WAVE BAR ????

[PAnorthpole]

Starting a new squence!
The wave bar is not operating for some reason???????

Displays "idle bar" and pop up "can't init conversion" OK

Being new here, this was a first encounter after composing several other sequences with it operable and no problems.

I am hoping some one can advise me on this new challenge.
The song plays fine just can't get the wave bar to work like the other sequences.

The song was downloaded from Amazon MP3 website. Should I be concerned in continuing the sequence???? and later have problems with this sequence?

Any help appreciated, you are the BEST when it comes to these unknown questions. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Happy New Year
PAnorthpole

[bob]

You might want to try converting the song file to another format (for example, if you're using an MP3 file, convert it to a WAV file). After that, open up the sequence in the Sequence Editor, go to the "Edit" menu, then "Media File". A file browser dialog will open up; point it at the newly converted song file.

You can convert the song file's format using an audio editing program; Audacity is one that a lot of people like.

[PAnorthpole]

bob wrote:

You might want to try converting the song file to another format (for example, if you're using an MP3 file, convert it to a WAV file).  After that, open up the sequence in the Sequence Editor, go to the "Edit" menu, then "Media File".  A file browser dialog will open up; point it at the newly converted song file.

You can convert the song file's format using an audio editing program; Audacity is one that a lot of people like.

Thanks for the quick reply Bob. I knew sooner or later I was getting in deep with this computer technology stuff.

I checked my download of this song and I see it is 320kbps.....MP3 format. guess this means high quality???
Could this be the problem with the wave bar?

Tell me if this would work to re-format the song. The microsoft media player will allow me to burn a CD at 128kbps, MP3 format. HERE IS THE BIG QUESTION? Once I burn the CD, could I transfer this back to the computer Media player at the 128kbps rate it was burned. Than I reload it to a new squence or maybe transfer from the CD? This might sound time consuming to most, but I found audacity to be very intimidating to me being a newbie to this whole venture. I am learning but still wondering if I got in over my head on this system.

Words cannot express how important this forum & help means to a guy like me on training wheels.

Thanks Again!
PAnorthpole

[WilliamS]

too many steps. audacity is free, its 2 steps to convert to Constant Bit Rate and down to 128k in one step.



Also if Bob says this is what most use, means you should give it a whirl. Bob does not suggest something that wouldnt work. Hes my hero.

[Guest guest]

PAnorthpole wrote:

bob wrote:

You might want to try converting the song file to another format (for example, if you're using an MP3 file, convert it to a WAV file). After that, open up the sequence in the Sequence Editor, go to the "Edit" menu, then "Media File". A file browser dialog will open up; point it at the newly converted song file.

You can convert the song file's format using an audio editing program; Audacity is one that a lot of people like.

Thanks for the quick reply Bob. I knew sooner or later I was getting in deep with this computer technology stuff.

I checked my download of this song and I see it is 320kbps.....MP3 format. guess this means high quality???
Could this be the problem with the wave bar?

Tell me if this would work to re-format the song. The microsoft media player will allow me to burn a CD at 128kbps, MP3 format. HERE IS THE BIG QUESTION? Once I burn the CD, could I transfer this back to the computer Media player at the 128kbps rate it was burned. Than I reload it to a new squence or maybe transfer from the CD? This might sound time consuming to most, but I found audacity to be very intimidating to me being a newbie to this whole venture. I am learning but still wondering if I got in over my head on this system.

Words cannot express how important this forum & help means to a guy like me on training wheels.

Thanks Again!
PAnorthpole

If you do burn it to a CD, burn it at the 320Kbps rate, then when you do rip it from a CD using WMP, make sure you set up the options for the format you want in the RIP tab on WMP BEFORE ripping the CD to your HD.

I rip all my CD's using 192kbps and have the VBR option UNCHECKED, so I get an 192kbps CBR MP3 file when I rip my CD's to the computer.

But 128Kbps is good, I just prefer a slightly better quality.

Both the Sequence Editor and the DC-MP3 Showtime Director I use to run my shows has had zero problems with 192kbps CBR MP3 files.

[PAnorthpole]

OK I was game for this task and downloaded Audacity and the Lame MP3 encoder.

Downloaded the song from Microsoft player file to Audacity

The song plays in Audacity

This is where it gets confusing to me. Yes in the edit section of Audacity found preferences.

Library and Lame being shown.
I found no place to change the kps in audacity?????????? I am certain I am missing some thing here!

I assume after editing this song I can save it back to my desktop player & create a new sequence?

Looking for any kind of guidance here. It seems LOR Audacity Sound Editor data sheet 11/24/10 may be outdated as the Audacity folders and features have slightly changed.

Thanks a bunch again to anyone who can help me with this one!

PAnorthpole

[George Simmons]

If you're using MP3s, LOR recommends a constant bitrate of 128 kbps. I presume they recommend that because they've found that it works the best with their equipment and software. I've always used MP3s with a 128 CBR and I've never had a lick of trouble. Not one bit in four years now. My advice would be for you to follow their expert recommendation also.

I'd wager that not more than one person in 50 could tell the difference in sound quality between 128 kbps and 192kbps. Just saying...

[CKSedg]

Mine are also all MP3s at 128 bitrate, and likewise I have never had one moment's problem with my audio files. Always work great. Do what Bob tells you!

[rjnitto]

PAnorthpole,
What version of Audacity are you using?

I am using Audacity 1.3.12 Beta version. In this version, I think the only way to get to a constant bit rate is when you finally export the song, it will bring up the dialog box that indicates "where" you want to save the file and under what name and "Save as type". Select MP3 files.

Then in the lower right corner, there is a Save button, Cancel button and an Options button. Press the Options button and you will see another dialog box. Make sure the Bit Rate mode is set to Constant and set the quality drop-down to 128 kbps. I think this will solve your problem. In an older version of Audacity 1.2 , I believe this was done under preferences.

Anyway, this works for me. Hope it works for you.

Richard




Attached files

[PAnorthpole]

SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

You guys are WORLDEST BEST.
You have fixed another problem....the wave bar is back after the Audacity conversion to 128kps & MP3 settings.
Thanks so much to Bob & Richard for your detailed explaination that was very very helpful to a newbie like me.
Everyone's reply was a welcome relief to otherwise disgruntled pupil!

Hope you all have a Safe & Happy New Year
I.m sure I will be back for more tutorial issues!
Thanks Again Everyone
Ralph

[Guest guest]

George Simmons wrote:

If you're using MP3s, LOR recommends a constant bitrate of 128 kbps. I presume they recommend that because they've found that it works the best with their equipment and software. I've always used MP3s with a 128 CBR and I've never had a lick of trouble. Not one bit in four years now. My advice would be for you to follow their expert recommendation also.

I'd wager that not more than one person in 50 could tell the difference in sound quality between 128 kbps and 192kbps. Just saying...

One of the reasons I quit using 128kbps George is they kept coming out sounding scratchy and static-like in places in the song.

No matter how many times I would try and rip the CD or a specific song on a CD, and no matter what software I used (and I use some expensive music editing software) and always was getting the same results.

This problem wasn't just on one computer either, I tried it on 7 different computers, 3 laptops and 4 desktops, all gave me bad 128kbps files that just sounded horrible.

For some reason not a single computer I tried Audacity on would run it properly, if at all. They just did not like that software for whatever reason. Couldn't have been their settings because each computer was not set up the same way.

So that's when I tried 192kbps with my music editors/converters to see if that would solve/fix that problem, which it did, I got good clean sounding MP3 files, and none of that static or scratchy type sounds. So I've stuck with the 192kbps CBR rate ever since.

I was just saying it works for me, and that neither the SE or the DC-MP3 Showtime Director unit in the 2 years I've been doing this has, not once had any issues with loading or playing an MP3 at 192kbps. And I must also be the one in 50 because even when I would get an almost"clean" version of an 128kbps MP3, I can tell the difference in sound quality between the two.

What works for me may or may not work for others.

I'm just saying that there is an alternative to try in case someone ends up with the same issue I was having in converting their MP3 files to a lower quality setting such as 128kbps.

But no matter what the lower quality setting you use, I have found they always need to be in CBR format, VBR's tend to do some screwy things if they do happen to play, and some will.

But not in an Director unit, at least every one I ever accidentally used in my Director unit would either halt the show dead in it's tracks or it would skip that sequence and not play it, most often it wouldn't play any sequence past it and just lock the show down dead in it's tracks,sometimes, but rarely it would re-loop back to the 1st sequence in the show and continue the show.

That issue just about drove me crazy trying to figure out why I'd have a show of 10 sequences, first 3 would play, #4 didn't and then it'd either go back to #1 and start over, jump to the next sequence #5 (if I was lucky, usually didn't) or it would just lock the Director and halt the show all together (which seemed to happen most, and be the most common).

Again what works for me, may not for others. Just giving an alternative to those that these issues may pop up with them on what they might be able to do and look for to resolve/fix the problem.

[Surfing4Dough]

Orville wrote:

One of the reasons I quit using 128kbps George is they kept coming out sounding scratchy and static-like in places in the song.

No matter how many times I would try and rip the CD or a specific song on a CD, and no matter what software I used (and I use some expensive music editing software) and always was getting the same results.

This problem wasn't just on one computer either, I tried it on 7 different computers, 3 laptops and 4 desktops, all gave me bad 128kbps files that just sounded horrible.

For some reason not a single computer I tried Audacity on would run it properly, if at all. They just did not like that software for whatever reason. Couldn't have been their settings because each computer was not set up the same way.

So that's when I tried 192kbps with my music editors/converters to see if that would solve/fix that problem, which it did, I got good clean sounding MP3 files, and none of that static or scratchy type sounds. So I've stuck with the 192kbps CBR rate ever since.

I was just saying it works for me, and that neither the SE or the DC-MP3 Showtime Director unit in the 2 years I've been doing this has, not once had any issues with loading or playing an MP3 at 192kbps. And I must also be the one in 50 because even when I would get an almost"clean" version of an 128kbps MP3, I can tell the difference in sound quality between the two.

What works for me may or may not work for others.

I'm just saying that there is an alternative to try in case someone ends up with the same issue I was having in converting their MP3 files to a lower quality setting such as 128kbps.

But no matter what the lower quality setting you use, I have found they always need to be in CBR format, VBR's tend to do some screwy things if they do happen to play, and some will.

But not in an Director unit, at least every one I ever accidentally used in my Director unit would either halt the show dead in it's tracks or it would skip that sequence and not play it, most often it wouldn't play any sequence past it and just lock the show down dead in it's tracks,sometimes, but rarely it would re-loop back to the 1st sequence in the show and continue the show.

That issue just about drove me crazy trying to figure out why I'd have a show of 10 sequences, first 3 would play, #4 didn't and then it'd either go back to #1 and start over, jump to the next sequence #5 (if I was lucky, usually didn't) or it would just lock the Director and halt the show all together (which seemed to happen most, and be the most common).

Again what works for me, may not for others. Just giving an alternative to those that these issues may pop up with them on what they might be able to do and look for to resolve/fix the problem.

Sorry to hear about your issues.

[Guest wbottomley]

GoofyGuy wrote:

too many steps. audacity is free, its 2 steps to convert to Constant Bit Rate and down to 128k in one step.

 

Also if Bob says this is what most use, means you should give it a whirl.  Bob does not suggest something that wouldnt work.  Hes my hero.

Bob suggested this because it has always worked and it's free open source software. Just like MP3 Gain.

[Surfing4Dough]

GoofyGuy wrote:

Hes my hero.

Who is Hes?

[Robin]

I long for the day that people actually took pride in the written word. When spelling a word correctly was a reflection on your education. Where periods, commas and question marks were used correctly.

Sadly, now it is cool to sound dumb.

[Surfing4Dough]

Robin wrote:

When spelling a word correctly was a reflection on your education. ...

Sadly it still is a reflection of that.

[trafficman]

Yep.. Got busted for spelling doubt the other day. Spelled it doute.. Someone busted my chops about the education deal. No reason to try and belittle someone when email and chat was setup to be short and sweet. LOL . Then everyone started using it for memo and letter and changed the intent of use.

[Guest guest]

Surfing4Dough wrote:

Robin wrote:

When spelling a word correctly was a reflection on your education. ...

Sadly it still is a reflection of that.

Well my favorites are the incorrect use of: your for you're or the other way around, loose for lose or the other way around.

I know there are some others, but can't remember them all. Just showing my old age I guess.

When I was a young whipper-snapper I always made A+ in spelling and was always in spelling Bee's and spelling contests, but as I got older and ended up with a mild form of dyslexia, that ended my perfect spelling career.

And sometimes I'm just not exactly certain the way a word is spelled today, seems we have a lot of words now that never existed when I was in school.

And I also blame advertising billboards and TV for words that are spelled incorrectly, I truly detest the one new commercial for (I think) a yogurt product where a lady(teacher) is telling an elementary school aged child to spell the word "swapportunity" and the child tells her, that it is not a word and she insists, Yes, it is a real word.

It's no wonder that anyone can even spell or use proper punctuation or grammar today.

Even the school system is failing miserably at keeping students spelling words correctly today, and these shortened hieroglyphics(sp?) used in text messaging or on the internet aren't helping any either.

The art of correct spelling, proper grammar as well as personal communication just continue to being more of a lost art today.

[bob]

Please do not put people down for spelling or grammar mistakes on these forums. Thank you.

[k6ccc]

Orville wrote:

One of the reasons I quit using 128kbps George is they kept coming out sounding scratchy and static-like in places in the song.

No matter how many times I would try and rip the CD or a specific song on a CD, and no matter what software I used (and I use some expensive music editing software) and always was getting the same results.

I agree with you there. I have spent time as a broadcast engineer, so sound quality is important to me. I find that 128Kb/s is generally not acceptable quality to me. Personally I rip CDs at no less than 192Kb/s and ones that I really want to sound good (that generally means classical stuff) at 256Kb/s. I was recently surprised to find that the first MP3s I ever downloaded from Amazon (I normally just buy the CD) were running at 256Kb/s.

Lower data rates may be fine when played back into teeny tiny earbuds in a noisy environment, but on a quality sound system, it does not cut it. And yes, I realize that the earbuds comprise a large percentage of the usage (including by me when commuting via public transit).

And yes, proper usage of the language being spoken or written is important.