Editing old recordings

[Graywolf]

I am back, I have not used Audacity in probably eight years. But way back then I recorded all my old LPs on Audacity, and saved them as MP3 files. I had just posted a question about my headset. But I figured that one out.

When I made those recordings, I never really edited them, or even understood how to. I would like if possible to put them back on the recorder, and try editing them. Also I never did give them a track, so I have many that are on one project, I think, anyway, I put them on cds long ago and they don't change from track to track, and your can't search them. They just play one song after the other. If you turn them off they start over at the beginning.

So I guess that I need to know first if I can retrieve the MP3 version, and edit them and then save them as tracks. I am not sure how to put them on projects, as individual tracks. Or if I have to play the songs one at a time, and then record them from one PC to the other, or do so on one computer.

I am planning on doing some readings for LibriVox so I need to get re-introduced in using Audacity. So I guess first I need to get used to what the recorder page does, and how it does it from the beginning. But I would appreciate any advanced help. Thank you to one and all.

[billw58]

You can import the MP3s into Audacity (File > Import Audio). You can then edit them and break them into tracks.

These tutorials in the manual should help:

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Tuto ... sting_File

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Spli ... ate_tracks

-- Bill

[Graywolf]

I have been extracting my CDs to a MP3 Library. I had found that the old file containing the music was transfred by me as a word file. How I did that I have no idea.

I am sure that I did not record them or save then correctly in the first place. Project, as I understand it is the working site where all tracks are worked one, edited and such. When I saved them the first time, I saved them to MP3 on Lame. When I burned them to CD I named the CD such as Old Country, and added a collection of songs that would fit on the CD. I however neglected to separate tracks on some so I have a bunch of songs run together. With some showing individual numbered tracks. I don't know how I did either but that is how the recordings stand now.

So, now I am not sure if I can turn those that are all recorded on one track into individual tracks, and then save them as individual recordings, to load into my media player. Or should I start from scratch and record each individual LP, and try to record them with an individual title of the song, instead of album, and then save each individual song to MP3.

But that still leads to is a Project for recording each individual song, or what. I am confused. Please forgive me with bothering you all with these questions, but I have read the suggested pages and I am still confused. I don't mean to be a pain, but I am trying to understand so that I can do it right this time.

[Trebor]

... I had found that the old file containing the music was transfred by me as a word file. How I did that I have no idea.

It is possible to accidentally associate a file type with the wrong software, e.g.
.FLAC type audio files (or any other audio file type) associated with your word processor software ,
so the FLAC audio files will then have wordprocessor document icons on your desktop,
and if you click on them your wordprocessor will attempt to open them as if they were word documents,
although they are still audio files.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_association

[billw58]

I am sure that I did not record them or save then correctly in the first place. Project, as I understand it is the working site where all tracks are worked one, edited and such.

A "project" can contain one song or multiple songs. Using File>Export Multiple (see the second link in my post) you can create as many AIF or MP3 files as you wish.

When I saved them the first time, I saved them to MP3 on Lame. When I burned them to CD I named the CD such as Old Country, and added a collection of songs that would fit on the CD. I however neglected to separate tracks on some so I have a bunch of songs run together. With some showing individual numbered tracks. I don't know how I did either but that is how the recordings stand now.

You exported to MP3. If you burned them to CD and the CD plays in a normal CD players (not a specialized MP3 CD player), then you can put the CD in your computer's CD drive and import the CD tracks into Audacity - see the first link in my post.

So, now I am not sure if I can turn those that are all recorded on one track into individual tracks, and then save them as individual recordings, to load into my media player. Or should I start from scratch and record each individual LP, and try to record them with an individual title of the song, instead of album, and then save each individual song to MP3.But that still leads to is a Project for recording each individual song, or what. I am confused. Please forgive me with bothering you all with these questions, but I have read the suggested pages and I am still confused. I don't mean to be a pain, but I am trying to understand so that I can do it right this time.

Please try following the steps in the tutorial pages with the audio you are trying to edit. Let us know where you get stuck.

-- Bill

[Graywolf]

Thanks to all for your concern in answering my questions. I got my head together and finally things are working. I have been following your suggestions, and I am learning again, thanks for your concern.