Converting wma and real audio to mp3`


R

RyMickey

New Member
I recently discovered some audio files in the .wma and .rm (real audio) formats that I am not able to burn onto a cd using Toast or iTunes (I have a Mac).

I'm rather new to this whole thing and I was wondering if anyone knew of any Mac-compatable downloads that would convert these files. I've searched the archives, and I think that there is some way to do it, but it has left me quite confused.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

RyMickey
 
F

Frank

Member
If you are using OS X, go to the Ambrosia Software
(www.ambrosiasw.com)
site, click on "Freebies" and download "Wire tap".
It is a simple recorder. Just click Wire Tap on, click WMA or RA on and you'll have an AIFF copy of the track, which you can convert to mp3 on Itunes.

HTH,
Frank
 
N

narkspud

Member
It gets crazier under OS 9. There's an extension floating around out there called AIFF Writer. Once it's installed, you go under the "Sound" control panel and switch to it as your sound output. The result is, every program you start after that doesn't send sound to the speakers, it sends it to an AIFF file called "Sound 1" in the same folder as the program.

Unfortunately it creates a new "Sound 1" file and deletes the old one under various circumstances (making it useless for capturing streaming programs with multiple segments, for example), and it can sure fill up your hard drive with "Sound 1" files if you forget to switch it off. And you can't monitor things while they record. But outside of that, it does work.

I love my OS-9 Mac, but when it's time to rip a recording from an "unfriendly" format, I usually find myself switching on the PC and firing up Total Recorder. Much easier. Haven't tried Wire Tap yet, but that day's a-comin'. Thanks, Frank.

If you don't mind some quality loss, some Macs will allow you to loop out of and back into the analog jacks. You'd just use any recording software to capture the mic/line input, which would be hooked up to the headphone/speaker output. You'd just have to remember to shut off the recording software's "play through" option so you won't get feedback.

Best of luck.
 
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