Comments on: iAudio Spinning http://cogdogblog.com/2006/05/07/iaudio-spinning/ Alan Levine's space for barking about and playing with technology Fri, 25 May 2012 14:40:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Alan http://cogdogblog.com/2006/05/07/iaudio-spinning/comment-page-1/#comment-5578 Alan Thu, 18 May 2006 22:09:18 +0000 http://cogdogblog.com/2006/05/07/iaudio-spinning/#comment-5578 Thanks Cheryl- those are awesome leads... I think I might go for one of those MicroTraks, and in the same price range, the Edirol R-09 looks worthy as well. Also, from the article <a href="http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/digitalmedia/2005/06/22/noise.html?CMP=ILC-FV7511446129&ATT=1542" rel="nofollow">Seven Steps to Noise-Free Digital Audio</a> I am quite interested in the USB mexier device form Roland, the UA-4FX, that handles multiple sources, and does the anaolog-DV signal cleanly away from the interference that happens on a laptop (at least that's what I got from the article). I still am an audio nOOb! Hope to see you tomorrow for some good digital stories! Thanks Cheryl- those are awesome leads… I think I might go for one of those MicroTraks, and in the same price range, the Edirol R-09 looks worthy as well.

Also, from the article
Seven Steps to Noise-Free Digital Audio I am quite interested in the USB mexier device form Roland, the UA-4FX, that handles multiple sources, and does the anaolog-DV signal cleanly away from the interference that happens on a laptop (at least that’s what I got from the article).

I still am an audio nOOb!

Hope to see you tomorrow for some good digital stories!

]]> By: Cheryl Colan http://cogdogblog.com/2006/05/07/iaudio-spinning/comment-page-1/#comment-5366 Cheryl Colan Mon, 15 May 2006 00:28:12 +0000 http://cogdogblog.com/2006/05/07/iaudio-spinning/#comment-5366 Hey, Alan. Hope to see you next week at the Digital Storytelling Learnshop. I just bought the MicroTrack MP3 recorder. http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MicroTrack2496-main.html If/when you want to upgrade your device again I highly recommend it. It costs more (lists for $399) but records direct to MP3. It's also bigger and possibly less sexy, but not by much since it matches the titanium finish of my PowerBook. I am impressed by the recording quality of the little, cableless mic that comes with it, but of course you can also connect your own mic as it has a line level input. It records to Compact Flash media. I've got a 4GB CF card, but you can get up to 8GB. Drag and drop transfer to the computer via USB. The big plus for me is you can visually monitor your audio levels and adjust them so you will always know if you are in danger of clipping and be able to correct it. And it is super easy to use - the interface is a joy. I haven't actually opened the manual yet and don't forsee the need. I did locate an online price of $338, and showed that to the guys at Guitar Center over at Desert Pavillions. They price match, so they gave it to me for that price. We may test it out at the learnshop. If you turn up, you can play with it. Best Google search term to quickly bring up the lowest prices: "microtrack 24/96" TinyUrl to that search: http://tinyurl.com/lkv7b Mark Nelson's O'Reilly review: http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2005/11/30/m-audio-microtrack-review.html I'm not trying to convince you to return your U3. Just tossing these links in for those who may want to consider it - your site may be getting hit by those doing some research. Also for future reference, Marantz makes an mp3 recorder, too. Theirs is $500 but has the advantage of XLR inputs for professional grade mics. Interface looks more fiddly though, and it's the size of my cassette-playing Walkman. How old school. :) Hope to see you soon. Cheryl Hey, Alan. Hope to see you next week at the Digital Storytelling Learnshop.

I just bought the MicroTrack MP3 recorder. http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MicroTrack2496-main.html

If/when you want to upgrade your device again I highly recommend it. It costs more (lists for $399) but records direct to MP3. It’s also bigger and possibly less sexy, but not by much since it matches the titanium finish of my PowerBook.

I am impressed by the recording quality of the little, cableless mic that comes with it, but of course you can also connect your own mic as it has a line level input. It records to Compact Flash media. I’ve got a 4GB CF card, but you can get up to 8GB. Drag and drop transfer to the computer via USB. The big plus for me is you can visually monitor your audio levels and adjust them so you will always know if you are in danger of clipping and be able to correct it. And it is super easy to use – the interface is a joy. I haven’t actually opened the manual yet and don’t forsee the need.

I did locate an online price of $338, and showed that to the guys at Guitar Center over at Desert Pavillions. They price match, so they gave it to me for that price. We may test it out at the learnshop. If you turn up, you can play with it.

Best Google search term to quickly bring up the lowest prices: “microtrack 24/96″
TinyUrl to that search: http://tinyurl.com/lkv7b

Mark Nelson’s O’Reilly review:
http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2005/11/30/m-audio-microtrack-review.html

I’m not trying to convince you to return your U3. Just tossing these links in for those who may want to consider it – your site may be getting hit by those doing some research.

Also for future reference, Marantz makes an mp3 recorder, too. Theirs is $500 but has the advantage of XLR inputs for professional grade mics. Interface looks more fiddly though, and it’s the size of my cassette-playing Walkman. How old school. :)

Hope to see you soon.

Cheryl

]]> By: Alan http://cogdogblog.com/2006/05/07/iaudio-spinning/comment-page-1/#comment-5209 Alan Tue, 09 May 2006 23:27:18 +0000 http://cogdogblog.com/2006/05/07/iaudio-spinning/#comment-5209 Ugh, VLC was a bit complicated to use, I hope your folks can do better than me. I just paid $10 sharewaire for EeastWMA, drag and rop, Universal app for INtel Mac. Ugh, VLC was a bit complicated to use, I hope your folks can do better than me. I just paid $10 sharewaire for EeastWMA, drag and rop, Universal app for INtel Mac.

]]> By: Alan http://cogdogblog.com/2006/05/07/iaudio-spinning/comment-page-1/#comment-5150 Alan Mon, 08 May 2006 04:41:08 +0000 http://cogdogblog.com/2006/05/07/iaudio-spinning/#comment-5150 Thanks Mguel. I had a much older copy of VLC on my other computer that lacked the conversion features. I had a quick go with the new version you mentioned above (that's quite few steps, calls for some Automator action??) but had no luck creating a file (I got a final confirmation an MP# would be generated but the file never appeared (??) I'd be very curois to here more about your school's storytelling projects, something I always have an interest in learning about. You're in Texas, right? Email me offline as I will have a few trips Texas way between now and the end of the year. And no, long comments are never, ever, ever a problem! Thanks Mguel. I had a much older copy of VLC on my other computer that lacked the conversion features. I had a quick go with the new version you mentioned above (that’s quite few steps, calls for some Automator action??) but had no luck creating a file (I got a final confirmation an MP# would be generated but the file never appeared (??)

I’d be very curois to here more about your school’s storytelling projects, something I always have an interest in learning about. You’re in Texas, right? Email me offline as I will have a few trips Texas way between now and the end of the year.

And no, long comments are never, ever, ever a problem!

]]> By: Miguel Guhlin http://cogdogblog.com/2006/05/07/iaudio-spinning/comment-page-1/#comment-5141 Miguel Guhlin Mon, 08 May 2006 02:56:24 +0000 http://cogdogblog.com/2006/05/07/iaudio-spinning/#comment-5141 Did you know that you can use the free VLC Media Player--available for Mac, too--to convert between sound file formats? It's pretty straightforward with the wizard and I'm sure you wouldn't have any probs figuring it out. However, here's a quick overview of the process: 1) Run VLC Media Player 2) Go to FILE: WIZARD 3) Choose Transcode/Save to File 4) Click NEXT 5) Click Choose 6) Flip to the FILE tab and then choose the file (*.wma) 7) Click OK then NEXT 8) Choose TRANSCODE AUDIO then choose your preferred output format (e.g. VORBIS for OGG files or MP3) 9) Choose Bitrate desired (64 works fine) 10) Click NEXT then NEXT again at the Encapsulation Format window 11) Type in the path to save the file to and the filename (you can browse to the desired directory if you like) 12) Click FINISH Hope this helps...and VLC is FREE, not shareware. Let me know how it works out for you! We're buying about 100 iAudio U2s for podcasting/digital storytelling work in my school district this summer (digital storytelling academies). Take care, Miguel Guhlin http://www.mguhlin.net/blog P.S. You don't mind these long comments do you? Did you know that you can use the free VLC Media Player–available for Mac, too–to convert between sound file formats? It’s pretty straightforward with the wizard and I’m sure you wouldn’t have any probs figuring it out. However, here’s a quick overview of the process:

1) Run VLC Media Player
2) Go to FILE: WIZARD
3) Choose Transcode/Save to File
4) Click NEXT
5) Click Choose
6) Flip to the FILE tab and then choose the file (*.wma)
7) Click OK then NEXT
8) Choose TRANSCODE AUDIO then choose your preferred output format (e.g. VORBIS for OGG files or MP3)
9) Choose Bitrate desired (64 works fine)
10) Click NEXT then NEXT again at the Encapsulation Format window
11) Type in the path to save the file to and the filename (you can browse to the desired directory if you like)
12) Click FINISH

Hope this helps…and VLC is FREE, not shareware.

Let me know how it works out for you! We’re buying about 100 iAudio U2s for podcasting/digital storytelling work in my school district this summer (digital storytelling academies).

Take care,
Miguel Guhlin
http://www.mguhlin.net/blog

P.S. You don’t mind these long comments do you?

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