I probably mentioned I had to rebuild the family server this year because of a head crash. Much of my music manipulation software was lost. Probably not a bad thing because alot was antique by current standards though it worked well.
Couple of questions. Audacity and I-Tunes Library/file formats. Do they like each other? Herself burned many of our cds to her Itunes library. I needed one of the tunes she had burned to run through my redownloaded Audacity slowdowner utility (Diarmuid O'Brian plays fast even though he is so smooth that it doesn't sound like it....) nada. got diagnostics about compressed files etc.
cd to mp-3 conversion. Does the recent download of Audacity let you go from CD to its edit mode? Or do you have do an intermediate conversion through some sort of freeware? It was never an issue because I had an old library/music file storage/converter/ whatever utility on my old drive that did it all at once and Audacity opened it. I have not been able to find a replacement except for a princely fee.
Anybody have any thoughts how I can reorganize this digital trainwreck without a new mortgage on the family farm?
Hmm... well I am a bit of a techno-phobe, so I may not be much help to you. But the few times that I've used audacity, my files were always mp3's.
What format are the files from your iTunes library? If they are in m4a, then you can download a freeware program that will convert m4a's to mp3's. I forget the exact name
(probably something complicated like "m4a to mp3 converter") but if you pm me, then I can get you the details later.
And for future reference, you can import CD's into the iTunes library as mp3's rather than m4a's. I was very excited when I found this out!
I was surfing instead of working this morning and found out about the Itunes format. My source didn't mention a converter. I will have to look at that.
iTunes will convert to to mp3 - goto edit>preferences>import settings and select mps encoder.
Now select tunes in your library and right click - you will see you get an option 'convert to mp3'. If you use this you land up with both the AAC (or whatever the original was) version and an mp3 version. (Remember to go back and switch the encoder back to AAC, or you'll only get mp3 versions next time you import a CD)
I use iTunes to rip my cd’s to my computer. The default file format is either AAC (Advanced Audio Coding). You can change the settings by going to edit > preferences > import settings and then select MP3 encoder from the dropdown menu. Now every time you import a CD using iTunes, it will be stored on your computer as an mp3 file (which you can use in Audacity). Or you can switch it back if you prefer to have your library as AAC files.
The freeware converter I was talking about is AVG Audio Converter and will convert to and from mp3, wav, wma, m4a, aac, amr, ogg, and mp2. Very handy.
I have been playing around with another “slow-downer” program called Best Practice. You can use cd’s, mp3 or wav files and it will slow down without distorting the pitch. I haven’t used it much, but it seems like it could be very useful. (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/bestpractice.htm)
It slightly misses the topic, but just to throw this in, you can have a look at exact audio copy. http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/
Not very helpful in your situation, but you can create mp3s of arbitrary quality, and it has a built in rip-several-times-compare-and-do-it-again-in-case-of-mismatches routine that manages to rip cds even if they seem completely unreadable.
Audacity's native file format is .wav. ( it can open or export to .wav files)
Audacity can open .mp3 files, but if you want to export to .mp3 format, you will need to download a "lame mp3 encoder" ( http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=install&i=lame-mp3 ).
Winows Media Player version 11 will rip mp3s from a CD.
If you have tunes in " iTunes" (in whatever format: you chose to import : AAC, MP4 / MP3) -- then you can slow down very easily. If you have iTunes installed, then you must also have 'Quicktime player' installed (It needs this as its 'engine').
Open the file directly in Quicktime player, (not in iTunes).
Under the menus : "window" / "show AV controls" There you can adjust playback speed without adjusting the pitch. There is a separate control for adjusting pitch --if you need it (e.g . to play alonmg with Frankie Gavin etc -who favour E flat). Windows media player has similar functions.
The quality of the 'slowed down' playback may not be quite up to specialised 'payed for' software - however -- as its already built into your current media player - its free, easy, and plenty good enough for tune learning. I use it all the time.
I regularly point out to people that Quicktime or Windows media player (and posssibly Real player ?) can do 'slowing down' . Its amazing how many are missing out on the useful,easy and free functionality.
Friday question for Technophiles herein
Friday question for Technophiles herein
I probably mentioned I had to rebuild the family server this year because of a head crash. Much of my music manipulation software was lost. Probably not a bad thing because alot was antique by current standards though it worked well.
Couple of questions. Audacity and I-Tunes Library/file formats. Do they like each other? Herself burned many of our cds to her Itunes library. I needed one of the tunes she had burned to run through my redownloaded Audacity slowdowner utility (Diarmuid O'Brian plays fast even though he is so smooth that it doesn't sound like it....) nada. got diagnostics about compressed files etc.
cd to mp-3 conversion. Does the recent download of Audacity let you go from CD to its edit mode? Or do you have do an intermediate conversion through some sort of freeware? It was never an issue because I had an old library/music file storage/converter/ whatever utility on my old drive that did it all at once and Audacity opened it. I have not been able to find a replacement except for a princely fee.
Anybody have any thoughts how I can reorganize this digital trainwreck without a new mortgage on the family farm?
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by zippydw
Re: Friday question for Technophiles herein
Hmm... well I am a bit of a techno-phobe, so I may not be much help to you. But the few times that I've used audacity, my files were always mp3's.
What format are the files from your iTunes library? If they are in m4a, then you can download a freeware program that will convert m4a's to mp3's. I forget the exact name
(probably something complicated like "m4a to mp3 converter") but if you pm me, then I can get you the details later.
And for future reference, you can import CD's into the iTunes library as mp3's rather than m4a's. I was very excited when I found this out!
Hope this helps!
-Jenn
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by jsmith
Re: Friday question for Technophiles herein
Thanks
I was surfing instead of working this morning and found out about the Itunes format. My source didn't mention a converter. I will have to look at that.
I knew Audacity was fussy about Windows format.
What cd to mp3 converter are you using?
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by zippydw
Re: Friday question for Technophiles herein
iTunes will convert to to mp3 - goto edit>preferences>import settings and select mps encoder.
Now select tunes in your library and right click - you will see you get an option 'convert to mp3'. If you use this you land up with both the AAC (or whatever the original was) version and an mp3 version. (Remember to go back and switch the encoder back to AAC, or you'll only get mp3 versions next time you import a CD)
I think Audacity only accepts mp3 or .wav files.
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by skreech
Re: Friday question for Technophiles herein
I use a variety of software, including CD Architect and Acoustica, but those two both cost money.
A good free one is Exact Audio Copy - http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/ - and an excellent free conversion tool is Switch (which covers virtually every known file format) -
http://www.nch.com.au/switch/.
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by Floss the Tethers
Re: Friday question for Technophiles herein
I use iTunes to rip my cd’s to my computer. The default file format is either AAC (Advanced Audio Coding). You can change the settings by going to edit > preferences > import settings and then select MP3 encoder from the dropdown menu. Now every time you import a CD using iTunes, it will be stored on your computer as an mp3 file (which you can use in Audacity). Or you can switch it back if you prefer to have your library as AAC files.
The freeware converter I was talking about is AVG Audio Converter and will convert to and from mp3, wav, wma, m4a, aac, amr, ogg, and mp2. Very handy.
I have been playing around with another “slow-downer” program called Best Practice. You can use cd’s, mp3 or wav files and it will slow down without distorting the pitch. I haven’t used it much, but it seems like it could be very useful. (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/bestpractice.htm)
Good luck!
-J
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by jsmith
Re: Friday question for Technophiles herein
Skreech - I had no idea you can convert AAC to mp3 right in iTunes. Good to know... thanks for sharing!
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by jsmith
Re: Friday question for Technophiles herein
It looks like I will be spending part of the weekend on the tube....
Thanks
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by zippydw
Re: Friday question for Technophiles herein
I found AVG to be clunky and switched to WinFF and its done the job for both audio and video for me.
http://winff.org/html/
As for conversion direct from CD I don't think you can but then I've an older version of Audacity, must update that!
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by newdeafman
Re: Friday question for Technophiles herein
It slightly misses the topic, but just to throw this in, you can have a look at exact audio copy.
http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/
Not very helpful in your situation, but you can create mp3s of arbitrary quality, and it has a built in rip-several-times-compare-and-do-it-again-in-case-of-mismatches routine that manages to rip cds even if they seem completely unreadable.
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by TMB
Re: Friday question for Technophiles herein
Oh, sorry, I have missed Floss's post.
# Posted on June 6th 2009 by TMB
Re: Friday question for Technophiles herein
Audacity's native file format is .wav. ( it can open or export to .wav files)
Audacity can open .mp3 files, but if you want to export to .mp3 format, you will need to download a "lame mp3 encoder" ( http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=install&i=lame-mp3 ).
Winows Media Player version 11 will rip mp3s from a CD.
# Posted on June 6th 2009 by harry
Re: Friday question for Technophiles herein
If you have tunes in " iTunes" (in whatever format: you chose to import : AAC, MP4 / MP3) -- then you can slow down very easily. If you have iTunes installed, then you must also have 'Quicktime player' installed (It needs this as its 'engine').
Open the file directly in Quicktime player, (not in iTunes).
Under the menus : "window" / "show AV controls" There you can adjust playback speed without adjusting the pitch. There is a separate control for adjusting pitch --if you need it (e.g . to play alonmg with Frankie Gavin etc -who favour E flat). Windows media player has similar functions.
The quality of the 'slowed down' playback may not be quite up to specialised 'payed for' software - however -- as its already built into your current media player - its free, easy, and plenty good enough for tune learning. I use it all the time.
I regularly point out to people that Quicktime or Windows media player (and posssibly Real player ?) can do 'slowing down' . Its amazing how many are missing out on the useful,easy and free functionality.
# Posted on June 8th 2009 by Col Arco