Songs abruptly end in iTunes

[shroyro]

I just started using Audacity v1.2.6 with the available LAME MP3 encoder this week, and have successfully converted an LP to 12 tracks - first exporting multi-tracks and then individual selections as MP3 just to try out the features. It seems to work, but when I import into iTunes, most of the songs abruptly end. For example, a song that is 2:30 at around 1:07 in will abruptly move to 2:28 which is the silence at the end. By repeat testing the same song it will always stop at the same time, but the time is different for the affected songs. However, when I play the same song in Windows Media Player it works fine!

I have XP Home with iTunes 8.1

[kozikowski]

First, you might change the Audacity Preferences to 44100, 16-bit, Stereo. That's the best format to keep you out of trouble, but that's not the format that Audacity wakes up in.

After that, Export As WAV or Export Multiple -- WAV. iTunes carries its own import data compression and presenting it with MP3 is double compression with sound damage at each step.

Will you be eventually burning a Music CD? There are a couple of tricks to that.

Koz

[waxcylinder]

After that, Export As WAV or Export Multiple -- WAV. iTunes carries its own import data compression and presenting it with MP3 is double compression with sound damage at each step.

I agree with Koz' suggestion that you should Export as WAV and then import that into iTunes as AAC (Apple's proprietary compression format)

But I don't agree that loading MP3 into iTunes does double compression - on the contrary iTunes will accept MP3 as a valid format as-is abd does not re-compress to AAC (unless you foolishly tell it to do so ).

Note that AAC is generally reckoned to offer better quality than MP3 for the sam size/bitrate settings - hence te recommendation to go WAV=>iTunes=>AAC

WC

[shroyro]

Hi and thanks for the quick replies. My plan was to make MP3 recordings of some LP's, and store them in my iTunes library for sync with an iPod, and in my laptop for use with Windows Media Player. For now I don't plan to burn the albums out as a CD, but won't rule it out. After reviewing a few recording tips I set the preferences for 48000, 32-bit, stereo, and the MP3 to 192. I was trying to maximize the quality wherever possible.

I will try to export as WAV and then import to iTunes as AAC to see how that goes. My understanding is that the WAV files will be huge, but I have a disk devoded to audio and video which I keep clean. This should help with my Apple needs. For Windows Media Player, I can continue to export as MP3 and keep in a separate area.

Would it matter at all - or would it be a good idea - to use the 1.3.7 beta and follow its link to the latest LAME MP3? The version I have seems to be stable and I do not use Vista.

[waxcylinder]

I will try to export as WAV and then import to iTunes as AAC to see how that goes.

I have two approaches for getting my recordings into iTunes:

1) for my LPs I produced CDs and the ripped them into iTunes in the normal way by loading the CD. In about 2/3 of the cases the "CD" was recognized bt the Gracenote CDDB database and provided all the metadata with no extra work - the others I had to type in to iTunes. I got artwork from Amazon and/or Wikipedia etc.

2) for stuff recorded off air, I import the WAV - then use iTunes to make an AAC copy (I use 192) - and then I delete the WAV from iTunes.

In both cases I carefully keep and backuo the WAV files in one folder per LP or a folder relative to the off-air recordings. I maintain two backup copies on two separate external USB discs.

WC

[shroyro]

Following your process for LP's I will burn the latest MP3's as an "album" out to CD (the first reply noted that there are some tricks to this), and then try to rip using iTunes into its library. The LP's were not re-released on CD so I don't expect Gracenote to know about them, and I plan to type in the details. So far I have only completed one album, and if this works then I won't have to record a second time.

If you have any tips regarding MP3 burn to CD I'd appreciate it. I would probably just use Windows Media Player.

[waxcylinder]

If you have any tips regarding MP3 burn to CD I'd appreciate it. I would probably just use Windows Media Player.

To burn a "proper" CD you will need to export not MP3 files bt WAV files with the settings that Koz suggested 44.1kHz, 16-bit PCM stereo (the Red Book standard for PCs). Some CD players will play Mp3 CDs and PCs will - but they will not waork on all CD players - and I'm guessing that Gracenote will struggle a lot more with compressed MP3s versus the WAVs.

Judging from postings on the forums here WMP is not very highly regarded. I use RecordNow on my desktop and Roxio on my laptop (they came bundled with the m/c). Both seem to produce good quality CDs.

Note On CDs - do use CD-Rs and not CD-RWs, and use good quality ones. And do protect them from the light the burning process is a photographic type mechanism - and light can degrade the CDs over time.

WC

[shroyro]

Thanks for the tips. I burned the CD, and then imported into iTunes - Viola!, it worked. I used the files from my original conversion which were 32-bit, but will use 16-bit PCM stereo from here onward. I wish I didn't have to burn the CD - at least they're relatively inexpensive.

[waxcylinder]

See my option 2 in previous posting.

To avoid having to burn the CD you can just import the set of WAVs into iTunes and the use the iTunes function Advanced > Create AAC Version - this will create compressed AAC copies at the bitrate you have set - and then you can just delete the WAV versions from your iTunes library. After the AAC versions of the files have been created the WAV files will still be selected so you should be able just to press the Delete key to remove them - but take care doing that.

WC

[kozikowski]

The other way, the one with the least conversion damage, is to do all the capturing in 44100, 16, Stereo and change iTunes import preferences to WAV Automatic. iTunes should manage the songs all the way to the physical Music CD with no change in either bitrate or bit depth. Zero conversion damage.

Then, you can use the iTunes internal conversion tools to create an AAC compressed version of your work and shoot that off to your iPod.

Delete the playlist and the original iTunes WAV files. You have the original Audacity capture WAV files for archiving.

There is only one pipeline I know of where this doesn't work so well. If you have a really ratty record and need extensive cleanup, that does work better in 48000, 32Foat, Stereo.

Koz