Is a 32-bit FLAC file converted to 24-bit when imported to Audacity?

Audacity 3 Help Forum
1

I have 5 hours of 32-bit float WAV files that I need to edit down and transcribe. I know I can’t concatenate them into one WAV file, so I got FFMPEG to concatenate them into one FLAC file. I had to use the -‌strict experimental parameter to keep the concatenated file 32-bit and not 24-bit because I am sure it is going to be clipped in many places using 24-bits. That is why I used a 32-bit float audio field recorder.

All that went well. But when I load the file into Audacity, it is clipped all over the place. I suspect that Audacity used it’s version of FFMPEG to import the audio file, and by default it was converted to 24-bit. How can I confirm this?

Red peak lines when re-opening fikle, but it was carefully edited and exported without any peak lines, and normalisedto MINUS 1 db! peak lines!
2

By default Audacity should import everything as 32-bit floating point. Check Edit → Preferences → Audio Settings.

As you probably know, Show Clipping is showing potential clipping so it may be “safely” going over 0dB.

But FLAC doesn’t support floating point.

3

I guess I am going to have to create a new project and import the WAV files one by one and then align them end to end.

4

I have learned that Audacity can import RF64 and W64 audio format files. Both of which were created to store 32-bit float audio data larger than 4 gig. I am going to try concatenating the WAV files into one of those formats.

5

Using ffmpeg I concatenated all of the WAV files into one W64 file, then imported that into Audacity. The clipping everywhere was gone, just a few places that were mainly handling noises. I think my suspicions were confirmed.

6

Hi Wrecks0, thanks for referring me to this, as I have this problem. I am not as experienced as you sadly, and have never heard of RF64 s and W64, but my total file, (only three seprate 3 minute tracts) add up to to 45 mb. So if these “64” classifcaitions refer to a way to accomodate BIg files ((4GB) then it isnt a problem caused by my files adding up to more than 4gb. If I am right in thinking you need a a “work around” based on the size of your own files. The other thing mentioned is that “audacity might be somehow converting the file to 24 bit when importing, but my settings in audacity audio are to operate at 32bit flaot and 48Khz, so it should(?) be importing as that? and not converting them to 24 bit? Last of all, I am not very techy, but I am experoting the audio after editing as 48kh and 32 bir float, but some files, (when I right click and choodse “details” are 1536 kbps. others are 1152kbps, and others are 2304 kbops. Im happy to be topld thats because I am doing somethign wrong,(otherwise would I need to ask for help!) but could that be a clue? Or is that a separate issue, that would not be connected to the red lines when I re-import? If not then I guess I can exlpore the w64 and R64 file suffixes, but I am still unsure why that should be needed when my settings are 32bit float and 48Khz/ Thjanks for your patience ! Steve

7

That one is easy:
16-bits x 48kHz x 2 channels = 1536 kbps.

That’s only for uncompressed files. Once you compress to FLAC or MP3, etc., you can’t make that simple calculation.