An item for discussing technical tips about MP3 recording and playback, hardware and software, and maybe some MP3 manipulation as well. This seemed different enough from the existing CD Recorders item that I figured I'd start a new discussion.9 responses total.
Dept. of Ooops!: I mis-set a parameter and have recorded about 20-30 hours of MP3 files at a 48K sampling rate instead of a 44.1K sampling rate. The resulting files won't play back in my Rio CD player -- I forget my model number, it's the blue midpriced unit selling for about $100 -- though they play fine in my car MP3 player. Assuming I was bullheaded enough to do this, how would I go about transforming the 48K sampled files to 44.1K sampled files? How much damage would I do to the sound quality? I am guessing I'd have to turn the 48K MP3 files back into WAV files and then massage them in the WAV format. Alternatively, do people want to suggest an upgrade for the Rio CD MP3 player? I'm moderately unhappy with the unit -- the overall playback sound quality on conventional CDs is significantly less appealing than recent Sony units, and the Rio has an annoying pause whenever it plays into the next track on both MP3 and CD discs.
Well, I love my iPod. It's probably too late to take advantage of the Target iPod clearance but you can at least check with the Ann Arbor store to see if they have any. Last week I bought two of the old style 10GB iPods at the nearby Issaquah Target for $199 apiece.
This response has been erased.
I use Total Recorder; where do I look for the resampling stuff?
This response has been erased.
OK, I'll experiment on expendable copies. Thanks!
Reading Ken's post about the 48K and the 44.1K gave me an overwhelming sense of ennui. I so don't want to deal with this stuff. Let me know when MP3s [or equivalent] get to the point where you don't have to be a computer geek to use them. I don't expect that will be soon, though I'm sure it will happen eventually.
(Sorry, David! But you are missing out on a lot of fun, even if it is somewhat computer-geekish fun.) I still haven't experimented with Todd's suggestion of Total Recorder. I want to get this URL in here though so I don't lose it: http://www.voxengo.com/r8brain/ The r8brain program specifically does what I need, conversion between sample rates. It only works on WAV files. It claims to be suitable for pro-quality use, and it's free. It has an option for running in batch mode if one needs to convert a number of files. I have not downloaded it yet.
Ken: But you =are= a computer geek, hence your definition of fun may differ from mine. I was around computers for a long time before you could do anything with them, yet I had no interest in them until things to do with them were invented. Yet many of my friends - people like you, no doubt - found them fascinating.
You have several choices: