fpw Wrote:Well, it's on DAT, but it runs over 90 min. Wouldn't that be a HUGE file?
Standard CD audio is encoded at 16 bits per channel, 2 channels, and at a rate of 44,100 samples per second. (Using the Nyquist Theorem, we divide the sample rate in half and that gives us the frequency bandwidth that it allows. In the case of a CD, 44.1 kHz gives a bandwidth of 22.05 kHz, which pretty much covers the whole range of human hearing.) Multiplying all that together gives us 1,411,200 bits per second. A bit of math gives us an audio file of 10.09369 (10.1) megabytes per minute.
Since your commentary is speech; ie: mono, that gets cut in half to 5.05 megabytes per minute, so your audio file on a computer in uncompressed wav format would be 454.5 megabytes. And that's assuming your DAT has the audio in 16 bits per channel, 1 (mono) channel, with a sample rate of 44.1 kHz. If the sample rate or bits per channel are lower, your end result wav file will be smaller.
Proper encoding to mp3, or my preference, OGG Vorbis (higher quality, lower file size than mp3 but less portable device support), can cut that down to under 35 megabytes. 50 megabytes if you want slightly more quality.
I'd be more than happy to do the encoding for you, but I've nothing that can read a DAT, and I doubt I could instruct you on how to pull the audio off a DAT. I've never used one. Encoding, however, is easy enough. I rip and encode my CDs into OGG vorbis audio files all the time.
For your commentary, I would encode at Q -1.00 (45 kbps), re-sample to 16,000 Hz (that'll give you equal to 8 kHz bandwidth, plenty for the range of human speech) and encode to mono. That should leave you with a vorbis file slightly under 35 MB.
This post was last modified: 05-11-2009, 07:29 AM by DominusDeus.
The low-tech method to record the DAT tape onto the PC would be to either take the DAT component player to the PC, or take a laptop with a decent soundcard to the stereo system, and connect the two via an RCA (or digital) patchcord and an adaptor that converts the desired cord into a PC/laptop plug.
Acceptable quality from old cassette tapes and LPs can be obtained using RCA cords off the back of the amplifier (or off the audio component itself) run to an "RCA female to 3.5millimeter stereo male" plug. That plug then goes into the line-in plug on the PC or the microphone plug on the laptop. DAT should be acceptable using RCA as well; the adaptor should certainly be more economical than one from digital audio.
Make sure your recording volume for WAV files (on the PC) is turned up to about 3/4 (it is often muted during normal PC use) and then start your wave software recording and pres play on the DAT component. Make a few short test clips and see what the sound quality is like.
For recording, I use the WaveStudio software that came with a CreativeLabs soundcard that I had a decade ago, but there is likely other software out there (probably better) for free.
Once you are satisfied with the quality of the tests, let the whole tape play, as normal, while the PC is recording.
As DomD says, it should take up about 500MB mono or 1GB stereo, so budget for 1.5GB on whatever hard disk you are using, just in case.
Lop dead air off the beginning and end using your software and you are ready to convert to a compression-file format (MP3, etc.). I recommend leaving at least 3 seconds of dead air at the end, prior to conversion, since some MP3 conversion software likes to truncate the end of a recording, when the sound levels are low.
Then use software (should also be free) to convert that WAV file to MP3 or whatever compression format you want it in, for normal playback.
Best of luck, DJ-FPW.
-Wapitikev
Acceptable quality from old cassette tapes and LPs can be obtained using RCA cords off the back of the amplifier (or off the audio component itself) run to an "RCA female to 3.5millimeter stereo male" plug. That plug then goes into the line-in plug on the PC or the microphone plug on the laptop. DAT should be acceptable using RCA as well; the adaptor should certainly be more economical than one from digital audio.
Make sure your recording volume for WAV files (on the PC) is turned up to about 3/4 (it is often muted during normal PC use) and then start your wave software recording and pres play on the DAT component. Make a few short test clips and see what the sound quality is like.
For recording, I use the WaveStudio software that came with a CreativeLabs soundcard that I had a decade ago, but there is likely other software out there (probably better) for free.
Once you are satisfied with the quality of the tests, let the whole tape play, as normal, while the PC is recording.
As DomD says, it should take up about 500MB mono or 1GB stereo, so budget for 1.5GB on whatever hard disk you are using, just in case.
Lop dead air off the beginning and end using your software and you are ready to convert to a compression-file format (MP3, etc.). I recommend leaving at least 3 seconds of dead air at the end, prior to conversion, since some MP3 conversion software likes to truncate the end of a recording, when the sound levels are low.
Then use software (should also be free) to convert that WAV file to MP3 or whatever compression format you want it in, for normal playback.
Best of luck, DJ-FPW.
-Wapitikev
This post was last modified: 05-11-2009, 08:23 AM by Wapitikev.
Axioms Jack seems to live by (inadvertantly or not):
Why he does what he does: "I chose this life. I know what I'm doing. And on any given day, I could stop doing it. Today, however, isn't that day. And tomorrow won't be either." Bruce Wayne, Identity Crisis
On Rasalom: "Water's wet, the sky is blue...and good old Satan Claus, Jimmy...he's out there...and he's just gettin' stronger." Joe Hallenbeck, The Last Boyscout
Well, I have an RCA to 1/8" stereo converter (which I use for my xbox 360, ps3 and hd-dvr (via a switch) to a pair of decent speakers. My TV's speakers suck), but nothing to play DATs. If I did, then yeah, I could copy over the audio from the DAT to my laptop, and I've got a nice piece of audio software to let me cut the silence, remove noise and all that good stuff...
If only I had a DAT player. Shouldn't be more complicated than a cassette player (which I don't own, either :dontknow
.
If only I had a DAT player. Shouldn't be more complicated than a cassette player (which I don't own, either :dontknow
.
DominusDeus Wrote:Well, I have an RCA to 1/8" stereo converter (which I use for my xbox 360, ps3 and hd-dvr (via a switch) to a pair of decent speakers. My TV's speakers suck), but nothing to play DATs. If I did, then yeah, I could copy over the audio from the DAT to my laptop, and I've got a nice piece of audio software to let me cut the silence, remove noise and all that good stuff...I'm sure you could pick up the DAT deck and the tapes from Paul for the weekend and do it for him.
If only I had a DAT player. Shouldn't be more complicated than a cassette player (which I don't own, either :dontknow
Heh.
-Wapitikev
Axioms Jack seems to live by (inadvertantly or not):
Why he does what he does: "I chose this life. I know what I'm doing. And on any given day, I could stop doing it. Today, however, isn't that day. And tomorrow won't be either." Bruce Wayne, Identity Crisis
On Rasalom: "Water's wet, the sky is blue...and good old Satan Claus, Jimmy...he's out there...and he's just gettin' stronger." Joe Hallenbeck, The Last Boyscout
Wapitikev Wrote:I'm sure you could pick up the DAT deck and the tapes from Paul for the weekend and do it for him.
Heh.
-Wapitikev
I'd probably get forever lost in the Barrens looking for his place.
DominusDeus Wrote:I'd probably get forever lost in the Barrens looking for his place.Just don't linger in any bald-spots. When you find the place with the blue-skinned, shark-headed, bi-pedal watchdog, you're there.
-Wapitikev
Axioms Jack seems to live by (inadvertantly or not):
Why he does what he does: "I chose this life. I know what I'm doing. And on any given day, I could stop doing it. Today, however, isn't that day. And tomorrow won't be either." Bruce Wayne, Identity Crisis
On Rasalom: "Water's wet, the sky is blue...and good old Satan Claus, Jimmy...he's out there...and he's just gettin' stronger." Joe Hallenbeck, The Last Boyscout
Wapitikev Wrote:Just don't linger in any bald-spots. When you find the place with the blue-skinned, shark-headed, bi-pedal watchdog, you're there.
-Wapitikev
I'll be sure to keep some scored, gas-filled Snapple bottles handy.
DominusDeus Wrote:I'll be sure to keep some scored, gas-filled Snapple bottles handy.Heh.
-Wapitikev
Axioms Jack seems to live by (inadvertantly or not):
Why he does what he does: "I chose this life. I know what I'm doing. And on any given day, I could stop doing it. Today, however, isn't that day. And tomorrow won't be either." Bruce Wayne, Identity Crisis
On Rasalom: "Water's wet, the sky is blue...and good old Satan Claus, Jimmy...he's out there...and he's just gettin' stronger." Joe Hallenbeck, The Last Boyscout
Drlazarus Wrote:That's the only reason Snapple still sells. :xd:ROTFL.
-Wapitikev
Axioms Jack seems to live by (inadvertantly or not):
Why he does what he does: "I chose this life. I know what I'm doing. And on any given day, I could stop doing it. Today, however, isn't that day. And tomorrow won't be either." Bruce Wayne, Identity Crisis
On Rasalom: "Water's wet, the sky is blue...and good old Satan Claus, Jimmy...he's out there...and he's just gettin' stronger." Joe Hallenbeck, The Last Boyscout