Automatically changing speed on me

[isestrex]

I've done a pretty extensive search on your forums before posting, but the issues regarding speed either don't apply to me or aren't really answered.

Here's my problem:
I'm trying combine several audio files into one long file. I've done this before with other programs but Audacity is the fastest I've ever used. The problem has been, however, that Audacity will automatically change the speed of a specific audio portion when copying and pasting. My method is to open several audio files in different audacity windows, then copy file #2, and paste at the end of file #1. Upon opening a few files, I found they were about 37.5% slower than they should be (I know because I wasted half an hour testing this). So I used the change speed function to restore them to regular speed before manipulating them for my purposes. The file plays fine in WMP, Winamp, iTunes... everything I could test it it, but when opened in Audacity it is slowed down and thus the time is lengthened. Then something even weirder happened (for this little hiccup is fixable).

I open file #1 and file #2, then check to make sure both are playing at the right speed. They are. Then I copy #2 and paste it after file #1. It works perfectly as it should. Then I open file #3. It's also playing at the right speed. I copy #3 and paste after the file #1/#2 audio chunk and the pasted #3 is slow while the #1/#2 chunk is perfectly fine. Getting frustrated, I go back to file #3 opened in another window. It plays fine, but in copying it over to the other track the speed has mysteriously been slowed. So I tried to out smart Audacity. I copied the audio chunk of #1/#2 and pasted them before the open #3 which plays at regular speed. The result: the newly copied #1/#2 section plays too fast, at about double the speed.

I gave up and came here.

I just started with this program a few days ago and I love it, but I'm annoyed at this little hiccup. I can deal with my own incompetence but it seems as if the program is toying with me and laughing behind my back. Thank you in advance for trying to help. I know you guys are all volunteers and if there's anyway I can be more descriptive please let me know.

[kozikowski]

Audacity isn't a very good converter. Almost without doubt, your various sound files are at different technical specifications -- bit depth or sampling rate or both. You can right-click on each one and try to make Windows tell you what each one is, but good money is that they're different.

You can convert in Audacity, but it's a one-at-a-time process. not batch or group.

http://audacityteam.org/forum/viewtopic ... 991#p41582

Koz

[isestrex]

Wow you are SPOT ON!!

That's exactly what was happening.

I'm a recovering iTunesoholic (trust me folks, it's better on the other side) and part of the project I'm doing is trying to repair all the sound files iTunes decided to change in an effort to "update" me. Looking at my records, some of these files were indeed corrupted by iTunes and had their bit rates changed. I never would have thought of this.

It's a slight pain to fix but, as I expected, Audacity makes it easy. Thanks a ton for your help!