Audacity Help

So here’s a problem I’m having using Audacity.

Here’s what I WANT to do:

Take a file of a tune I want to learn, edit the tune to repeat a few times, slow it down, and save it as an MP3 so I can put it on my iPod and take anywhere to learn and practice tunes.

Here’s what I’ve done:

I edited the parts together and slowed to the desired tempo, no problem. I tried to export the file as an MP3, but got and error saying I had to use an MP3 encoder, and suggested LAME. So I downloaded LAME MP3 encoder and was able to export the file, no problem.

However, when I open the file to play with my usual Media player, it opens, appears to be playing. I can pause it, move the slider, etc, as normal, but there’s no sound. Completely silent. I opened another MP3 just for troubleshooting purposes and it played just fine.

I know there are some here who use Audacity to slow down tune files, so I figured somebody here might know where I’m going wrong.

Sounds like a LAME problem rather than an Audacity problem.. Might try exporting out of Audacity as a wave file and then converting it to a mp3 with some other converter… I use Freecorder 4….. Works great for nabbing audio off Youtube as well…

Jimmy you might try deleting LAME and then reinstalling it. I’ve had issues in the past with software and it’s amazing how many times that simple solution has worked.
good luck!

I couldn’t get LAME to work either… Had the exact same problem. No idea why. My round about method above will work if Shanty’s plan doesn’t… It’s a pain though…

JB:
What kind of a computer are you using - and what version/platform?

@ Toppish: WIndows 7.

@ shanty: I might try that

@ Layne: I’ll try exporting it to wave. If the iPod will play wave files then that’s fine with me. I’ve just never tried it before. I know wave takes up more room but there’s plenty on my iPod so I’m not worried about that.


Anyway, that gave me some ideas. Thanks everyone.

I had the same problem. But now I just use www.zamzar.com to convert my audcity .wav files to MP3 .

export it to wav, then use itunes or something to convert it to mp3

ipod will play wav files

Check if you have the “64-bit” version of W7.
That’s what happened to me. There are separate downloads of either Audacity or LAME or both for 64-bit, (can’t remember which) . Once I’d found them it all worked.

Best Practice is a program that’s been around for a while and it does the job quite well: http://bestpractice.sourceforge.net/
There’s a lot of great recordings where everything is up a semitone, and this will easily take a track and transpose and/or slow down as required, and then you can save it as a WAV file (saves retuning the fiddle). It probably doesn’t do such a good job as Audacity but it does it quicker with less messing around, and it’s free (donations invited).

always a good idea to work from a safety copy of the project that you are trying to slow down - export a wav version from your original project to be safe (file… export as wav)

to slow down:

open audacity file you have created -
select entire length of file - keyboard: command A to select all

from Effect menu:
select Change Tempo - start by using percent change - try 25% fore example - by sliding the percent change bar to the left - to -25

listen to the changed tempo by pressing play - if you want more or less of a tempo change, select Edit… Undo

Save project

export as a wav

If you are windows 7, you need to use the 64 bit beta version.

Also, to get it to translate the ipod file (Apple can be nazzis with proprietary formats) you need an another add in for FFmpeg because the native Ipod format can’t be read y Audacity

The link is on the web site. The 64 bit version is much easier than the older version. Open your file, highlight what you want slowed, got to effects- use change tempo, not change speed, and you are golden.

native ipod format can’t be read by audacity without it.

sorry

I’ve never had Lame give me any problems ever.

You can record in wave and export to mp3 without problem in my experience.

Don’t think Audacity or Lame are the problem here. Put simply it shouldn’t be complicated. Good luck.

This is merely a hunch on my part, but I think zippy may be on the right track. Mr. W, is this that to which you refer? > >
http://manual.audacityteam.org/index.php?title=FAQ:Installation_and_Plug-Ins#installffmpeg

i.e. Downloading the FFmpeg 0.6.2 installer for Windows.

Sounds like a lot of hassle for what you want to do. You should try “Tunepal App” for the ipod, iphone. excellent tune learning program, and its free to download. it shows ABC and the tune can be set to what ever speed you like.
Note: this is not a plug, just some friendly advice