Trouble Uploading Recordings Online

[stvnericson]

I have been recording speeches using a solid state recorder in MP3 formats which I have been editing using Audacity before exporting them online @ Box.net again in MP3 format. I used the software successfully last summer after using the Lame encoder without issue. However in my most recent attempts I have been experiencing static when downloading the exported files which are not present before I upload them. Is there any flaw in the program that could be causing this? I am looking for suggestions on solving this challenge.

[kozikowski]

<<<I have been experiencing static when downloading the exported files >>>

...and playing them on what? Have you tried more than one player? Many people called complaining about static?

Koz

[stvnericson]

Multiple people, as defined as almost everyone who has tried, have experienced static when downloading them onto their computers. I don't know what they are using to play them but my computer generally defaults to Windows Media Player. The other strange aspect of the problem is that the static only occurs in about half the tracks when they are all recorded with the same equipment, under the same conditions, processed identically using Audacity.

[kozikowski]

The developers call those "Moonphase Problems" for obvious reasons. "Oop, it's a full moon. Time for Audacity to crash!"

At the risk of not putting too much thought into this, I'm going to chase you over to Audacity 1.3.12. Audacity 1.2 is very old now and isn't particularly stable on modern computers.

http://audacityteam.org/download/

Download and install the version of lame associated with this new Audacity. Lame software is not universal.

You can safely install both versions of Audacity, but only use one at a time. Audacity 1.3 Projects will not open in 1.2.

Koz

[stvnericson]

Well, the thing is that I have already tried that. I downloaded 1.3 and repeated the process without success. The static appeared again without explanation. I have contacted the online storage site and they have told me that the problem is on my end. I just don't see how that could be possible when there is no problem that I can hear when I send it to them.

Steven

[kozikowski]

OK, so that's a file sharing service like Drop Box and others. No. I don't believe they damaged your work. I may be getting you confused with another poster who had static on their show. We never heard one of your damaged shows, did we? How would we do that?

If there anything particular about them? The noisy shows are all over 20 minutes long? They all happened when you had a head cold? Anything?

I got the reputation of Wizard by what is now called "thinking outside of the box." Someone would call me over to look at a problem and I would note that some very talented engineers had already looked at it, so I would suggest the most outrageous solution I could think of. It was right more often than not and awarded me my Little Green Screwdriver and Tall Pointed Hat.

Ideally, I would say to show us where the damaged show is, and then, in a separate transport, send us the "undamaged" show and let us beat it up.

The alternative is to hunt and peck various possibilities until we hit it.

Like this: Is your Audacity Preference set to 44100, 16-bit, Stereo? Those numbers change location depending on which Audacity you have, and they are not the First Birthday Audacity default settings.

Are you double-dog sure your stand-alone recorder produces MP3 files? Did you tell Windows to stop hiding filename extensions? Audacity doesn't convert between filetypes very well, and it's totally possible to edit a "foreign" music type without knowing and produce "magic," unstable MP3 files.

Koz

[stvnericson]

I would appreciate it if you would take a look at it. If you could give me an email address which I could send the file to you then you could compare it to the website. To find the speeches go the http://www.pilgrimpines.org and click on the "Mayflower Family Camp" link at the bottom center of the page. The scroll down to find "My Week at Camp 4" from which you can download Thursday 7/22 which is one example of one which I have had trouble with.

-Steven

[stvnericson]

Also to answer your last question, I am positive that I am recording in MP3 format. I just check my recorders internal settings it is recording MP3's.

-Steven

[kozikowski]

Fascinating. I pulled down the damaged clip and I would not say it had static. Static would be an AM radio with a thunder shower in the next town -- or somebody with a bad vacuum cleaner.

What you have is much more entertaining. You have your lecture clear and clean on the Left side of a stereo presentation and the Right side of the presentation is pure digital garbage -- hash or hiss. If you listen on headphones, your voice will be entirely on the left side.

It's very, very remotely possible that you upload a stereo show and it's OK, and you upload a mono show and the Box service fills in the missing channel with junk -- as it is expecting a stereo show at all times.

So yes, more than ever I want to see the original file for that show. I don't remember if my mail service cuts me off at 10MB or 100MB. The show file as I got it is 49MB.

Koz

[kozikowski]

It's also possible you're sending the show completely destroyed and you're listening to it wrong.

Can you play all four segments of this test?

http://www.kozco.com/tech/LRMonoPhaset4.wav

Koz