Subject:Appending a file to an existing Track

Posted by: dvdmike

Date:12/10/2003 2:56:09 PM

I am using ACID 4e on Windows XP. I have not used it in a while and I am working on a surround project.

Question 1
I've several tracks exported from another application as .wav files. I need to append one track at the end of the other in ACID's timeline so that I can use the same surround pan settings and create one long AC3 file consisting of many tracks played one after another.

I can drag the first wav file into track one fine. But when I go to add the next wav file to the end of track one, it overwrites the first file. How to I chose where to place (in the tracks timeline) a new .wav file in an existing track?

Question 2
I know that I can render to a 5.1 surround .wma file or .ac3 file, but how can I render as an uncompressed 5.1 wav file or 7.1 wav file? How can I export as a 7.1 wma file? Is it possible to render as 6 separte mono .wav files from the 5.1 panning set-up of my project if I cannot render as one 5.1 .wav file?

Subject:RE: Appending a file to an existing Track

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:12/10/2003 4:17:12 PM

ACID only allows one file on each track. If you want to add another file then it will have to be on another track.

Subject:RE: Appending a file to an existing Track

Reply by: cloudspine

Date:12/11/2003 7:59:27 AM

like chien said, one track, one file.
try this (it's much simpler than i'll make it sound):
- drag out the first file in one track
- drag out the second file in another track (anywhere in the project)
- select the second file by clicking on the dragged-out track and cut it (ctrl+x)
- hover the mouse pointer above the end of the first file, until the pointer for dragging files appears and left-click once
- press ctrl+v
this will place the second file at the exact place where the first one ends

ps. i admit i go into too much detail sometimes

Subject:RE: Appending a file to an existing Track

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:12/11/2003 11:32:14 AM

Adding to what Chienworks and cloudspine have said, for Question 2:

-Since ACID's capability is limited to a total of 5.1 channels, it's a given that's the limit of total channels to have in a rendered file. So you can't do 7.1. (If you want to see it, make sure you let Sony know.)

-You can, indeed, render to 6 seperate mono (or stereo) WAV files if you'd like. You really have no choice in this regard, because as far as I know, the WAV file format doesn't have the ability to work with surround; only mono or stereo.

To render out to 6 separate tracks, just use File>Render As and for the options for the WAV format, be sure to choose mono either under the "Template" field or click the "Custom" button.

HTH,
Iacobus
-------
RodelWorks - Original Music for the Unafraid
mD's ACIDplanet Page

Subject:RE: Appending a file to an existing Track

Reply by: dvdmike

Date:12/11/2003 3:55:05 PM

HTH, Wav files do indeed allow for up to 8 channels. If I can output 6 mono wav files, Microsoft even has a free command line program to multiplex mono wav files until a multichannel wav, up to 8. If you go to Microsoft's Windows Media Encoder website, they have sample 6 and 8 channel .wav and WMA files there. I can play them back using one of my two multichannel sound cards (m-audio firewire does support, Motu-896 does not) using windows media player 9. But so far, I have not found an audio program able to encode (multiplex) other than what Microsoft offers for free. So I don't think Sony is behind....yet.

Cloudspine, I'll try your suggestion. For now, I was able to get around it by using Sonar. You can almost NEVER be too detailed, so keep the details coming and thanks for your post.

Subject:RE: Appending a file to an existing Track

Reply by: pwppch

Date:12/11/2003 5:37:46 PM

Actually there is no limit to the number of channels a wave formated file can have. There is a non-physical limit with the Surround Positioning information in that not all channels have been "defined" by Microsoft. However, there is enough channel information available to define upto 18 surround locations.

ACID does not currently support exporting such Wave PCM encoded file formats.

Peter