Update: I think I have this figured out: SoX will do pretty much everything I need. It’ll even do intelligent crossfades and tempo adjustment. w00t!
The Problem—Short Form
Given a database of MP3 files and their intro and outro times, I need a piece of software with a text-based file format that will allow me to programmatically produce a workout mix, crossfading between tracks at the specified intervals. Conceptually:
[Track 1] file = /path/to/track01.mp3 startAt = 00:00:00 endAt = 00:03:21 [Track 2] file = /path/to/track2.mp3 startAt = 00:00:17 endAt = 00:02:57
I’m unconcerned with the input file format, as long as it’s something I can produce with, for example, Perl. My one effect requirement is the ability to crossfade, but I don’t need beat-matching or other magic. (I’d like to also be able to pan, but that’s a want, not a need.)
I’ve tried:
- GarageBand
- The input .band file format is binary. (Wrapped in xml to look friendly, but binary nonetheless.)
- Audacity
- The .aup project file format is XML and readily suits my needs … but the audio has to be pre-converted into chunked .au files.
- SoundBooth
- The .stmp file format is binary.
So, Lazyweb, any suggestions?
The Problem—Long Form
As the weather gets warmer and the runs get longer, I find myself in need of more customized music for my workouts. Sometimes I want an interval mix, sometimes a gentle climb. Point being, I’ve got a hundred gigabytes of music and I’d like to put it to good use. I’ve got it BPM-tagged, as well as ancillary data on how long the intros and outros are.
But, mixing the music takes time. I’ve gotten it down to about 2:1 time invested to playback length—a 30-minute mix takes about an hour to prepare—but I’d like a bit more randomization.
I’d really, really like to programmatically generate my own playlists, with instructions for where to start and end each song. But, in all my poking around, I have yet to find a program with a plain text input file that will also take MP3s.
I’ve started looking into Csound, but that seems like it might be like hiring a defense contractor to build a bird house. It may just come down to Perl → mp3splt → madplay → faac, presuming I can figure out a way to hack in little crossfades between tracks.
Any suggestions?
