(Re)Discover Audacity

[kevinz4444]

Many podcasters and MD audiophiles already know about Audacity. But if you don’t have this useful freeware utility, consider using it for such applications as converting your old cassette tape collection to mp3s or WAVs (and then to MD), making mp3 versions of your MD field recordings to send to “iPod friends”, and many others.

[Avrin]

This is a really nice and free program. But it lacks two features, that are essential for CD and MD enthusiasts. I was only able to find these features in Adobe Audition. One of them is called "Open Append". Nothing special, heh? But it allows opening a folderful of, say, MP3 files on a single timeline in a single operation. This is really useful when removing gaps in a non-stop album or gig. Then, after removing gaps, another essential feature comes in. It is called "Edit Cue Info", and allows you to immediately convert all cues into tracks, that is, to move cue marks slightly to make all tracks contain a whole number of frames (each frame is exactly 1/75th of a second). This is essential to make the tracks CD (Red Book) and MD compliant. Then you export the tracks as WAV files, and do whatever you want with them.

[raintheory]

Another similar program worth trying out is the shareware "GoldWave". While not freeware, it has some features that Audicity is lacking at a better price than Audition.

The trial is unhindered as far as I am aware,.

[ozpeter]

Wavosaur is getting popular. It's a tiny download.

"Wavosaur is a free sound editor, audio editor, wav editor software for editing, processing and recording sounds, wav and mp3 files.

Wavosaur has all the features to edit audio (cut, copy, paste, etc.) produce music loops, analyze, record, batch convert.

Wavosaur supports VST plugins, ASIO driver, multichannel wav files, real time effect processing.

The program has no installer and doesn't write in the registry. Use it as a free mp3 editor, for mastering, sound design.

The Wavosaur freeware audio editor works on Windows 98, Windows XP and Windows Vista."

www.wavosaur.com

Personally I use Reaper for most things - www.reaper.fm

There are various freeware utilities for joining wave files for editing as one, but if you simply open them in Reaper all on one track, and use "ripple editing" it treats them as a single file anyway.

[Sparky191]

I use CDWAVE for splitting Wav's.

[KrazyIvan]

Love Audacity and use it heavily. I recently started using Wavepad to automatically split long wav files into tracks, automatically. Did I mention it can split tracks automatically?

[carlie7]

Can Audacity, or any of the other programs be used to "record" streams onto a pc's hard drive while it is being played?

This would be so that they can be burned onto a CD and listened to at another time... for those of us that are not at the computer long enough to listen to an entire stream and would like an alternative.

Also, would this be considered "illegal copying"? I wouldn't want to do that.

[Sparky191]

Yes.

[carlie7]

Yes.

What particular question of mine is your answer of "yes" referring to?

Yes.

What particular question of mine is your answer of "yes" referring to?

[A440]

Since Audacity is free, why not just download it and play with it a little?

Audacity (at least on my computer) shows three choices of input: Microphone, Line-In and Stereo Mix. I've never used Stereo Mix. But it might well be the stereo mix of what's playing on your computer. Download Audacity and try it.

If it doesn't work, the program Total Recorder will record anything coming through your soundcard, including streams. It costs about $20.

http://www.highcriteria.com/

There are various legal theories about recording streams, or stream ripping. Recording companies are trying to get it declared illegal, basically because they don't want anyone else to have control of music in any form. But that would seem to be pushing it.

There is a great precedent in the United States known as the Betamax case: when movie studios were trying to get VCRs outlawed and Sony was among the good guys.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Corp._v....al_City_Studios

Sony won by getting the Supreme Court to agree that time-shifting--recording, in that case, a TV show to be watched later--was legal fair use under US copyright law. (Sony probably has second thoughts about that now that it owns a movie studio. But on the other hand, videocassettes and DVDs have been huge profit-makers for Hollywood.)

Stream-ripping is pretty obviously time-shifting, especially in the way you intend to use it. You're not copying or selling the stream, which would be distribution of copyrighted material and a different legal situation. The people who put up the stream wanted you to hear it, didn't they? Go ahead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Corp._v....al_City_Studios

[ozpeter]

The Total Recorder site has been down for weeks - they are not responding to email - it looks like they may have gone belly-up, which would be sad. (If I knew they might do that I would have downloaded the latest version!).

[greenmachine]

the total recorder site and download works for me.

[carlie7]

Since Audacity is free, why not just download it and play with it a little?

Audacity (at least on my computer) shows three choices of input: Microphone, Line-In and Stereo Mix. I've never used Stereo Mix. But it might well be the stereo mix of what's playing on your computer. Download Audacity and try it.

If it doesn't work, the program Total Recorder will record anything coming through your soundcard, including streams. It costs about $20.

http://www.highcriteria.com/

There are various legal theories about recording streams, or stream ripping. Recording companies are trying to get it declared illegal, basically because they don't want anyone else to have control of music in any form. But that would seem to be pushing it.

There is a great precedent in the United States known as the Betamax case: when movie studios were trying to get VCRs outlawed and Sony was among the good guys.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Corp._v....al_City_Studios

Sony won by getting the Supreme Court to agree that time-shifting--recording, in that case, a TV show to be watched later--was legal fair use under US copyright law. (Sony probably has second thoughts about that now that it owns a movie studio. But on the other hand, videocassettes and DVDs have been huge profit-makers for Hollywood.)

Stream-ripping is pretty obviously time-shifting, especially in the way you intend to use it. You're not copying or selling the stream, which would be distribution of copyrighted material and a different legal situation. The people who put up the stream wanted you to hear it, didn't they? Go ahead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Corp._v....al_City_Studios

A440... Thanks for the thorough reply. Some of the streams that I record are actually from friends of mine in the "biz" and because the sets are sometimes 3 to 5 hours plus I like to record them for later playback and give them my full attention. No resale or distribution... just me listening and in most cases erasing the sets once they have been heard and I’ve given my feedback.

I also record interviews in my research for work. Again, to listen in its entirety when I have the time to do so. Another thing, recording onto MD and listening while laying in bed or even out doors in the park is far more enjoyable, not to mention more comfortable than sitting at my PC at my desk and listening on my tiny speakers. So, time shifting it is.

By the way guys, I had no problem getting to the "Total Recorder" website. Maybe should try, you think?

Thanks again A440!