AIFF output includes hiss in silent portions

Feedback and Discussion Forum Audacity 3.x Feedback and Reviews
1

Exporting from an Audacity master to AIFF format introduces a hiss in the silent portion of the recording. The hiss is not there using Mp3 or WAV encodings.

This feedback program does not allow me to upload the Audacity master file, (AU) nor the AIFF output file to demonstrate, so will explain:

  • Using Audacity 3.7.1, open a FLAC file
  • Shift the track 3 seconds to the right to create 3 seconds of silence prior to the file playing.
  • Save the entire result to AIFF format.
  • Play back the AIFF file and those three seconds of silence now have hiss.

Doing the same procedure with Mp3 and WAV export formats leaves those three seconds completely silent.

Mac M4
Sequoia 15.2

2

Dither noise ?

3

If it’s super-quiet hiss it MIGHGT be dither, which you can turn off.

BUT I’m not sure why you’re only getting it with FLAC.

You shouldn’t dither MP3 (because it doesn’t have a fixed bit-depth) but I’m not sure if Audacity is smart enough to skip it if you have it enabled.

4

The file imported was FLAC format, which, when saved and played back with the silent seconds, does not produce a hiss in the silent areas. The hiss only occurs when translating into AIFF on file export. I will check on dither settings, but use Audacity in default mode only.

Thanks.