File length is not the same as the end of the content
A file may technically last four minutes, while its last few seconds are almost complete silence. Another one has a long empty start. If the automation blindly uses the declared duration, awkward gaps appear between tracks or transitions come late. That is why On Air Studio has a service for silence analysis and trimming.
How it works
The service analyses audio files and detects leading and trailing silence based on a relative threshold. The results are stored, so the analysis does not have to be repeated every time a file is aired, and it runs in the background at low priority so that it does not put a load on the main programme.
In the settings, you turn trimming on or off, limit the maximum amount that may be trimmed at the start and end, and choose the detection threshold.
Why a relative threshold makes sense
“Silence” is not the same absolute level for every song and recording. Relative detection judges the end in relation to the signal itself, instead of measuring every track against the same rigid limit.
Crossfade and fade
The crossfade duration is adjustable, and track fading is also available. With information about the actual usable end of the file, the transition is more natural than when the system waits for the last technical sample in the file.
What you get
- fewer gaps between tracks;
- more natural transitions;
- less manual editing of files just because of silence at the start or end;
- stored analysis that speeds up the reuse of content;
- the option to switch trimming off completely when it is not wanted.
An important limit. Automatic trimming is no substitute for well-prepared material. If a quiet ending is an artistic part of the recording, an aggressive setting can be the wrong choice — that is why the function is under your control, with limits on how much may be trimmed.