--- 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]