--- Forwarded Message from Philippe Delcloque <[log in to unmask]> ---

>From: Philippe Delcloque <[log in to unmask]>
>To: "'Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum'"     <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: RE: #5897 question about digitizing audio
>Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 14:11:00 -0000

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Hello, DENISE,

As we have a new computer-based language lab in our
school, I have been playing around with my computer
for some time in an attempt to figure out how to
digitize audio files, particularly cassettes.  I now
know how to save material from cassettes and CDs as
Real Media files (.rm), using RealProducer.  My
questions are the following:   

1)  Is .rm the best format in which to save materials?
I just tried recording a song onto my PC, and the file
was quite large (5mb).  I don't know too much about
other formats, so this may be a very "basic" question.
Can someone give me some advice, or give me some
Websites I can look at to better my understanding on
this topic?

MY UNDERSTANDING (ALTHOUGH NOT BASED ON ACTUAL PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE YET IS
THAT MPEG (.MP3) IS SUPERIOR TO REAL.

2)  I have been recording from a cassette to the
computer by connecting a cord from the headphone jack
on my boom box to one of the jacks on my computer
(probably not the best way, but it works for now).  Is
there any way to reverse the process (record from the
computer back to a tape)?

DEPENDS WHETHER YOUR MATERIAL HANDLES AUDIO OUTPUT OR NOT.  A WORD OF
CAUTION ABOUT METHODOLOGY.

1.      THE QUALITY OF YOUR SOURCE IS ESSENTIAL.  IT IS DIFFICULT TO ENHANCE
AUDIO QUALITY IF THE SOURCE IS POOR AND IT REQUIRES A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF
AUDIO AND SOFTWARE USE.

2.      HEADPHONE JACKS ARE NOT NORMALLY THE BEST WAY TO FEED A COMPUTER FOR
ALL KINDS OF TECHNICAL REASONS, YOU MAY ENCOUNTER OVERLOAD AND DISTORTION.

3.      ULTIMATELY, USING THE BEST POSSIBLE SOUND CARD (INCLUDING DIGITAL
ONES) WILL PRODUCE BETTER QUALITY.  THE BEST QUALITY IS OBTAINED BY
RETAINING AN ENTIRELY DIGITAL PATH (.DAT RECORDINGS OR OTHERS).

I USED CAPITALS TO SEPARATE MY RESPONSES, I WASN'T SHOUTING!  :-)

Philippe

Dr Philippe Delcloque
EUROCALL and InSTIL 2000 Organiser
Dundee Business School
University of Abertay Dundee
Bell Street
DUNDEE DD1 1HG.
Tel:  44-(0)1382-308 460 (Direct)
Fax:  44-(0)1382-308 400 (marked for my attention)
http://dbs.tay.ac.uk/eurocall2000/
http://dbs.tay.ac.uk/instil2000/
http://dbs.tay.ac.uk/instil/


Thanks for your help!

Denise Hamwey
  

=====
Denise Hamwey
Melrose High School
Melrose, MA
[log in to unmask]
http://www.geocities.com/dehamwey

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