Join vs consolidate two files for pauseless seamless playback

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JeffWho
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2006 4:31 am

Join vs consolidate two files for pauseless seamless playback

Post by JeffWho » Sun Oct 24, 2021 6:07 pm

Hello,

What is the easiest way to join the edges of two audio sound files on the same track? This question is not what you think.

Since there is space between the two files on the Arrangement view track, I would like the end edge of the first file and beginning edge of the second file join at exactly the same point. Consolidate does not do this and will include the blank area in between.

Here’s what I'm trying to do.
I have two audio tracks from a live concert that are pausless/seamless tracks when played back in my audio player. In Arrangement view, I need to join them at the precise point so they play be seamlessly in Live.

What I've tried
Turning off snap to grid, I select the second file on the track and on hold Option (i’m on a Mac), press left arrow. Visually it appears to move the second file to the end of the first. But when played back, there’s a gap. When zooming the timeline, there’s still a gap.

I’ve also tried mouse dragging or nudging the file with the arrow keys but these options are not precise.

I also cannot find a way to determine what is the End time of the first file, then, select the second file and keyboard enter that number so the file moves to the entered location.

For these same two files I am able to join them in my other DAWs in a matter of minutes using MOTU Digital Performer and Logic.

Note. Warp is disable because it's not appropriate for it to be one for these files.

Please correct me on my verbiage too. I have searched for a solution using words like join and append, but they point to using the consolidate feature which is not the solution.

Thanks for your input.

JeffWho

jestermgee
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Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:38 am

Re: Join vs consolidate two files for pauseless seamless playback

Post by jestermgee » Mon Oct 25, 2021 9:37 pm

Well if the files are placed back to back on the arrangement timeline have you tried zooming in on the join and using the sample cross fade envelopes to make both files overlap a bit to take out any "gap". Of course if you have silence at the start/end of the file you would need to trim that but both freeze and consolidate should basically take what you have and just join/render that down "as is". Are you saying it sounds one way when you play it but different when you consolidate/freeze?

NF2K
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:11 am

Re: Join vs consolidate two files for pauseless seamless playback

Post by NF2K » Sat May 14, 2022 9:05 pm

Live favours snapping dragged clips to the grid over snapping to nearby clips (and it won't even try to snap clip edges together with the grid off); perhaps you need to reduce the the grid resolution (ctrl-2) to remove interfering gridlines that are too close to the target clip's edge?

edit: Oh also, important, it appears you can only snap the starting edge of a clip to the ending edge of another clip. (Though there might be an awkward manual way to line up the before clip by setting it's 1.1.1 at the end of its sample content and dragging the start marker to a useful grid division)

(I know this is an old question; I'm replying in the case anyone else searches for a solution in future. Someone let me know if replying to old posts is discouraged. I didn't catch anything about it in the FAQ or subforum rules)
Last edited by NF2K on Sun May 15, 2022 11:59 am, edited 2 times in total.

[jur]
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Re: Join vs consolidate two files for pauseless seamless playback

Post by [jur] » Sun May 15, 2022 10:37 am

colonthree wrote:
Sat May 14, 2022 9:05 pm
Someone let me know if replying to old posts is discouraged. I didn't catch anything about it in the FAQ or subforum rules)
Of course not. Go ahead, you're welcome, that's why the forum exists :wink:
Ableton Forum Moderator

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