bad mixdown files

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dbphiladelphia
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 3:01 pm

bad mixdown files

Post by dbphiladelphia »

*newb alert*. There, I said it.
This issue only exists on this computer (running Win7). No problems when I ran it on a different one (running Win2K). Typically, I'm using this program for mixing files recorded on a separate device. On this machine, I can import and work with the files with no problem. However, when it comes to mixdown, whether I mixdown to mp3 or wav, the files are completely unplayable within any media player. Any ideas?
sinbad
Posts: 594
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 9:01 pm

Re: bad mixdown files

Post by sinbad »

welcome,
Are you mixing down to 16bit 44,1 Hz?
I forget sometimes and have the files at 24bit, which won't work in most media players.
dbphiladelphia
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 3:01 pm

Re: bad mixdown files

Post by dbphiladelphia »

I am, thanks. That was the first thing I checked for, actually, in hopes for an easy fix :)
astroidmist
Posts: 101
Joined: Tue May 11, 2010 7:28 pm

Re: bad mixdown files

Post by astroidmist »

perhaps you are using the wrong sample rate, or perhaps you are misnaming the files. In Windows folder options, make sure that it doesn't hide the file extensions of common file types. In other words, make it so that if you create an image and a sound, each named Untitled, the image will show up as "Untitled.png" (or "Untitled.bmp", or whatever) and the sound will show up as "Untitled.wav" (or "Untitled.mp3"). If Windows doesn't show the extensions, they will both show up just as "Untitled". If the file extensions are hidden, you might be accidentally naming the files "Untitled.wav.wav", and this would confuse the media player.

Download Foobar2000 from http://foobar2000.org it can play just about ANYTHING, including 32-bit float WAV's. Windows Media Player can't be trusted and it corrupts file type associations of other programs in the registry. I know this from years of tweaking and hacking the Registry trying to disable Windows Media Player... it's a beast.
sinbad
Posts: 594
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 9:01 pm

Re: bad mixdown files

Post by sinbad »

If I remember right, when you name the file you must include the file type in the window i.e "music.mp3".
Eskimoshowdown
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun May 23, 2010 3:26 pm

Re: bad mixdown files

Post by Eskimoshowdown »

im having this problem too, did you ever figure it out? im running vista and setting it to 44100 hz but the mixdowns are always totally unplayable. when i try to save as an mp3 instead of a wav, it gives me an error message that says "cant open file". the filetype is already on the end of it when i save so i dont think thats the problem and i have my folder options set to display filetype extensions but im not sure how to check on the bitrate and hz values sinbad posted. any more ideas?
astroidmist
Posts: 101
Joined: Tue May 11, 2010 7:28 pm

Re: bad mixdown files

Post by astroidmist »

I'm wondering if maybe your Windows MP3 codec is not installed or is not installed correctly. Personally, I don't use MP3, but FLAC's and OGGs, but that's just me. The MP3 codec is known to have lots of troublesome issues, that's why the OGG codec was invented. It may not be as popular, but I think it's worth it to not have the hassles of MP3. I'm not really sure why your files aren't playing. Check your Windows control panel for program defaults and filetype settings. You may need to specifically set up a program to play the MP3's. I'm not really sure if this is accurate, I'm kinda just guestimating. Again, if you get the filetypes assigned, try a different program instead of Windows Media Player--it's very buggy and has been for years. I recommend Foobar2000. Good luck. P.S., beware of codec packs; they can mess up media playback settings also.

I highly doubt that the problem is with MTS.
Support
Posts: 1717
Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 2:17 pm

Re: bad mixdown files

Post by Support »

Eskimoshowdown
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun May 23, 2010 3:26 pm

Re: bad mixdown files

Post by Eskimoshowdown »

well i finally got a song to mix down properly as a wav but i have no idea how and i haven't been able to get a working mixdown since. haha.. the only thing i can think of that i did differently was that it happened right after i installed foobar2000. that wav plays in windows media player as well as foobar2000 but everything else i've tried to mix down (wav / mp3) won't play in either. when i open in foobar2000, i get the message "Unrecoverable playback error: Unknown error code (0x8889000A)" so im pretty sure its the file thats the problem and not the player.

as far as my program defaults and filetype settings in the control panel, i changed the default program for audio files to foobar2000 and i have it set to display filetype extensions. is there anything else i should be looking for there? also, can i mix down to OGG or FLAC in multitrackstudio? i didn't see an option.. and will myspace/purevolume uploaders recognize those file types?

i installed the update (v6.21) and the LAME codec (even though im using 32bit vista, not 64bit) but that isn't working either - it looks like it might work when i go "high" or "very high" quality since the "cannot open file" error message doesn't pop up like it does when i use "medium" quality, but it still won't play in either program. i never had problems mixing down using other programs on this same pc so i feel like its some weird setting im missing or something. hrrmm :/

EDIT: another thing i just noticed, i don't get sound anywhere else when i have multitrack studio open. is that normal?
Eskimoshowdown
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun May 23, 2010 3:26 pm

Re: bad mixdown files

Post by Eskimoshowdown »

GAH. tried setting all my tracks as mp3's instead of wav's and mixed down to an mp3 - worked. tried the exact same thing again - fail. i don't understaaaand
Support
Posts: 1717
Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 2:17 pm

Re: bad mixdown files

Post by Support »

Eskimoshowdown wrote:EDIT: another thing i just noticed, i don't get sound anywhere else when i have multitrack studio open. is that normal?
Yes, that's normal. From the manual's VistaSound chapter:
"Audio devices are opened in exclusive mode in order to ensure low latency and good synchronization. This means other programs can't use these audio devices while MultitrackStudio runs."

So when you've mixed down a to a file you have to close MultitrackStudio before you try to play back the file in another program.

Converning mixdown to .wav: the Pro Plus edition support 24 and 32 bit .wav files. Media players may not support this, so you should make sure you're mixing down to a 16 bit .wav file.

Giel Bremmers
Eskimoshowdown
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun May 23, 2010 3:26 pm

Re: bad mixdown files

Post by Eskimoshowdown »

ohhh man.. that was all it was, i just had multitrackstudio running while i tried to play my mixdowns... now i feel silly. thanks so much! haha.
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