Audacity Forum

kozikowski wrote:You probably really want one of the direct MP3 editing programs out there. They're not as talented, but they're good for simple editing and they don't increase the damage.

See here http://mp3splt.sourceforge.net/mp3splt_page/home.php

RIB003 wrote: 1. I just obtained an ION Tape2PC unit, which I'm using to convert my (hundreds of) cassette tapes into digital format, so I'll be able to access and listen to the music on my ipod and through my computer. My understanding is that on Windows, ION only converts to mp3, and then adds them to my itunes library. So, I'm using Audacity to trim the beginnings and ends of the tracks, and I have now figured out how to do that, by pulling the tracks from my itunes library into Audacity, editing them, and then exporting them, as mp3's, back into my itunes libray.

Bob,

You should be able to use your ION Tape2PC to record from your tapes direct into Audacity. I see from the ION website that they now only appear to ship EZ Tape Converter for PC for the unit - but it should also work perfectly well with Audacity. I started out with an ION USB turntable which shipped both with Audacity and EZ Converter - I chose to use Audacity due to its richer functionality.

So once you get that working you can then do your editing in Audacity - and note that at this stage everything is still "lossless" and is not compresssed like MP3.

Once your edits are completed and your tracks are labelled you can then export files for importing into your iTunes library. I totally endorse Koz' comments of AAC being a better choice than MP3 (unless that is you require the cross plattform portability that MP3 affords). I export my stuff as WAVs and then use iTunes to convert these into AACs - fuller description of my workflow below FYI.

I would also recommend that you use the latest version of Audacity 1.3.9 - which you can download from here: http://audacityteam.org/download/beta_windows

WC

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Workflow to take Audacity Projects to AAC in iTunes

1. Record and edit the project in Audacity
2. Export as a set of WAV files (to facilitate correct ordering later I Label the tracks 01 <track_name_1>, 02 <track_name_2>, etc.)
3. Import the WAV files into iTunes
4. Use iTunes to make AAC copies (at your chosen bitrate) in the library of the WAV files
5. Delete the WAV files from the library.
6. Edit the metadata tags of the tracks/album
7. And last but not least - backup my updated iTunes library
8. Delete the Audacity project file (.aup and folder) to release hard disk space


some more detail:

For step 1. I record and edit with Audacity set at 44.1kHz and 32-bit floating stereo (this gives me good headroom for any required editing) – I down-sample on export to 44.1Khz 16-bit PCM stereo (the Red Book standard for CDs)

For step 2. – I down-sample on export to 44.1Khz 16-bit PCM stereo (the Red Book standard for CDs). All the files for a particular album or show are placed in a specific named folder for that album/show.

For Step 3. in my iTunes application I have the Import Settings ( Edit > Preferences > General > Import Settings ) set to Import Using AAC and with my preferred bitrate set via Custom. I then add the folder created in step 2 above to the iTunes library with the File > Add Folder to Library. This loads the WAV files into the library.

For Step 4. One of the columns I always have showing in my iTunes library is Bitrate. Clicking on the Bitrate column header will re-order the display by bitrate (you need to have All Genres/Artists/Albums showing).
The WAV files should show up as a set at the top of the list (or bottom) - mine show at a bitrate of 1411 kbps. Alternatively you could activate the Kind column - whereby the imported files will show as WAV and similarly clicking on the Kind column header will produce a suitable ordering for you.. Select all the WAV files that you need to convert and then use Advanced > Create AAC version.

Actually to facilitate later location of the converted files I usually edit the common metadata tags for the set of WAVS whilst they are selected - most importantly the album/show name.

For Step 5. The WAV files should still be the only selected tunes at this stage, providing that you have done no further clicking - just take extreme care at this stage (the AACs are created but selection is not forced by iTunes) So then I just Delete the selected files using the Delete key - and send the files to my wastebasket (Note carefully that my iTunes is set to copy files in NOT to reference external files - so the WAVs that are deleted are copies of the original source WAVs that iTunes made in my library in step 3. This is set in Edit > Preferences > Advanced with the “Copy tunes into iTunes folder when adding to library” tickbox.)

For Step 6. In order to edit the metadata for Song Name etc - the album is easy to locate as I have already edited the Album tag in Step 4 above.

Step 7. This is a critical step – as I have no desire to lose the valuable fruits of my labours. I maintain two separate 1TB disks. On each disk I place a complete set of the WAV files I have created in their album/show named folders – with the album folders sorted by genre and placed in “Genre folders”. Each disk also contains two generations of backup of my iTunes libraries - (I actually don't do this library backup after every update - but I do try to do it at least every couple of weeks so I have a roll-back point)..

Step 8. After the backups are made I can then safely release space on my onboard hard drive by deleting the Audacity project files and the originally exported WAV files which remain there.

Yes it's a bit of work - but worth the effort IMHO

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Alternative Method

Actually there is an alternative method I sometimes use when transcribing a vinyl album. I usually make a CD of these from the set of WAV files, retaining the original ordering of course. I then load this CD into my PC - if I am lucky the Gracenote CDDB database will "recognize" the CD and supply all the necessary metadata for me (otherwise I edit the metadata tags and submit them to Gracenote). Then I can simply rip the CD into my iTunes library in the same way as I would do with a commercially produced CD.

WC

Koz -- Thanks for the reality check regarding use of Audacity to edit my mp3 files. I took your suggestion, and went with a direct mp3 editing program (mp3 Direct Cut), and things seem to be working well.

WC -- Thanks for your suggestion regarding use of my new Ion Tape2PC unit to record from my tapes directly into Audacity. But I'm not sure how to "disengage" the EZTape Converter for PC, which did come with the unit and is now loaded on to my computer (and ostensibly working well). I guess I also have to wonder how important is it/might be to record directly into Audacity for editing purposes. My goals are, again, twofold. The first is to get all of my audio cassettes onto my computer, allowing me to then play them by plugging my computer into my mixer (remember, I'm a DJ) and by loading up my ipod. For my trial run, I popped a Rolling Stones cassettte in the machine and made an mp3 recording using the EZ Tape Converter for PC. Per design it went right into my itunes library, which was quite convenient. When I listened to it through my computer, it sounded OK. I can't say that it sounded as good as the original, but I haven't had the chance to play the original (on my dinosaur era cassette deck/amp/speaker system in the basement) and compare the sound to my computer/mixer/powered Bose speaker system that I use for DJing. I did notice a little hiss, and I also some dead spots at the beginning and end. Again, following Koz's suggestion, I used the direct mp3 editing program to trim the dead spots at the beginnings and ends of the tracks, and then brought them back into my itunes library as edited versions.

One side note -- I found out that when I brought the edited tracks back into my itunes library -- i.e., opened them with itunes or used the "add file to librray" function -- I had to then "create an mp3 version" in order to save them. I hope the sound quality isn't being further deteriorated by having to do that!

Back to my goals. The second is to produce some edited versions of the mp3 tracks that I have in my itunes library (again, all of the thousands of tracks in my itunes library are all mp3's) and which I need to cue up when getting them ready for play at a gig. Using the direct mp3 editing program, I was able to do that pretty well. Again, the only rub seemed to be that after importing them back into my itunes library, I had to "create an mp3 version" in order to save. The edited version sounds OK to me, but I'm just listening through my computer speakers, so hard to tell for sure.

OK, thanks again!

Bob

RIB003 wrote: One side note -- I found out that when I brought the edited tracks back into my itunes library -- i.e., opened them with itunes or used the "add file to librray" function -- I had to then "create an mp3 version" in order to save them. I hope the sound quality isn't being further deteriorated by having to do that!

I don't understand why this is happening. I no longer produce MP3s from Audacity, but back when I used to all I had to do was to us the File > Add Folder to Library or File >Add File to Library commands in iTunes - and iTunes then just added these files in directly with no further conversion.

RIB003 wrote: WC -- Thanks for your suggestion regarding use of my new Ion Tape2PC unit to record from my tapes directly into Audacity. But I'm not sure how to "disengage" the EZTape Converter for PC, which did come with the unit and is now loaded on to my computer (and ostensibly working well).

You shouldn't need to disengage EZ Converter it or remove it from your PC. You should be able to have both it and Audacity installed on your PC at the same time. Just run Audacity, ensure your preferences are set correctly, start the Tape2PC and press Record in Audacity

RIB003 wrote: I guess I also have to wonder how important is it/might be to record directly into Audacity for editing purposes.

For your pre-existing many MP3 recordings it's probably more trouble than it's worth (unless that is you also kept uncompressed WAV copies of the files that you made). For new recordings going forward then IMHO better to go with recording into Audacity.

RIB003 wrote: ... my dinosaur era cassette deck/amp/speaker system in the basement...

Given that you already have a tape deck, I have to ask the question - why did you bother to buy the ION unit? You could just plug that cassett deck to your PC's line in or via an external soundcard.

I'm guessing a couple of things:
1) your "dinosaur" deck may well be of better quality that the ION unit you have just purchased - especially if you give it a little servicing: cleaning the heads and the capstan/pinch rollers etc.
2) I suspect that your old deck may well be the one on which you made many of the recordings. If that is the case you may find that you get better recordings by playing back on that deck.

WC