'Pop' noise when looping [SOLVED]

[OurJud]

W7 / 2.1.1 / ZIP

Hi everyone.

Not sure my problem is 'fixable' but I'm currently building a text=based adventure game with a piece of software called Twine. The software allows you to use mp3 sound clips in your game, and has a 'loop' feature for when you want the sound playing continuously (such as one might with the sound of rain, wind or a crackling fire).

However, when the clip comes to an end, then starts the loop again, there's a very noticeable 'pop' of silence between it ending and starting up.

I've tried a fade out on the end of the track, and I've also tried it with a fade out and fade in, but these methods only accentuate the split.

Is there anything I can do to eliminate or mask this transition noise?

Thanks in advance.

[kozikowski]

There's a similar problem with DVD splash page looping. "Welcome to the Doobly-Doo DVD, Welcome to the Doobly-Doo DVD, Welcome to the Doobly-Doo DVD.

It seems to perfectly and seamlessly loop between all those iterations—which is physically impossible. What you don't know is the loops were produced as one single two minute video and in two minutes, you're going to get a big lurch and pop as the DVD resets...but nobody ever hangs around that long. So you might try that. How long a track are you allowed to post in a single pass?

Never do production in MP3. MP3 has "magic" stop, start and delay times because of its heritage. It was originally part of a video format and depends on video to do all the timing. No video, ratty timing.

Do they allow you to use a different sound format?

Koz

[DVDdoug]

Try cutting on the Zero Crossings.

You may also need to remove any DC Offset.

The software allows you to use mp3 sound clips in your game, and has a 'loop' feature for when you want the sound playing continuously

MP3 encoding adds some silence to the beginning of the file so you may get a short gap between loops unless the software is smart enough to skip over the silent part.

[OurJud]

Thanks, chaps!

I think other audio formats are allowed, .wav maybe?

I'll take a look at those links and see what I can make from them.

Thanks again.

[kozikowski]

Do try WAV. I don't know if that's guaranteed, but we know MP3 has serious problems.

Koz

[OurJud]

Right, tried .wav and it was just as bad. I tried the Zero Crossings (didn't really understand the tutorial) but highlighting the whole clip then choosing it from the menu made no apparent (visual) change to the clip. I then did the Offset thing.

None of these things made a difference.

Unfortunately I suspect there's not a lot I can do, as what I'm hearing is the split-second of silence when the clip stops then begins its loop again.

I could make the clip longer, but the bigger the audio file size, the bigger the finished game file size. And in any case the problem will still there be as certain sounds are meant to run virtually the entire duration of the game, such as the wind, which is only told to stop when the player enters a building.

Thanks for your help, and feel free to not give up if you want

[Trebor]

... The software allows you to use mp3 sound clips in your game, and has a 'loop' feature for when you want the sound playing continuously ... However, when the clip comes to an end, then starts the loop again, there's a very noticeable 'pop' of silence between it ending and starting up.

When you make an MP3 in Audacity a ~1/20th of second of silence is inserted at the start.
Using WAV solves the problem : silence not inserted, and seamless looping is possible.

[OurJud]

... The software allows you to use mp3 sound clips in your game, and has a 'loop' feature for when you want the sound playing continuously ... However, when the clip comes to an end, then starts the loop again, there's a very noticeable 'pop' of silence between it ending and starting up.

When you make an MP3 in Audacity a ~1/20th of second of silence is inserted at the start.
Using WAV solves the problem : silence not inserted, and seamless looping is possible.

Right, tried .wav and it was just as bad.

[OurJud]

Perhaps I need to clarify again.

I understand seamless looping within Audacity is possible, but this is not the problem. The problem is that I'm using the clip with a text-based adventure creator program, and then using its loop command.

If it's the way Twine (the adventure writing program) handles audio looping, then I'm not sure there's a solution.

[Trebor]

If it's the way Twine (the adventure writing program) handles audio looping, then I'm not sure there's a solution.

If you try uploading a totally silent track, and it still pops when looped, then the problem is at their end.