Improper export format

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

Hello,

I’m using Audacity 2.0.5 do transfer reel tapes (voice only).
I set the project to 88200Hz and play these tapes at twice the speed (so I record at 88200Hz in 32-bit float).
Then I apply the 50% speed redux and finally resample to 44100Hz.
If I export to WAV 16-bit PCM, the file is generated. But after closing the project and loading the exported file, I get a 88200/32 WAV even though I resampled it to 44100 before exporting.

However, and supposing there’s a real bug there, the workaround consists in setting the project to 44100Hz before resampling / exporting. This way the exported file is a 44100/16 WAV file.

Is this normal ?


Thanks,

David

2

Yes. The project rate bottom left always determines the rates at which files are exported and projects rendered (using Tracks > Mix and Render). See: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/selection_toolbar.html .

So after changing speed, you could just export with project rate changed to 44100 Hz. The Tracks > Resample… is un-necessary, assuming that is what you did. It just resamples the track to 44100 Hz while leaving the project rate at 88200 Hz.


Gale

3

Hello Gale,

Thanks a lot for your reply, this will save me some time.

I forgot to ask one last thing concerning the sampled (not sampling) rate.
Once I have exported my audio to a 16-bit 44.1 WAV file, where do I see that it’s 16-bit if I open it later ? So far I always see the 32-bit float sampling rate in the track corresponding to the WAV file open, but nothing saying it’s a 16-bit file.


Thanks,

David.

4

The Track Info above the Mute / Solo buttons is the resolution the track is currently being read at. If the Quality Preferences are set at their default of “Default Sample Format: 32-bit float”, 16-bit WAV’s will always be imported at 32-bit resolution and the Track Info will say 32-bit float.

Tracks are never resampled on import, so the sample rate in the Track Info is the sample rate of the file when you first import it. However the project rate will change to the sample rate of the imported file if it is the first file to be imported into the project.

If you need detailed information about audio files you could try MediaInfo (get the version without installer, because the installer may have malware): http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en/Download/Windows .

Do you want to vote for a file properties feature in Audacity?


Gale

5

Thanks. Sure I’d like to vote for that. I’ll try the utility you recommended.

6

OK, I’ll add it.

Gale