mp3 editor 'ware?

[bmwscoot]

Whatcha' using for editing mp3's?

 

Mostly, I'd just like to split tracks, dictate start/stops, fade in/out, etc.

Nothing fancy.

I can find a place in iTunes to start/stop tunes anywhere in the song.

But mp3's on another player (ZEN), I am at a loss to find an option to do that.

[smiller]

I can find a place in iTunes to start/stop tunes anywhere in the song.

But mp3's on another player (ZEN), I am at a loss to find an option to do that.

Not sure what you mean exactly, I'm not aware of any stop/start/locate function that is available in iTunes that is not available on the Zen. Are you referring to Bookmarks, or..?

 

Anyway a good free utility for editing MP3 files (does not need to re-encode so no quality loss) is MP3 DirectCut. For detailed splitting/joining work a good (but not free) program is MP3 Splitter/Joiner.

 

[bmwscoot]

Not sure what you mean exactly, I'm not aware of any stop/start/locate function that is available in iTunes that is not available on the Zen. Are you referring to Bookmarks, or..?

 

Anyway a good free utility for editing MP3 files (does not need to re-encode so no quality loss) is MP3 DirectCut.

 

Thanks, I'll try that.

 

In particular I was referring to the ability in iTunes to set a start time for a song...that is start the song at say the 30 sec. mark, etc., instead of the beginning. I have a few tunes that I do not like the intro., so I just have iTunes set a different start time for a song.

[smiller]

Ah, I see. FWIW in the Zen you can use the 'Bookmarks' function... just set a bookmark to wherever in the track you want to start and select that bookmark to play the file. Or if you know that you will always want to start at a specific point you can just edit the MP3 file with one of the recommended utilities.

[questrider]

Not necessarily an MP3 editor, but a sound editor for any format.

 

Audacity

 

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

 

 

I actually prefer using Goldwave, but it isn't freeware like Audacity.

[smiller]

The problem in using Audacity and other sound editors with MP3 files is that these programs will import and convert the file to PCM for editing, then re-encode the file when saving back to MP3. This is very undesirable because it adds an additional decode/recode to each editing session. If you want to edit MP3 files you should use a utility that works on the MP3 file directly.

[questrider]

The problem in using Audacity and other sound editors with MP3 files is that these programs will import and convert the file to PCM for editing, then re-encode the file when saving back to MP3. This is very undesirable because it adds an additional decode/recode to each editing session. If you want to edit MP3 files you should use a utility that works on the MP3 file directly.

Yes, I realize this and never "edit" MP3 files. I misunderstood the original poster then in that they simply want to "mark" MP3 files instead of editing from source PCM files and then encoding to MP3, which is what I do.

 

I use the above applications mainly after mixing my original multitrack recordings in 24b/96k down to 16/44 and then 256k MP3s. Of course, I much prefer listening to the original 24/96 recordings but one must compromise when going mobile. My next project is mixing the 24/96 multitracks into DTS 24/96 6.1 surround. That'll be fun! And slow and deliberate!

 

Sorry for the hijack. I'm good at that...