Blank Project when MP3 is imported

[rmfranze]

I'm trying to import a larger file (smaller than 2GB though) Audacity will say it is importing it, but when it is done all I have is a blank project. It has the same name as the file. I've tried just waiting longer, and I know it is a good file. Any suggestions on what to do? Thanks!

[kozikowski]

The filesize only counts if it's an uncompressed file. If it's a highly compressed MP3 file (for example), the actual show could be multiple hours long and could exceed the capacity of your machine. Audacity doesn't edit compressed files. It converts them to a very high quality internal format and edits that. When the show is inside Audacity, it reverts to its "real" size which usually shocks everybody.

Koz

[rmfranze]

That really doesn't help me. When I input the file, all that ends up coming up is a grey box without any wavy blue sound lines in it. In order to break the file into smaller parts, I have to have the sound lines. It also only comes up as a blank box that is 12 minutes long when the actual file is 18 hours long...hence the need to break it up.

[kozikowski]

You may need an editor that doesn't try to mount the whole file at once. If it's an MP3 file, we've been recommending MP3Split.

http://mp3splt.sourceforge.net/mp3splt_page/home.php

When Audacity opens up your show, it will generate somewhere between 40GB and 50GB of work. That's why it's not loading.

Koz

[rmfranze]

I will try that program. Thanks for the help!