Making several files into one long one.

[happydog500]

When computers first hit the mainstream, The question on peoples mind was how to split up a long file into tracks. I now have the opposite problem. I need to take a folder of several tracks, and make them into one long one.

Is there a good program to do this?

Thank you,
Chris.

[jagabo]

Tracks? Audio? Video? Container? Codecs?

[smrpix]

I thought he meant jpegs of railroads.

[Noahtuck]

Super Glue ?

[happydog500]

I posted in the "audio" forum so it's audio.
I have a folder of music, say 12 tracks. I want to do some editing and need the concert as one track. For years, I'd have a concert as all one track and needed to make each song a track. Now I need the opposite. I need it the other way.
Chris.

[smrpix]

wav, aiff, mp3, pcm, ac3, aac, lpcm, Dolby Digital, stereo 5.1, 7.1, bwav, ogg, mpa....... ? C'mon , man.

You know what, nevermind.. Try Audacity.

[videobruger]

Probably Audacity with FFMPEG plug-in.

[happydog500]

wav, aiff, mp3, pcm, ac3, aac, lpcm, Dolby Digital, stereo 5.1, 7.1, bwav, ogg, mpa....... ? C'mon , man.
You know what, nevermind.. Try Audacity.

C'mon man, audacity doesn't have that feature.

[transporterfan]

http://www.freemake.com/how_to/how_to_join_audio_files

Decline the adware on install and you're good to go.

[videobruger]

Audacity has this function. Load the tracks. Mark one. Edit -> Copy. Place yourself at the end of another track. Edit -> Paste.

[Clockwork]

wav, aiff, mp3, pcm, ac3, aac, lpcm, Dolby Digital, stereo 5.1, 7.1, bwav, ogg, mpa....... ? C'mon , man.
You know what, nevermind.. Try Audacity.

C'mon man, audacity doesn't have that feature.

It most certainly does.

[Noahtuck]

And still, you expect people to read your mind and know what format you are talking about

Oy Vey......

[happydog500]

And still, you expect people to read your mind and know what format you are talking about

Oy Vey......

Doesn't matter. Every one of the suggestions given so far it would not matter what format.

[happydog500]

Audacity has this function. Load the tracks. Mark one. Edit -> Copy. Place yourself at the end of another track. Edit -> Paste.

When you say, "load the tracks" I can only load one. How are you "loading" 12 tracks? It opens in another window.

[jagabo]

Just select all 12 files when you import. They'll all open in the same window. But even with the tracks in different windows you can copy/cut/paste from one to another.

[poisondeathray]

The format matters - because some programs may be able to segments losslessly, instead of having to re-encode (because it's decoded to uncompressed PCM wave, then re-encoded in audacity)

[happydog500]

Just select all 12 files when you import. They'll all open in the same window. But even with the tracks in different windows you can copy/cut/paste from one to another.

If I have twenty one files open in one window, all starting at the same time, how do I save it as one long file? The one I'm working on now will be about an hour and a half.

Chris.

[smrpix]

Using the time shift (double arrow) tool arrange them end to end (on a single track or multiples -- doesn't matter). File/Export...(choose your file name and type.)

[jagabo]

If I have twenty one files open in one window, all starting at the same time, how do I save it as one long file?

Videoburger already told you what to do.

[hello_hello]

Foobar2000's converter has the ability to convert a bunch of files while outputting either a single file or a single multi-track file... the difference being the latter saves tags to the file (or a playlist) so even though it's a single file it can be re-opened as though it still consists of individual files. The most common example of that would be converting a CDs worth of tracks to a single multi-track file.
I'd expect (although, maybe not) most audio players capable of also converting would be able to do something similar.

Once you've loaded all the files into a foobar2000 playlist you can highlight them all, right click and select "convert"..... creating different conversion presets in the process, if you want to.

[happydog500]

Using the time shift (double arrow) tool arrange them end to end (on a single track or multiples -- doesn't matter). File/Export...(choose your file name and type.)

Thank you for this information. It's a lot of work but I did it. I just edited a concert and it came out good. As I edit it down, with it this way, I can edit until I can fit it on a CD.
If I need a little, just take some out in between songs. If I need a lot, I can drop songs until I get it. I got to cut out the swearing, and match the crowd noise at the places I cut.

I didn't think I needed to have people read my mind as to what kind of files they are, since it didn't matter.

Thanks to everyone who answered. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Chris.

[happydog500]

Foobar2000's converter has the ability to convert a bunch of files while outputting either a single file or a single multi-track file... the difference being the latter saves tags to the file (or a playlist) so even though it's a single file it can be re-opened as though it still consists of individual files. The most common example of that would be converting a CDs worth of tracks to a single multi-track file.
I'd expect (although, maybe not) most audio players capable of also converting would be able to do something similar.

Once you've loaded all the files into a foobar2000 playlist you can highlight them all, right click and select "convert"..... creating different conversion presets in the process, if you want to.

I used to use Foobar in XP, but when Windows 7 came out, mine didn't work. I will look into that suggestion to see if it's less work then audacity.
Thank you again,
Chris.

[Noahtuck]

Just sad and clueless.....

[happydog500]

Just sad and clueless.....

Your the one who's answer was you had to know what type of files they were, which was not true. Thank you for trying to help.

[happydog500]

Using the time shift (double arrow) tool arrange them end to end (on a single track or multiples -- doesn't matter). File/Export...(choose your file name and type.)

Thank you again for helping me. Since you knew what do to, I wanted to make sure of something. I have a video editing software I have used hundreds of times with Concert Videos. I can save it in many different formats. One choice is to, "Save as the original format."
This way, I don't have to worry about what kind of format it is, it will save it as the same as original.

With audio files in audacity, if I have a concert I need to edit one song. It's a WAV. I have to stop and go to a different HD, look at what it is, then come back and save it. The next file I'm working on my be a FLAC. I edit, and before I save it, I have to go look again at the details.
Is there a way to save as original format in audacity? (Not having to worry about what it is each time)

Chris.

[smrpix]

Is there a way to save as original format in audacity? (Not having to worry about what it is each time)

Chris.

i don't think so. Audacity may not even be your best solution, you were being so secretive about your files and intent it just seemed like an easy generic catch-all recommendation.

[hello_hello]

If the idea is to edit/join a bunch of individual files together so they fit onto a CD..... I'm not sure why you'd need to join them together. I'd edit them as individual tracks and apply fade-in/outs where applicable and burn them as individual tracks to a CD..... but each to their own.... maybe I'm not understanding exactly what you're trying to do.

Thank you again for helping me. Since you knew what do to, I wanted to make sure of something. I have a video editing software I have used hundreds of times with Concert Videos. I can save it in many different formats. One choice is to, "Save as the original format."
This way, I don't have to worry about what kind of format it is, it will save it as the same as original.
With audio files in audacity, if I have a concert I need to edit one song. It's a WAV. I have to stop and go to a different HD, look at what it is, then come back and save it. The next file I'm working on my be a FLAC. I edit, and before I save it, I have to go look again at the details.
Is there a way to save as original format in audacity? (Not having to worry about what it is each time)

Chris.

I'd ask why you need to save it in the same format as the original, rather than saving it in the most practical format?
"Ideally" you'd always keep a lossless copy in case you want to edit again or convert to another format, so you'd save a copy as a wave file or FLAC etc. It doesn't matter what the original format was (even if it was lossy). If you convert to a lossy format (AAC, AC3, MP3 etc), it might as well be the one you prefer and not because it was the original format.

Every time you convert using a lossy encoder you lose quality, even if the same format it used each time. Try taking a MP3 and convert it to another MP3, then convert that MP3 to MP3..... it usually only takes two or three conversions before you can easily hear the difference compared to the original. On the other hand you can convert from wave to flac to flac to wave as many times as you like.....
For me, the original format would have little relevance when choosing an output format after editing.

[jagabo]

Just sad and clueless.....

Your the one who's answer was you had to know what type of files they were, which was not true.

No, in the general case you are wrong. Audacity with the ffmpeg source plugin opens a wide variety of containers and codecs but it may not be the optimal program for your situation. Other programs may make the job easier but may not work with some containers and codecs.

It's like asking for the best tool to remove some fasteners. A pair of pliers may work for many different fasteners. But a screw driver is best for screws, a socket wrench is best for bolts, a staple remover is best for staples, etc.

[happydog500]

If the idea is to edit/join a bunch of individual files together so they fit onto a CD..... I'm not sure why you'd need to join them together. I'd edit them as individual tracks and apply fade-in/outs where applicable and burn them as individual tracks to a CD..... but each to their own.... maybe I'm not understanding exactly what you're trying to do.

Thank you again for helping me. Since you knew what do to, I wanted to make sure of something. I have a video editing software I have used hundreds of times with Concert Videos. I can save it in many different formats. One choice is to, "Save as the original format."
This way, I don't have to worry about what kind of format it is, it will save it as the same as original.
With audio files in audacity, if I have a concert I need to edit one song. It's a WAV. I have to stop and go to a different HD, look at what it is, then come back and save it. The next file I'm working on my be a FLAC. I edit, and before I save it, I have to go look again at the details.
Is there a way to save as original format in audacity? (Not having to worry about what it is each time)

Chris.

I'd ask why you need to save it in the same format as the original, rather than saving it in the most practical format?
"Ideally" you'd always keep a lossless copy in case you want to edit again or convert to another format, so you'd save a copy as a wave file or FLAC etc. It doesn't matter what the original format was (even if it was lossy). If you convert to a lossy format (AAC, AC3, MP3 etc), it might as well be the one you prefer and not because it was the original format.

Every time you convert using a lossy encoder you lose quality, even if the same format it used each time. Try taking a MP3 and convert it to another MP3, then convert that MP3 to MP3..... it usually only takes two or three conversions before you can easily hear the difference compared to the original. On the other hand you can convert from wave to flac to flac to wave as many times as you like.....
For me, the original format would have little relevance when choosing an output format after editing.

For me, if I have a folder with 20 files, I edit one, now I have a folder with 19 files of one type, and 1 of another. I don't want a folder with mismatched files.

2. Your right, if you keep converting some files, they lose quality. The one odd file in the folder may have to be converted again, to match the others in the folder. I have over 500 concerts. If someone wants one, I have to do some editing. I don't want to convert it again, so I want to save it just the way it was originally, on the fly, to speed things up.

Fadeouts. Because if you go to a live concert, you never have fadeout. You never have a time where everything goes silent, even the crowd. I like having mine like a real concert. I cut out the sometimes 5 minutes of crowd noise and have mine like a CD, with about 5 seconds. I need to match the crowd volume so you can't tell it's been cut, just like a commercial CD.

Does audacity save files "same as original" without having to know each time?

[transporterfan]

There are lossless cutters. My original recommendation was for joining a multitude of formats together.
http://www.nch.com.au/splitter/index.html , for example, will split lossless but takes a bit of work and is for MP3, WAV, OGG and FLAC.
The video tool VideotoVideo Converter will join all these segments together (Tools>Join Audio) losslessly if you use Direct Stream Copy preset.

Now you see why Noah wanted the track format and why it was so important.
You can't join one format to another without some sort of intermediate reinterpretation of both formats.

My suggestion would be to convert to WAV or FLAC each concert as you need to. Archive it and treat it as a Master Copy.
Whatever fades/cuts/splices you have to use will be consistent with the previous edit you did
(so long as you remember to keep the settings you use/are happy with on export).