Importing mp3 files

[midinut]

Hello Everyone:

 

I've run into a problem and am not sure where to address it, so I figure my best chances of finding a solution are here. I recently (1-2 months ago) upgraded the SSD in my MacBook Pro from a 1TB to a 2TB. I used Carbon Copy Cloner to clone my 1TB drive and had no problems up until now. I'm not sure if it's related but thought I would err on the side of full disclosure. I've been doing some studio work for some local musos and we haven't been in the studio for a couple of months. My workflow has (up to this point) been: receive mp3 file(s) of songs we are recording next, drop them into Cubase Pro 10 (or sometimes Logic Pro X), and start the process of figuring out some keyboard parts that might work for the song. I have had no problem importing the mp3 files until now. Whenever I try to import them now, I get a message that says "Errors on importing media: the [filename].mp3 Error: Medium type not supported or invalid medium!" I get a similar message when I try to import them into Logic. I've perused the Cubase and Logic forums and haven't seen anyone with a similar issue. I'm missing studio time today due to the fact that I haven't been able to import these files and work with them (it's pro bono so I'm not losing any $$). They play fine in Windows Media Player on my PC, so I don't think the files are corrupt. I have been storing them in the cloud (iCloud) but I moved them to the local drive to try it and got the same results.

 

If any of you have had similar experiences in the past or can point me in the right direction I will be eternally grateful (and buy you a beer if our paths cross). Thanks in advance and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

[ElmerJFudd]

CTRL-click or right click the file and Get Info

 

What does it say about the type of file it is?

What is the size of the file? Songs in MP3 format tend to be around 3mb give or take.

Is it showing up as 0kb or 10kb or something that suggests the file is missing data?

 

CTRL-click or right click the file and check to see if it will open/play in QuickTime, or Apple Music or iTunes depending what you have.

[Stokely]

Yeah, that would be the first thing to rule out--is it any mp3, including ones you have used/listened to previously?

 

Is it just the DAW programs when trying to import, do you also have issues playing the file? If so, can you try it on a non-Mac platform.

 

Basically just trying to isolate where the problem lies for sure (file itself, Mac OS, Daw programs). Other than that I got nothin', this kind of thing is super frustrating though!

[KuruPrionz]

If you have a bootable external drive (I highly recommend this) then you can boot off of that drive, go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility, select the drive in your Mac on the left and click First Aid - the button on the left of the cluster of 5 buttons directly below the words Disk Utility at the center top of the window.

 

Let it run, it will fix any problems that may exist in the OS on your computer.

 

If you don't have a bootable drive you can and should still run Disk Utility as above and see if it finds anything. I prefer to run off of an external for that operation but I think they've fixed it so you don't really need to do so.

 

I assume you are getting these mp3 files via email? You should be able to just click on the file and it will play from the email. If it won't do that then there is a clue at least. I don't know what it would mean, so far that's never happened so I haven't had to suss it out.

[drawback]

Will the mp3s play in the Music app, on your MBP or other i-device? Can you open an mp3 on your PC and do a 'save as" or 'export" and rename it? Have you trashed your Logic prefs? Have you reset your PRAM/NVRAM? All things to tryâ¦

[midinut]

EJF - The Get info on those mp3 files are as follows (one example, anyway)

 

General:

 

Kind: MP3 Audio

Size: 3,605,639 bytes (Zero bytes on disk)

Where: iCloud Drive - Desktop

 

Trying now to copy them over from the desktop (which evidently is on my iCloud Drive)?

Don't know why it wasn't a problem before. They are in a folder on my desktop where they have resided since I downloaded the attached files from several emails.

[midinut]

Well, I was able to get the original mp3 files onto an external "physical" drive and they imported just fine.

Evidently, my desktop (and all the folders on it) are stored in the cloud (iCloud specifically). For some reason -

I can only assume that something went crazy when I upgraded that may have made my desktop 'virtual'?

 

Anyway, the important part is it works again - so long as it imports them from a physical drive.

Thanks again to all for making me think and explore your suggestions and options. I love this place!

[ElmerJFudd]

Here"s an explanation and on/of settings on documents and desktop in iCloud.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT206985

 

As a side note. When switching computers, I usually prefer to do a Time Machine backup.

Format the new drive, clean install of OSX, then time machine restore to the new drive.

Not saying it"s related, just thinking it doesn"t bring over anything that"s buggered with the system on the old drive.

Apple takes a lot of precautions with the system folder, but who knows.

[drawback]

If increased storage space is the only reason to upgrade the SSD, why bother with iCloud at all?

[MiaContreras]

In fact, sound files are a very fragile thing. I know how easy it is to lose precious information and ruin it. to clear the track of unwanted sound defects, I decided to throw it into a non-regular program. And as a result , I completely ruined it . mp3 is a streaming format that is quite resistant to damage. In this case, this means that the source signal during encoding is divided into equal-duration sections, called frames and encoded separately, and when decoding, the final signal is formed from a sequence of decoded frames (source). If several frames in the file body are damaged, it will still be played, but clicks may appear in this place, and some mp3 players may refuse to play such files. Then my friend found this track for me in perfect quality on https://kindness-tiguini.rabbit-mp3.com / and I am insanely pleased.