Using CUE files in Audacity - Is it possible?

[The Owld Fecker]

Hi all,

This is my first post and as my user name implies I am, totally, non techy!

My query is this:

I have downloaded a CD which came as one long track (around 1 hour 15 minutes) but came complete with a CUE file, which Windows (I use VISTA Business) refused to open and so I, initially, ignored it as I hadn't a clue what it was, or what it was supposed to do.

I then searched the WEB for a recommended "track splitter" (I've never used one) and downloaded Audacity and the "Lame" file I think I need, read the FAQ's (on site and at Wiki) and imported the CD download by using "Project/Import Audio" and after 6 minutes, or so, it appeared in Audacity.

When I tried following the instructions, however, it allowed me to place the cursor at "0" but would not open the "Add Label At Selection" option, listed under "Project".

So, I reckoned I must be doing something wrong and (maybe) had to mark the end of the track as well, but could find no way of doing this.

At that point I decided to try and find out more about what CUE files are and discovered (I think) that they store the track information (length/artist/song titles etc.) and so I wondered if there is any way I could import this into Audacity and set it to automatically split and name the tracks, based on the information it contains?

If so, could somebody be kind enough to provide detailed "step by step" instructions on how I should do it?

I would add that the CD contains no natural breaks between tracks as it is a "Trance" compilation - Cue (no pun intended) the jokes about what is an Owld Fecker doing listening to trance!

If it is not possible to do what I am thing of, could somebody please give me an "idiot proof" guide, detailing how I can split the tracks, manually, coz I'm, obviously, going wrong somewhere!

Many thanks in advance.

[steve]

If you are wanting to do just this one project then you probably don't need Audacity at all (though don't let me put you off all the fun that can be had with this great little program).

The Cue file is for using with a CD burning application. I think that the excellent and free CDburnerXP supports cue files. http://cdburnerxp.se/
The idea is that the CD burning software reads all the information about where tracks start and end, then puts appropriate track markers on the CD as it burns the data from the big file that contains all of the tracks.

[Prophecy99]

Thanks steve, Good to know, but is audacity looking into supporting Cue Files in the future? It could import a cue file and then add label markers or track markers per the cue file. In my opinion it would be a great addition to the software.

[kozikowski]

http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewforum.php?f=20

Koz

[Prophecy99]

If you are wanting to do just this one project then you probably don't need Audacity at all (though don't let me put you off all the fun that can be had with this great little program).

The Cue file is for using with a CD burning application. I think that the excellent and free CDburnerXP supports cue files. http://cdburnerxp.se/
The idea is that the CD burning software reads all the information about where tracks start and end, then puts appropriate track markers on the CD as it burns the data from the big file that contains all of the tracks.

hey steve i cant figure out how to use the cue files in CDBurner, have you done so successfully? if so how? I asked around on CDburner forums no luck..

[steve]

Sorry, it's not something I've ever tried.

[Prophecy99]

its ok thanks anyway for the response .