Audacity Tutorial: formatting for saber sounds (picture heavy)

[TheBaconWizard]

There have been a few people asking recently, so here is a tutorial.
Certainly Plecter Labs boards, and I think NEC boards too require files to be at:
22050Hz and 16bit .wav files in mono.

The clip you are working with may well be in a different format however. How to fix this?

Firstly, you would import the clip you wish to work-with.



If as shown here, your file is in stereo than this is the first to fix, and very simply it is too. Highlight the track and then go to the pull down menu "Tracks" to select mono, as shown:



Next to do is select the correct sample-rate. Here there is a bit of confusion that I hope to clear up.

You COULD select the sample-rate using a pull down menu shown in the next 2 pics. However, this simply tells audacity that the clip is recorded at the rate you now select. Except it isn't. It's still the sample-rate it always was. And as such, you will succede only in causing audacity to play it at the wrong speed.
It's the same as selecting 33rpm on an old record player when infact it is a 45rmp (or technically, 66rpm!)

Shown here is where NOT to do it.




Instead, look to the bottom left of audactiy's window. This is where you should select the sample rate. Select 22050Hz. Shown here:




Now to save your file, which will carry with it the new sample-rate that you selected, and any other changes.
You save it by highlighting the track and under "File" you find "Export selected audio"
It is especially important to use this one rather than merely "export audio" if you are dealing with multiple tracks. I get into the habit of always using it even if only editing one track at a time.

Here:



This gives you a typical save-file window. Make sure you select 16-bit wav. Name the file appropriately and select a location where you will easily find it again and know what it is.



You're finished.

NOTE. If in future you work with the file again, do not be concerned to see the following



This does NOT mean your file was saved as 32bit by mistake.


I hope this has helped.

Any further questions and I hope to check back here occasionally and will attempt to help you out. There are much more experienced font-smiths on the forum and I invite anyone else to also help-out on this thread where possible.

 

[Rayataz]

Hey thanks BaconWizard for this tutorial! It helped me import some sounds into my PL boards. One thing though I've been struggling with is that my sounds end up with a discernible static "click" at the end. Is there a way to fix this?

[TheBaconWizard]

3 main things to look at.

1, is any looped sounds need to have what is called a zero crossing. I can't link easily on my phone, but Google Plectar Labs and in the site is a tutorial for sound design.
2. The sounds need to be suitable. Some sounds are just too dissimilar to work well with each other, or if looping the start and end can be too different. Occasionally, if looping, a way round that is to take a portion of the start and reverse it, then cross-fade that in to the end of the loop. The spectral range will now be a perfect match and in some cases you don't even need to bother with a zero-crossing (I've found its a case-by-case situation whether it's best to do that or not)
3. Something I hadn't considered until it was pointed out to me recently: some sound files come with or you can add metadata. Eg corpytight, composer, genre etc. Unlike an audio program on your computer, a soundboard doesn't recognise this and will try to play it as audio. In audacity, there would be by default a screen when you export the audio, with that stuff in it for you to edit. You need to press clear if it isn't blank, before saving. If the screen doesn't appear then no doubt there will be something under Preferences that if selected will make sure it does next time.

[Derro Kuspin]

Thank you!
That's very useful knowledge! I don't intend to make my own font anytime soon, but I can use your tips to add iSaber files to my CF (which have to be formatted the same way, as I understand it?)

[Rayataz]

Thanks Bacon Wizard!

I faded out the ends of the sound files and removed all the meta data as well. And that seemed to have removed those odd clicks at the end. :)