MacBook Pro with MacOS Sierra 10.12.2, Audacity 2.1.2.
I use DiskImageMounter.app to mount an .iso file from the hard drive. Once mounted, there are a dozen or so folders displayed, and each folder has multiple .flac files within it.
Several times I have used Audacity to open one of these .flac files and then successfully export it as an .mp3 file.
I created a Chain to do the same thing. The Chain includes 2 commands: ExportMP3, and -END-. When I apply the chain to either a single file or to multiple files found within one of the folders, Audacity opens the (first) .flac file and displays the “Apply Chain” progress box with the message “applying…” But then an error message pops up saying: “Message unable to open target file for writing”
I checked that there are no unusual characters in the .flac filename being opened. I also checked that I have the permission to write to the target folder. And besides, Audiacity will save the .mp3 when I do it manually, which suggests that it is not a filename or permission issue.
Any idea why when I try to export the .mp3 in a chain, I get this error message?
I believe Chains is going to try to save new work in a folder behind the existing one called “Cleaned” or something like that. It doesn’t like stepping on old work with new work. Is there any reason Chains can’t create that folder?
Ah, so Chains doesn’t save new work to the folder that I specify in the Export Audio dialog box? I believe the location of the .flac files is a “virtual drive” derived from the original .iso file, so I guess there is no actual physical drive location available for Chains to save the file. And I am unable to give myself permission to write to the “virtual” folder that contains the .flac files.
So once I realized what was happening, I created a new folder on the “physical” hard drive, and was able to copy the “virtual” displayed folders that were created from the .iso file, and paste them into the folder on the physical drive. I was then able to run the Audacity Chain on the .flac files on the physical drive with a successful export of the .mp3.
Thanks Koz, for cluing me in on what was going on!
I think I got confused by this bit I found in the Manual’s “Edit Chains” entry:
“To configure export parameters for the Chain, click File > Export Audio… to access the Export Audio Dialog, click Options, set the parameters, press OK then Cancel the export.”
I didn’t make the connection that the target folder was always pre-defined and couldn’t be reconfigured.