Showing posts with label audio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label audio. Show all posts

2010-03-01

wma conversion for voice recorder

2.3: proj.addn/wma conversion for voice recorder:

. on the mac I have vista running in a vmware;
I don't like to give it much access,
so there's a single folder esp'ly for vista jobs .
. I'm noticing I have wma's waiting for conversion;
these are [win'media audio].files from the voice recorder .
. there's also a converter program
but I'm assuming that's the one that turned out to be nagware;
I need to find some openware;
and the first thing I find is the WMA-Into-MP3 page:
"(
You can convert WMA files (at least, those without DRM protection)
into the more universally-portable MP3 format using the free,
open-source MPlayer and lame packages.
These are available for many platforms,
particularly the "big 3": Windows, Mac OS/X, and GNU/Linux.

1. http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/news.html
Install the above-mentioned software onto your computer,
using either the source or precompiled binaries for your platform.
2
Convert the WMA files into an intermediate format,
the space-wasting but lossless WAV (wave) standard:
mplayer -vo null -vc dummy -af resample=44100 -ao pcm "Song 1.wma"
3
Now convert the result of the previous command
(stored as audiodump.wav by default) into MP3:
lame audiodump.wav "Song 1.mp3"
4
That's it! Continue the process for each file you wish to convert.
See Tips for some ways to streamline and/or improve this method.
5
When complete, each directory you visited
will have the last file converted still stored as audiodump.wav.
You will probably want to delete these obsolete files
to conserve space using the rm (Unix) or del (Windows) command.
6
You may also want to delete the original wma files,
after verifying that the quality of the resulting mp3 songs is acceptable.
edit Tips
You can write a script to enable searching your entire hard drive for wma files
and converting them automatically.
See the source article for examples.
This one was written (on Windows/Cygwin) for the best space savings,
using the lowest possible quality setting for the MP3 output:

#!/bin/bash
for file in "$@"; do mplayer \
-vo null \
-vc dummy \
-af resample=44100 \
-ao pcm:file="${file%%.[Ww][Mm][Aa]}.wav" \
"$file"
lame -V9 "${file%%.[Ww][Mm][Aa]}.wav" "${file%%.[Ww][Mm][Aa]}.mp3"
rm -f "${file%%.[Ww][Mm][Aa]}.wav"
done
)
. I was concerned that the mplayer doc's
didn't seem to agree with wikihow's suggested param's:
"( -vo null -vc dummy -af resample=44100 -ao pcm ) .

. the mac download has the player wrapped in a gui
and not only doesn't the gui map to every function,
but the location of the program is not obvious .
. it has this advice:
"(
Using the command line MPlayer
. to use the command line version of mplayer
without any hussle,
we suggest you create a link to the binary file
contained in the MPlayer OSX.app bundle.
. just type the following into your terminal:
ln -s /Applications/MPlayer OSX.app/Contents/Resources/External_Binaries/mplayer.app/Contents/MacOS/mplayer
/usr/local/bin/mplayer
This will create a symlink to the mplayer command line binary,
and place it into /usr/local/bin.
)
. however this didn't seem to work;
-- at least it's open
http://mplayerosx.sttz.ch/
To get a copy, issue following command in the terminal:
svn co svn://mplayerosx.sttz.ch/mplayerosx/trunk/ mplayerosx

. so then I'm looking for more openware:

Dave's Answer:
http://www.askdavetaylor.com/convert_mac_wma_audio_files_to_mp3.html
"( under Mac OS X, there is Music Man and Sound Grinder,
but my favorite tool is the Australian-produced Switch,
http://www.nch.com.au/switch/
which also has a Windows version available.)
. I tried that (wma to ogg(qual'level=1) )
and it quit unexpectedly .

. finally, I double-checked the converter I had waiting for vista:
and found it's not that old nagware
but the openware" winFF:
http://code.google.com/p/winff/

. this is doing well on vista:
letting you graphically select batches
and then converting them to mp3 or ogg .
. its prefered output.folder is vista`user`doc's
rather than source folder .

. I'm going back to the wikihow.com page,
and update it with my better solution .
[@] co.net/wikihow.com/Convert-Unprotected-WMA-Files-Into-MP3-Files

. help is in the [forums] and a pdf .
http://www.biggmatt.com/forums/

. booking for how to halve size of output:
http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-doc.html#SEC11

# To have a constant quality (but a variable bitrate),
use the option '-qscale n'
when 'n' is between 1 (excellent quality) and 31 (worst quality)
-qscale 16

no I need to
lower 160 kb/s, or 44,100 hz
mp3 does work
try audio bitrate 64

todo:
. something about -qscale 16 didn't change anything .
I started trying the next param but had to quit .

2009-12-30

youtube.com

11.28: co.net/youtube.com/11.17 apt`wildlife chickens:
category:pets & animals
free range chicken.AVI -- free range chicken
star free ranger.AVI -- free range chicken with star feathering

co.net/twitter.com/11.17 apt`wildlife chickens:


2009-12-29

earbuds

8.28: web.gear/in-canal earbuds:

was told to goto www.headphonereviews.org;
but he was already everywhere I was at:
(needs micro sizing, and both hi-fi, noise-drowning):
"(
. at $450, my beloved Shure e500 'phones
are not exactly a good candidate for working out in the gym, or sleeping
(I use an iPod to block ambient noise with rain).
. I settled on the Sennheisers, because their low profile
makes them comfortable for sleeping,
and they provide a reasonable (about 10-15db) noise blocking.
) . cord is short -- good for {neckwear, armwear} .

. the Shure e500's also have a mic button
to allow listening without having to remove buds .
. I'm hoping some active noise-canceling buds will give me some sounds;
[8.29: but that was because it does at wind howl,
but that's only because wind is a noise pattern,
whereas it will not try to activate on a voice
because it has no regular rhythm;
I can instead plug into the recorder . ]

. they sell cd's of rain, and there is free rain sounds on the web:

. after seeing how good Shure' high end could be,
spent a lot of time looking at their mid-priced wares;
only their high end has separate {woofer, midrange} drivers;
but they are also known for excellent fit:
"(
$70 E2C's fit perfectly and comfortably in my ears
using one of the 3 sizes of Flex sleeves they offer, ...
$75 SE110's have a slightly different shape,
and cannot get a comparable fit .
) .
. perhaps for great fit get the same sleeves as for the e500 or e2c:
are fitting E3C*, E4C*, E5C*, E500PTH*, 13C* and 14C* .

. another bud for hi-fi: Klipsch Image S4 earphones
"(
Straight up: these in-ear headphones shocked me
with their superb sound quality, especially given the $80 price tag.
Sure, they're not precisely "cheap" compared to some models that are available,
but they do fall in the sub-$100 range
and they offer audio on par with sets that cost three times as much.
Truly, if you are looking for a new set of ultraportable headphones,
the Image S4 should be a top choice.
Price:$79.99 - $79.99 (check prices)
) .

. here are ones with the dreaded prong design:
trying to pull these out will bust your eardrums!:

Ultimate Ears website I found these foam eartips from Comply Foam
but foam breaks down while silicone lasts forever .
-->
Comply NR-10i was engineered to maximize noise reduction,
obtaining a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 29db!
The included Complyª Foam Tips P-Series
were engineered to take the shape of an ear canal
by gently expanding and remaining in place.
Complyª Foam Tips are made of high-tech, viscoelastic polyurethane foam
developed for the ever-changing ear environment.

aq.gear/earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/Radians One-Step Custom Molded Earplugs:
. here is just what I was wishing for
to make all those other buds fit just right
by adding a custom fit rubbery surrounding
that exactly fits the outer ears:
aq.gear/earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/Radians One-Step Custom Molded Earplugs

web.gear/earbuds with active noise-cancelling:
"(
when used with the computer,
they make an awful constant buzz/crackling noise
(with the noise-cancelling mode on, off and even without battery).
AT technical support informed me that it is a common problem with
high sensitivity (low impedance) headphones.
. the active noise cancellation is not as good as the Bose,
and the audio quality is not as good as "vanilla" IEMs such as Shure E2Cs.
But I find myself opting to carry the ATH-ANC3
more often than the other options when I go on a long flight.
Until a better option comes along,
I'll be using these as my dedicated in-flight earphones.
) .
web.gear/audio acc's:
. find other things at amazon I need to make shipping worth it
(bike parts, tools, acc's ) .
. audio acc's to get include items to make the cord modular,
so that when the added cord wears out,
I can just plug in a new one .
. that means wrapping the unit's cord in a bag,
and then sealing that bag around the ext.cord .
. one item is a 3-way that let's 2 jacks into one socket
{2sockets, 1 jack}
[8.29: eg,
. with a double-jack cord it becomes
{ socket -> bud
, socket-> jack-ext.cord-jack-socket-recorder
, jack-> socket-ext.cord-jack-radio
} . I dont have the other parts,
and don't know if it works plugging 2 sources into 1 outlet .
12.21:
every combination of inputs and outputs works! ] .

8.28: aq.gear/amazon.com/noise cancel buds with cord and volume


9.2: proj.gear/molded earplugs around banded buds:
. radians`custom molded earplugs .
. the molded earplugs did great fitting around buds on a band:
they hold the buds steady to maximize sound
without having the hard buds pressing my ear sore .



. install AAA battery; test with loud vmixer: ok,
sony.com/headphones, 888 559 7669
sony.com/service, 800 222 7669
accessories? 800 488 7669

. accessory for use in full helmet,
this may need a french head band (one from chin to top of head )
to help keep helmet from grabbing ear buds on the way out .

. while active it is messed by cell's transmissions
and is messing radio transmissions when too close .

amusing warnings:
. if feeling drowsy or sick
it could be a somatopsychic reaction to noise cancellation .
. feel tingle in ears some? static shock;
try wearing only natural fiber clothing .

fortunate coincidences:
. has a constriction for attaching tether
-covered cord could last longer than circitry
given that will be fried by sweat at some point .

. very thick cords for backing up that lifetime warranty .
sennheiser`volume control(2channel)#hzr62:
. seemed the reception on my radio was slightly off?
the radio uses the headphone cord ground as antennae;
maybe the extreme length (meant for across the room control)
is the problem .
todo:
. the cord looks fairly thick, like it might be easy to hack shorter .
. re check that reception is worse .

9.3: todo.gear/bagging for audio gear: [done]
. the long wire of the volume control,
and the noise-canceling circuitry can ruin radio reception;
carefully pre-test for best reception reception,
or make the system very adjustable .

proj.gear/earbud/pull.cord`anchors:
9.5:
. the pull.cord that protects the electrical cord from being pulled
needs a modular anchor that will be reachable
even after the earbud is covered with moldable plastic earplug .
. could use al'wire twist around the body,
with any bulk layed at the right side's 2:00 o'clock position .
. form a loop with a twist,
that loop is horz'al at top of bud`body,
the twist of it travels to the bud`neck;
one leads is pulled around the bud`neck,
and finally twisted around the other lead .
. after the neck`loop is made,
the initial loop can be laid horz'ally;
finally, the moldable earplug is optionally put into place .
( the sony in-canal buds don't really need a moldable solution,
but other buds do ) .
mis:
. careful with stress placed during twist,
al'wire breaks easily;
9.7:
. might consider wire from paper clip;
or make sure the moldable addition helps keep al'wire from rebending .
9.8:
thread instead of al'wire:
. better than al'wire loop on earbud
is many thread loops that bind to a rope,
then rope is sewn to sleeve .

9.5: proj.gear/earplugs molding clipped:
. much of the molding was not needed,
I noticed, after looking at how it grabs the ear .
. anything outside of the central bowl is clipped away .

10.10: mis.gear/headphones/broken:
. cln headphones that came with the cassette;
might prevent wax by making a big hole in grill .
. broke the driver punching into through the clogged grill?
get the new buds ready with harness .

. the sony`noise canceling earbuds are expensive,
so, I couldn't wear them without an armor
that would prevent the wires from being pulled .
. now that my other headphones got trashed
[@] mis.gear/headphones/broken
and I don't enjoy triking without headphones,
I finally got into gear, and up-prioritized the armor project .
. great to have the sew.mach working again .


reversable:
. notice the pillowiness of it gets in the way?
try that behind the neck: works ok .
. bud can fall out more easily with stiff wire supports,
good to have radians moldable ear plugs to shape buds to outer ear .

sci.gear/earbuds/recording and listening with the split:
. the volume control is needed to control over-signal,
but the separate channels can be difficult to make equal .
. the volume is much more convenient than mousing
(not sure what's wrong with the kybd's sound keys) .

sci.gear/earbuds/works with recorder:
. the 3-plug cord not only helps protect the earbud's cord,
it also allows the mp3 recorder to either
bring sounds to the earbuds,
or pipe sounds to both the recorder and the earbuds .

10.11: proj.gear/earbuds/custom-fit:
. radians quick curing rubber stays the shape of your ear,
and helps the buds stay in, even with the weight of armored wires .
todo:
. the plugs can be drilled and tied to the buds;
consider the plugs may seem adhered;
but are pliable and can be knocked loose
. do preventive tying .
pos:
. careful in public pulling out accidently or in a hurry to hear .
. need clean ears and not sweat or get wet .
mis"caps can come loose easily:
-- pulled out while impacted by custom fit .


10.13: co.trice/gear/Trainer#noisy:
Chris
date Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 7:27 AM
(the model that was replaced by the Road Machine I think) with the 20" adaptor.
It's noisy,
which makes it hard for example to watch TV while spinning,
and it gets boring quick.
Which is why this winter,
I'm going to start cross-country skiing to keep in shape.
Christian

10.23: proj.gear/earbuds/radians`plug is curse and cure:
. when the earbuds are kept in place with the radian's
custom fitting earplug, it tends to push the plugs against the ear
to the point where it becomes quite painful .
. however, with the radian's added,
the tips of the buds become optional,
thereby giving your ear canal complete freedom .
. nevertheless, the lack of a tight fit is nullifying
the earbud's noise-cancelling function .
. with 3 earbud tips to experiment on,
I tried several degrees of circumcision:

. one just left the rubber stem around the anchor .
the other had the stem full length,
and the one I usually use -- the smallest --
had it's mushroom cap clipped back away to beyond the anchor .
. the main pressure is from the double layer of the tip
around the hard plastic of the anchor .
. to get both a soft and air-tight seal,
mis, todo:
. I would next try using a larger mushroom clipped beyond the anchor
but I made the mistake of already using my larger ("unwanted" versions)
for irreversable modification experiments .

proj.gear/earbud`screen/clean:
. use needle to pick wax out of the screen that is
protecting the bud from wax .
. for a day's pay you can get a removable wax guard
that is easier to clean .
. after the wax is dislodged, I use my mouth as vacuum cleaner .

web.gear/earbud caps for sony nc-22:
Other products by Sony
3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (76 customer reviews)

10.27: proj.gear/earbuds/mod's to reduce ear inflammation:
. maybe take slices out a bit at a time ?
. could then try reforming bottom edges with silicon
atleast if it seems like new buds will keep it out of ear canal,
and the thickness is not too deep
so then exposure to curing silicone caulk is minimized .

10.30: proj.gear/earplug hug:
. while cleaning plugs,
worry about not needling diaphram again -- $99 down the toilet!
then, as if to rescue me from stupid,
the door bell rings!

proj.gear/earplugs/comply`foam tips with wax guards#tx400:
. try earplugs on trike:
. the silicon grease is very stable,
and hopefully will keep the foam from decomposing .
. now that I have a chance to test the nc's with good plugs,
I found there is less noise without the nc's being active
. this worries me because when I first tried the sony nc-22,
I used the same test as was used now (my vitamixer)
and, the last time I had a problem with nc's
it was because I had modified them .
. maybe fresh batt's would help?
hopefully the only problem is that I had the test results confused:
the vitamixer actually sounds quieter when the nc is off,
so maybe I just had the power state confused during the original test .
. the trike-trainer can be heard only as a rumble
-- the part of the sound that gets to my ears through my body .

proj.gear/earplug/virtual removal with recorder/adj:
. lower volume on recorder and sound quality for hearing with plugs
but with minimal batt'use .

10.31: sci.addn/gear/earplugs/foam cracking:
. notice a bit of crack in plugs silica ok?
stay on course: don't mix any other greases with it .

proj.gear/earbuds/clipping radians:
. finish ways to trim radian's using toe`nail clippers .

11.1: co.net/youtube.com/Radians Custom Molded Earplugs:
yes, I did that with a pair of sony mdr-nc22's;
sounds great with solid connection
but careful about over-packing or getting it into vents .
. I now use Comply-Tx-400-Foam-Tips for sore canals,
and I had to razor back the Radians a bit .
. might also consider antibiotic ointment with chronic in-ear plugs .

solid sure sound, ways around fragility (5stars)
(attributes rated: Fit: 5; Sound isolation: 5)
(tags: earbuds, ear buds, headphone earpads, radians custom molded earplugs, silicone grease)
and, this reminded me that
skin oils can be very corrosive to certain foams;
so, my first pair is getting lubed with a stable food-grade grease
(this is the same stuff I was told by Culligan
to seal their water filter with)
. another foam-preserving technique
is finding a way to keep buds from being yanked out;
for this I use
www.radians.com Custom Molded Earplugs
but be careful about over-packing or getting it into vents .
. be conservative about how tight the buds are pressed against your ear,
because that's where they are going to stay for hours!
. might also consider antibiotic ointment with chronic in-ear plugs;
but, not sure how that will affect the foam .

11.6: mis.gear/earplugs/detached in ear again!:
. it may be that the silicone grease is not a good idea
because it could be permeating the rubber core,
and expanding the rubber or in any case
making it easy for the tip to detach from the base,
leaving it in the ear .
. used a dental hook to pull it out .
the reason:
. the foam tip's core tube has no anchoring lip?
no wonder it slips off the base!

proj.gear/earbuds/sound muffled at times:
. moving jaw can block sound?
try clipping tip back to wax-guard
(and also flush with rubber tube, it turns out): ok .

11.6:
11:56: co.net/amazon.com/Comply-T-400-Foam-Tips-Pair/edit:
15:48: co.net/amazon.com/Comply-T-400-Foam-Tips-Pair/edit:
solid sure sound, but generic unsure fit to earbud:
rating: 1 (fit: 1, sound isolation: 5):
and, this reminded me that
skin oils can be very corrosive to certain foams;
so, my first pair is getting lubed with a stable food-grade grease
(this is the same stuff I was told by Culligan
to seal their water filter with)
[11.6: however,
a problem I've had with that approach,
is that if the grease saturates the inner tube or gets inside,
this tip will often pop off in my ear ...
AND, the reason this can happen so easily,
is that tube doesn't fit exactly:
instead of having a sharp lip to hold the earbud
like the original tips do,
this tip has only a straight-walled tube,
so that the fit is purely by friction .
]
. another foam-preserving technique
is finding a way to keep buds from being yanked out;
for this I use Custom Molded Earplugs
(a 2-part plastic that you mix
and it hardens to fit your ear);
but be careful about over-packing or getting it into vents .
. be conservative about how tight the buds are pressed against your ear,
because that's where they are going to stay for hours!
. might also consider antibiotic ointment with chronic in-ear plugs;
but, not sure how that will affect the foam .
[11.6: sound muffled at times:
. moving jaw can sometimes block sound?
try clipping tip back to the wax-guard
(to the edge of the inner rubber tube);
. this works, but then it could be that
the bud would then only stay in place if you're using
custom molded ear plugs around the bud . ]


11.8: gear/earbuds/resting ears need bag for buds:
. if a bag were added to the neckband,
the earbuds could be stored there
thereby avoiding fears of knocking off and losing the tips.

11.9: proj.gear/earbuds/clip for anti-rotation of neckband,

11.14: pos.gear/earplugs/zn-rub:
. new plugs inserted deeply on base
and smothered with zn -rub instead of silicone .
. it may be air can also cause foam wear
so if zn-rub doesn't cause loosening of tube
then apply zn-rub to spares too .
. do the next tip burn before zn rub
to see if foam is too flammable ungreased .

proj.gear/earbuds/clip the bud`tips:
. clip the bud`tips;
things are worse:
I see this tube does have some lip to it!
[apparently it works by making the inner tube
from a plastic material that you can heat-shrink;
so, after they cut the piece they need,
heat-shrink narrows the entrance]
. well, try some flame from above to reshape into lip .
this does work, and so generally you can
shorten them for sharply angled ear canals .

11.14: co.net/amazon.com/Comply-Tx-400-Foam-Tips-Black/
product-reviews/B002OOWBWA/my comment to Nathan Hillyer:
These are great, but you are better off getting them from
the Comply website, November 10, 2009
. you noted the The Comply website also offers a different option
that blocks earwax from getting into your buds .
. the item you're reporting on does have that option
and it came with mine from amazon .
. are you referring to a 2nd way of blocking earwax ?
maybe they accidently sent you t400's instead of tx-400 ?

co.net/amazon.com/Comply-Tx-400-Foam-Tips-Black/
product-reviews/B002OOWBWA/edit#2:

. other reviewers of Comply foam complained of deterioration,
and, this reminded me that
skin oils can be very corrosive to certain foams;
[11.14: so, my first pair got lubed with a stable food-grade grease
like plumbers silicone grease
but I later wondered if that was healthy for topical application
and have sinced used zinc oxide ointment as a grease . ]
[11.6: however,
a problem I've had with that approach,
is that if the grease saturates the inner tube or gets inside,
this tip will often pop off in my ear ...
AND, the reason this can happen so easily,
is that tube doesn't fit exactly:
instead of having a sharp lip to hold the earbud
like the original tips do,
this tip has only a straight-walled tube,
[11.14: or slightly more narrowed at the end by heat-warping]
so that the fit is purely by friction . ]

[11.14: using heat to form a connecting lip:
. I was able to form a gripping lip on the tip's base
by pulling the foam back a bit (it ignites easily)
and applying a lighter flame that melts the inner tube
thereby creating a rounded narrowing
that better fits my sony mdr-nc22 tip holders .
. set the melted tube on something it will not adhere while cooling
and this will make the lip even more hook-shaped .
]
. another foam-preserving technique
is finding a way to keep buds from being yanked out;
for this I use Custom Molded Earplugs
(a 2-part plastic that you mix
and it hardens to fit your ear);
but be careful about over-packing or getting it into vents .
. be conservative about how tight the buds are pressed against your ear,
because that's where they are going to stay for hours!
. might also consider antibiotic ointment with chronic in-ear plugs;
but, not sure how that will affect the foam .

[11.6: sound muffled at times:
. moving jaw can sometimes block sound?
try clipping tip back to the wax-guard
(to the edge of the inner rubber tube);
[11.14:
. or, try clipping the base to make it shorter,
and retighten the base using the flame method described above .
]
. this works for my configuration,
but then it could be
that the bud would then only stay in place
if you're using custom molded ear plugs around the bud . ]

11.20: proj.gear/earbuds/bag on neck band for bud storage:
. the radian custom plugs come with a double string bag,
so I reknotted the pull strings to be around
the neckband guarding the earbuds .

11.21: proj.gear/earbuds/plugs with new triple-ab,
[anti-biotic ointment as lube]

11.24: gear/earbud/minidish for recorder on neck:
. from a pocket on a neckband,
a recorder sits with its mic facing your neck;
then connected at top is a mini.dish in front of the mic .
[11.26:
. the dish is part of a spring-loaded clip
so that it doubles not only as a sound scooper
but also has a pinching action
that keeps recorder from bouncing out of bag .
]




2009-12-27

podbean.com

free podcast hosting 8.24:

[12.20: summary:
. trying to find some place to host audio recordings;
and, youtube.com was my first idea,
but you needed to mix it with video to be taken there .
. there are examples of that being done, I found,
but it looked like a bit of work,
so I kept searching .
. another first idea was podcastalley.com
but that is not hosting, it's just a directory:

. one place that did work out was podbean.com;
the free deal is 5GB Monthly Bandwidth, 100MB Storage,
with loads > 30MB requiring pay-only ftp .
.jpg, .gif, .mp3, .m4a, .ogg,
mp4, .m4v, .mpg, .mov, .avi, .flv, .3g2, .3gp, .wmv, .pdf, .doc, .xls, .ppt, .zip
. I registered for a page on podbean:
and was able to publish:
title: obama health care 2009.8.22
tag: pol, health care;
. recording of Obama stumping for health care
after grumblings about death panels .
--. this was a copy of a news report,
edited for brevity with audacity on the mac .
]

2009-12-16

music to study by

7.16: todo:
. find background music that increases concentration .

7.18: web.addn/background music increases concentration:

[12.16:
. I can't believe people are generally entranced by classical music;
after much searching I found the best genre was
-- what else -- trance!
. in fact, there was proof that classical was not helpful: ]

[12.16: electronica was the first genre among free tunes I found
that was both feel-good and not distracting with lyrics:]
. add tunes (garageband is a common studio),
listen to ilikes by genre .

spendy ideas:

7.21: mis.addn/mac.firefox/report crash:
. when I was using an mp3 player at garageband.com
it wouldn't load the entire thing;
I kept trying this, and then it crashed .
. other times it would not load the song details,
but then the next button press it would .

7.21: proj.addn/dev.audio/stream juicing:
. I'm in love with just some parts of colide`razor sharp;
now how to get just the juice?
. set soundflower to pipe garageband.com into audacity;
cut out the parts leading up to or interrupting the juice .
. make mp3, find how to repeat it in itunes:
open with itunes,
file/new playlist,
drag icon to playlist,
open playlist,
controls/repeat/{one, all};
play song .

7.21: feel guilty? buy the cd! Chasing The Ghost
Shipping: $2.97, Total: $17.96


7.27: proj.addn/dev.audio/audacity with cd:
. ask audacity to open an aiff into a new project .
. audacity brought it in just as if I'd recorded it via soundflower;
the play button started it up;
but when I asked for a bunch of zoom-in's,
it was playing 1sec of left channel, then 3sec's of silence,
then again for the right channel, repeatedly;
all while displaying the unresponsive button,
for 3min's;
then it was continuous but scrambled .
. sounded like it was abusing the cd player drive?
kill anything using that, and eject .
. when I opened the audacity project again,
playing it resulted in no movement from the volume bars, and no sound;
but the data appeared to be there .
. tried opening it, said it was doing the same import,
and then again no sound after pulling the cd out .
. this time (after doing what?) it says I can export to {mp3, ogg, etc},
so try ogg: blank .
. try opening and keeping the cd while trying to ask for edits?
. if you select what it just imported, then the play.button plays,
and the record.button goes through the motions but does nothing .
. select entire tract and export as ogg;
it's doing this .
. ogg is like jpeg, having a quality 0-level (lowest) is 2.1mb,
10-level (highest) is 14.1 mb
while the m4a that itunes made is 9.2mb .
. after saving a selection like that,
then when saving the project, it did save with a lot of data .
and, it's making sound without the cd!
-- this is where I wanted to be, with audacity making a lossless copy .

8.26: sci.addn/net.pandora.com/re-try:
. garagband.com down? try pandora... new age ambient,

mis.addn/net.pandora.com/find its browser window to continue music:
. pandora down? need to find the window asking if you're still there .

sci.addn/net.pandora.com/boo:
. boo a song? doing that makes the station your own;
prev' owner's changes will stop being applied .

sci.addn/net.garageband.com/get different for better service:
. pandora boring? garageband has been witholding access to my fav'lists;
but, what about asking for something diff'nt?
see garageband`group-specific: Zygadenus Elegans` Everything
.... ok .

9.2: news.addn/net/free tunes:
. I used to use Pandora a lot but it isn't available in Canada anymore
so now I use Blip.fm
. if they want a similar service that will work in any country
Oh, and more free music with an eclectic bent:
for those in the UK:
or Spotify -- need to download a programme

9.2: pos.addn/net.pandora.com:
. changed [ambient].channel to [study flow];
changed [new age ambient].channel to ambient.channel .
. started out on psy trance moving what I like to [study flow],
but there's so much of what I like,
I just move what I do like but is breaking flow to:
has words? electronica,
no words? ambient;
but then for [psy trance]:
. when it has words, all the words were spoken;
words (not singing)? ambient .

9.6: addn/net.pandora.com`psy trance for study:
. most people using music to enhance learning
would use certain classical music to study by;
I found that rather surprising
because after exploring the suggested classics
they seemed to be very expressive, as if telling a story;
and, this may help IQ by stimulating the mind;
but, I think it only works as a pre-treatment:
as a concurrent activity the classics were always hogging my attention .
. many of them were also curiously aggravating,
perhaps familiarity breeds contempt?
but then it reminded me of being surprised on the bus
when some would become vocally angry
at others talking around them in a foreign language .

9.10: news.addn/net.pandora/has a monthly limit,

9.13: aq.addn/net.pandora.com/You Are Approaching your Free Listening Limit:

pandora-support@pandora.com
date Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 5:29 PM
You Are Approaching Your Free Listening Limit

We wanted to let you know that you are approaching your monthly free listening limit. Pandora gives you 40 hours of free listening per month.
Why is free monthly listening limited?

If you'd like to listen more, you have three options. We hope that one of these works for you:
1. Pay 99 cents. Once you reach Pandora's free monthly listening limit,
the music will stop and you will be presented with an option to pay just 99 cents
to continue unlimited listening for the rest of September.
This is a one-time fee which requires a credit card,
and it does not recur automatically.
2. Pay $36 to upgrade to Pandora One.
For unlimited monthly listening as well as other cool features,
you can upgrade to Pandora One for $36 per year.
Learn more about Pandora One
3. Pay Nothing. If neither of the above options is right for you,
simply come back in October to start listening to your stations again.
The Pandora Team

. it's a one time fee means it's not recurring,
you have to pay again every month .
1) Pay 99 cents for the rest of the month. In the message window that has appeared, you can pay 99 cents to receive unlimited listening hours for the remainder of that month. You can only pay the 99 cents when you actually hit the limit and the music has stopped. Anything you see until then is just a friendly warning that you're approaching the limit.
The 99 cents is a one-time fee which requires a credit card, and it does not recur automatically. We use the same security measures banking sites use to protect your credit card information.
NOTE: Paying the 99 cents does not remove advertising, or the daily skip limit; it just gives you unlimited listening hours for the remainder of the month.
If you reach the listening limit in a future month, you will have the option to pay 99 cents again with just a few clicks.

my response:

. that is a good deal ...
. another way is to use several vmwares,
or delete cookies .
[12.28:
. it does cost energy to stream music ...
]

2009-12-15

trike trainer


6.24:
mis:
. at one point of gear shifting, the chain will drag on the trainer;
but that is just one gearing combination to avoid
when there are plenty of others nearby to choose from .
[7.1: later I would find I was using 20" tires on their 26" configuration ]
pos:
. the trainer should be geared high,
but also not using highest rear gears
since those will wear out easily:
the front is at largest ring, and the rear has a mid-sized ring .

6.26: trike`trainer/set for 20" tires:
. it has 2 settings for {20", 26"} tires ?
checking the current setting, I see it needs to be changed .
. it still lets you cycle with the front brakes off,
and now it might also let you cycle without the problem of
some gearing combinations causing the chain to drag on the front roller !

computer stand:
. sizing trike for table`size needs .
. trike faring won't fit under kitchen table?
after the trike`shell is built,
it may give a place to lay a board across .

6.30: reversed for fan under seat:
. if the trike`trainer is oriented so that the fan is right under the driver,
then chain will be dragging in the fan;
fortunately, the design allows for the position of the fan to be reversed !
. not only does the fan provide more cooling in this location,
but when the trike and trainer are in a cramped location,
they take up less space this way .

6.30: proj.apt`sanctum/replace easychair with trike-trainer:
. removed the south wall of the sanctum
(just a separate piece of taped-on plastic)
to temporarily pull out the table to get the chair out .
. measurements show the trike can roll under table as is,
though had to be tilted a bit for trike`rack,
and might need to be raised later to fit the trike shell .
. getting the trike in there was made easier by
clearing the way from the kitchen to the living room,
so that the trike could be rolled in normally .
. this entailed moving the kitchen table and the fridge out of the way .
. the easychair now faces the east window, sitting beside the sanctum .
. it's facing away from the couch, but there is room for 2 other chairs
that do face the couch, serving a group of 5 .


kybd holder:
. while the table must be tall eno' to allow the trike to roll under it,
this makes the keyboard too high .
. one way to bring the keyboard closer to lap
is to attach al'beams to the platform it's on,
and these would provide a tooth to grip
matching al'beam under the table,
that are hanging from strings .
. this is still a good setup for reading while cycling,
and then breaking from cycle during much keyboard use .

8.20: proj.gear/try head phones replacing buds:
. less helpful with masking trainer noise .


11.1: mis.trike/noisy trainer:
. no plugs for sore ears;
how much of tire squeel is fan transmission? 0 .

11.6: proj.trike/maint/BB[bottom bracket] noises:
. making noises that match front pedal cycle;
might be the front derailleur rubbing against the chain guard;
adjusting that may have helped,
but another knocking sound may be just one the BB (bottom bracket) again
known to be easily loosened with time,
but now not hand-loose at this time .