bit/96k resolution of the originals. Please assume I am a newbe. I have occasionally used the native Windows function to rip a CD into *.wav files, but that is the extent of my experience.
Thanks ............ j.
I will be attending a DIY speaker conference where I will be giving a demo of some speakers I have built. I don't have a lot of time for the demo. I would like to assemble a single audio file which contains short excerpts of various musical files. My files are mostly 24 bit/96k flac files.
What is a good tool to edit and splice my music files? I would like to maintain the 24 bit/96k resolution of the originals. Please assume I am a newbe. I have occasionally used the native Windows function to rip a CD into *.wav files, but that is the extent of my experience.
Thanks ............ j.
Have you tried Audacity. I have used it to tidy audio files from streamripper. Basically you can highlight any part or all of the graphical view and then cut, delete, silence, export, etc that part. And you can edit the metadata to explain the content.
Audacity will work well. You can cut and paste into any part of the timeline and add fades in between if needed
My quick .02 if I had to do this in Audacity:
- Open a new Audacity project window
- Drag and drop your first song into Audacity project window. This will create a stereo track
- Select the parts of that song you do NOT want and "delete", leaving what you wanted.
- "Save" Project
- Drag and drop another song into this Audacity project window. This will create another stereo track.
- Select the parts of the second song you do NOT want and "delete", leaving what you want.
- Repeat steps 3-4
- Save
- From the menu, click Select → All
- From the menu, click Tracks → Align Tracks → Align End To End
- From the menu, click Tracks → Mix → Mix and Render
A little out dated but this link is how I learned to make an approx 5 minute demo for various events.
https://midwestaudio.club/?page_id=10241
https://midwestaudio.club/?page_id=10241
Hi Jim,
All good advice given.
One more: if you don't want to be bothered by 'clicks' when your audio excerpts change ther is two ways possible.
1_ when you make your selection to crop your audio file to your prefered excerpt be sure to stop and start at zero on the vertical scale ( amplitude).
2_ use fade in/out or crossfade function when merging files on the final one. No needs for long time, something like 3ms is inaudible.
Automatic xfade is handy but if you don't know how to set it up just select the first (or last) 1,5/3ms of excerpt, go to fade in/out and apply to file, repeat to the other end of file. Do it before merging files into the final file of course.
You could also insert some silence between excerpt if you will: select a part of audio of length you want and copy it to a new file. Select the whole new file, go to volume and apply -120db volume reduction. Then copy/past the newly generated silenced audio file anywhere you need it. Of course for no click you would still have to apply either zero crossing or fades.
Another advice, i don't know Audacity but some editors are 'destructive' ( they works on original audio file rather than on a copy stored on ram). A safe good habit is to works on copy of your original files.
All good advice given.
One more: if you don't want to be bothered by 'clicks' when your audio excerpts change ther is two ways possible.
1_ when you make your selection to crop your audio file to your prefered excerpt be sure to stop and start at zero on the vertical scale ( amplitude).
2_ use fade in/out or crossfade function when merging files on the final one. No needs for long time, something like 3ms is inaudible.
Automatic xfade is handy but if you don't know how to set it up just select the first (or last) 1,5/3ms of excerpt, go to fade in/out and apply to file, repeat to the other end of file. Do it before merging files into the final file of course.
You could also insert some silence between excerpt if you will: select a part of audio of length you want and copy it to a new file. Select the whole new file, go to volume and apply -120db volume reduction. Then copy/past the newly generated silenced audio file anywhere you need it. Of course for no click you would still have to apply either zero crossing or fades.
Another advice, i don't know Audacity but some editors are 'destructive' ( they works on original audio file rather than on a copy stored on ram). A safe good habit is to works on copy of your original files.
Audacity saves projects and does not modify the original file. Once the job is complete you have to export the file in the output format you desire.
Anyway, working on a copy is a good habit.
Anyway, working on a copy is a good habit.
The premium system in the Camry hybrid can sound very good, but it's impossible to get the sound right due to lack of controls and filters and being a closed off system aftermarket processors can't be fitted without major electronic surgery............cheat tip, use Audacity to remaster the song with powerful EQs and effects
One thing to really watch with Audacity, I think it absolutely sucks dates for recordings. I haven't been able to change any settings to get anywhere near the quality of even the most "freeware" DAWs. If you can learn it, try Reaper
Another tip for presentations, turn your excerpt compilation into a video with pics of your speaker build and philosophy and such. FL Studio absolutely shines with this and in my uneducated opinion walks all over the other DAWs for production
One thing to really watch with Audacity, I think it absolutely sucks dates for recordings. I haven't been able to change any settings to get anywhere near the quality of even the most "freeware" DAWs. If you can learn it, try Reaper
Another tip for presentations, turn your excerpt compilation into a video with pics of your speaker build and philosophy and such. FL Studio absolutely shines with this and in my uneducated opinion walks all over the other DAWs for production
Some less obvious things to look for, but can affect audio quality -
Make sure your selected CD burning method applies the correct attributes to the audio files you create. Pre-emphasis should be disabled and muting should be turned off to avoid the player from applying any of its own fade ramping (digital attenuation) when tracks start and end. It would help to know which playback device is being used by the host of the event.
I would advise against dithering 96k to 44.1k. Most modern players will play 48k just fine and dithering from 96k is an even number. If it has to be a Redbook file only, then you have no other choice than to dither to 44.1 - it will depend on the quality of your software conversion if it generates any significant artifacts when dithering 96k to 44.1k. Some are notably better than others at this.
Make sure your selected CD burning method applies the correct attributes to the audio files you create. Pre-emphasis should be disabled and muting should be turned off to avoid the player from applying any of its own fade ramping (digital attenuation) when tracks start and end. It would help to know which playback device is being used by the host of the event.
I would advise against dithering 96k to 44.1k. Most modern players will play 48k just fine and dithering from 96k is an even number. If it has to be a Redbook file only, then you have no other choice than to dither to 44.1 - it will depend on the quality of your software conversion if it generates any significant artifacts when dithering 96k to 44.1k. Some are notably better than others at this.