RB 2010 (4), Windows 7, 32 bit.
I've recorded a simple country song with 4 midi tracks and 1 audio track and have it saved as a .seq file. I would like to render it to MP3 using only Real Band. Possible???
I've read the HELP file quite a bit and it indicates that I should be able to get there via: Render - Merge Audio and DXi Tracks to Compressed File. But the resulting dialog box doesn't give me the option of choosing a compressed file, only a WAV file. In fact I get the same dialog box as I get from: Render - Merge Audio and DXi Tracks to Stereo Wave File. From the third render option I can get only a WMA file.
I'm stumped. Any ideas for me??
Thanks
Frank
So you go to Render Merge all tracks to compressed file, it will then save it to a temporary wav file first then it will bring up a window "Please select audio output format" and you should have mp3 format option.
Lame MP3 Codec installer:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/lameinstall/files/
I don't have Win7 but if it is like any other Microsoft OS, they won't include a decent MP3 encoder. For obvious reasons, they want you to use WMA.
Unless you want to mess with trying to install a better MP3 encoder within Windows, you may want to output your song to a WAV file and then use any number of WAV to MP3 converters available. Many people here use Audacity but you still need to install an MP3 encoder. If you choose this,
HERE are the instructions for doing the one-time procedure. Any problems you have converting can probably easily be answered here.
Some media players have this ability. My choice is Foobar2000 found
HERE.
Stick with the LAME encoder. Open-sourced and well supported. If you don't want to learn Audacity, the LAME website has plenty of links to front-end programs to help you with the conversion. Their site is
HERE.
Good luck
Hi musocity
There's my problem. When I merge to a compressed file, I don't get that option. All I can do is create a WAVE file. You provided a link to "lame". Is that a hint that I should install from that link then try again?
Frank
Yes if you don't get the window or all the bitrate options.
Hello Rachael
Thanks for the reply. I was hoping to get by with only Real Band but I guess not. I have a program called Switch which works OK for MP3 encoding. I've also downloaded the lame installer but haven't had time to look at it yet. I'm no computer expert so I expect to struggle somewhat but maybe now I know that RB won't do it all by itself!!
Frank
That's it, musocity. Wrong window and no bit rate options, just WAVE. Sure wish I knew why it works for you but not for me.
Hi Frank,
When you install Lame, you will need to copy the lame_enc.dll file into the c:\Realband directory.
Once the above .dll is located in the Realband folder, start up Realband, load the song, choose "Merge audio and DXi tracks to compressed file" and the click ok. At this stage, the only option available is the WAV format. Once that file is created, though, Lame will kick in and you'll get a new window that offers the option to convert to mp3. Simply select the bitrate that you want from the many available and click ok. (At least that's how it works for me.)
To convert to mp3s, Realband needs an mp3 encoder added to it's directory because it doesn't ship with such an encoder. (By the way, Lame is free. Always a great price!)
All the best,
Noel
Quote:
Wrong window and no bit rate options, just WAVE. Sure wish I knew why it works for you but not for me
That's the way it's supposed to work Frank. When the average user wants to merge all the tracks to an audio file they want a WAV file first because that's what you would use to burn it to a CD to give or sell to all your friends so naturally the program will ask you where you want that file stored. In my case all the final mix WAV's are stored in a "Master Mix" directory. Creating a compressed file either WMA or MP3 is the second step.
Bob
Thanks Bob. I guess I understand that part of it. It's that second step that has me stymied. I hoped to be able to do it within RB as we did in BB but I guess not. Although it seems that other knowledgeable folks are able to make it work. I'm just not smart enough to figure it out.
Frank
Hi Noel96
I've tried all that and just can't make it work. Not smart enough, I guess. I've got to where it seems to try to convert but I get the message "Driver cannot do the requested conversion", then some confused stuff, then it trys to play the MP3 version with zero bits.
Guess I'll give up
Thanks
Frank
I am regretting saying this ..
On Win 7 here, the program acts as described by the original poster.
I get a wav file window also. This isn't 'normal' to a user.
Here's what happens ...
The program has always done the mixdown in high-quality audo wav format. Then it asked what format you wanted it written in and did the conversion using whatever codec was installed in the system. Now it opens a window for a wave file then asks about the conversion afterwards. It is adding a few steps in Win7. PLUS it makes a file (and leaves it) with the wav extension that is 0kb in size (but takes resources to keep the non-existent file in memory and index).
I think this is a small bug in the program for Win7 that was missed in Beta.
sorry, my fault
Go to Control Panel > Users > Change User Account Control Settings
Slide the setting down to "Never Notify"
Restart and try.
Because it runs "STOM^.exe" in the RB folder that is an exe file
that 7 will block, if that works set UAC to the first one up,
then it should bring up the dialog box "Do you want to allow STOM^.exe"
click yes.
I'm using it on 7 64bit
I get STOM to run, but it does do the extra step that OP described also. ... and leaves the empty wav file behind.
Just curious, rharv
How is it your fault?
Frank
musocity, I tried your suggestions about user accounts, but no change. Actually I was earlier getting the question about running STOM^.exe and I always clicked YES but without success. I'm no longer getting that option.
Based on other input, I checked and found that lame_enc.dll is also included in C:\Windows\System32 (FWIW).
Frank
You're plenty smart enough, Frank. This stuff makes almost everbody's eyes glaze over including mine. I am just now switching over from my tried and true but old P4 XP machine to my new super hot Athlon 6 core running Win 7 64 bit. I did not know about that difference when rendering under Win 7, I haven't set up my audio stuff yet, still working on my household computer things and even that is messing with me but I'm getting there. All you can do is keep plugging away and ask questions here. This is the most helpful musicians forum on the net.
A big thing to always keep at the top of your thoughts as you work through this is we are using highly specialized programs that the big computer makers could care less about. Semi pro or pro audio production using a PC is a very small percentage of the PC market and while it will work just fine and you will produce great sounding music, you're basically on your own. We get no support at all from PC makers. You have to turn yourself into a computer nerd and I'm learning that while I'm a pretty good XP nerd, I have a lot to learn about Win 7.
Oh, and it's always Rharv's fault, didn't you know that?
Bob
Quote:
Just curious, rharv
How is it your fault?
Frank
I get blamed for everything around here.
running joke (I think)
rharv, do you get blamed for the good stuff also?? That wouldn't be so bad!
Interesting to me, I found STOM^.exe in the RB folder, clicked on it and got the small dialog box that asked about desired output audio format with MP3 as an option.
I also downloaded a .gz version of LAME and unzipped it with WinZip to my Downloads folder. So now I've got a file "lame-3.98.4.tar" that I don't know what to do with. Nothing on my computer wants to open it and my reviews on the web for tar information haven't helped much.
This all very new to me!!
Bob
Thanks for your thoughts. I'm pretty nerdy in some ways but not regarding computers. And I'm older than dirt which doesn't help at all when it comes to learning new things (old dog and new tricks?).
Frank
Ok,
I did a clean install of Windows 7 32 bit Ultimate
Installed Band In A Box 2011
Disabled User Account Control in Control Panel > Users
Generated a track in RealBand and clicked Merge all tracks to compressed file
Saved to a wav file ok, then i got this missing bitrates:
So i close RB and downloaded, installed & restarted:
http://www.codecguide.com/download_k-lite_codec_pack_mega.htm This time I got This:
You can use VirtualBox to try things:
http://www.virtualbox.org/
For Lame, I dug around the soundforge site until I found the inf file for Lame, then you can right-click and 'install' it to windows. There is also a windows executable version, but this doesn't install it to the system, just to audacity from what I can tell. I have no idea why it's so hard to find a Windows installer for Lame.
Audacity is free and some here have just gotten used to going that route for the mp3 conversion.
Mix the wav in RB, then convert to mp3 in Audacity.
Yea did the Lame installer and the right click install inf but the one that WORKED was
the K-Lite Mega Pack. When you install the K-Lite pack it will take out any codecs that aren't working or that clash.
Give the K-Lite a go and let us know how you go.
You can get get
FormatFactory it's free and quick to convert anything to anything with drag n' drop or batch conversion. (Just uncheck the ASK Toolbar at end of install.)
rharv
I guess Audacity is an option. I bought a program called SWITCH that works in a somewhat limited way. But it's always so frustrating when I can't get a program (RB) to do what it is supposed to do. Especially when others can! So I'm still trying.
Frank
musocity
So I tried the K-lite Codec pack. Downloaded and installed the whole thing in C:\Program Files. Still no change. I still get your first screen shot.
It seems to me that I have to tell RB where to look for the required codec but I have no idea how to do that. Lame_enc.dll is still in the RB directory.
Any more ideas for me. I very much appreciate your help.
Frank
Hi Frank,
This is a long-shot, left-field thought. When you shut down your computer after using it, do you simply suspend it or do you physically shut it down? The reason I ask is because some of the issues you have might possibly be solved by shutting down the computer and the starting back up from the off state.
As a said, it is a long-shot.
Regards,
Noel
Rachel, Noel,
Did download foobar2000, but haven't used it yet.
Few steps makes a job lot easier, if results are good.
PT use of Lame would be nice.
Quote:
When you install Lame, you will need to copy the lame_enc.dll file into the c:\Realband directory.
Once the above .dll is located in the Realband folder, start up Realband, load the song, choose "Merge audio and DXi tracks to compressed file" and the click ok. At this stage, the only option available is the WAV format. Once that file is created, though, Lame will kick in and you'll get a new window that offers the option to convert to mp3. Simply select the bit-rate that you want from the many available and click ok. (At least that's how it works for me.)
I've been using Audacity for about 6 years, up until learning to train my
ears a bit better, not happy with some its internal FX specifically the compressor.
Keep in mind, only know how to spell it..
Am using BIAB compositions, dragging into RB, doing the adjustment wanted, then recording
thru an Alesis mixer to Power Tracks 2011(started with this in 2006).
Anyway re-discovered the PT edit> audio > compressor and the default results were so much better than
the Audacity. Audacity using the default setup pushed an already strong melody and solo in the the grass.
Am aware can export as wave, load into Audacity and export as MP3.
Is there a way the lame can be installed in PT same as RB ?
Thanks in advance,
Seeker
I had problems with MP3 Codex with my last system and installed a free copy of Cheetah DVD Burner which worked well. Checking my latest DAW, I find it even less well equipped for compressed formats so I have downloaded the latest version of Cheetah (now subject to a small fee) and use this software for format changes.
I work totally in CD quality 44.1 wave mode as final Mixes will become CDs, but I also reformat the whole final CD Burn folder to MP3 and save in an a different MP3 folder for other playing devices such as my own Home Theater setup. The beauty of this program is that a whole folder of CD quality tracks can be compressed to MP3 at a selection of bit rates between 8k and 320k very very quickly.
Odd though I have never used the program to cut the CDs or DVDs.
Lyn
Lyn,
You answered several questions for me, Great!
First I did download foobar2000 and for some reason could not get Lame
to work. It seems to want LAME.EXE which is mentioned various places
but it always ends up being a .dll file.
Gave up on one song was working on and just used Audacity.
Then found winLame and downloaded it. Works just fine and free,
however its not as simple and clean to use as Audacity.
The second question which I did not post was quality file saves for
CD creation. Plenty of folks on this forum know, but there are many
types of wav files.
Got sidetracked. Anyway the Power Tracks 2011 track save function creates
a 709 bts quality wav file, which far exceeds the 192 bit mp3 was creating with Audacity.
Quote:
I work totally in CD quality 44.1 wave mode as final Mixes will become CDs
Its great to confirm this direction of file creation. PT does a very nice job with compressor and
fadein/out and wav creation.
Again thank you,
Seeker