PLEASE HELP - Open aud project, orphan all files opens blank

[tylerstringer]

We recently broke the Guinness World Record for the longest internet stream ever: http://zanelamprey.com/the-zane-lamprey ... d-attempt/

I recorded our attempt in audacity 2.x with Mac OS 10.7x and it was a 25 hour + recording. As I usually do, I copied the data folder and the aup file over to my personal computer to work on it. When I opened it, it gave me this message: Project check read faulty Sequence tags. I tried to " Continue with repairs noted in log, and check for more errors. This will save the project in its current state, unless you "Close the project immediately" on further error alerts.

When it finished, it gave me the following error: Project check of worldrecordpodcast_data folder found 30318 orphan block file(s). These files are unused by this project, but might belong to other projects. They are doing no harm and are small."

I continued without deleting and when the project opened up, it opened up to the end on the correct timecode but the whole thing was blank. I am in serious need of help. We need this file in order to verify our world record breaking live audio stream for Guinness World Records. The "daata" files are correct as I listened to some but they aren't connect with the .aup file.

Please help. I am wary of opening the original file as I am scared of corrupting it and absolutely losing any chance of using this aup project to export an mp2 version to submit to the Guinness people for verification. Can anyone help?

You can answer here or email me at [email protected]. Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope.

[kozikowski]

I removed your email address. We get many spam-bots looking for people to send spam to.

There is an upper limit to the length of time that Audacity will record. At 44100, 16-bit stereo, I think it's around 12 hours. I'm looking for the documentation. Koz

[kozikowski]

http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic ... 50#p205827

[waxcylinder]

There is an upper limit to the length of time that Audacity will record. At 44100, 16-bit stereo, I think it's around 12 hours. I'm looking for the documentation.

See: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/fa ... #remaining

WC

[Gale Andrews]

Sorry you had this problem.

To be clear, the only real recording limit is disk space. Audacity could work with the 25 hour long 44100 Hz recording (albeit with corrupted values in Selection Toolbar) and would have safely exported your MP2 file. But this only applies while the overlong project is open. Once you close it, Audacity cannot open it again .

A theoretical, "possibly" least work method to recover the audio would be to split the project into three parts each of about 10000 AU files. However you need to know exactly what you are doing and I don't know anyone who has actually done this. I'm documenting it in case any one wants to try it.

It means first making several copies of the AUP file as an insurance. Then select the first d00, d01 and so on folders until you have selected enough complete folders to contain about 10000 AU files (each folder should have 256 AU Files). Move all the other "d" folders out of that project.

Then go down the first copy of the AUP identifying exactly those 10000 AU file names (or whatever number it is). You may want to sort the AU files in the last complete folder by time so they are in similar order to that in the AUP.

Select and delete all the other file names in the AUP and terminate the AUP with the correct syntax (the same as it has now).

Then create a new project data folder, giving it a new name, with the same folder structure as the first project, "d" folders inside "e" folders. The "d" folders should contain the next 10000 AU files or so. The names of the "d" folders have to start from d00, as in the first project.

Take the next copy of the AUP. Give it the same name as the new project that has the second batch of 10000 files. Open the AUP and near the top, correct the _data folder to point to the name of the new project. Select from "<wavetrack name=" downwards all the file names that are already in the first AUP file and delete them. Identify the next 10000 or whatever AU file names that are in your next batch of folders. Then delete all the AU file names below that (again ending with the correct syntax).

Repeat for the final project.

The alternative method does not guarantee stereo channels will be correct - some blocks of audio will be in the left when they should be in the right. You don't need the AUP file for this. Use Automator to sort the AU files by timestamp then rename them while time-sorted into a consistent alphanumerical sequence. Then recover the renamed files using the Intel version of the Audacity 1.2 recovery utility. You will want to work with a single folder each containing about 1000 (not 10000) AU files, so probably the AU files from four of the folders. 1000 AU files is as many as the utility can cope with error-free.

This process is explained at http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php? ... very_tools and you can download the 1.2 recovery utility from the link on that page.

At the end of this process (which does work with the noted stereo channel limitation, but assumes you did not edit the recorded audio) you will have about 30 WAV files which you can join together in Audacity ( see http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/fa ... .html#join for how to join files).



Gale

[tylerstringer]

Thank you all. To think if I had just exported it to an mp3 file before saving and closing... Anyway, I am afraid this solution is way above my paygrade. We may have to just go with knowing we broke the world record but not having Guinness recognize us, well my boss, Zane Lamprey as the "official" holder. (sigh) If anyone wanted to try it, I would gladly send them the files and I could send them a signed DVD of the show or some gear from our online store... check us out at http://www.zanelamprey.com... Again thanks.

[Gale Andrews]

Do Guinness insist on the finished file?

You could try making an AUP of the first 8 hours to see if that would work. Then you have not spent too much time on it if it doesn't. I can edit the AUP to be suitable for the first 8 hours but you will have to deal with the data folders.

No one is going to want the cost of the moving the data across the internet. The other alternative if you cannot deal with the data folders is for someone to access your computer remotely to do the job for you.


Gale

[tylerstringer]

we would be happy to send the files on a usb drive to let someone access our computers remotely. Can you point me in the direction of someone who can help? We can send them a signed DVD of our TV show and have them as a guest on our podcast or anything they'd like...

[Gale Andrews]

we would be happy to send the files on a usb drive to let someone access our computers remotely. Can you point me in the direction of someone who can help? We can send them a signed DVD of our TV show and have them as a guest on our podcast or anything they'd like...

The only people who could help that I can think of would be Steve or me and unfortunately we are both in the UK. Maybe Ed would do it - he is in the USA, but he's travelling now.

I wouldn't do it by sending a USB drive unless you reimbursed me (in money) for shipping back to the US (probably about $20 with signed for shipping). I would spend an hour on it for free, beyond that you'd have to pay for my time. If the "three AUP file" method worked, it shouldn't need an hour.

What do you mean by "usb drive to let someone access our computers remotely". If someone accessed remotely you would have made a full backup of the data and three copies of the AUP file and the original data would be manipulated on your computer. I assume that would be viable (not too slow).

How about instead attaching the AUP file as I suggested (back it up first) then I edit it for the first eight hours to see if this method will work.

I also need a listing of everything in your project's _data folder.

To do that, open terminal.app in /Applications, cd to the project's _data folder then type:

Code: Select all

ls -R > list.txt

Hit ENTER or RETURN on your keyboard. This saves list.txt in the _data folder containing a list of all folders and all the files that are in them.

Alternatively follow these steps to give yourself a right-click menu item in Finder "New Terminal at Folder". Then all you have to do is right-click over that _data folder, choose that command and run ls -R > list.txt.

Please attach the AUP file and the list.txt thus http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic ... 49&t=64936 .


Gale

[tylerstringer]

I meant "or" let someone access them remotely...

I will do the Aup file upload and the rest in the am and get it up tomorrow and we'll start there.

And yes Guinness insists on one uncut... although they may not know that, file in mp3 or wav format...