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Old 05-26-2017, 08:55 PM   #1
Susan G
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Default Recent problem with importing Levelator files

Hi-

Windows 10 x64, REAPER 5.40.

I’ve recently started having problems with importing an output.wav file from Levelator. For those who aren’t familiar with Levelator, here’s the description from CNET:

“Levelator is a software that adjusts the audio levels within your podcast or other audio file for variations from one speaker to the next, for example. It's not a compressor, normalizer or limiter although it contains all three. It's much more than those tools, and it's much simpler to use. The UI is dirt-simple: Drag-and-drop any WAV or AIFF file onto The Levelator's application window, and a few moments later you'll find a new version which just sounds better.”

I’ve used Levelator successfully for years with REAPER, but the last few times I’ve tried to import a file it comes into REAPER at about half its actual length. If I check the length of the file with Media Info or Windows Explorer, it’s accurate and if I load the file in another audio editor like WavePad or Audacity, it loads in its entirety. It’s only truncated in REAPER. This happens whether I drag it from Windows Explorer, REAPER's Media Explorer or use the Insert>Media file option.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

-Susan
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Old 05-27-2017, 05:52 PM   #2
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Hi-

193 views but no replies, so I gather no one else has this problem with Levelator. I wonder why it worked so well for so long (years!) for me and then suddenly stopped working.

Thanks anyway-

-Susan
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Old 05-27-2017, 09:45 PM   #3
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Hi-

193 views but no replies, so I gather no one else has this problem with Levelator.
Sorry Susan, but I never even heard of Levelator until your post. Not that it isn't a cool tool for what it does, but more that I just haven't ever needed a tool that does what it does. Is it used for producing or playing back?

Edit: Tom Merritt with his Daily Tech News podcast could sure use something like Levelator, because his volume is always lower than his guests, by enough difference to wake up my wife! :-)
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Old 05-28-2017, 01:09 PM   #4
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Sorry Susan, but I never even heard of Levelator until your post. Not that it isn't a cool tool for what it does, but more that I just haven't ever needed a tool that does what it does. Is it used for producing or playing back?

Edit: Tom Merritt with his Daily Tech News podcast could sure use something like Levelator, because his volume is always lower than his guests, by enough difference to wake up my wife! :-)
Hi Glennbo-

I use it for levelling the speakers' volume in recorded interviews, focus groups, etc. that I then transcribe. It only accepts existing .wav or .aiff files and it has absolutely no settings or controls, but for what it does, it works very well.

I guess I'll have to go back to earlier REAPER versions to see when it stopped importing the whole file. I can't think why other apps can read the whole file and REAPER cuts it off after the first half or so.

Thanks-

-Susan
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Old 05-28-2017, 01:36 PM   #5
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Hi Glennbo-

I use it for levelling the speakers' volume in recorded interviews, focus groups, etc. that I then transcribe. It only accepts existing .wav or .aiff files and it has absolutely no settings or controls, but for what it does, it works very well.

I guess I'll have to go back to earlier REAPER versions to see when it stopped importing the whole file. I can't think why other apps can read the whole file and REAPER cuts it off after the first half or so.

Thanks-

-Susan
Do a portable install of the earlier version Reaper, so you don't mess anything up in your primary copy.

As far as what causes it to cut off prematurely, that sounds like there may be an EOF (end of file) marker embedded in the file created by Levelator, or something similar that causes Reaper to believe that it has read the whole thing in. The only other explanation would be that some error is happening behind the scenes and causing it to blow off the import. Are you dragging and dropping the files onto Reaper, or using "Insert|Media File"? I don't know that there would be any difference, but there might be.
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Old 05-28-2017, 01:57 PM   #6
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Do a portable install of the earlier version Reaper, so you don't mess anything up in your primary copy.

As far as what causes it to cut off prematurely, that sounds like there may be an EOF (end of file) marker embedded in the file created by Levelator, or something similar that causes Reaper to believe that it has read the whole thing in. The only other explanation would be that some error is happening behind the scenes and causing it to blow off the import. Are you dragging and dropping the files onto Reaper, or using "Insert|Media File"? I don't know that there would be any difference, but there might be.
-
Hi Glennbo-

As I said earlier, "This happens whether I drag it from Windows Explorer, REAPER's Media Explorer or use the Insert>Media file option," so it can't be that. I don't know why Levelator would suddenly start embedding EOF markers when it worked fine for years and still comes in total length in Audacity, WavePad, etc. 'Tis a mystery...

Good idea to use portable installs for testing. I'll definitely do that.

Thanks-

-Susan
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Old 05-29-2017, 02:37 PM   #7
AlastairB
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Hi

Not sure how much help it will be but I tested it and it's working OK here.

Any chance you're bumping up against a filesize limit?

A
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Old 05-29-2017, 08:36 PM   #8
Susan G
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Hi

Not sure how much help it will be but I tested it and it's working OK here.

Any chance you're bumping up against a filesize limit?

A
Hi-

The last 2 that were truncated were both a little under an hour, IIRC and I know I used to be able to import files longer than that. Neither Audacity nor WavePad have a problem reading the whole file.

I'll investigate more when I have another file to process. I never know what I'm going to be assigned and some of them are ok as-is or with a little EQ, etc.

Thanks for checking!

-Susan
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