This tutorial describes how to use the Batch Processing feature of Total Recorder (available only in the Professional, VideoPro and Developer Editions).

Batch processing can process one or more files and take the following actions:

• Change the format of audio files (Batch converter)
• Normalize audio data
• Apply Fade In/Out effects
• Repair MP3 files
• Split files
• Reduce pauses
• Edit or create tags for audio files (Batch tag editor)
• Create file names using tag information (MP3 and others) or sequential numbers
• Change playback speed
• Perform additional processing supported by add-ons

To process audio files in batch, take the following steps:

1. Open the Tools-> Batch Processing menu or press the button on the main toolbar.  This launches the Batch Processing dialog:

   

2. Select either the Folder option (if the files that you are going to process are in a folder – with or without subfolders) or the Playlist option (if the files are included in a playlist). Select the source folder or playlist (M3U, PLS, and WPL playlists are supported).
3. The Source Files table will be populated with the list of files available for batch processing in the selected folder/playlist.
4. Look through the different properties of these files (date modified, size in bytes, duration, format, artist, title, etc.).
5. Check the boxes in the first column to mark the files you want to process..
6. Click the Process button to launch the first page of the Batch Processing Wizard that will guide you through the next steps:

   

7. At the first step, you can do the following:
   
   
• Select an existing preset. If a preset is selected, you can immediately start batch processing by clicking the Start button. Or you can click the Next button to choose the location and names for the processed files (see step 9).
  
Note. processing parameters can be saved as a preset on the final screen of the wizard.
• Choose one of the following operations to be performed as part of the batch process:
  
  • Repair MP3 files – repair the marked files. This operation can be used only with MP3 files.
  • Split files – split the marked files.
  • Pause reduction – reduce pauses.
  Click the Next button to choose the location and names for the processed files (see step 9).
• Select Choose operations for audio files option to choose the operations for audio files. If you select this option, the following screen appears when you click the Next> button:

  

8. Choose the operations to be performed as part of the batch process. You can choose one or more of the following options:
   
   
• Change format to – convert the format of the marked files.
  
• Normalize – normalize the marked files.
  
• Fade In/Out – apply Fade In/Out effects to the marked files.
  
• Preserve original file tag
  – If the file type does not change, the tags are transferred without any changes.
  – If the file type changes, the tag fields are transferred as completely as the original and resulting formats allow.
• Use this file tag – let you change the tags in the resulting files. Click the Tag button to specify the file tag.
• Apply add-ons – list the Total Recorder add-ons you have installed. To apply an add-on to the original files, select it from the list. Check the boxes in the first column and specify the parameters for the add-on.
9. After you have selected the operations you want to apply to the selected files, click Next to go to the next page of the Batch Processing Wizard, Choose Destination:

   

10. In this page, you can choose the location and names for the processed files. In addition to this, you can set the following options:


• Delete original files – delete each original file after it is processed (not recommended). It is advised that you delete original files only after a thorough check of the files processed, especially when you use complex processing that may lead to a loss of quality such as when processing with an add-on.
• Overwrite existing files – rewrite files that already exist.
• Close Batch Processing window when operation completes – select this check box if you want the Batch Processing window to be closed when processing completes successfully.
11. If you want to save your selected parameters as a preset click Save selected batch processing options as a preset button.
12. Click Start to process the marked files. After clicking Start, the process begins, and the dialog of long operations appears:

If necessary, you can stop the process and the files being processed will remain unchanged.

Notes:
– When you click Start, all the parameters that you have specified are saved and used as the batch parameters the next time you launch the Batch Processing Wizard.
– Batch processing can be launched through command line parameters (see Total Recorder Help, Using Total Recorder -> Automatic Playing and Recording: Scheduler, Command Line -> Using the Command Line). You can, for example, perform additional processing on recorded files using Total Recorder's scheduler.