Importing multi-track recording?

[witzz]

Hi,

Please forgive me if this question has already been asked elsewhere.

I have some recordings that are currently on an ADAT cassette. I plan to have them converted (at a studio where they are unlikely to have Audacity) to some digital format so that I can edit them on my Mac using Audacity. What format might that be? My assumption is that I will have to have each track saved as a separate WAV or AIFF file and import each track separately, and then line them up as best I can. Is there an easier way?

As an added wrinkle, I need to be able to edit on my Mac and have my friend edit on her PC. Am assuming Audacity is Audacity and the cross-platform nature of the beast will be the least of my problems... correct?

Thanks!!

-Carol

[Gale Andrews]

Hi,

I have some recordings that are currently on an ADAT cassette. I plan to have them converted (at a studio where they are unlikely to have Audacity) to some digital format so that I can edit them on my Mac using Audacity. What format might that be? My assumption is that I will have to have each track saved as a separate WAV or AIFF file and import each track separately, and then line them up as best I can. Is there an easier way?

If you use Audacity 1.3 Beta it can both import and export multi-channel WAV and AIFF files (the export option is "Use custom mix" in the Import / Export Preferences). 1.2 can only import multi-channel files.

If you import the tracks separately they will align with time zero. So they won't line up correctly unless they have the appropriate amount of silence at the start. Time Shift Tool (F5) will align them manually.

As an added wrinkle, I need to be able to edit on my Mac and have my friend edit on her PC. Am assuming Audacity is Audacity and the cross-platform nature of the beast will be the least of my problems... correct?

Your friend will also have to be using 1.3 (not 1.2, because 1.2 cannot open projects created in 1.3). You will also need to set Import / Export Preferences to "make a copy" of the imported files, because otherwise the project will depend on your local copy of those files. See Sending your work to others.



Gale