Currently Audacity 1.2.6 but downloading newest version 2.1.2 now. .exe.installer (installed now)
HI
I converted my vinyl collection of albums to digital MP3s a while back. Just now, I played a Jeff Beck album on my MP3 player and it appears to be overlaid with a Bruce Springsteen LP; that is I hear the music of both LPs at the same time on playback. I double-checked it now, using the latest version (2.1.2) and nothing has changed.
Can you tell me how I might have created this problem? And is it possible to fix the problem?
Sorry, no. You’ll have to re-record. I assume you still have the vinyl…
Unless… Did you save the Arduino project (AUP file) in addition to exporting to MP3? If you can re-open the project you can mute or delete one of the tracks before exporting.
“You can’t un-bake a cake or un-fry and egg and you can’t un-mix audio”.
Can you tell me how I might have created this problem?
If you have two tracks open in Audacity they will mix when you export. You probably didn’t remove the 1st recording before starting the 2nd recording.
And, then you forgot to listen to the file to make sure it was OK.
…I’m probably doing it the hard way, but I typically save the file and close Audacity… Then open Audacity again to make the next recording.
Thanks very much for the quick reply that solved my problem.
I kinda guessed that was what I did. “Can’t unbake a cake”: I like that!
I didn’t check because I assumed it was fine. I’d done quite a few before that with no problems.
I do have the vinyl still, but it’s back in Australia.
I have a good clean copy of the Springsteen saved but I’d rather have the good clean copy of the Jeff Beck LP.
Thanks again.
Michael
I have a good clean copy of the Springsteen saved but I’d rather have the good clean copy of the Jeff Beck LP.
OK… You can TRY subtracting the Springsteen audio from the mix, leaving the Beck… Under perfect conditions where the digital audio data is identical this can work perfectly.* (You can’t un-mix, but you can subtract! )
It won’t work if you edited the file or changed the volume or timing, etc. And you’ve got a couple of other things going against you - The mixed file is probably clipped (distorted) because mixing is done by summation. And, MP3 is lossy compression and the Springsteen data in the mix will be lossy in a different way from the Springsteen MP3 alone.
So, the result may be “usable” or it may a worse mess than what you’ve already got.
1. Open (or import) the Springsteen file into a new Audacity project.
2. Apply the Invert effect. (That won’t change the sound but it will flip the wave upside down.)
3. Import the mixed file into the existing project.
4. Export to a new file. That will mix the inverted Springsteen with the existing mix and hopefully the two Springsteens will cancel-out.
* You can demonstrate this to yourself by opening a file and Inverting it. Then import the file again into the same Audacity project and export. The exported-mixed file should be dead silent. This will work with lossy or clipped files because other than being inverted, the inverted data is identical to the original and every sample will will sum to zero.
Or, you could try a more elaborate experiment of mixing two different files and then subtracting one out. The trick is to reduce each file by 6dB to prevent clipping when mixed and do everything in WAV so you’re not working with lossy files.
P.S.
If you’re a Jeff Beck fan, have you seen his [u]Tribute To les Paul[/u] DVD? I’m not a huge Jeff Beck fan but I appreciate his talent, and IMO this is a GREAT SHOW. The singer (Imelda May) is great and at one point Gary US Bonds comes-out and “takes over” the stage with an amazing performance.
