Itunes adding length to audio files????

[Unregistered]

When I share my edited garageband files to itunes in order to convert them into mp3s it adds length at the end of the file. I am uing these files in a flash project and need the cut to be where I placed it in garageband. IS there anything I can do to stop this? DO I need to take the mp3 into another editing package to cut off the end?


Thanks!
Jennifer

[dcv]

How much time is being added to the end? iTunes's mp3 encoder will add a bit of time, but it should be a few milliseconds tops. If it's more than an ever-so-slight pause, then iTunes is having some serious problems.

You should try opening the original shared audio file from GarageBand (it should be in your iTunes Music folder and have a .aiff file extension) in a program called Audacity - http://audacity.sourceforge.net - and get the LAME mp3 encoder - http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/mac - both of which are free.

The LAME mp3 encoder is renowned as the best mp3 encoder available, and it is capable of what is called "gapless" encoding - which means that it shouldn't add an extra pause at the end when it converts the .aiff file to an mp3.

EDIT:

It could also be GarageBand itself that is adding extra time - I've had this problem a few times. If you look at the bar at the top in GarageBand where the triangular playhead is, in this bar, there is a purple triangle near the end of your song. This is where GarageBand will end its encoding - you want to make sure that this purple triangle is right at the end of your song, and not a measure or two past the end of your song (I once had an extra minute of silence tacked onto a song of mine, and it took me an hour to figure out that this was the problem!).

[Unregistered]

Thank you for all of your help.


Is there anyway to get the purple triangle right next to the end of the audio, or is there always a buffer? I'm struggling to get the lame mp3 encoder, but I can convert the files to mp3s in itunes, correct?

Thanks!

[dcv]

Yes, you can put the purple triangle right next to the end of the audio. In this little window in GarageBand -

http://www.u.arizona.edu/~dcv/GarageBandthing.png

Click the little clock in the bottom left corner. Normally, this is set to the little musical note, and when in this mode, GarageBand always tries to put the purple triangle at the end of a beat, but when in the other mode (called "absolute time" mode), GarageBand doesn't do this.

If it was GarageBand, and not iTunes, that was adding the extra audio at the end, then you can probably use iTunes to convert it to mp3 without a problem.