Audio pops from cutting and pasting

  • Thread starter Thread starter BMan
  • Start date Start date
B

BMan

New member
Every now and then when I'm trying to cut and paste 2 audio tracks next to one another, I get a darned "pop" that I can't eliminate. Typically this happens when trying to loop a distorted guitar riff. I've tried deselecting the "snap to" function, selecting the function that supposedly locates a quiet spot in the audio, and even shifting the loop to overlap or gap, all to no avail.

Anybody have any tricks for dealing with this? It sure would be nice to not have to record one continuous audio track over repetitive parts. Thanks!

BMan
 
Hmm, even if the audio is cut at a zero crossing, if the transition is abrupt it still might sound like a snap or pop. Try a quick fade at the beginning and end.
 
I suggest that you use a wave editor to clean up your loops because the "snap to zero" function within Cakewalk is not perfect.
A program like Sound forge or Cool Edit will allow you to zoom in on the wave and make precise cuts at the zero crossing pretty much eliminating pops and clicks.
 
Agreed, the zero crossing is not perfect, but you can zoom in far enough in Cakewalk to do the work without using an external program. You have to be in audio view to do it however, not in track view. AlChuck is correct in that a transition from zero to non zero will sound like a pop or click. If you need to loop length to be the same then a quick fade should do it for you.
 
Not just from zero to non-zero, but from some value to zero and to another very different value in the course of three samples is likely to sound like a snap or pop.
 
I type corrected, it goes the other way as well of course. (I forgot I wasn't talking to me AlChuck. hehehe I knew that and I thought it but didn't type it)

What AlChuck said :)
 
Thanks for all the input, I've been using Cakewalk for years and still amazes me how frequently I learn new tricks. Have any of you had any luck using the "line" feature to smooth out any zero to non-zero jumps between cuts? I suspect that may be the only way to salvage it, besides going to a more advanced wave editor mentioned above, but I'm lazy and am probably more likely to screw up the track exporting it to the editor.

BMan
 
Did you try short fades at the ends?... that can smooth it a lot.
 
Have you tried putting your files through SForge and using the DC offset pluggin to get rid of any DC offest your sound card has??

cheers
john
 
volume envelopes

Use volume envelopes (in the audio view) for the fades if you want to keep the original audio in tact (or if you're afraid that you'll screw things up in an audio editor)

Is that the 'line' feature you're talking about?
 
Yeah, splitting the audio at the start and doing a quick volume fade-in definitely improved the problem (reduced the pop). I'll just need to be more careful in the future when I select the split spots. Guess I put too much faith in the good ole zero-crossing feature. Thanks for all the good advice!
 
whenever i do a volume fade in the audio view, i get a pop sound right before the fade is supposed to occur. now i have to do automation on the console, and its a pain. any solutions????

thanks>>>michael
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top