Joining multiple MP3 files to create one large file

[genkidave]

OK, I have read the articles on joining files and have tried to use the "time shift tool" and still can not get it to work properly.

So, in a nut shell here's the problem. I like to listen to audio books on my MP3 player, but they are ALL in really small files
for each CD (1 CD contains approx 15 small mp3 files).

I've been opening all the files (Project > Import Audio), cutting and pasting the tracks into one track (Selecting the file beneath, cutting and pasting into the file above so it'll be in the correct order and not all mixed up) one at a time...

Is there a way where I can have ALL the files joined together in order without having to cut and paste all the time?

(file1,file2,file3, etc...)

I also tried selecting ALL of the files and using Quick Mix (Project > Quick Mix) but the resulting file which is supposed to be over an hour in length only turns out to be like 7 mins or so (I don't know why that is...)

Thx

Genki Dave

[Gale Andrews]

When you import the files they all start at time zero. If you pressed play, they would all play together at the same time. Quick Mix does the same thing, mixing the selected tracks together into one track that remains at the same point on the timeline.

Unfortunately Audacity lacks any automatic way to import files and align them end to end (something we will no doubt put right eventually). Time Shift Tool would be quicker. Try zooming out a little, then use TIme Shift Tool to drag the start of the second track so it lies underneath or a little after the end of the first, and so on. Note Time Shift in 1.2 only drags the track sideways, not up/down, so with this method you keep all the tracks you imported, not join them into one.

Gale

[genkidave]

Bummer...

That would take 4ever 2 do.

Do you know when the ability to combine/merge/join (whatever...) the files may be available in Audacity.
It'z a totally kewl prog and I would LUV 2 use it a lot more often.

Genki Dave

P.S. Thanks 4 the really quick reply...!

[waxcylinder]

So, in a nut shell here's the problem. I like to listen to audio books on my MP3 player, but they are ALL in really small files
for each CD (1 CD contains approx 15 small mp3 files).

So why aren't you just ripping the CDs straight to your MP3 player software? This would normally create an "album" and keep them in the right order for playing - no neeed to pass them through Audacity (iTunes certainly works that way). Or you could create a playlist for each "book".

WC

[genkidave]

I don't have an iTunes mp3 Player. It's one of those "run of the mill" ones. Here in Canada, mp3s are not illegal to copy
from CD (although any multimedia mediums (CDs, tapes, VCR tapes, etc...) are more expensive to purchase. Therefore, the files are already in digital format on my Hard Drive.

Genki Dave

[steve]

Many MP3 players support "Play Lists" which are usually just text files that list a series of audio files so that when you open the play list in your mp3 player, it will automatically play all the listed files in order. It may be worth looking to see if your mp3 player supports play lists as this may save you needing to edit all the files together. Also editing MP3s and re-encoding them as MP3s again will (with most audio editors including Audacity) cause some loss in sound quality. Using playlists will avoid this quality loss.

These are the two most common types of playlist:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.m3u
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.pls

[Wildman]

I'm interested in being able to join tracks together also. My reasons are different. I've had to place a lot of old vynal with the newer "re-mastered" CD versions. I'll use a Pink Floyd piece as an example. Originally, the title piece for the old album "Atom Heart Mother", consisted of 6 separate tracks. But they were all joined together to play as one long song. The thing is, the music was written and produced with this concept in mind. In other words, it sounds funny when played as separate pieces. I can do a quick, cheap splice with Nero, by eliminating the pause between songs. But, it doesn't always work too well. I was recommended by a friend to try Audacity. But it sounds like using the "Quick Fix" app., would be tha same as what I do with Nero. Can you recommened something I can use to achieve this? Too bad, this looks like a nice program.

[kozikowski]

Still, Free iTunes for Windows should let you import your Music CDs in multiple formats. You can import them at the original uncompressed format if you want, you don't have to use the Apple AAC format, or any compression at all. I believe one of the iTunes import formats is MP3.

Pull the MP3 files out of iTunes and drop them into your Melody Spritzer MP3 player.

Koz

[steve]

I was recommended by a friend to try Audacity. But it sounds like using the "Quick Fix" app.,

With Audacity 1.3 you can Import all 6 parts into Audacity in separate tracks, slide them along the time line so that they play one after another, then there are various tools available to make the joins seamless. When you have it playing perfectly you can add labels and "Export Multiple" in 16 bit 44.1kHz WAV format ready for burning with Nero (be sure to set pause between tracks to 0 in Nero). With a bit of time and effort your results could be perfect.

[Gale Andrews]

I'm interested in being able to join tracks together also. My reasons are different. I've had to place a lot of old vynal with the newer "re-mastered" CD versions. I'll use a Pink Floyd piece as an example. Originally, the title piece for the old album "Atom Heart Mother", consisted of 6 separate tracks. But they were all joined together to play as one long song. The thing is, the music was written and produced with this concept in mind. In other words, it sounds funny when played as separate pieces. I can do a quick, cheap splice with Nero, by eliminating the pause between songs.

So I'm not quite following - are these split-up songs on a CD? If so, and the gap is just because your CD player can't buffer properly between tracks, play the CD with iTunes. If you want a continuous WAV file off the CD, you can rip multiple CD tracks to a single, continuous WAV with CDex. But if the CD tracks have silence deliberately inserted that is nothing to do with a gap between tracks, then yes you will still have to join them.


Gale