How do I apply effect to many tracks at one time? (SOLVED)

[davidc]

Newbie question here,

I'm trying to process 28 files that were the MP3 Ovation recording of the Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience concert. The recording was very bass heavy. I've developed a curve using the Effects->Equalizer that helps. But can I apply it to all 28 files at once instead of one at a time?

Thanks

[kozikowski]

I don't have the machine with me, but you could try the Chains tool. It's Audacity "Batch Processing."

Filters and Tools in Chains have to be specifically written to work, so not all Effects automatically qualify. But that's a darn good start.

If you don't do that, the other option is Importing all the files one atop the other in one show, apply the equalizer and then export each music file one at a time. Chances are your computer will be smoldering wreckage long before you finished if you didn't go screaming out of the house first.

By the way, you can't really do any of these tricks with MP3 files. MP3 creates music damage and it's cumulative. Each time you export an MP3 file, it adds damage to the damage already there and you can't stop it. You can avoid additional damage by Exporting as WAV or AIFF, or MP3 at the highest possible bit rate. It's a good deal less desirable when you find the shows double in size or start bubbling and gargling from compression damage.

Koz

[davidc]

I don't have the machine with me, but you could try the Chains tool. It's Audacity "Batch Processing."

Filters and Tools in Chains have to be specifically written to work, so not all Effects automatically qualify. But that's a darn good start.

If you don't do that, the other option is Importing all the files one atop the other in one show, apply the equalizer and then export each music file one at a time. Chances are your computer will be smoldering wreckage long before you finished if you didn't go screaming out of the house first.

By the way, you can't really do any of these tricks with MP3 files. MP3 creates music damage and it's cumulative. Each time you export an MP3 file, it adds damage to the damage already there and you can't stop it. You can avoid additional damage by Exporting as WAV or AIFF, or MP3 at the highest possible bit rate. It's a good deal less desirable when you find the shows double in size or start bubbling and gargling from compression damage.

Koz

Thanks for the suggetstions, but it appears that the Batch file process is for applying multiple modifications to one file, rather than one mod to many files.

[davidc]

I don't have the machine with me, but you could try the Chains tool. It's Audacity "Batch Processing."

Filters and Tools in Chains have to be specifically written to work, so not all Effects automatically qualify. But that's a darn good start.

If you don't do that, the other option is Importing all the files one atop the other in one show, apply the equalizer and then export each music file one at a time. Chances are your computer will be smoldering wreckage long before you finished if you didn't go screaming out of the house first.

By the way, you can't really do any of these tricks with MP3 files. MP3 creates music damage and it's cumulative. Each time you export an MP3 file, it adds damage to the damage already there and you can't stop it. You can avoid additional damage by Exporting as WAV or AIFF, or MP3 at the highest possible bit rate. It's a good deal less desirable when you find the shows double in size or start bubbling and gargling from compression damage.

Koz

Thanks for the suggetstions, but it appears that the Batch file process is for applying multiple modifications to one file, rather than one mod to many files.

Also, yes the processing will be done in Audacitys au format. Then, I'll recode to aiff and burn to CD to play in my car.

[kozikowski]

Thanks for the suggetstions, but it appears that the Batch file process is for applying multiple modifications to one file, rather than one mod to many files.

Appearances are deceiving. Chains is intended to apply one or more actions to many files.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Apply_Chain

I think this is the correct instruction set.

Koz

[billw58]

As Koz points out, chains can be applied to multiple files.

See http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Edit_Chains
and http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Apply_Chain

Create your chain using File > Edit Chains.
Then do File > Apply Chain, choose your chain and click the "Apply to Files" button.
Go to the folder containing the files, select them all then click the "Open" button.
A folder named "cleaned" will be created in the folder containing the original files, and the processed files will be save there.

-- Bill

[kozikowski]

There is no Audacity "au" file format. Those are little fragments of the Audacity Project and not meant to be used outside the show. If you really inspect one of them, you will find that not only are they fragments, they are fragments of only Left or Right.

Audacity will not Save a sound file. It only saves Projects which are great for production and multi-track sound management, but not useful outside of Audacity. To get a real sound file you have to Export one, and to make an MP3 (licensed and registered software) you have to install the lame software package.

http://audacityteam.org/download/

The other problem is MP3 files arrive with compression damage built-in and no matter what Audacity does in the middle, the sound never gets better. Worse, the damage increases the next time you produce an MP3.

Koz

[marlinjacks]

Thank you for these useful instructions,
These instructions worked i had not Selected USB Audio codec in the audacity recording preference....