Export Selection produces tracks out of sync./ wrong length

TSMusic · Post by **TSMusic** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 1:24 am

I am having a problem with WAVE files as well. I do my recording and track editing in Audacity and export the files as 32 bit WAV files, which I bring into Cubase for mixing. 1.3.5 would sometimes add a little space to the beginning of the track. Not always and not every track. Say I had an acoustic guitar recorded with 2 mic's and a bass track. I would get everything lined up right in Audacity, then do my export. Sometimes the bass track would have a little extra air at the front, sometimes not.

1.3.6..ugh...big time problems. I DO NOT like the new export layout..that is a royal PITA. The other day I had the same problems with tracks shifting on export. Today, I exported 4 tracks, 2 mono guitar, one stereo guitar and a bass track for a new song. Exported them as 32 bit WAV files. Bring them into Cubase and they are like 10 X the volume they should be and distorting..ugh. Open the WAV files with Winamp and they play fine. Bring them back into Audacity and they play fine. Finally I exported them again, this time as 24 bit WAV files and they worked. EXCEPT that it added a little space to the front of the bass track again AND added dead air to all the tracks (which I had cut down to all finish at the same spot).

Something ain't right here for sure and I hope it get's fixed fast.

Tony

Post by **kozikowski** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 4:59 am

Does Cubase directly support 32-bit floating point sound files? Did you read that or are you assuming it does?

Koz

Post by **steve** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 9:35 pm

TSMusic wrote:Something ain't right here for sure and I hope it get's fixed fast.

Why do you think the problem is in Audacity? Your description would seem to suggest the problem is in Cubase.

TSMusic · Post by **TSMusic** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 12:04 am

stevethefiddle wrote:
TSMusic wrote:Something ain't right here for sure and I hope it get's fixed fast.
Why do you think the problem is in Audacity? Your description would seem to suggest the problem is in Cubase.

Because I've only done this maybe 100 or so times already and never had a problem with the WAV files till 1.3.5 and those were minor compared to the mess that 1.3.6 is causing.

I just finished my 2nd CD and that was recorded entirely with Audacity, tracks exported as 32 bit WAV files, imported into Cubase SE3, mixed down to 24 bit WAV file, brought back into Audacity for final volume adustments, dead air trim and export as 16 bit WAV for the CD and MP3 for the rest of the world.

I do my recording on one PC and my mixing on another btw..and I ain't no stranger to PC's either, started selling them back in 1979 when we called them microcomputers and hopefully sold my last one back in 2005.

Tony

Post by **kozikowski** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 2:21 am

What was the last version that worked right?

Koz

Post by **steve** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 2:26 am

It seems very odd that you are continually getting "dead space" at the beginning of WAV files. I have never had that occur, ever, with any version of Audacity, and I've been using it for years on both Windows and Linux, so I'm something of a loss why you are experiencing it. If I export a 32 bit wav file, then import it back into Audacity, the imported wav is identical to the original track.

As you are an experienced computer user, you will be aware of the importance of accurate and detailed fault descriptions when troubleshooting a problem, so perhaps you could try and identify at what point in your working process does this "dead space" get added. For example, if you generate a sine wave in 32 bit, Export it as a 32 bit WAV file, then import it back into Audacity, do you have "dead space" added? How about when you import it into Cubase? Perhaps when you convert to 24 bit?

I assume that you are aware that MP3's always have a little bit of dead space at the beginning? (I know you said "WAV", but I just cannot reproduce the problem with WAV files).

TSMusic · Post by **TSMusic** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 12:44 pm

kozikowski wrote:What was the last version that worked right?

Koz

For me, 1.3.4

Tony

TSMusic · Post by **TSMusic** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:03 pm

stevethefiddle wrote:It seems very odd that you are continually getting "dead space" at the beginning of WAV files. I have never had that occur, ever, with any version of Audacity, and I've been using it for years on both Windows and Linux, so I'm something of a loss why you are experiencing it. If I export a 32 bit wav file, then import it back into Audacity, the imported wav is identical to the original track.

As you are an experienced computer user, you will be aware of the importance of accurate and detailed fault descriptions when troubleshooting a problem, so perhaps you could try and identify at what point in your working process does this "dead space" get added. For example, if you generate a sine wave in 32 bit, Export it as a 32 bit WAV file, then import it back into Audacity, do you have "dead space" added? How about when you import it into Cubase? Perhaps when you convert to 24 bit?

I assume that you are aware that MP3's always have a little bit of dead space at the beginning? (I know you said "WAV", but I just cannot reproduce the problem with WAV files).

I just tried the last song I had problems with, again last evening and it did the same thing.

The scenerio is this. I have an acoustic guitar track that is recorded using 2 mics. (I'm using a Presonus Inspire 1384 interface). I then add a bass track (which records as stereo track but only to one channel). I split that track, get rid of the quiet one and make the bass track mono. I then, by deleting a wee bit of the dead air at the start of the track, adjust for any latency (which I don't get much but..).

So I have the the tracks all nicely lined up and the song plays correctly in Audacity. I then split the stereo guitar track, and make those mono tracks as well. I export each track as a 32 bit wav. I close Audacity and fire up Cubase (which is a legal paid for copy BTW...if you want to see my dongle..). Start a new Empty project, goto Import > Audio and import all 3 tracks. The guitar tracks come in fine and the bass is now off (starting late) because the dead air or lead in time has for some reason increased on that track. I have to adjust the track in Cubase to get it lined up correctly.

And it's not always the bass track, another one it was some midi string tracks that I had converted to WAV's. As I replied to kozikowski, I had no problems like this with 1.3.4 or with any of the previous beta versions.

If I get a chance today I'll try the sine wave test.

Tony

TSMusic · Post by **TSMusic** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:47 pm

I tried the Sine Wav Test. I made 3 tracks, each one at a different frequency. Kept one track at 0, moved the second track over exactly 1 second, and the third track .5 second. At first I used the Time Shift Tool but when I exported them, it did not save the positions correctly. So I pasted in some lead in time from another song, making sure that they were exactly 1 second, and .5. I then exported them, brought them into Cubase.

The zero and the 1 second track came in fine. The .5 second offset had decreased to .495. So I closed Cubase and imported the WAV's back into Audacity and that track was still starting at .495 rather than .50. On my other stuff it''s been moving it the other way.

The other interesting point here now that the coffee has kicked in and I'm thinking semi-clearly...it always seems to be the last track in the project that get's mucked up.

Tony

Post by **steve** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:16 pm

How are you "Exporting"?
I presume that you are using "Export Selected" from the File menu?
If so, how do you ensure that you have selected from precisely 0.000 seconds?

Audacity Forum