Render audio file offline using AVAudioEngine

Question

I want to record audio file and save it by applying some effects. Record is okay and also playing this audio with effect is okay too. The problem is when I try to save such audio offline it produces empty audio file. Here is my code:

let effect = AVAudioUnitTimePitch()
effect.pitch = -300
self.addSomeEffect(effect)

func addSomeEffect(_ effect: AVAudioUnit) {
    try? AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayAndRecord, with: .defaultToSpeaker)

    let format = self.audioFile.processingFormat
    self.audioEngine.stop()
    self.audioEngine.reset()

    self.audioEngine = AVAudioEngine()
    let audioPlayerNode = AVAudioPlayerNode()


    self.audioEngine.attach(audioPlayerNode)
    self.audioEngine.attach(effect)

    self.audioEngine.connect(audioPlayerNode, to: self.audioEngine.mainMixerNode, format: format)
    self.audioEngine.connect(effect, to: self.audioEngine.mainMixerNode, format: format)

    audioPlayerNode.scheduleFile(self.audioFile, at: nil)
    do {
        let maxNumberOfFrames: AVAudioFrameCount = 8096
        try self.audioEngine.enableManualRenderingMode(.offline,
                                                       format: format,
                                                       maximumFrameCount: maxNumberOfFrames)
    } catch {
        fatalError()
    }


    do {
        try audioEngine.start()
        audioPlayerNode.play()
    } catch {

    }

    let outputFile: AVAudioFile
    do {
        let url = FileManager.default.urls(for: .documentDirectory, in: .userDomainMask).first!.appendingPathComponent("temp.m4a")
        if FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: url.path) {
            try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: url)
        }

        let recordSettings = self.audioFile.fileFormat.settings

        outputFile = try AVAudioFile(forWriting: url, settings: recordSettings)
    } catch {
        fatalError()
    }

    let buffer = AVAudioPCMBuffer(pcmFormat: self.audioEngine.manualRenderingFormat,
                                  frameCapacity: self.audioEngine.manualRenderingMaximumFrameCount)!

    while self.audioEngine.manualRenderingSampleTime < self.audioFile.length {
        do {
            let framesToRender = min(buffer.frameCapacity,
                                     AVAudioFrameCount(self.audioFile.length - self.audioEngine.manualRenderingSampleTime))
            let status = try self.audioEngine.renderOffline(framesToRender, to: buffer)
            switch status {
            case .success:
                print("Write to file")
                try outputFile.write(from: buffer)
            case .error:
                fatalError()
            default:
                break
            }
        } catch {
            fatalError()
        }
    }
    print("Finish write")


    audioPlayerNode.stop()
    audioEngine.stop()


    self.outputFile = outputFile
    self.audioPlayer = try? AVAudioPlayer(contentsOf: outputFile.url)

}

AVAudioPlayer fails to open file with output url. I looked at the file through the file system and it is empty and can't be played.

Picking different categories for AVAudioSession is not working too.

Thanks for help!

UPDATE

I switched to use .caf file extension in my record in output file and it worked. Any idea why is .m4a is not working?

Answer 1

You need to nil outputFile to flush the header and close the m4a file.