Audacity Won't Export...

[amlz]

I'm having problems exporting from a certain Audacity project file. Whenever I try to export from Audacity to an mp3 or WAV, it just creates a 0 KB file. I could just record the file as it plays, but the sound becomes slightly murky when I do that.

Here are the steps I'm using to create the file:
1. Import from source mp3
2. Trim, fade out, and adjust amplitude
3. Save project
4. Export to new file

However, whenever I follow these same steps with other files (I'm making ringtones), they export fine.

I've attached below the project file (and data folder) that I'm having trouble with, as well as the source mp3.

Project Files (13.5 MB ZIP)

Can anyone help me with this?

[kozikowski]

Trying to email somebody a project is going to have almost zero chance of success. I'm on a Mac and even if I knew what an rar file was (I do) I'm going to have to go looking for the decompression software. That and my folder and directory structure is going to be different from yours, so it won't play here even if I did get it to decompress.

In any event, I'm pretty sure I know what's wrong with your show. You have a damaged original MP3, or the MP3 file isn't really an MP3 file. Audacity has a nasty property that we're trying to talk the programmers out of continuing. It will open up and seem to manage a sound file even if it hasn't the slightest idea what it really is. This only shows up much later when you try to export the work. It won't go. Suddenly, Audacity has to manage the work on a strict sound file structure basis and it can't do it.

I would try filtering the original file through something that does filetype translations (even if you seem to be going from MP3 to MP3) and then do the post production in Audacity.

Koz

[waxcylinder]

Just a thought: you're not trying to create an MP3 filename with any special characters (like ? etc)? If so try exporting with a simpler alpha-only filename instead. (1.3 Audacity is now more helpful in this respect - it tells you when you have illegal characters in a filename).

WC

[amlz]

No, I'm not trying to use any special characters, its all strictly alpha. Also, I ran the source file through a converter (SUPER ©) to mp3 per Koz's suggestion, and still have the same problems.

P.S.: I changed the archive to a ZIP file, so it should be more accessible.

[kozikowski]

OK. That opened.

While I dig through this, you know you can read the AUP file in almost any text editor, right? That can tell you stuff, although it hasn't told me anything yet.

This is a simple one where I did a screen grab. Left channel is on top.

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/aup1.jpg

Koz

[kozikowski]

Audacity 1.2.5 opens your original MP3 file and can export other waves and MP3s and segments.

The project does open up in Audacity 1.3.5 (surprised the heck out of me) and after a little system sturm und drang because of crossed versions, I can export as anything and select segments and export those. It will not, however, export all versions of MP3. Your original clip sample rate of 22050 messes with some export variations. Are the music files that work OK sampled at 22050? Can I guess they're not?

Audacity 1.3.5 knows a lot more about what it's doing than 1.2.x did. 1.2.x is much more likely to blindly create damage.

Koz

[steve]

It will not, however, export all versions of MP3

Depending on what exactly it won't do, that may be a red herring
http://audacityteam.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5427

[steve]

I've just quickly tried the project in Audacity 1.2.6 (Windows) and I confirm the project is OK.
It's a bit of a mystery why it won't export even as a WAV on amlz's machine, especially if other projects do.

@ amlz, It is Audacity 1.2.6 that you are using and not an even more ancient version?

If so, the only suggestions that I can come up with are either, switch over to Audacity 1.3, or trash the Audacity 1.2 Registry entries, download 1.2.6 again, and do a fresh install.
The registry entries for Audacity 1.2 are in:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareAudacity

Audacity 1.3.x does not use the registry, it has a configuration file located:
Documents and Settings<user name>Application DataAudacityaudacity.cfg

Just a wild guess about why this particular MP3 should give a problem - perhaps your Audacity installation is having problems with the id3v2 data?

[kozikowski]

A reading from the AUP file:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<audacityproject projname="Acoustic Curves_data" version="1.1.0" audacityversion="1.2.6" sel0="0.00...

Koz

[steve]

A reading from the AUP file:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<audacityproject projname="Acoustic Curves_data" version="1.1.0" audacityversion="1.2.6" sel0="0.00...

Koz

Is there something odd about that?