Converting Tapes to CD - time stretch,disk space,MP3 quailty -Sound Forge - PC

Subject:Converting Tapes to CD - time stretch,disk space,MP3 quailty Posted by: fosko Date:6/27/2002 1:35:52 PM I've been tasked with converting a series of 48 tapes (the Bible) to CD. Each tape is about 90 minutes long (both sides)and the wave file comes to about 1.5 gigs. I'm working with about 15 gigs worth of space so I can only save about 8 orso tapes to HD before I have to burn to CD and delete from my HD to make room for the next batch. I tried zipping.but didnt get much comprression...plus..when I zipped to where my disk was almost full I thnen realized..I had no room to UNZIPP (DUH #1) Because of the length ofthe tapes and the fact that my CDs will only burn 80 minutes. I time stretch in SF down from 90 to 80 minutes. It just occured to me that I could save these in MP3 format instead of WAV (duh#2). Embarrasingly, I'm kinda old school and have never used an MP3. Since these tapes are mostly spoken word with a music bed, does anyone think I'll get any significant quality loss by savingto MP3 and then burning that MP3 to CD ?
Subject:RE: Converting Tapes to CD - time stretch,disk space,MP3 quailty Reply by: Chienworks Date:6/27/2002 2:35:01 PM I'm not sure why you need to hold on to the files after burning to CD. You can always copy directly from the CDs, or rip back from them if necessary. I wouldn't bother compressing at all ... just burn as you go. If the CD plays successfully on another player (preferably test with a cheapo low end audio model), then you can purge the files from your drive and move on to the next one. Keep in mind that many low-end audio players can't play CDs burned at faster than 4x, so you may want to burn at 4x just to be safe.
Subject:RE: Converting Tapes to CD - time stretch,disk space,MP3 quailty Reply by: fosko Date:6/27/2002 3:40:58 PM Yeah, good point One thing that I (intentionally) neglected to mention is.I've already made one set and now I've been asked to burn 6 more sets. It's a bit easier-faster to burn from HD than CD (I'm using NERO). I think when I burned CD to CD it took like maybe 2 minutes longer. Then again...subtract the opening of SF and oading of files.. I guess it's not really a big diff one way or the other. Thanks for the tip on writing at 4x. I didnt know that. IT's a bit of a bummer, becasuewith this volume I was looking for the fastest speed possible..but not as much of a bummer as havingto do them again becasue toe CDs can't play. THANKS
Subject:RE: Converting Tapes to CD - time stretch,disk space,MP3 quailty Reply by: rraud Date:6/30/2002 1:59:45 PM Yes, "zipping" a .wav file only yeilds a file size reduction of 10-12%, max. , which is pretty much useless for large audio files. You could try Sonic Foundry's own "Perfect Clarity Audio" format (.pca extension), which is a lossless compression format, unlike MP-3, a lossy compression format, which degrades the file on every subsequent save. The .pca file mode can cut the file size down significantly. However I think you can only use Sonic Foundry products with the .pca format to open them, but you could easily convert it back over to .wav, .mp3 or another format with having no quality loss on the original if you need to share it or re-edit. For most spoken-word work, there's also no sense in using a stereo file mode either. PS: Iacobus originally steered me to the PCA file mode a while ago. Thanks again, Rick

Subject:Converting Tapes to CD - time stretch,disk space,MP3 quailty

Posted by: fosko

Date:6/27/2002 1:35:52 PM

I've been tasked with converting a series of 48 tapes (the Bible) to CD. Each tape is about 90 minutes long (both sides)and the wave file comes to about 1.5 gigs. I'm working with about 15 gigs worth of space so I can only save about 8 orso tapes to HD before I have to burn to CD and delete from my HD to make room for the next batch. I tried zipping.but didnt get much comprression...plus..when I zipped to where my disk was almost full I thnen realized..I had no room to UNZIPP (DUH #1) Because of the length ofthe tapes and the fact that my CDs will only burn 80 minutes. I time stretch in SF down from 90 to 80 minutes.

It just occured to me that I could save these in MP3 format instead of WAV (duh#2). Embarrasingly, I'm kinda old school and have never used an MP3.

Since these tapes are mostly spoken word with a music bed, does anyone think I'll get any significant quality loss by savingto MP3 and then burning that MP3 to CD ?

Subject:RE: Converting Tapes to CD - time stretch,disk space,MP3 quailty

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:6/27/2002 2:35:01 PM

I'm not sure why you need to hold on to the files after burning to CD. You can always copy directly from the CDs, or rip back from them if necessary. I wouldn't bother compressing at all ... just burn as you go. If the CD plays successfully on another player (preferably test with a cheapo low end audio model), then you can purge the files from your drive and move on to the next one.

Keep in mind that many low-end audio players can't play CDs burned at faster than 4x, so you may want to burn at 4x just to be safe.

Subject:RE: Converting Tapes to CD - time stretch,disk space,MP3 quailty

Reply by: fosko

Date:6/27/2002 3:40:58 PM

Yeah, good point
One thing that I (intentionally) neglected to mention is.I've already made one set and now I've been asked to burn 6 more sets.

It's a bit easier-faster to burn from HD than CD (I'm using NERO). I think when I burned CD to CD it took like maybe 2 minutes longer.

Then again...subtract the opening of SF and oading of files.. I guess it's not really a big diff one way or the other.

Thanks for the tip on writing at 4x. I didnt know that. IT's a bit of a bummer, becasuewith this volume I was looking for the fastest speed possible..but not as much of a bummer as havingto do them again becasue toe CDs can't play.

THANKS

Subject:RE: Converting Tapes to CD - time stretch,disk space,MP3 quailty

Reply by: rraud

Date:6/30/2002 1:59:45 PM

Yes, "zipping" a .wav file only yeilds a file size reduction of 10-12%, max. , which is pretty much useless for large audio files. You could try Sonic Foundry's own "Perfect Clarity Audio" format (.pca extension), which is a lossless compression format, unlike MP-3, a lossy compression format, which degrades the file on every subsequent save.
The .pca file mode can cut the file size down significantly. However I think you can only use Sonic Foundry products with the .pca format to open them, but you could easily convert it back over to .wav, .mp3 or another format with having no quality loss on the original if you need to share it or re-edit.
For most spoken-word work, there's also no sense in using a stereo file mode either.
PS: Iacobus originally steered me to the PCA file mode a while ago. Thanks again,
Rick