Editing a sound file

Alex · 06-02-2010, 04:36 PM

I have a 2-hour WMV file that I need to break into several pieces for distribution (the people I'll be sending the pieces to should not be privy to the entire file).

Considering I've made it 20+ years of computing without needing to edit a sound file I think it is likely safe to say that I will go another 20 years without needing to do it.

While I go look for myself I figured I'd post here for advice. I want something that is:

A) Free. If there's something native in Windows 7 that will do it then all the better (I thought Sound Recorder would but apparently not).

B) Allows me to simply say in some way "make a file out of segment 3:16-9:15 of this file." It doesn't need to do wacky sound effects, lay over a porn soundtrack, autotune people, etc. Bells and whistles are fine if they don't get in the way but all I'm going to be doing is slicing the file so I don't care if they're there and won't be using them.

Ghoulish Delight · 06-02-2010, 04:38 PM

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

eta: Windows 7 support is still beta, but they say it's mostly stable with a few issues: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.p...e=Windows_7_OS Should be fine for your purposes.

Alex · 06-02-2010, 07:37 PM

I'm sure I'll figure it out, but 30 minutes in to trying and I still haven't begun to figure out how to do what I need with Audacity. Feeling dumb at the moment.

Snowflake · 06-02-2010, 09:28 PM

I use audacity for podcast editing. It's fairly simple if I can use it.

I'd just cut the sections and save each as a new file. A little cumbersome, but it will work.

Alex · 06-02-2010, 09:48 PM

That was the problem. Whenever I had sections selected all of the editing options were grayed out.

I don't know what I was doing that caused this (and the help files were useless) but I found a workaround that involved pretending to export the file every time I made a selection. Nothing else would return the editing options without also clearing the selection.

Tedious, but fortunately I only needed to make six cuts and I'll not do this again for 20 years if all goes well.

06-02-2010, 04:36 PM	#1
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Editing a sound file I have a 2-hour WMV file that I need to break into several pieces for distribution (the people I'll be sending the pieces to should not be privy to the entire file). Considering I've made it 20+ years of computing without needing to edit a sound file I think it is likely safe to say that I will go another 20 years without needing to do it. While I go look for myself I figured I'd post here for advice. I want something that is: A) Free. If there's something native in Windows 7 that will do it then all the better (I thought Sound Recorder would but apparently not). B) Allows me to simply say in some way "make a file out of segment 3:16-9:15 of this file." It doesn't need to do wacky sound effects, lay over a porn soundtrack, autotune people, etc. Bells and whistles are fine if they don't get in the way but all I'm going to be doing is slicing the file so I don't care if they're there and won't be using them.
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06-02-2010, 04:38 PM	#2
Ghoulish Delight I Floop the Pig Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alternative Swankstyle Posts: 19,348	http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ eta: Windows 7 support is still beta, but they say it's mostly stable with a few issues: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.p...e=Windows_7_OS Should be fine for your purposes. __________________ 'He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.' -TJ
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06-02-2010, 07:37 PM	#3
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	I'm sure I'll figure it out, but 30 minutes in to trying and I still haven't begun to figure out how to do what I need with Audacity. Feeling dumb at the moment.
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06-02-2010, 09:28 PM	#4
Snowflake lost in the fog Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: San Francisco Posts: 7,831	I use audacity for podcast editing. It's fairly simple if I can use it. I'd just cut the sections and save each as a new file. A little cumbersome, but it will work. __________________ Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. - Oscar Wilde
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06-02-2010, 09:48 PM	#5
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	That was the problem. Whenever I had sections selected all of the editing options were grayed out. I don't know what I was doing that caused this (and the help files were useless) but I found a workaround that involved pretending to export the file every time I made a selection. Nothing else would return the editing options without also clearing the selection. Tedious, but fortunately I only needed to make six cuts and I'll not do this again for 20 years if all goes well.
	Submit to Quotes