Application to extract samples from audio files?

[icedsushi]

Is there an application that will extract one-shot samples, where let's say you can set a threshold & it will extract samples from the silent part of the audio file? Rather than manually trimming the beginning/ends of each one?

Kind of like how MPC's make a recording, it's already trimmed for you, but done to the audio files after they're already recorded...

[ARDJ]

no, not that i'm aware of. Protools has a system where you could set a dB threshhold and anything below that would be deleted. This was really helpful for me when i use to stem-mix in protools and hated seeing 7min blocks for all parts.

You could always always put a gate on the channel, render it down, consolidate, then slice -> midi via transient.

[icedsushi]

Ok thanks. Do you think the 4-step method you mentioned would be quicker than just dragging the beginning/end points of each sample & then consolidate each one on the arrange page which is only 2-steps? Trying it right now...

OK, just tried it. I wasn't sure the purpose of the gate or rendering it a second time before slicing, since the silent part is still in the audio file & slicing is what actually extracts the sample. Because there's only one shot per audio file, slicing seems longer than dragging the start/end points & consolidate. And you've got to mess around re-finding the samples again in the Live browser in order to slice them. Unless I'm doing something wrong.

I've got a couple thousand samples to do and I might have to do this again sometime if I sample some more instruments. So I'm trying to figure out the quickest way to save some time. Would be nice if there were some kind of batch tool for this kind of thing.

[ARDJ]

well you mentioned in your original post you wanted to set a threshold for when to slice and when not to right? I suggested using a gate so that anything quieter than say -35db was thrown out and you were left with what you wanted.

[icedsushi]

OH I see. No the threshold was to detect the start/end points to automatically extract the sample. I want the silent parts cropped off, so there wouldn't be much purpose to gate them first, before cropping.

MPC's and Maschine do this, they only record one-shot anything above the threshold. But they do it during the recording process, not after. It's slower to record the samples with Maschine than it is with Live though. The Maschine screen fills up too quickly with samples & it's more clicking around to get to them & re-save them buried in the menus.

[mdk]

Sound Forge can do it, if you're on PC. Its not cheap though.

http://www.custcenter.com/cgi-bin/sonyp ... _topview=1

[icedsushi]

On a Mac, any other ideas?

[fischer]

AudioFinder
http://www.icedaudio.com/

[icedsushi]

OK, tried Audio Finder demo, which has the sample extract function. But for some reason the sample extract only works with 16 bit files, not 24 bit.

Arrghh, deleted it straight away. Back to the drawing board. Think I'll just end up doing it the old fashioned way cropping all of them manually.

[lord toranaga]

I use audiofinder on 24bit audio files all the time.


it might be a restricted demo, or a setting in the preferences.

Give them an email and sort it out.


Audiofinder is the best money I ever spent for software

[Piplodocus]

Not sure if this is what you're after, but can you use live to slice to midi using transients?

Not really tried so I don't know if it works, how well it works, and if you can set some kind of transient threshold...

[Rotter3]

You could do this in Geist

[icedsushi]

Not sure if this is what you're after, but can you use live to slice to midi using transients?

Slice to midi just sets the start & end points for you, but yes you can go into the drum rack, right click Simpler & crop sample. I have a few thousand samples though, so it's a messier way to do it because you have to keep going back & forth to the browser & create a new track for each of the few thousand samples. Might as well just crop clips manually compared to that which is probably what I'll end up doing.

[icedsushi]

I use audiofinder on 24bit audio files all the time.

Yes, you use audiofinder with 24 bit files all the time, but you haven't used them with the sample extract function because that particular feature only works with 16 bit files. It seems that the sample tool works though in a more limited way (see below).

it might be a restricted demo, or a setting in the preferences.

Nope, the demo has the same features as the full version.

Give them an email and sort it out.

I did, and here was the response:

"The SE is really precise and designed for converting 16 bit Audio CD. That is the purpose of the feature. Around 100 audio sample CDs were analyzed and the results were used to construct this feature. It doesn't scale to 24 bit for this reason. There is no software on the Mac that can beat AF and converting audio CDs because they are not optimized down to the sample level. There are some good threshold detection features in the Sample Tool that work pretty good. The Sample Tool can extract 24 and 64bit, but it's not as precise."

Audiofinder is the best money I ever spent for software

Seems pretty decent to me but if I were to buy this kind of thing I might lead more towards Audioease Snapper. It's integrated right into OSX finder & pops up automatically when you need it which seems quicker to use. I have an email into them asking if it has some sort of sample extract function.

[icedsushi]

You could do this in Geist

Yeah, & Maschine does it too. But this is in real time at it's inputs, while the sample is being recorded. It's not to crop an already recorded audio file, correct?

It's mostly about the quickest solution for a large number of samples. These are all great ideas, but the few that work have limitations or have extra steps which take longer than doing it manually. I'm starting to think that right click "crop clip", or using the edit button with external sample editor will end up being the most efficient. Oh well, it was a good idea.