robert
01-08-2005, 10:30 PM
__________________________________________________ __
EDIT, 1/18/05 Guide now posted at:
Guide 2. Convert Audiobook tape cassettes to Bookmarking iPod/iTunes files. PC only. (http://www.ipodlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=273807#post273807)
__________________________________________________ __
I am about to try to convert audio book cassettes to bookmarkable iPod files and, if successful, to write a guide for doing so. I will place the guide in the CD to bookmarkable thread and ask for an addition to its title.
A friend gave me a bunch of old audio book cassette tapes, so
I bought a dual audio cassette deck on ebay for $45 (didn't have one with RCA outputs), gotten into the dust and tangle of wires behind my computer to locate the sound card line in plug, and searched for and read posts in the lounge.
Would be interested in answers and experience with the following questions and issues:
1. What software is best? PolderbitS? What do you use and a rough outline of how?
2. Hints and suggestions like Stensvaag's "set option to 'Line-In' (only)." Any other warnings or hints?
3. Has anyone found software to directly convert to AAC while caputuring cassette audio?
4. What are the file type extensions in addition to m4a that will convert to m4b bookmarkable files?
I am sure I more questions will arise.
My inclination is to try the conversions with PolderbitS. Below you can see my inquiry to them. I suggested that they provide an option of intial conversion to AAC with an m4b extension. Although I got good and thorough answers to my questions, I was met with "we are PC where the bulk of users are." I suggested in a reply that there was a substantial PC user market for AAC for iTunes/iPod. We may want to bombard them with requests for a direct AAC conversion. The melded and slightly edited query and answers were:
Dear Robert,
Thank you for your interest in the PolderbitS Sound Recorder and Editor.
In answer to your questions:
A1) A cassette tape deck (or any other kind of audio system) having Line-Out RCA outputs can indeed be connected to the Line-In input on the PC directly. No additional amplification is needed.
Q2. Can one set the unit to play through all four sides of two cassettes with a dual cassette deck without intervention? Does your software manage the process, to minimize human intervention?
A2) Using the Compact Disc stereo recording quality you can record up to 3 hours and 20 minutes in each recording session. That should fit at least 4 cassette sides of 90 minute cassettes.
In the Editor you can use the track-splitting functions to automatically split a long recording into separate tracks (songs; sound files).
The automatic track splitter looks for relative silences of at least 2 seconds to determine the splitting positions of tracks.
This fails with certain types of music or sound, for example if the silence in between the tracks is shorter than 2 seconds, or if the music is not loud enough to determine the relative silence.
If the automatic track-splitter cannot find all the track separations by itself, then you can also manually set the track separations by right-clicking inside the Wave view at the silent positions and then select "Split here into two tracks" from the menu that will pop up.
Q3. How does one manage the process to stop when the cassette(s) finish playing?
A3) You can use the recording timer function in the Sound Recorder to automatically stop recording after a pre-set amount of time. If the timer is not set, the Recorder will only automatically stop recording if the maximum recording time is reached.
The maximum recording time for one recording session is limited by the maximum file size in Windows.
You can record up to 3 hours and 20 minutes in each session, using the Compact Disc stereo sound quality.
To record for more than 3 hours and 20 minutes in one session, you must select a lower sound quality.
Compact Disc mono, or FM-radio stereo for example, doubles the maximum recording time to 6 hours and 40 minutes.
FM-radio mono, or Telephone stereo doubles it again to 13 hours and 20 minutes.
Q4. What PolderbitS settings would you suggest for audio books? The likely standard is to convert between 16 to 128 kbps.
A4.) The bit rate used with saving as mp3, depends on the required sound quality in relation to the resulting storage space.
That's up to you to decide.
The lower the bit-rate, the lower the resulting sound quality and file size.
The higher the bit-rate, the higher the resulting sound quality and file size.
In the Save window of the Editor you can select from pre-defined sound qualities with certain bit-rates, but these pre-defined qualities can be changed to use any other desired bit-rate.
Q4. Will your software directly convert to AAC or another format which will allow renaming to m4b to become bookmarkable?
A4 The only compression technology supported by our software is mp3 and mp3PRO. We have no plans to support any other compression technology soon. Whether or not .mp3 sound files can simply be renamed to .m4b, is something I don't know (see answer 6 as well). [Robert's edit: mp3 files simply renamed m4b do not bookmark. AAC conversion is required]
Q5. Any suggestions or links, other than your cassette to cd, that you can think of that would help a novice in converting audio tapes or cd's to m4b files?
A5) The software is "easy-to-use" and comes with many tips and hints built-in.
If you haven't done so yet, you can download the setup program of the Sound Recorder and Editor from our Internet site at:
http://www.polderbits.com and execute it to install the software on your computer. It will start a 14-day trial period, during which it is fully functional. This allows you to try it out without any obligation.
Q6. Would you be willing to review what I create as a guide, similar to my iPodlounge.com Guide: Copying Audio CD's into Bookmarking iTunes/iPod file to correct or make suggestions for improvement
A6) I must start with saying that I am not into iPod, or any other iMac technology at all. We primarily target Microsoft Windows users because that's most common out there.
I took a brief look at the article you mentioned, but you lost me after a couple of lines already. If this is meant to be an "easy step-by-step" guide, you should not use any technical terms and abbreviations. Try to use language your grandmother would understand. People already knowing about all those tech terms, won't need and read your guide anyway.
Q7. Could I use your software to convert any sound played from any source on my computer to a wav, acc file that could be renamed to m4b?
A7) Yes. See answer 5 as well.
If you have any further questions, then please let me know.
With best regards,
Rudy
Thanks, all.
Robert
EDIT, 1/18/05 Guide now posted at:
Guide 2. Convert Audiobook tape cassettes to Bookmarking iPod/iTunes files. PC only. (http://www.ipodlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=273807#post273807)
__________________________________________________ __
I am about to try to convert audio book cassettes to bookmarkable iPod files and, if successful, to write a guide for doing so. I will place the guide in the CD to bookmarkable thread and ask for an addition to its title.
A friend gave me a bunch of old audio book cassette tapes, so
I bought a dual audio cassette deck on ebay for $45 (didn't have one with RCA outputs), gotten into the dust and tangle of wires behind my computer to locate the sound card line in plug, and searched for and read posts in the lounge.
Would be interested in answers and experience with the following questions and issues:
1. What software is best? PolderbitS? What do you use and a rough outline of how?
2. Hints and suggestions like Stensvaag's "set option to 'Line-In' (only)." Any other warnings or hints?
3. Has anyone found software to directly convert to AAC while caputuring cassette audio?
4. What are the file type extensions in addition to m4a that will convert to m4b bookmarkable files?
I am sure I more questions will arise.
My inclination is to try the conversions with PolderbitS. Below you can see my inquiry to them. I suggested that they provide an option of intial conversion to AAC with an m4b extension. Although I got good and thorough answers to my questions, I was met with "we are PC where the bulk of users are." I suggested in a reply that there was a substantial PC user market for AAC for iTunes/iPod. We may want to bombard them with requests for a direct AAC conversion. The melded and slightly edited query and answers were:
Dear Robert,
Thank you for your interest in the PolderbitS Sound Recorder and Editor.
In answer to your questions:
A1) A cassette tape deck (or any other kind of audio system) having Line-Out RCA outputs can indeed be connected to the Line-In input on the PC directly. No additional amplification is needed.
Q2. Can one set the unit to play through all four sides of two cassettes with a dual cassette deck without intervention? Does your software manage the process, to minimize human intervention?
A2) Using the Compact Disc stereo recording quality you can record up to 3 hours and 20 minutes in each recording session. That should fit at least 4 cassette sides of 90 minute cassettes.
In the Editor you can use the track-splitting functions to automatically split a long recording into separate tracks (songs; sound files).
The automatic track splitter looks for relative silences of at least 2 seconds to determine the splitting positions of tracks.
This fails with certain types of music or sound, for example if the silence in between the tracks is shorter than 2 seconds, or if the music is not loud enough to determine the relative silence.
If the automatic track-splitter cannot find all the track separations by itself, then you can also manually set the track separations by right-clicking inside the Wave view at the silent positions and then select "Split here into two tracks" from the menu that will pop up.
Q3. How does one manage the process to stop when the cassette(s) finish playing?
A3) You can use the recording timer function in the Sound Recorder to automatically stop recording after a pre-set amount of time. If the timer is not set, the Recorder will only automatically stop recording if the maximum recording time is reached.
The maximum recording time for one recording session is limited by the maximum file size in Windows.
You can record up to 3 hours and 20 minutes in each session, using the Compact Disc stereo sound quality.
To record for more than 3 hours and 20 minutes in one session, you must select a lower sound quality.
Compact Disc mono, or FM-radio stereo for example, doubles the maximum recording time to 6 hours and 40 minutes.
FM-radio mono, or Telephone stereo doubles it again to 13 hours and 20 minutes.
Q4. What PolderbitS settings would you suggest for audio books? The likely standard is to convert between 16 to 128 kbps.
A4.) The bit rate used with saving as mp3, depends on the required sound quality in relation to the resulting storage space.
That's up to you to decide.
The lower the bit-rate, the lower the resulting sound quality and file size.
The higher the bit-rate, the higher the resulting sound quality and file size.
In the Save window of the Editor you can select from pre-defined sound qualities with certain bit-rates, but these pre-defined qualities can be changed to use any other desired bit-rate.
Q4. Will your software directly convert to AAC or another format which will allow renaming to m4b to become bookmarkable?
A4 The only compression technology supported by our software is mp3 and mp3PRO. We have no plans to support any other compression technology soon. Whether or not .mp3 sound files can simply be renamed to .m4b, is something I don't know (see answer 6 as well). [Robert's edit: mp3 files simply renamed m4b do not bookmark. AAC conversion is required]
Q5. Any suggestions or links, other than your cassette to cd, that you can think of that would help a novice in converting audio tapes or cd's to m4b files?
A5) The software is "easy-to-use" and comes with many tips and hints built-in.
If you haven't done so yet, you can download the setup program of the Sound Recorder and Editor from our Internet site at:
http://www.polderbits.com and execute it to install the software on your computer. It will start a 14-day trial period, during which it is fully functional. This allows you to try it out without any obligation.
Q6. Would you be willing to review what I create as a guide, similar to my iPodlounge.com Guide: Copying Audio CD's into Bookmarking iTunes/iPod file to correct or make suggestions for improvement
A6) I must start with saying that I am not into iPod, or any other iMac technology at all. We primarily target Microsoft Windows users because that's most common out there.
I took a brief look at the article you mentioned, but you lost me after a couple of lines already. If this is meant to be an "easy step-by-step" guide, you should not use any technical terms and abbreviations. Try to use language your grandmother would understand. People already knowing about all those tech terms, won't need and read your guide anyway.
Q7. Could I use your software to convert any sound played from any source on my computer to a wav, acc file that could be renamed to m4b?
A7) Yes. See answer 5 as well.
If you have any further questions, then please let me know.
With best regards,
Rudy
Thanks, all.
Robert