Hi guys,
I bought 4K video downloader to record video on Youtube. I use VLC to extract the audio from as MP3.
Launching Live 10 then sliding this MP3 on to an audio track.
Perfect, the audio is there and I can manipulate it, that is really great HOWEVER I'm struggling on small detail guys, that's where I need your help....
Let's say, I got a long MP3 file and wanted to create an audio clip of 1 bar or 2, catching certain voices parts and saved them to reutilize them on my future project, how do I save them?
I saved, for example, a 1 bar, it saved it as a ".alc" file but when I reutilize it, it provides me the full MP3!
What should I do to have a simple sample clip saved?
Thanks, guys and have a nice Sunday!

 

Last edited: Dec 26, 2018

Not an Ableton guru.. but in Session view:
- double click the imported mp3 (so you see it below in sample editor)
- set a loop start and end (and engage the Loop mode)
- right-click on the looped portion and select Crop Sample (now you'll only see the cropped portion)
- you can right-click again and select Show in Explorer (Live makes a temporary wav file - copy and paste it anywhere)
- when you save the Live Set, the cropped samples are in (Project)>Samples>Processed>Crop folder

In Arrangement view:
- split the original wherever you want (Edit-Split or Ctrl-E)
- click the top on the portion you want to isolate, so it's selected
- right-click on the portion and select Consolidate
- when you save the Set it will be in ..Samples>Processed>Consolidate folder

Note: when you import an mp3 file, Live converts it to wav. In other words, you can't directly edit the mp3. You can save (convert) any audio to mp3, though..

 

Me neither , but generally speaking, every program that manipulates audio or video, uses the "save" command just to save a project file. Thus the .alc file . You should check for a command like "export audio" , "bounce track" , or anything similar to this. Save is just for projects

 

A wild guess here, again ..but maybe OP got confused by the .alc file format. These are in fact ableton live clips. (Ableton project is saved as .als file)

.alc files are Ableton MIDI or audio clips with data points. That means if you have a clip+effects (on that track), or in case of MIDI clip even an instrument (that the MIDI is playing), and if you drag that clip to let's say a folder in your User Library, it will become an .alc file. You can then close without saving and open a new project. If you drag the previously made .alc in this new project it will come with all the effects (and in case of MIDI even with the instrument used). You can also preview .alc clips.

Still, as @Producer mentioned, most DAWs will try to work in a "non destructive" way as long as possible. Simply put, if you make an imported file shorter (by dragging the edges), you are not really changing anything. You must use the commands I mentioned above - Crop or Consolidate - to really cut the clips out into a new wav files.

Tip: you can make real clips (chops) from an audio file simply by highlighting a range and then choosing Crop or Consolidate..

 

That would be easier and less time consuming and with better audio quality if you just record the audio in WAVE format from any media you want with a streaming audio recorder,like Abyssmedia Streaming Audio Recorder.

 

If I were you I would export your audio clip in WAV and not in ".alc".
If it's the problem.

 

Many thanks, guys for the answers...really appreciated...
Well, answers are covering wide solutions!
I have to look at one by one to see if it fits to my needs!
For example, right now, just open my Live and wanted to incorporate an audio clip that I crop from this big MP3 file I had...gosh, don't know why but I got the full one, not just the part I select!!! Grrrrr...
In the same time I write my answer, Live is open and follow instructions from Matt77...amazingingly, if I want to listen to the sample by itself(just the part I cropped)in the browser, it reads all the original big one...However, when sliding it to my arrangement view, it gives me just the one I cropped! The preview seems to be only the problem now! I got no clue why that to be honest! I do confirm, the format when I saved my clips was .alc...so SquareDjay, I do agree with you,.wav would be easier...let's see how I could do that...humm,AbyssMedia streaming Recorder seems a good one though, I should check this one... I just bought the 4KVideo Downloader, I have to check if it not doing the same thing to avoid double! Unless SquareDjay, you know a place where I could try before buying, that would be helpful!
Again thanks guys for your help!
Merry Christmas!

 

Last edited: Dec 25, 2018

Audacity can record everything thru wasapi driver straight to wav

 

Thanks, Legotron, I will check this out too...Audacity seems to be free, I definitely will check it...