Topic: Help me not waste $40 (Read 7679 times)

Kirbo · « **on:** 06 Apr 2006, 11:20 »

Ok, I went out and grabbed Zaireeka by The Flaming Lips. For those of you who don't know about it, it's 4 CD's that need to be played at the same time. It's kind of annoying, and I don't have 4 CD players...yet. So my plan was to meld the files together on my computer. Now for the problem.

I don't know how to do this. I have Acid (A program, not substence) for 30 days, but no idea how to use it. Anyone with advice please help me out.

(Also, I'm fine with downloading other programs)

jhocking · « **Reply #1 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 11:23 »

I don't know anything about Acid specifically, but smooshing together multiple tracks of audio is pretty easy in most sound editing software, or even video editing software (just export audio with no video when you're done.)

Try Audacity; it's free.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Kirbo · « **Reply #2 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 11:31 »

Ok, I have a problem importing the songs. They're just static in Audacity.

jhocking · « **Reply #3 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 11:33 »

How are you importing them into Audacity? I would recommend ripping them with iTunes and then opening the mp3 files. Is that what you tried?

Incidentally, what kind of computer are you using? Mostly I'm wondering, Windows or Mac?

Kirbo · « **Reply #4 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 11:35 »

They're ripped mp3's, I use Windows, and I tried importing Raw Data when it didn't let me import Audio.

jhocking · « **Reply #5 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 11:45 »

I dunno, could be a lot of things. Are the filetypes correct? And I mean that both on the audio files themselves, and on the file choosing dialog that comes up with you do Import Audio.

Note that the download page lists a separate download to do with mp3:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/windows
It looks like just a special encoder though; you shouldn't need that to work with mp3 files.

Kirbo · « **Reply #6 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 11:53 »

Yeah, now I can save it as an mp3, which is handy, but I still can't get anything to work properly.

Rubby · « **Reply #7 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 12:29 »

I could help you with the software. But I think it would be better to say, "just download it". You've already bought the album; it’s not like your stealing it. People have it online all synched up and everything.

Kirbo · « **Reply #8 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 12:32 »

Alas, I cannot download. Part of my lease prevents me from doing that. Therefore I need to do it this way.

Rubby · « **Reply #9 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 12:50 »

Ok then. You say you have Audacity? I've never used it, but I do know a thing or two about sequencers. Here's what should work. Create 4 new blank tracks on an empty project. Select the first track and go into the file menu. In there, there should be an "Import" option with a submenu. Go to the submenu and find the option closest resembling "Import Audio File." Find the first mp3 and select it and it should be inserted to the selected track. Repeat for the other three tracks. Sync them up starting at zero (you may need to cut some pieces to get them perfect). Once this is done go into the file menu once again and in the "Export" submenu there should be something resembling "Mixdown as..." or something like that. Export the mix down as an mp3 and vola!
Do not use Acid. It's more for looping and samples and such. While it can do what you want, it's not really made for things like this.

mberan42 · « **Reply #10 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 12:53 »

So wait, what the hell? The Flaming Lips released one album on 4 discs?

Basically, they're making you become a (albeit relatively basic) sound mixer just to listen to their album?

Am I the only one who thinks this is utter crap?

Can you listen to one disc only and have it sound like a normal album? Or is one disc the drums, one disc the guitars, one disc the vocals, and one disc the piano?

I'm confused and actually rather disgusted...

Kirbo · « **Reply #11 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 12:56 »

When I try to import anything, it says "File not compressed, try Import Raw", but Import Raw imports static.

Edit: mberan42 it's just an experiment. It's pretty cool to me, and when I head back to my real house, I have the set up I need to do this right. I just want this for the sake of simplicity. If I ever want to listen to it without hassle.

Rubby · « **Reply #12 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 13:04 »

Then try ripping the cd's into WAV's if you have the hard drive space.

Kirbo · « **Reply #13 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 13:14 »

Tried. Same result.

Scandanavian War Machine · « **Reply #14 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 15:20 »

everything about this is really weird and gives me that pukey taste in my mouth.

Rubby · « **Reply #15 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 16:11 »

What program are you using to rip the CD's?
I think what's causing your problem is the crappyness of Audacity. I could suggest others, but they're not free and I don’t think you need some superpower mammoth software to do this simple task.

jhocking · « **Reply #16 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 16:25 »

Audacity works really well on a Mac, but I don't know if their Windows port is any good.

I used Encounter2000 on Windows a couple times. Frankly, it's pretty shitty software, but it's free and it may work for this simple mixing task.
http://www.winsite.com/bin/Info?10000000036233

Gryff · « **Reply #17 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 16:38 »

You guys are missing the point that Zaireeka is supposed to be listened to in four CD players. The fun is in getting a bunch of friends around and screwing around trying to synch things up manually. It's not supposed to be perfect - it's supposed to be different every time.

So basically, no to this whole thread.

Rubby · « **Reply #18 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 16:39 »

You can do this in Acid too, it's just been so bloody long since I've used that program; I'll try and remember. In Acid you have the option of creating different types of tracks - loop being the default. Change the track to...something about from hard drive or something. Instead of the swirly loop picture on the track properties dialog, it should show a hard drive if you have the right kind of track. After you choose the type of track I think it takes you to a dialog in which you can select the file to insert. If it doesn't do that I think there's an import menu in the file menu. But yeah, with Acid it’s all about getting that type of track. Like I said, I haven’t used the program in years.

Bastardous Bassist · « **Reply #19 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 16:45 »

Quote from: Gryff

You guys are missing the point that Zaireeka is supposed to be listened to in four CD players. The fun is in getting a bunch of friends around and screwing around trying to synch things up manually. It's not supposed to be perfect - it's supposed to be different every time.

So basically, no to this whole thread.

So, basically it's supposed to be sloppy and done poorly by amateurs who have absolutely no experience doing what they're supposed to do to make the music work? Sounds like the entire indie scene! ZING!

Gryff · « **Reply #20 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 16:52 »

Um… oh snap?

Kai · « **Reply #21 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 16:59 »

Quote from: Bastardous Bassist

Quote from: Gryff
You guys are missing the point that Zaireeka is supposed to be listened to in four CD players. The fun is in getting a bunch of friends around and screwing around trying to synch things up manually. It's not supposed to be perfect - it's supposed to be different every time.

So basically, no to this whole thread.

So, basically it's supposed to be sloppy and done poorly by amateurs who have absolutely no experience doing what they're supposed to do to make the music work? Sounds like the entire indie scene! ZING!

What about punk music? It's even sloppier, and has less songs about spoons.

Bastardous Bassist · « **Reply #22 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 17:02 »

Point taken, even though punk has fewer songs about spoons.

Bunnyman · « **Reply #23 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 20:11 »

By logical extension, if you get four friends with CD Turntables and scratch together a set, is that the apotheosis of the intended effect? I mean, if the motive is pure musical expression with the album as an enabler?

Mind you, it'd be disgusting to have an album that required $4000 in hardware to listen to 'properly,' but still...

Gryff · « **Reply #24 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 20:17 »

Bunnyman, that would be totally rad, and something that the Flaming Lips would endorse, I would expect.

nescience · « **Reply #25 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 20:52 »

Zaireeka-as-social-experience rather than album. Boom.

Bunnyman · « **Reply #26 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 20:53 »

OK, I'm getting this album now. At the very least, I can sit with three friends and our laptops, with copies of ReNoise or something.

I Am Not Amused · « **Reply #27 on:** 06 Apr 2006, 21:37 »

In response to someone's question above:

Zaireeka can be listened to in any number of combinations. You can listen to each disc individually, mix any two together, mix any three together or listen to all four at the same time. They're all supposed to be able to stand alone and all supposed to be able to work together in any various combination.

nescience · « **Reply #28 on:** 07 Apr 2006, 01:01 »

It really is a ton of fun. The last time I did Zaireeka was in college and we got really stoned and had a great time.

If you do decide to mix everything together in Audacity (you should select Import Audio rather than Import Raw Data, or you can drag-and-drop the music file into your project if you're using Windows), you should make sure to use compression on the resulting mixdown that you generate. Zaireeka is an interesting listen in two channels, but it's much better in octophonic.

Kirbo · « **Reply #29 on:** 07 Apr 2006, 06:43 »

Firstly, I will be doing Zaireeka with friends, the intened way, but I just want it mixed for when I don't have 4 CD players.

Secondly, I've ripped them with WMP nd iTunes.

Thirdly Acid just confuses the hell out of me. If I just wait till sunday I'll get my friend to do it.

Bunnyman · « **Reply #30 on:** 07 Apr 2006, 15:37 »

That sounds so bad if taken out of context.

_ · « **Reply #31 on:** 08 Apr 2006, 01:21 »

I've never heard of Zaireeka before, but I'm definitely tracking down a copy now. This sounds like the coolest album concept ever. An album that invites the audience at home to interact with it and create a sort of performance art piece in the process.

Are there any other albums/projects/whatever that are anything like this?

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Author Topic: Help me not waste $40 (Read 7679 times)

Bunnyman

nescience

Bunnyman

nescience

Bunnyman

_