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Not sure exactly what the correct term is, which is probably why I can't find an answer online, but does anyone know how to trim an extremely small part of an audio file? I've tried zooming in, changing the main counter to "min:sec", "bars:beats" and then "samples"...but still, it doesn't give me that much leeway with cropping. I'm looking to cut up a file so there are only sound Waves-- no empty space in between. When I try cropping, it highlights blocks of the file. I want to cut away millimeters, not inches! I remember being able to do this before, but now I've forgotten. In the middle of a session, so if anyone can help, it would be much appreciated!

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anonymous Fri, 12/14/2012 - 04:46

alternatively, you could highlight the section you want to erase w/ the i beam tool, and just hit delete.

Which personally, I think is what you should do.

By reducing the boundary of the file - this is the process Kmetal mentioned where you drag the file's boundary down in size and closer to your actual recorded content - while that part of the file will disappear in the mix, it's still a part of the audio file, and if it's just silence, you are taking up space for nothing.

By actually deleting that part of the file/track, you're getting rid of that which you don't need and which serves no purpose, and, if that project file will ever potentially see another platform, another DAW for example, the boundary edit may not translate to another timeline as edited. It may show up as how it was before you reduced the boundary.

Just make sure there's nothing there that you might end up wanting to keep down the road.

IMHO of course.

-D.

kmetal Fri, 12/14/2012 - 09:29

thats not always the case. in protools there is a function that erases any unused audio, this removes it from the hard drive. when you 'delete or trim' you are creating a reference/index point that tells you daw what to do, these are independent of audio file data.

it's like saving a mixer 'snashot' vs, a snapshot and same audio data. there is where 'save a copy as' differs from save as.

you will not have a difference in audio data by using delete or trim, becuase they are simply reference points in session data. those functions are just manipulations to what the cpu sees as audio files, and you have to purposefully delete files from the harddrive/audio files folder, for it to be 'really' gone. otherwise, it's just the software putting some blinders on.

that said, if your are trying to transfer session tracks, i disagree that boundry definitions cause problems. it comes down to properly rendered files. in pt its wise to have all the audio start at the same point, then tediously render each track, or tracks, indivually. like if you wanted to give each file individually to someone else to mix. this would print the prcessing, and make it not able to alter those settings, in other words, it's to tape. In digital performer, you still have to make sure the boundries start at the same reference point in time, but this program allows the audio to be drag and droppped to the destop or wherever, i'll have to check it if processes the channel settings as well, but since it goes through a 'backround processing' screen i'd guess it does.

bottom line is delete and boundry trim is the same as far as hd space. pt has a 'delete everything un-used' in session function. trimmed region boundries don't transefer correctly unless they are rendered properly, however that may be. this is why when my moixes are gonna move, i usually always have the starting point as a marker point, and leave some sort of a count afterwards. this guarentees in the digital realm at least, even if it's silecne it starts at the same spot. and since edit points dont effect the actual raw audio, you'll be able to 'drag back' any edited files, like say a buzzy gtr. the key, is to make sure they all start at the same time hence, press rec right away from the marker. otherwise ya line it up by ear.

bouldersound Fri, 12/14/2012 - 10:46

DonnyThompson, post: 397743 wrote: Which personally, I think is what you should do.

By reducing the boundary of the file - this is the process Kmetal mentioned where you drag the file's boundary down in size and closer to your actual recorded content - while that part of the file will disappear in the mix, it's still a part of the audio file, and if it's just silence, you are taking up space for nothing.

By actually deleting that part of the file/track, you're getting rid of that which you don't need and which serves no purpose, and, if that project file will ever potentially see another platform, another DAW for example, the boundary edit may not translate to another timeline as edited. It may show up as how it was before you reduced the boundary.

Just make sure there's nothing there that you might end up wanting to keep down the road.

IMHO of course.

-D.

Selecting/deleting is non-destructive and just another way to achieve the same result as grabbing and moving the end of a block. Either tool can be preferable depending on the situation.

kmetal Fri, 12/14/2012 - 12:01

yeah i learned the hard way about 'save copy as'. never fun telling a group you deleted there stuff. they all do the same thing, much more knowledgeable pt tweakers up here than me. To me DAWs are tape machines you can edit more easily. until they have some quirky thing, or you permently erase keepers lol. thanks for the kind words donny.