How do I divide a long audio file?

[levl]

I will have a long 12 hour audio file on my iTunes folder which I will wish to divide into multiple files. It will be a 12 hour recording of World Xmas music taken from a radio station which will feature live performances. I have Audacity 1.2.5 on my iMac with OS 10.4.11. I have attempted to read the information on how to break up a single audio mp3 file into parts and have tried but must be missing something because I'm not being successful. I've tried it with an existing mp3 file. First, how do I import a file from my iTunes library into Audacity - where exactly on my HD is the audio file in the iTunes library since I know I can't drag it in from the iTunes screen. Then, how do I actually split it up. I know it involves using the cursor but I need really clear step by step instructions because I'm just not getting it done right. Then, once I have all these split files, how do I save them and get them back into my iTunes library? Sorry, but I am a complete novice at this stuff and need simple, step by step instructions. Appreciate any help very much. Thanks.

[kozikowski]

In my case...

SystemDrive/Users/koz/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music

We urge people to do a small project first and take it all the way through the pipeline to see what the shortcomings are.

Your particular shortcoming may be that unless you changed it, iTunes saves music in the Apple AAC compressed file format. Audacity will not open AAC sound files.

I'm a little foggy from the posting where the music is going to come from. If you're getting it from a live performance, then you can get a drop from the sound guys on the stage and go right into the Line-In on the side of your Mac. I've done that multiple times in Audacity and that works just fine.

If you're getting the work from an internet capture, you can't do that without significant help. A standard Mac will not record a streaming audio performance. I have a license for WireTap that will allow me to record any Mac sound to a file. WireTap can be configured to produce AIFF files which will slide right into Audacity.

Another possibility for the adventurous or money-free, is SoundFlower from the Apple download section. That's harder to use--especially if you're a newby--but I tried it once and it does work. The version I got doesn't have a scheduler. When I was done testing, I dropped it as a hot rock and went back to my fuzzy-warm WireTap.

You also are warned that some really nasty things can happen with long captures. An uncompressed AIFF capture can take up to 6 GB of hard drive space and 12GB to 15GB of drive space just to open that length of show in Audacity. If you make it that far. If everything goes OK and your moons and stars line up, you will need to open the show in Audacity and that could take up to an hour. Editing is worse.

I know you're planning on doing this on your fire-breathing Intel DuoCore Deskside Mac Pro, right? If you have enough physical memory and dual hard drive, you may be able to complete this project before Christmas.

Koz

[levl]

Thanks Koz. I will be capturing from a radio station online. I have played with Audacity for the past 4 hours and have finally figured out how to fragment the 12 hours into the bits I will wish to retain using the cursor and select and save selection. I will give it a go and what happens, happens. Thank you very much for your input.

[kozikowski]

If you're that far along, then you might like the Label tools. Put a Label (Apple-B) at the beginning of each song or segment you want to export. Then Export Multiple and Audacity will chop the show up for you.

Have you tried to capture a long segment from the internet? SoundFlower? If anything messy happens to the bitstream or your machine, then Audacity may crash. If it does, then it gets messy again because you can't just quickly restart Audacity without dealing with the orphaned capture files.

http://audacityteam.org/forum/viewtopic ... ash#p22132

Crash Recovery
http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... shRecovery

Koz

[levl]

Thanks again. I'll refer to your advice after I record the show next Sunday, the 21st should I encounter any problems. Your help is very much appreciated.