splitting large file into multiple traks (cassete transfer)

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sayatnova
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 10:01 pm
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splitting large file into multiple traks (cassete transfer)

Post by sayatnova »

Hello Everyone,

I have a large cassette collection I need to transfer to digital. I am recording into DP and get 2, large audio files (1 per cassette side).

I used to use BIAS PEAK to automatically find the silence between tracks and make them into regions, that would be named and exported as individual tracks in a very intuitive and efficient manner. Fades were fast and easy, as well. I don't have access to that any more...

So, I was wondering how to best do this in DP?

So far, I have been splitting off tracks and using the split command. Then, adjusting each fade in & out on either side of the cut manually... This is pretty inefficient and I have a lot of cassettes to do! Then I have a long track with multiple sound files with spaces. Since I want my fades to be recorded, I am having to bounce each one at a time to keep my individual names and keep the individual tracks separate (not merging in the bounce)...

Is there a way to select multiple, individual tracks and bounce them to remain separate at the same time?

What is the best way to do this in DP?

Or, is another dedicated program better for doing this? I see that Audacity comes up in my internet searches for splitting large files into multiple tracks on a mac, but I have never used it.

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome.

Thank you.

~Shea
http://www.bfdmusic.com
Mac Studio Ultra, 64 gigs RAM, OSX 12.7.3, DP 11.3, UAD2 thunderbolt satellite octo, Apogee Symphony IO MK2 TB
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FMiguelez
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Re: splitting large file into multiple traks (cassete transf

Post by FMiguelez »

DP does have the equivalent for Find/Strip Silence. You set a few parameters, and it separates the files. How good a job it does depends on the settings and the audio files. YMMV.

You can also create very fast workflows if you prefer to do it manually. It would entail Zoom in/Zoom out commands, the iBeam tool and the delete key to do them quickly.

As for fades, if they´re nothing special and are not critical, you can set them all for a bunch of files in one fell swoop. Simply select them all (command-A), and then invoke the Fades command (I think its control-F). Set the fade there and press Enter. Bam! All your regions will have the same Fade-in Fade-out.

If you want to avoid bouncing to disk each independent file, and keep the fades you did on them, select them and apply the Merge command. I think you also need to do this individually, otherwise, unless they´re all on separate tracks, they will become one sound file again.

But doing it with bounce is extremely fast and efficient. Simply click on a SB, press Control-J to invoke the Bounce to Disk command, and press Enter. That's it! How much faster can this be?
The BTD window will remember your last setting, so if the only thing that changes is the name, it can be edited by pressing Tab and editing the name. It takes no longer than 1.5 seconds plus the bouncing time for each. Totally doable, and I don´t see how another workflow in other DAWs would be faster or more streamlined. But I may be wrong on this point.
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mikehalloran
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Re: splitting large file into multiple traks (cassete transf

Post by mikehalloran »

DP would not be my first choice for this unless you plan to edit and/or restore the tracks (I do a lot of audio restoration from cassette)— then DP is my first choice. My work flow is nearly identical to the previous post — DP can be quite fast.

iTunes, QuickTime, Toast, TwistedWave, DSP Quattro, RX, Ozone...it depends what I want to do with the audio.

Free? QuickTime. You have to select the regions and export them one at a time but you can rename them and change the format. QT 7.6.6 is still available free from Apple and a bit more flexible. Not dissimilar to doing it in DP, actually.

Commercial app that will split the audio and batch process? TwistedWave https://twistedwave.com/doc/index.html or DSP-Q. http://www.dsp-quattro.com/FreeDownload ... Manual.pdf. The links take you to the manuals. BIAS Peak owners have a cross-grade price to DSP-Q. I like that TwistedWave is 64 bit — it’s batch processing options are a bit faster which is why I prefer it.
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sayatnova
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: Unspecified

Re: splitting large file into multiple traks (cassete transf

Post by sayatnova »

Thank you, Gentlemen, for the replies. Helpful info in both.

Mike: I will demo the Twistedwave program today. It looks like what I remember having and liking about the workflow and GUI in BIAS Peak. I like the fact that I can set markers and then these can become regions/track that can be listed and named very easily in a quick manner.

FMiguelez: I did not know what about the multiple fades at once. I will also try to get this down and see whether I can be fine with doing this in DP, or prefer what the Twistedwave gives me.

Thank you, again.

~Shea
http://www.bfdmusic.com
Mac Studio Ultra, 64 gigs RAM, OSX 12.7.3, DP 11.3, UAD2 thunderbolt satellite octo, Apogee Symphony IO MK2 TB
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