Audacity Forum

Audacity 1.2.5 for Mac (Intel MacBook, 10.4.11) made 4 wav files that are supposed to play on Windows. They play fine on the Mac (I'm using them on a DVD).

But Nero (very old version) wouldn't burn them.

I downloaded Audacity 1.2.6 for Windows (XP, SP 3) but when I opened a wav file and re-saved it to a new name, I got a file that is 1/2 the size. So I put those aside.

I went to Win Media Player which plays the Mac files but when I try to burn, I get:

>>It is not possible to determine if this file can fit on a disc because Windows Media Player cannot detect the length of the file. Playing the file before burning may enable the Player to detect the file length.

This is a two-hour opera in four files so playing them thru is a bother. I'd burn them on the Mac but it's totally tied up with the DVD. Besides, I'd really like to be able to use them on either machine.

So I returned to Audacity on Windows to examine the Mac and Windows version of the same file. I can't find any properties other than what's in the left panel. (Is there another place to look?) The wav forms look the same, same length. Both files say 44100Hz, 32-bit float. Are these files the same even tho one is half the size?

Thanks for any info/tips,

Jeanne

Audacity does not have an INFO panel. It's one of the Feature Requests. Open the files in Mac QuickTime Player and Command-I INFO panel. You should get 44100, 16-bit, Stereo

I do this all the time on multiple different computers. It does work, we just need to find out why it doesn't work for you. This is a special video sound file at 48000, but you get the idea.
Koz

Thanks so much for your reply. I did two screen captures. I've really not done a wide variety of things with audio so I consider my knowledge pretty rudimentary. But I've copied/transferred from one medium to another and digitized for a long time. Anyway, while I'm familiar with "16 bit" and "44.100kHz," the rest starts to get a little murky. I thought the data rate had more to do with streaming than files on a hard drive or an audio CD. The 32-bit float is a mystery and the "current time" is completely baffling.

But, of course, all of that comports with the major difference in file size.

Anyway, I don't expect you to educate me completely. But any pointers will be gratefully accepted. Again, FromMac.tiff is the original made with Audacity on MacBook. The ThruWin.tiff is a "copy" made by opening the Mac file on Windows and then saving back out again.

Jeanne

I can't open the graphics files. Just read the FORMAT: line.

Any time you run music through Windows, it tries to use Windows Media and that's a compressed format. So that's the difference in file sizes. Data compression creates smaller music files at the expense of quality.

I thought the data rate had more to do with streaming than files on a hard drive or an audio CD. The 32-bit float is a mystery and the "current time" is completely baffling.

It is -- or more accurately streaming across any transmission -- usually the internet, but hard drives have data rates, too. 32-bit Float is an insanely higher quality than 16-bit but isn't as common. Current Time is where you are in the song and Duration is pretty obvious. Three minute song?

I wouldn't be shocked to find that Windows didn't like 32-bit floating very much. Export the songs in Windows 16-bit like this...
Koz

I could read the graphics files, and the file you exported on the Mac is indeed at 32-bit floating point file. Do as Koz suggests and make sure you are exporting a 16-bit 44100 Hz PCM WAV file from the Mac.

However, since you are using 1.2.5 you have to make that choice in Audacity > Preferences, the File Formats Tab, then the "Uncompressed Export Format" drop-down menu.
-- Bill

That's scary. Mac FireFox can't see TIFFs?
Safari can see them.

Koz

kozikowski wrote:That's scary. Mac FireFox can't see TIFFs?
Safari can see them.

Koz

A bit off-topic, but not scary. Tiff images are rarely used on web pages and there are much better image formats for the web (such as PNG).
It would be surprising if Safari didn't support viewing TIFF images as the format appears to be so popular on Mac.
Tiff support in Firefox is provided by plug-ins.

kozikowski wrote:That's scary. Mac FireFox can't see TIFFs?
Safari can see them.

In Camino I had to right-click then "View Image"

-- Bill

>>In Camino I had to right-click then "View Image"

That works in Windows Firefox too.

Jeanne

That worked. Firefox on a MacBook, Control-Click > View Image.

Koz