Making a Gaming Soundtrack - How Do I Edit MP3's?

[Paul_Klein]

I want to take certain tracks (like from Star Wars or Lord of the Rings), and use some exerbs of the track for a soundtrack, but I don't know how to just take, for example, 1:30 - 2:45 of a track and make it it's own track, and then burn that part onto a CD.

Do you understand what I'm asking?

Do you know how to do this?

 

[Ayrk]

You need some audio editing software.

I know that Pro Tools has a free version you can download, also Cakewalk has some good software as well, Cool Edit Pro. Not sure if it is free.

In a nut shell you need to rip the song off of the CD and into a WAV format. If you do not know how to do that, get a program called CDex (it's free).

Next you open the wave file in your audio editing software. Most likely you'll see the song as a series of vertical lines with a timer at the bottom. Highlight the area you want to copy, choose edit-copy, create a new document and paste it. You can then save the new WAV, and burn it to CD like you would any other audio CD.

Does that help?

 

[Welverin]

I have one thing to add, the wave editing program I have (by Nero, came with the program I use to make cd's) let's me edit MP3's as is, wipes out any song info saved in the file itself however.

Correction: Ahead is the company, Nero is the name of the software.

 

[Zenon]

I'd second the CDex for extraction of CD Audio to a file. You can find it here:

http://www.cdex.n3.net/

For editing you can use something like GoldWave (http://www.goldwave.com), which is shareware. Goldwave will be limited to a certain number of operations every time you open it, but it should give you enough to do what you need to do in steps. The shareware doesn't expire, it just only lets you do so much at a time.

Follow Ayrk's instructions and you can save pieces of your songs as new files. Then use you CD burner software to create a new audio CD.

It's not a difficult as it sounds. Good luck!

 

[John Crichton]

I use Soundforge. Also try www.cnet.com to see what other folks are using.

 

[Psionicist]

I, being and audiophile on training, have tried a couple of ripping software and meassured the output. The best so far is EAC (or Exact Audio Copy).

Oh and by the way. Do Lame.

 

[Paul_Klein]

I've been using Cool Edit Pro, and it's working great!

Thanks everyone!

My group is gonna crap themselves when they hear what I've put together...