Combining Wave Files Into One Track

[Zenesz]

I am applying for a composer's grant and have to submit .wav/.flac files to a drop box. There's a 30-minute time limit with a maximum of four tracks, which have to be anonymously titled Track 1, Track 2, etc. I only need three tracks; Track 1 will be a chamber piece, Track 2 will be a solo piano piece, and Track 3 will consist of eight excerpts from a symphonic work. I have to put all eight .wav/flac files into Track 3; with a limit of four tracks, I obviously can't submit Track 1 (chamber work), Track 2 (piano piece), Track 3, Track 4, Track 5, Track 6, Track 7, Track 8, Track 9, Track 10—with Tracks 3 through 10 being the eight orchestra excerpt wave files. (Before submitting the music, I'll have to convert the .wav files to .flac files, but that's no problem.)

 

Can this be combining of the eight .wav files into one Track be done in WavePad? If not, I guess I'll have to send the .wav files to a recording engineer and have him do it for me. although I'd rather do it myself to save money. I have a registered copy of WavePad Masters Edition.

 

I think I will have to add 2" of silence between each orchestra excerpt, which is easy to do in WavePad.

 

Any help you can give me in this matter will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[vapors]

Your task is easily done in WavePad. Open a new file, add the first excerpt (either by using the "open file" button, or drag and drop the file onto the workspace.

Then I would add the silence at the end. Next bring the second excerpt into the project. With that file active, right click in that window, chose 'select all' and then 'Copy' from either the Home or Edit tab.

Then go back to the first window, make sure the cursor is positioned at the end of the file (I use the >I transport button on the bottom of the workspace) ,and 'paste' the second file.

Add your silence at the end of that, and continue accordingly. Hope I explained that ok!

 

Alternately, (the way I would probably do it) if the eight files are in the same folder and named chronologically, I would drag all the files into the project at once. Then add silence to the end of each, and proceed to copy and paste as described above.

[Zenesz]

I'll give it a try today, although combining the files might be easier to do with Audacity. One quick question: Can I put the 2" (2000 ms) of silence at the end of the first seven excerpts first before trying to combine them into one "track"?

 

Thank you for your help!

[vapors]

" Can I put the 2" (2000 ms) of silence at the end of the first seven excerpts first before trying to combine them into one "track"? "

That is how I would do it.

 

I also use audacity a lot, but for what you are doing I would prefer to use WavePad myself.

[Zenesz]

I've tried to combine the 8 files but things keep getting screwed up. I either end up missing a file or ending up with a duplicate file. So I'm obviously doing something wrong, even though I thought I was following your instructions. When I open file A and then file B, I Select All and Copy B and then go back to file A and paste B. Then, when I open file C, do I paste it to A or B? I keep a check list to make sure I'm not missing a file or adding one twice, but that still happens for some unknown reason. The length of the combination of all 8 files is either too short or way too long.

[vapors]

Perhaps I'm making this more difficult than need be. This is just how I would approach it using WavePad. I do work like this all the time, albeit in the reverse (splitting up long files into tracks.)

 

If they are labelled in a chronological order, each file should have it's own tab along the bottom of your workspace in order from left to right.

Start with file 'A'. This will become your final file. Add your silence, and re-name it 'Master file or something.'Re-naming it will create a new file, and preserve the original version of the file.

Now click on the B file tab which will make that the open window, add silence, select all, copy. Click on file A tab, position cursor at end of the file, paste.

Now I would click on file B again and close it. The program will ask if you want to save the changes (you added silence) choose either save or don't save.

Closing the files after you have pasted them into the new project file will help keep track of where you are.

 

some tips: when positioning the cursor, sometimes you can inadvertently 'select' an area, as opposed to just a static cursor. Zoom in to see if anything is highlighted.

remember that the clipboard with hold the last file/selection, until you 'copy' something else.

[Zenesz]

It's still not working, I can't see that I'm highlighting anything except with the file I want to paste to the preceding file turns dark blue when I Select All and copy it before pasting it onto the preceding file. I'm stymied and thinking I should just dump WavePad Editor within the 30-day purchase guarantee and find an easier-to-use app that will let me do what I have to do. The grant deadline is approaching and I can't keep screwing around with this. Thanks for your help, but I'm obviously just not getting it right.

[Zenesz]

I'm thinking it's time to ask for a refund within the 30-day time period. Screwing around with this, which should be a simple task, is taking too much time away from composing. I'm not a total idiot when it comes to using complex software. But WavePad Editor has defeated me! LOL

[vapors]

I'm sorry that you are having troubles and hope I didn't cause too much confusion.

It seems like an easy project to me; a perfect use of WavePad and would take me only a couple of minutes to accomplish, but then I've been using WavePad for many years......

Best of Luck!

[Zenesz]

I found a fee app online that did the job in less than a minute with great results. Time to get rid of WavePad.