Head clipped on audio import

[fantulip]

I'm new to audio editing and I've only used audacity for spoken word material so far. What happens occasionally is that I import a file into a project and a tiny amount is clipped at the head - less than a second. But when you're working with speech, that can be crucial, changing the entire meaning of what's being said. The source file isn't the problem - I've checked each time (it happens only intermittently) and the sound is there; but when it gets into Audacity it isn't. What's happening and can I get around the problem? I'd appreciate any help you can give me.

(I’m using Windows XP Pro Version 2002 SP3 on an AMD Athlon™ 64X2 Dual, Core Processor 3800+ 2.01 GHz 1.00 GB of Ram)

[kozikowski]

<<<I import a file into a project >>>

What happens if you just open the clip instead of importing it? If you are forced into importing it, then it may be a music format hat Audacity doesn't get along with very well.

Koz

[fantulip]

Thanks for the reply, Koz.
I can open it directly into Audacity using "open with" but it's the same.
I'm trying to piece a speech together from some small files, all of which are listed as VLC media files (.mp3) in Windows Explorer (although for some reason they carry the WMP icon, not the little VLC cone) but they also open in WMP, Realplayer, Quicktime as well as the VLP player. And in all of these, the complete file is there and plays just fine. So the file itself seems okay. What happens in Audacity is that because of the missing bit, the phrase, "certain ideas, none of which can be acted upon..." becomes "certain ideas, which can be acted upon..." when I join the files. So it's a problem. Any more ideas as to how I can make it work? If I can't, I guess I'd have to have a go at patching it in with my own recorded voice and try to make it sound like the speaker's...not too likely.

[kozikowski]

<<<they also open in WMP, Realplayer, Quicktime as well as the VLP player.>>>

Those players will open and play floor sweepings. That doesn't count. Audacity won't do that.

So you have very foreign and confusing sound files and nobody's shocked that Audacity won't deal with them properly. Do you have QuickTime Pro? If you do, you can use that to export your work in WAV which Audacity should open up just fine. Microsoft WAV, 44100, 16-bit, Stereo.

QTP is a terrific Get Out Of Jail card and everybody doing production should have it. We install QTP on all the corporate machines, PC or Mac.

Koz

[steve]

What happens in Audacity is that because of the missing bit, the phrase, "certain ideas, none of which can be acted upon..." becomes "certain ideas, which can be acted upon..." when I join the files.

So that I'm clear...
You have 2 files - one has a recording of "certain ideas," and the other has a recording of "none of which can be acted upon..."
and when you import (or open) the second of these files, the first couple of words "none of" are getting cut off, leaving the rest of that recording intact?

Have I got that right?

Could you upload the second of these files to the internet and post a link so that we can look at them. (http://www.sendspace.com is free and pretty good if you don't have your own web space)

[fantulip]

Thanks, Koz. I don't have Quick Time Pro but I have another sound file converter and I did what you said, converted it into WAV and it opened in audacity with the head intact. Many thanks, I'll do that whenever the same thing happens.

Thanks also to Steve for being willing to help, but I don't know how to upload yet.