Large Files

[joeaudacity]

I have been asked to edit a very large 'audiobook' (11 and a bit hours) into smaller chunks. I have had problems with this project previously working with AIFF files, and having got the thing into the then required format - 1 large compressed audio file without any glitches, I am really loathe to take an mp3 or mp4 file of 1.5 GB, convert it back to WAV, splice it, and bounce back down to mp3, as I fear this may introduce glitches as happened previously.

I haven't yet downloaded audacity, but can anyone advise as to whether it is suitable for splicing a 1.5 GB mp3 file into 12 sections and saving them as 12 individual mp3 files?

Any help will be greatly appreciated..

[kozikowski]

I would totally be trying to use one of the straight MP3 editors out there with the idea that they will not convert the show to anything else before editing like Audacity will. Audacity will not edit an MP3 file. It converts everything to its own internal, high quality format and then makes you export it again to whatever you want.

Internally, that sort of show will turn into as much as 30GB of files. That means you would need, say 60GB of free drive space just to manage the project -- if you got it to work at all.

If somebody wants you to edit massive files like that, the correct response is "I hear my mom calling. See ya." You're in surveillance computer territory there and those people use special operating systems, hardware, and management.

<<<mp4 file of 1.5 GB,>>>

That would be Apple AAC iTunes format. Audacity 1.2 will not open those. I think Audacity 1.3 might and then only if you applied the FFMpeg libraries and tools. MP3 files require the lame libraries.

Koz

[waxcylinder]

I agree with Koz - MP3cut is a tool that gets recommended a lot on the forum.

WC

[steve]

I use the (free and open source) program MP3Split - it does what it says on the tin.
http://mp3splt.sourceforge.net/mp3splt_page/home.php