Converting files from Olympus DSS to MP3 -Sound Forge - PC

Subject:Converting files from Olympus DSS to MP3 Posted by: alexdn Date:5/20/2003 2:48:38 PM Folks: I often record seminar speeches using my Olympus digital recorder, which records the audio in DSS format. My questions are: 1. Can SoundForge open DSS files? 2. I have converted the DSS files to .wav and then used SF to save them as MP3 but the resulting files are still too big. How can I create MP3 files that are smaller? Here are the statistics: the original file is 6 MB in DSS (~ 1 hour), 82MB in .wav and then 29MB in MP3 (FM radio quality). Is there a setting that allows me to save the file in an even smaller size? Thanks, - Alex - alexn@bluesamba.com
Subject:RE: Converting files from Olympus DSS to MP3 Reply by: Chienworks Date:5/20/2003 3:28:48 PM I can't help with #1 ... but ... The size of an MP3 file is determined by two things: the length of the recording and the bitrate used when encoding it. "FM Radio Quality" uses a bitrate of 64Kbps and results in files of about 27MB/hour. If you click the [Custom] button on the save screen you can choose a smaller bit rate. Lower bitrates result in lower quality, but 32Kbps is often very good for speech and the file will be half the size. You can try smaller bitrates and determine for yourself when the quality is still good enough for your needs. Saving it as mono 16Kbps will still be good enough to understand the words, but will be somewhat distorted. This should give you a file of about 7MB though.

Subject:Converting files from Olympus DSS to MP3

Posted by: alexdn

Date:5/20/2003 2:48:38 PM

Folks:

I often record seminar speeches using my Olympus digital recorder, which records the audio in DSS format. My questions are:

1. Can SoundForge open DSS files?

2. I have converted the DSS files to .wav and then used SF to save them as MP3 but the resulting files are still too big. How can I create MP3 files that are smaller? Here are the statistics: the original file is 6 MB in DSS (~ 1 hour), 82MB in .wav and then 29MB in MP3 (FM radio quality). Is there a setting that allows me to save the file in an even smaller size?

Thanks,

- Alex -
alexn@bluesamba.com

Subject:RE: Converting files from Olympus DSS to MP3

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:5/20/2003 3:28:48 PM

I can't help with #1 ... but ...

The size of an MP3 file is determined by two things: the length of the recording and the bitrate used when encoding it. "FM Radio Quality" uses a bitrate of 64Kbps and results in files of about 27MB/hour. If you click the [Custom] button on the save screen you can choose a smaller bit rate. Lower bitrates result in lower quality, but 32Kbps is often very good for speech and the file will be half the size. You can try smaller bitrates and determine for yourself when the quality is still good enough for your needs. Saving it as mono 16Kbps will still be good enough to understand the words, but will be somewhat distorted. This should give you a file of about 7MB though.