Author Topic: Mp3 split program that allows for multiple cut-points before execution? (Read 49,231 times)

snail02 · « **on:** December 03, 2009, 03:41 AM »

Is there an mp3 splitter which lets you define multiple start and end points, so that upon clicking on the execution button, it would create multiple smaller mp3 clips as per the selections? I know of mp3directcut, but afaik, you can define only one selection at a time before outputting it as an mp3 clip.

I am also not looking for time-based splitter where it splits every so minutes. The selections would be done manually. Any ideas?
Thanks.

gexecuter · « **Reply #1 on:** December 03, 2009, 04:07 AM »

Maybe Wavosaur? maybe it will fit your needs i dunno really since i don't edit mp3 at all

scancode · « **Reply #2 on:** December 03, 2009, 04:33 AM »

I've used http://mp3splt.sourceforge.net/mp3splt_page/home.php ; with cuesheets before, maybe it'll work for you.

Ampa · « **Reply #3 on:** December 03, 2009, 05:13 AM »

MP3DirectCut does this - http://mpesch3.de1.cc/mp3dc.html

housetier · « **Reply #4 on:** December 04, 2009, 12:33 AM »

I had used audacity in the past but I don't know if has the feature you seek.

I am mentioning it because it is FOSS

snail02 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 04, 2009, 02:08 AM »

Quote from: Ampa on December 03, 2009, 05:13 AM

MP3DirectCut does this - http://mpesch3.de1.cc/mp3dc.html

I tried using it, but not sure how it does what i am looking for.
I can't seem to specify multiple beginning and end points.
Could you help?
Thanks.

Ampa · « **Reply #6 on:** December 04, 2009, 03:17 AM »

In MP3DirectCut left click at each break point and then hit DEL (or click CUT).

When you've added all the split points, SAVE SPLIT to export the separate files.

Hope this helps - also see the help file, it is very clearly written!

snail02 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 04, 2009, 05:24 PM »

Thanks Ampa.
That worked great.

More · « **Reply #8 on:** January 31, 2010, 09:19 AM »

I used Visual MP3 Splitter&Joiner. It allows to mannualy define the pieces you want to cut directly on the waveform of a file.

f0dder · « **Reply #9 on:** January 31, 2010, 09:40 PM »

Quote from: housetier on December 04, 2009, 12:33 AM

I had used audacity in the past but I don't know if has the feature you seek.

I am mentioning it because it is FOSS

...and it pretty much sucks

- pretty sad that this is the opensores audio editor "flagship".

ewemoa · « **Reply #10 on:** April 13, 2011, 01:38 AM »

I tried Ampa's suggestion (mp3DirectCut) and instructions and they seemed to work

Thanks Ampa!

P.S. In my testing I found that leaving a bit more silence than I expected near the splits seemed to work better -- at least in one case, I got the sense that there was some lost audio.

f0dder · « **Reply #11 on:** April 13, 2011, 03:42 AM »

Quote from: ewemoa on April 13, 2011, 01:38 AM

P.S. In my testing I found that leaving a bit more silence than I expected near the splits seemed to work better -- at least in one case, I got the sense that there was some lost audio.

Could easily be the case, since mp3directCut avoids re-encoding to MP3 - that does mean it can't work on millisecond intervals, but has to work at the MP3 frame size instead.

ewemoa · « **Reply #12 on:** April 13, 2011, 08:26 AM »

Quote from: f0dder on April 13, 2011, 03:42 AM

Quote from: ewemoa on April 13, 2011, 01:38 AM
P.S. In my testing I found that leaving a bit more silence than I expected near the splits seemed to work better -- at least in one case, I got the sense that there was some lost audio.
Could easily be the case, since mp3directCut avoids re-encoding to MP3 - that does mean it can't work on millisecond intervals, but has to work at the MP3 frame size instead.

Thanks for the remarks.

Inspired by them, I did some searching and found the following at a Wikipedia page for mp3DirectCut:

Quote

Edit positions in the file can only be placed at the start of an MP3 frame (of which there are typically about 38 per second).
...
The documentation warns that navigating a song does not, in all cases, land on the start of an MP3 frame. The documentation does not guarantee correct results in all cases.

Curt · « **Reply #13 on:** April 13, 2011, 08:42 AM »

Visit http://www.code-it.com/wave_editor.htm

Shortened snippet from another thread:

Quote from: Curt on July 28, 2010, 12:49 AM

Code-it Software ... "Wave MP3 Editor PRO",...
...
The reason I am posting about Code-it right now is, that I have realized that these weird low priced applications right now are offered at an even more ridiculous low price. Read what you get for $10, it is of another planet:

Quote
Wave MP3 Editor PRO tools...
http://www.code-it.com/wave_editor.htm

The following is a list of most all the specialized tools you get with PRO: some are "one trick ponies" and others have complex functions...
.....
-----------
I don't bother to copy and paste more for now, but there is much more!!!: http://www.code-it.com/PRO_Tools.html

http://www.code-it.com/

ewemoa · « **Reply #14 on:** April 13, 2011, 11:20 AM »

I tried out the "Pause Detection" functionality -- I ended up adding and removing some points but it seemed worth using.

Also tried out the following bit mentioned in the FAQ:

Quote

I miss the "Append all/selection to..." save option!

It's not longer necessarry since mp3DirectCut has virtual Cut, Copy & Paste. Open a second instance of the program where you copy the part you want to append. Then paste the selection the end of the other track. "Save all..." creates the combined file. You can also paste multiple selections. Before saving, the program does not copy real audio data but only references. So you must keep every file until you saved the result file.

[Minor point: in 2.13, I didn't find a "Save all..." -- found a "Save complete audio..." item that seemed appropriate though.]

mp3DirectCut's UI sure feels unusual

I'm not sure I'll remember how to use it on a subsequent occasion...

After I got through with splitting, I found:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=files&i=split
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php?title=Splitting_recordings_into_separate_tracks

I think I'd remember what to do with Audacity, but I imagine it would take a fair bit longer to finish because of the exporting to mp3...

@ f0dder:

What are the sorts of things you don't like about Audacity? I'm not a huge fan or anything, FWIW...

@ Curt:

Didn't know about Code-it Software. Thanks.

Curt · « **Reply #15 on:** April 13, 2011, 12:19 PM »

Quote from: ewemoa on April 13, 2011, 11:20 AM

I'm not a huge fan or anything, FWIW...

Laughing Out Loud, until I realized...
it did not say "I'm not a huge fan of anything, FWIW..."

------
I also have mp3DirectCut, but I use Code-it Wave Mp3 Editor Pro 2011
If there is anything missing in the program, write the author. He will listen.

ewemoa · « **Reply #16 on:** April 13, 2011, 12:34 PM »

lol

Ah, another use for word verification image technology - inserting deliberate ambiguity into one's posts for humor and other noble purposes

f0dder · « **Reply #17 on:** April 13, 2011, 05:44 PM »

What I don't like about Audacity? Well, first let me say what I like about mp3DirectCut

It's interface might be quirky, but the thing that's important is that it can do the cutting without re-encoding the file. Not only is this a lot faster than re-encoding, but it also doesn't destroy quality, which re-encoding does. If there's other programs that can do this direct cutting, let me know - does Code-it do that, Curt?

Next, Audacity... ugh.

The user interface is extremely clunky - I can live with that, but it's definitely a turnoff. It's somewhat feature-limited compared to commercial audio editors, but that's fine as well, it's entirely suitable for some very light editing tasks.

There's a few problems, though. Like when working with compressed files, it requires the entire file to be decompressed before it will even *open* the file - and it always uses %TEMP% with no way of overriding the scratch directory. And it just generally seems pretty slow.

It's fine for small and easy editing tasks; I just can't help wonder why Audacity is thought of as the best opensource audio editor - isn't there anything better available?

Curt · « **Reply #18 on:** April 13, 2011, 07:15 PM »

Quote from: f0dder on April 13, 2011, 05:44 PM

... it can do the cutting without re-encoding the file. Not only is this a lot faster than re-encoding, but it also doesn't destroy quality, which re-encoding does. If there's other programs that can do this direct cutting, let me know - does Code-it do that, Curt?

No, it doesn't. Thanks for informing about this feature. I have been using Code-it because it is easier to use. I will try D'Cut again.

sajman99 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 13, 2011, 08:54 PM »

I'm having a hard time remembering a simple tool I used some time ago to cut MP3 (without re-encoding).

I'm guessing (*not at all sure*) it was the freeware MP3 Cutter Plus.

Curt · « **Reply #20 on:** April 13, 2011, 10:21 PM »

Quote from: sajman99 on April 13, 2011, 08:54 PM

... guessing (*not at all sure*) it was ... MP3 Cutter Plus

-made by A Software Plus, who is linking to Brothersoft. However, the author's name is Vishal Gupta - a name I believe I have seen in many other freeware programs of simple but absolutely fair quality. Beside a link to his own all-in-one program, Media Cope, this installer comes with default option for both comScore RelevantKnowledge and Facemoods:

[attachimg=#]
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sajman99 · « **Reply #21 on:** April 13, 2011, 10:57 PM »

Quote from: Curt on April 13, 2011, 10:21 PM

...this installer comes with default option for both comScore RelevantKnowledge and Facemoods...

Cripes, thanks for the heads up.

Back when I used the app (IIRC), there was none of this add-on crap in the installer.

(btw I've come across Media Cope before, but never bothered to try it.)

ewemoa · « **Reply #22 on:** April 13, 2011, 11:15 PM »

Visualization (manually looking for pauses) and pause detection are starting to feel essential here -- both mp3DirectCut and Audacity have these.

I mistakenly tried MP3Cutter and then examined the brief online description of MP3 Cutter Plus -- I didn't find the aforementioned features in either of these.

@ f0dder:

Thanks for the comments. I have found working with larger files in Audacity to be unpleasant, but haven't found the UI to be too much of a turn-off. What I have been hoping for is decent scriptability, but I don't get the sense that has been going anywhere productive.

@ Curt:

Thanks for the warning!

Curt · « **Reply #23 on:** April 14, 2011, 06:31 AM »

Quote from: ewemoa on April 13, 2011, 11:15 PM

... I mistakenly tried MP3Cutter ...

-can not entirely have been a mistake. MP3Cutter gives this insight:

Quote

... cut out pieces of a MP3 without having to decode that MP3 to a non-encoded PCM (wave)-file.
MP3Cutter cuts the MP3 at the frame level so it doesn't degrade the quality of your MP3.

This way of editing has one major downside:
special effects like: normalizing, fading and adding things like a flanger or an echo are not possible.

If you want these kind of "effects" you'll need to decode the MP3 stream into an un-encoded PCM format which can then be processed

So I'll keep on using Code-it, because I use these features.

f0dder · « **Reply #24 on:** April 14, 2011, 06:45 AM »

Curt, this is a big if, but: if you're currently de- and re-encoding MP3s "just" for the purpose of normalizing, may I suggest you look into Replay Gain^w? The idea is to simple scan the MP3s, and add tags with information of track and album volume levels, so a supporting player can do the normalization instead of destroying audio by re-encoding