--- Forwarded Message from Mike Ledgerwood <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 19:41:14 -0400
>From: Mike Ledgerwood <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #7589.5 Putting audio cd on a server (!)
>In-reply-to: <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
<[log in to unmask]>
>References: <[log in to unmask]>

Thanks so much again, Derek.   Very helpful note as always!

I think some of us who are more administrative Center directors dealing
with Macs (and less hands-on techie directors) need to send notes to
Derek thanking him for his (always) valuable advice.

Maybe we should start a "fan club".  After all if Ed Dente can be on
Jeopardy and get a parting gift that addresses his
follically-challenged pate, why not a fan club for a Mac guru?

Cheers to all in a very difficult time personally, Mike

Mikle D. Ledgerwood, Ph.D.
Director of the Language Learning and Research Center
Head of French and Tenured Professor of French and Technology and
Education
State University of New York at Stony Brook

Le 04-07-23, a 16:36, LLTI-Editor a ecrit :

> --- Forwarded Message from Derek Roff <[log in to unmask]> ---
>
>> Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 07:04:50 -0400
>> From: Derek Roff <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
> <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Re: #7589.1 Putting audio cd on a server (!)
>> In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> References:  <[log in to unmask]>
>> Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
>
>> Second, you'll have to change the audio format (Audio CD format won't
>> play
>> from a hard disk).
>
> Perhaps Jack can say more about the above statement.  While .WAV (on
> the
> PC) and AIFF (on the Mac) formats are not identical to Audio CD, in my
> experience, the file conversion in any direction is easy and automatic,
> handled invisibly the OS and whatever audio software is involved in
> copying
> the audio file from or to a CD.  If I copy a track from an audio CD
> onto my
> hard disk, I can play it immediately.
>
>> You'll probably want to "rip" the CD to your server in
>> MP3 format.
>
> While uncompressed audio files from a CD* (in .WAV or AIFF format) can
> be
> streamed from a local server, these files are much larger than their
> compressed equivalents (usually MP3).  This means that uncompressed
> audio
> files will take much more disk space on the server, and will place
> greater
> demands on the streaming server software and hardware, on the network,
> and
> on the computer which delivers the sound to the student.  I would
> recommend
> audio compression for every streamed file.
>
> MP3 is an aging format.  There are now audio-format choices that offer
> smaller file sizes and better, more accurate sound.  However, MP3 is so
> widely known and supported, that it is often the best choice in a
> university environment.  Whatever audio format we choose today, we can
> be
> confident that there will be a better choice available in a few years.
>  For
> sound files that go with French, Spanish or German textbooks, we will
> probably deal with new audio materials, rather than converting today's
> MP3s
> into a new format.
>
> For less commonly published textbooks, or for any original audio
> materials,
> keep a copy of the original, uncompressed sound files.  We will get
> better
> results from applying each new-generation compression format to these
> original files, than we would from trying to convert one compressed
> file
> format, like MP3, into another compressed file format, which will use a
> different mathematical compression algorithm.
>
> Derek
>
> * One can argue that the sound on audio CDs is already compressed.
> However, it is the most common "original" format for the sound files
> that I
> deal with.
>
> Derek Roff
> Language Learning Center
> Ortega Hall 129, MSC03-2100
> University of New Mexico
> Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
> 505/277-7368, fax 505/277-3885
> Internet: [log in to unmask]
>