2022.12 mp3 import not working

[Eric Lambert]

My coworker and I both tried importing 8 MP3 files into our sessions this morning, both of us running PT 2022.12 on entirely different machines in different locations, and for both of us the rendered audio was fubar. Each track had drop-outs or random audio repeats or other issues.

Is there something involved in the MP3 codec which is out of Avid's control; something that gets modified, introducing these bugs? It's just odd to me that it can work perfectly for so long and then suddenly appear again out of nowhere.

Whatever the case, MP3 import is broken.

[685]

It's working on my end. Importing and bouncing.
Importing m4a files also works and I was supposed. A miscommunication with a younger producer who send m4a files instead of wav files. I said WTH and tried it.

[JimaSound]

As an update to posting in one of the threads that is listed in this thread.
All MP3 imports are still very slow on MBP M1 max, PT22.12, MacOS 12.6.3.
For what it is worth, this is the same issue that I had on on previous intel system and PT that was eventually fixed with a PT revision and now is back.
All MP3's eventually import but on 3 occasions I had a MP3 import in scrambled as mentioned in this thread.
There are certainly many different ways to fix this problem...the one I use is:
1. Select the MP3 in the Mac finder and hit the space bar to make sure the MP3 plays OK outside of PT correctly.
2. Open the MP3 in QuickTime Player and export it as "audio only" which will convert it to a m4a.
The m4a imports into PT and plays correctly, also mentioned in this thread.

[HowHoffman]

Originally Posted by JimaSound

As an update to posting in one of the threads that is listed in this thread.
All MP3 imports are still very slow on MBP M1 max, PT22.12, MacOS 12.6.3.
For what it is worth, this is the same issue that I had on on previous intel system and PT that was eventually fixed with a PT revision and now is back.
All MP3's eventually import but on 3 occasions I had a MP3 import in scrambled as mentioned in this thread.
There are certainly many different ways to fix this problem...the one I use is:
1. Select the MP3 in the Mac finder and hit the space bar to make sure the MP3 plays OK outside of PT correctly.
2. Open the MP3 in QuickTime Player and export it as "audio only" which will convert it to a m4a.
The m4a imports into PT and plays correctly, also mentioned in this thread.

That’s pretty complicated, especially if the mp3 plays OK outside of PT. QT only does one file at a time.

What I do now (on a Mac) is use Audio Converter Pro. I just gather all my MP3s that I’ll be using in a session, slide them all into ACP and it batch-converts them into any other format. I use WAV since it’s the most problem-free.

The best solution is for PT to behave as it has for decades, allowing drag and drop for all MP3s, but Pro Tools gotta Pro Tools by always making “improvements” like this mess.

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by 685

It's working on my end. Importing and bouncing.
Importing m4a files also works and I was supposed. A miscommunication with a younger producer who send m4a files instead of wav files. I said WTH and tried it.

To clarify, it's not every MP3 which will not import successfully, it's only some, and I'm not sure what sets them apart but the last 4 MP3s I tried importing were all corrupt and they were provided by the same company, so it's not just a random occurrence, but it's 100 repeatable when that trigger -- whatever it is -- is encountered.

[cpuck]

I had success with just dragging the mp3 file into the project, and it created a track automatically.

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by cpuck

I had success with just dragging the mp3 file into the project, and it created a track automatically.

I'm not having trouble getting audio into the session, the issue is that the audio itself is corrupt. Only some audio. I've actually not had an issue with MP3 import these past few days.

[HowHoffman]

We have an answer!

I opened a ticket with Avid support and after sending them files of the corrupt noise that drag-and-drop created, and a volley of more emails, they just sent this:

A bug has been successfully logged for the mp3 import issue and is already being reviewed by our Engineering team, pending prioritization in Engineering's backlog. Thank you for your assistance and patience in helping us with this. Just a heads-up, we cannot promise an ETA for any type of fix. From this point on, we will need to leave it up to Engineering.

They found the bug. Now the wait begins…

[BobbyAMac]

Originally Posted by Eric Lambert

I'm not having trouble getting audio into the session, the issue is that the audio itself is corrupt. Only some audio...

I have the exact same issue: Some of the MP3 imports work fine and some don't. They all import in just fine, but some of the audio clips are corrupt, as in it moves the audio around within the clip undesirably (sometimes even using audio from ANOTHER clip!). Very strange, but mostly terrible for me, because I work with over a hundred MP3 imports into PT per day, every day, so this problem REALLY impedes my work productivity.

Thankfully, I have heard firsthand from Avid that they are very aware of the MP3 import issue and are working on it. So, that's good!

There is a temporary workaround one Avid support person suggested: That's using a free downloadable app called Shutter Encoder to convert the MP3 into a different format than MP3, like WAV or M4a, before importing into PT.
I suggest using m4a instead of WAV, because if you use WAV files, you have to make sure they are in the Audio Files folder of that session first. With m4a files, you don't have to worry about that, because that import (like MP3) creates a new WAV in the Audio Files folder for you. The resulting audio (WAV in the session) works totally fine then with no anomalies.

I also found good success with an app called Switch Plus (NCH Software). The paid version gives you many more conversion options.
Both apps can do batch converting, which is nice. This takes a lot of time up converting, so that's a bummer.

Even though the Avid Pro Tools software tech team is on this issue, who knows how long it will take for them to remedy this? According to them, it's supposed to be resolved in the next update release. That day cannot come soon enough!

[smurfyou]

Originally Posted by BobbyAMac

I suggest using m4a instead of WAV, because if you use WAV files, you have to make sure they are in the Audio Files folder of that session first. With m4a files, you don't have to worry about that, because that import (like MP3) creates a new WAV in the Audio Files folder for you. The resulting audio (WAV in the session) works totally fine then with no anomalies.

You can always use the Import Audio window instead of drag and drop. Then tell it to copy the WAV files on import. If you don't have auto-copy enabled in the prefs.

PT can be painfully slow to import some formats. It can be beneficial to use another tool to go ahead and create the WAV's. IMO since you have to convert them anyway.