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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Mar 2005
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Joined: Mar 2005
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I need to convert my files to MP3's to input them into Music Reader (a music file computer program--if you're not familiar with it). Does anyone have a favorite program/device for doing this? I've been using an Edirol R-01 for many years, but recently recording Real Tracks, I discover that, by the time I get the files to my computer, I lose a lot of quality. When they play in BIAB, they sound great. After all my recording and transfer, not so good. Curiously, the Real Tracks sound less good than the midi tracks I've previously recorded.
Maybe there's a different device/program I should be using?
Last edited by Jim Snodgrass; 12/21/14 03:38 PM.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Can you not use the "save as mp3s" feature in BB?
Look for the "wav" button (I know, I know!) And its one of the options there as well as others.
HTH
Ian
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Good Lord! Really? Man, I run a Mac. I would never look for a "Wav" button. I'm on it. Thanks much. Happy Holidays.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Mar 2005
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Now, I just went to one of my songs and looked for the wav button and didn't find it so I went to "save as..." and didn't find Mp3 anywhere, so I just saved it as a wav file. It asked me if I wanted to render it. Uhh...yes. It did so and saved it to the desktop per my instructions. Plugged the tune into my Music Reader program and it sounds better anything I've recently recorded. Amazing. However, I never did find the Mp3 file stuff. Is there another factor I should have included in this process? Believe me I will read about this--to the extent I can--in the morning, but surely a word from someone who is clearly wiser than myself in these matters would be most appreciated.
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Jim, I use Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/I work with mostly MIDI in BiaB, transfer those MIDI tracks to Sonar, save the finished Sonar file as a wav then use Audacity to convert it to an MP3. Audacity has many MP3 compression options and effects. Although I use a PC I see that Audacity is available for a Mac and probably offers the same options there. Also Audacity is free so it costs nothing to try it. I hope this helps.
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Conversion to MP3 is a problem for most computer systems. That's because the default convertor supplied with Windows is limited to low quality conversion rates. I'm not sure about Mac computers.
Almost all high quality MP3 convertors are sold as an add-on accessory by software daw companies to off-set the license fee they have to pay.
The Lame MP3 encoder is not part of Audacity but is a free add-on to Audacity. The Lame encoder is free and works with any program. You normally have to point the program to the Lame encoder location similar to the way you have to point BiaB to the RealDrums location.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Now, I just went to one of my songs and looked for the wav button and didn't find it so I went to "save as..." and didn't find Mp3 anywhere, so I just saved it as a wav file. It asked me if I wanted to render it. Uhh...yes. It did so and saved it to the desktop per my instructions. Plugged the tune into my Music Reader program and it sounds better anything I've recently recorded. Amazing. However, I never did find the Mp3 file stuff. Is there another factor I should have included in this process? Believe me I will read about this--to the extent I can--in the morning, but surely a word from someone who is clearly wiser than myself in these matters would be most appreciated. iTunes app in Mac and Windows version converts to MP3. iTunes: How to... You can import WAV files to 320kbps by setting it in the "General Prefs" "Import Settings" "Setting:" "Custom" pulldown menu. Hope this helps. Marc
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As mentioned either use Audacity or convert via iTunes. Audacity is cheap and I use it to convert stereo to mono, convert file types and to boost the overall volume of a final production. It has a lot of other "effects" but I don't use them as Ozone is MUCH better for that.
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