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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Program for cue sheets with .aiff files?

billinparis - Mar 3, 2008 - 7:53 pm

I received some CD images in the .ape format that were accompanied by cue files. I used the software called Max to transform the ape files into .aiff files.
So now I have, for example, a file called CDImage.aiff. This will play it fine on iTunes as well as in the Finder. But I since there are several songs on the file, I want to be able to split it into the different songs using the accompanying cue sheet. If I transform the .aiff file into MP3 I can use software such as Cue Splitter and get the job done. But I want to retain the lossless format, and Cue Splitter won´t work with aiff files. Is there something that will? Thanks for any help.
Bill

earthsaver - Mar 4, 2008 - 8:03 pm

iTunes will do the trick, if you're willing to conform to its limitations. The cue file is really just a text file that defines what time points cut the beginning and end of each track, right?

If that's the simple case, you can open the cue file in TextEdit or the editor of your choice. And you can set iTunes Preferences > Advanced > Importing to encode AIFF. Then, you can get info on the full CDImage song file in iTunes, set the start and end times of the first cut in the Options section, and choose Convert Selection to AIFF in the Advanced menu. iTunes will only convert the section of the song defined in Options. Repeat systematically for each track.

- Ben

billinparis - Mar 5, 2008 - 9:02 am

Thank you for the response. The problem, as you mention, is that "iTunes will only convert the section of the song defined in Options". Since I have a large number of .ape music files that need to be sectioned into tracks using cue sheets (therefore hundreds of tracks) the process becomes extremely cumbersome and time-consuming having to use iTunes in this way. I don't understand why so many sound editing programs will work easily with cue sheets and MP3 files, but will not do so with lossless formats. What I'm looking for is a program that will perform this function.

earthsaver - Mar 5, 2008 - 9:17 am

I was going to suggest Sound Studio as a possibility, as a great editor, but I think it handles cue sheets. However, according to Dane Trethowen, Rogue Amoeba's Fission does and can export to AIFF. RA's release notes confirm it.

billinparis - Mar 5, 2008 - 9:26 am

I once downloaded Fission to try it and discovered, as the web site notes, that "Before purchase, the quality of audio saved with Fission will be intentionally degraded with a series of audio fades".

Well, OK. But the fades occur about every ten seconds, which is a bummer because it is so intrusive that it is difficult to assess the quality of the program. Do I understand you to mean that Sound Study does or does not handle cue sheets?

earthsaver - Mar 5, 2008 - 9:38 am

According to Dane, it doesn't, but there's no pain in downloading it and seeing if it will read one, perhaps with the same name the track it cues, and saved next to that track.