Exporting to iTunes

[nightshades9]

I just used Audacity for the first time (v 1.2.5) so I have no idea how to use it properly. I've been recording old cassette tapes into GarageBand to have digital copies of all my music, but there is a lot of background hiss. I found out how to remove it with Audacity but when I try to export the project as an AIFF to iTunes it doesn't appear to be in there so I'm wondering hot to get the projects over to iTunes properly.

[waxcylinder]

All you should beed to do is to Export your poject as a set of music files - I would suggest putting it in it's own (possibly temporary) folder.

Then in iTunes use the Add Folder to Library command to import all the files from that folder.

WC

[nightshades9]

I wish I could say that your suggestion worked but it did not. I have noticed that exporting from Audacity results in a .aif file extension instead of .aiff. Either way I have tried a variety of methods of getting files into iTunes. Exporting the project into a folder and then 'adding folder to iTunes' resulted in nothing happening. If I drag the icon over to the iTunes window it highlights as if it's going to accept but does nothing. Do you have any other suggestions or perhaps another information resource for me? Thank you for trying.

[waxcylinder]

Sorry I can't help you further as I'm a PC person - all I can tell you is that on PC's it works fine. The uncompressed output file it makes is a WAV and these can be loaded into iTunes ok. I would have thought that with all-Apple MAC/iTunes/iPod you would have been fine.

Have you tried burning you exported music files to a CD-R (as a music CD) and ripping that into iTunes?

WC

[kozikowski]

If you open up one of the original music files in QuickTime and Press Apple-I for INFO, what does it say? It does play when you do that, right? If the files are in 24-bit audio, you need to know that 24-bit drives Audacity nuts for some reason. It's also good to know that WAV files, not AIFF, import into iTunes perfectly. That's the Audacity default. I do most of my work at 48000/16-bit Windows WAV format and those drop in or open with no effort. 44100/16 at a lesser quality, does, too.

Audio compressors work the best when you present them with the highest quality, uncompressed material you can--subject to the 24-bit rule on Macs.

That 24-bit thing may be missing from Audacity 1.3.x. It's worth trying out. You can install both versions at the same time, but only use one at a time.

Koz

[nightshades9]

I've now tried even more methods of getting the file over into iTunes but still with no results. I have changed the file extension from .aif to .aiff and also to .mp3. The preview that I get when I pull of additional info will play if I exported as .aif file but not as mp3 (I loaded a plug-in to get that export option).

Curiously, the mp3 file is accepted by iTunes and joins the library but there doesn't appear to be any information in it. Playing the track gives only silence and the same applies when I open the file to listen to the preview. Nothing. I am again at a loss.

[kozikowski]

<<<I am again at a loss.>>>

But not enough of a loss to follow instructions.

Go back one message and do that QuickTime thing I asked you to. It's important to know what the Mac thinks about your sound files.

In addition, download the piano trill from here...

http://www.kozco.com/tech/soundtests.html

...and send that through your pathway instead of your own sound files. It's six seconds long and it should work perfectly in Audacity, mp3, and iTunes. If it does, your sound files may have problems, if it doesn't, you may have a damaged lame install.

Koz

[nightshades9]

I am uncertain as to what lead you to believe that I didn't try your suggestion. Perhaps it was because I did not specify that process for you. None the less, I found your comment a bit discourteous. As to the topic at hand, I eventually got Audacity and iTunes to work nice together before I read your latest suggestion but I did follow it as a test and and it also has worked. The issue of manners not withstanding, I did appreciate the help you did provide as it did eventually lead to a solution.

<<<But not enough of a loss to follow instructions.>>>

[kozikowski]

<<<I did follow it as a test and and it also has worked. >>>

So what was the difference? If the download clip worked that means your install, the machine, and all the add-ons worked correctly. That means there was something wrong with your production clips or the way you were processing them.

Audacity does not have paid help. The object of the forum is to help as many people as possible through volunteers, so what was the problem and how did you fix it?

If you feel like it, you can drop in and help other people in trouble so they don't have to deal with me.

Koz

[nightshades9]

Indeed. The problem did turn out to be with the Stereo bit and Sample rate. I don't generally find any need to adjust many of the settings within iTunes and I almost never encode using the WAV format but making a few more changes beyond 48.000 kbps was necessary. As such, the source file still wasn't rich enough after initial encoding so it couldn't withstand the manipulation in Audacity.

To solve it I set iTunes to encode using MP3 format and went with a custom arrangement for the Settings: Stereo Bit Rate- 320 kbps, no Variable Bit Rate Encoding, 48.000 kHz, Channels- Stereo, and Stereo Mode- Normal. I also used Smart Encoding Adjustments and Filter Frequencies Below 10 Hz.

The results were more than sufficient for the output for which I had been wanting.