Using an External Audio Editor with MuLab

[tommyzai]

Hi!! I'm on a Mac, and I'm trying to use an external editor with MuLab . . . either Twisted Wave or Serato Sample. I found a paragraph in the user's manual that suggests this might be possible, but I cannot find where to assign the editor. I am able to select audio, then choose External Editor, but nothing happens. Thanks for any help.

Funny Note: When I did a search for External Editor I found something I posted a couple of years ago:
"Does anyone know if there's a way to assign an external audio editor that can be launched from the recorded audio track in ML?"

From Manual:

Using an external audio editor

The Audio Lab has only limited DSP functionality because there already are so many good (and free) audio editors on the globe, e.g. Audacity and Wavosaur.

The nice thing is that (on Windows) you can setup this MuTools app so it can work together with one of these audio editors to edit audio streams. (this feature does not yet work for samples). In the main menu -> "Edit Preferences", select the "External Audio Editor" preference, and choose your favorite editor. Now you'll see that when you right-click the audio display in the Audio Lab, you get a context menu option "Edit In Audio Editor", where "Audio Editor" will be the name of your favorite audio editor. Then MuLab stops using this audio file and transfers control over the audio file to the audio editor. Now you can make any edits you want in the audio editor, and save them to the audio file. When you switch back to MuLab, MuLab will notice the changes and propose to re-open the audio file, and update the audio streams to the applied edits.

On MacOS, this automated system does not (yet) work. However MacOS and Windows users can both also reach the same functionality by 'manually' doing completing the following steps:

Right-click the audio display in the Audio Lab and choose "Start Editing".
Now switch to the other application and start editing the audio file, then save your results.
Then switch back to the MuTools app, right-click the audio display in the Audio Lab and choose "End Editing".
All this will have the same effect as the 'automatic' mode.

[mutools]

I'll reply on this soonish, i first want to doublecheck something, but as i'm also working on M9, it will be for one of the days.

[tommyzai]

I'll reply on this soonish, i first want to doublecheck something, but as i'm also working on M9, it will be for one of the days.

Very exciting time to be a MuLab user. Thanks for all you do!

[mutools]

Apologies for the delay, due to the intense M9 works these days.
Ok i've found the time to dive into this and it turned out that there indeed is an issue with using an external audio editor when the edited audio file has a different samplerate than the current samplerate of your audio device. This issue will be fixed in the next update.

[tommyzai]

I look forward to using an external editor with MuLab. That will really expand its power, but allowing me/users to better manipulate audio files. Thank you for fixing this.

[tommyzai]

I can't seem to find the DSP . . . my brain isn't working. I'm hopeful v9 has external editor working.

[tommyzai]

I'm using the latest v9.0.31 beta on a Mac. I Found the External Audio Editor selection, but I cannot figure out how to assign the editor to be launched. I checked in preferences, but it's not there. Thanks in advance . . . I'm sure it's in there somewhere . . . maybe right in front of me.

[dakkra]

In preferences -> External Audio Editor

MuLab_Iy5h4qkgDP.png

[tommyzai]

MuLab/Preferences/External Audio Editor? My preferences look much different. Is there a secondary preference? I'm grateful for the fast reply and suggestons, but t's not there! I'm using the latest beta.

Screen Shot 2022-03-19 at 4.17.06 PM.png

[Michael L]

Right-click the audio display in the Audio Lab and choose "Start Editing".
Now switch to the other application and start editing the audio file, then save your results.
Then switch back to the MuTools app, right-click the audio display in the Audio Lab and choose "End Editing".

Did you try this?
Works for me on Mac
( Dakkra above is on PC )

[tommyzai]

Right-click the audio display in the Audio Lab and choose "Start Editing".
Now switch to the other application and start editing the audio file, then save your results.
Then switch back to the MuTools app, right-click the audio display in the Audio Lab and choose "End Editing".

Did you try this?
Works for me on Mac
( Dakkra above is on PC )

Did I write that? LOL It doesn't work. ;-0. Like in the above preferences, External Audio Editor probably needs to be selected. I don't seem to have that option. Is this a PC vs Mac feature issue?

[Michael L]

Did I write that? LOL It doesn't work. ;-0. Like in the above preferences, External Audio Editor probably needs to be selected. I don't seem to have that option. Is this a PC vs Mac feature issue?

You should read your own Original Post, where you quoted the MuTools Docs, which answered your own question:

On MacOS, this automated system does not (yet) work. However MacOS and Windows users can both also reach the same functionality by 'manually' doing completing the following steps:

Right-click the audio display in the Audio Lab and choose "Start Editing".
Now switch to the other application and start editing the audio file, then save your results.
Then switch back to the MuTools app, right-click the audio display in the Audio Lab and choose "End Editing".
All this will have the same effect as the 'automatic' mode.

It works.
Just follow the steps.
What you are doing is opening an Audio Stream in MuLab.
An Audio Stream streams audio from a file.
When you Start Editing, you open that very same file in your audio editor, you edit in your external editor, and save it.
Then when you Stop Editing, MuLab updates the Audio Stream from the file.
It is a stable, mostly fool proof method.
It has the real advantage of enabling the use of sophisticated editors, too.

[tommyzai]

My other app, TwistedWave, needs to get the audio into it. I follow the steps, but it's not identifying my external editor. Dakar shows a preference selection for the editor. I don't have that.

[Michael L]

Right-click the audio display in the Audio Lab and choose "Start Editing".
Now switch to the other application and start editing the audio file, then save your results.
Then switch back to the MuTools app, right-click the audio display in the Audio Lab and choose "End Editing".

Did you try this?
Works for me on Mac
( Dakkra above is on PC )

My other app, TwistedWave, needs to get the audio into it. I follow the steps, but it's not identifying my external editor. Dakar shows a preference selection for the editor. I don't have that.

In your Original Post, you cite the MuTools doc which explains that preference is only on the PC, but the above steps you quote from the Docs at the end of your OP work for both Mac and PC

All the info you need is in your own posts in this thread!

[tommyzai]

I wish I had a better memory. I obviously figured it out back then, but for some reason the steps are not resulting in any wave file in my external editor. It seems odd that an editor isn't pre-determined, thus launching with audio content in external audio editor mode.

I think the external editor automation was fixed for the new version. I tried the steps several times, but no audio shows up in my editor. It should be selected in preferences, then auto launched with content when selected via right click. I guess the workaround worked before, but not now on my system.