Split MP3 without re-encoding?

[sync]

I'm looking for a program that displays the audio waveform (zoomable) for an MP3 and can save a section without re-encoding. I've found MP3 splitters but they don't display the waveform and are awkward to use. Cool Edit gives me the editing features I need but I have to re-encode if a I want to save a section.

 

[KingstonRock]

I believe that anytime an mp3 is played back it is converted to a .wav on the fly. Its just a form of compression like .zip. You cant open a .zip file, first you need to convert it. So you can't edit an .mp3, you have to edit the uncompressed .wav and then recompress

 

[sync]

There are tools that use a simple slider to pick cut points and then split without re-encoding. So it is possible. I just want more finesse in selecting the cut points.

 

[drstawl]

There are tools that use a simple slider to pick cut points and then split without re-encoding. So it is possible. I just want more finesse in selecting the cut points.

Sound Forge will give you "finesse" down to the sample level, but it's still a re-encode when you want to save one of the fragments. Why should that seem unreasonable? You *are* creating a new file.

 

[sync]

Sound Forge's re-encoding requirement is not unreasonable since it deals with a variety of audio formats. I'm looking for an MP3 editor that has some of the sophistication of Sound Forge.

 

[pglewis]

I think the problem is that the MP3 encoding process transforms the audio from the time domain (wav) to the frequency domain.

If I remember and understand the technical muckity-muck behind it, it basically means you can't edit with sample level accuracy without decoding and transforming back to the time domain. Which creates a catch-22, in that you'd have to re-encode again afterwards.

There's a few guys around here (like skippy) who really understand this stuff, I'm just a dabbler.