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#243875 - 12/12/2004 15:18 Recommendation on software?
Ladmo
addict

Registered: 04/09/2004
Posts: 524
Loc: Oklahoma
I have just ripped an audio book from CD to MP3 format. The problem is that I end up with about 60 small (5 to 8 minute) files. I would like to combine 5 or 6 of these small files into one. Does anyone know of a Windoze program that will join like that?
Thanks!

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#243876 - 12/12/2004 16:18 Re: Recommendation on software? [Re: Ladmo]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
MP3s don't join natively. (Well, I suppose they do, but it's not tidy.) Any program that claims to do so is almost certainly going to convert them to waveforms, concatenate them, and convert that back into MP3. Which is not what you want. The best way to do it would be to rerip the CD into WAV files that are a more appropriate length for you, then manually convert those WAV files into MP3s. How to do the first part of that depends on your ripper, and may not be possible with the specific program you're using.
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Bitt Faulk

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#243877 - 12/12/2004 16:33 Re: Recommendation on software? [Re: wfaulk]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3995
Loc: Manchester UK
Just thinking out loud, but couldn't you concatenate several files together? I assume because they're audio books a tiny gap will probably not matter. I assume if you remove any ID3 tags the files would join quite easily. I could do it in linux with the cat command, I assume there must be some windows freeware that would do the same.
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Cheers,

Andy M

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#243878 - 12/12/2004 16:35 Re: Recommendation on software? [Re: wfaulk]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
I agree with you, but with a talking book, given that each track is unlikely to stop in the middle of a sentence, unlike seamlessly trying to join up a live music album, you're not going to hear the difference.
I've done this quite extensively on "This Sceptered Isle" to make listening more palatable. I'm sure, as you say, hundreds of programs exist, but I found Audiotools, very easy to use.
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#243879 - 12/12/2004 17:17 Re: Recommendation on software? [Re: Ladmo]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31573
Loc: Seattle, WA
Quote:
Does anyone know of a Windoze program that will join like that?


Yes. To join MP3 files together, you simply concatenate them using the DOS copy command.

Here is how to do it.

1. STRIP COMPLETELY all tags from all files. Don't just turn the tags into spaces, you must strip the tags. In Winamp, this is done by unchecking the boxes on the tag-editing screen so that all fields turn gray, then applying that change to the file. Or you could use MP3 tag studio's feature for stripping tags.

2. Name the files something simple and easy so that it's easy to put them on the command line in order. For example "01.mp3", "02.mp3" etc.

3. Put all the files in the same folder.

4. Get a DOS prompt going in that folder.

5. copy /B 01.mp3 + 02.mp3 + 03.mp3 + 04.mp3 + 05.mp3 finishedfile.mp3

(The /B on the copy command is critical.)

6. If the original files were constant-bit-rate files, you're done. If the files were variable-bit-rate files, you must now use a VBR repair tool upon the finished file so that it time-indexes properly.

7. Check and tag the finished file.
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#243880 - 12/12/2004 17:29 Re: Recommendation on software? [Re: tfabris]
peter
carpal tunnel

Registered: 13/07/2000
Posts: 4173
Loc: Cambridge, England
Quote:
copy /B 01.mp3 + 02.mp3 + 03.mp3 + 04.mp3 + 05.mp3 finishedfile.mp3

This will introduce gaps, of course, especially if the files are VBR, but perhaps for spoken word that won't be a problem.

Peter

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#243881 - 12/12/2004 17:54 Re: Recommendation on software? [Re: tfabris]
Ladmo
addict

Registered: 04/09/2004
Posts: 524
Loc: Oklahoma
Thanks Tony! Worked like a champ. And as far as gaps go, with the audio books, I only rip them at 96 and, as has been mentioned, there is no noticable pause in the spoken book.

Again, Tony comes through!

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#243882 - 12/12/2004 18:15 Re: Recommendation on software? [Re: Ladmo]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3995
Loc: Manchester UK
Quote:
Again, Tony comes through!


Hey hold on a second, I was the one who said it'd work!! Just because I have little knowledge (or interest) in DOS....
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#243883 - 12/12/2004 21:58 Re: Recommendation on software? [Re: andym]
Ladmo
addict

Registered: 04/09/2004
Posts: 524
Loc: Oklahoma
Saying it should work and showing me how it works...pretty different...kind of like saying you can win a swordfight, and actually running someone through with a blade...
heh heh heh...Seriously, thanks!

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#243884 - 13/12/2004 04:02 Re: Recommendation on software? [Re: Ladmo]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31573
Loc: Seattle, WA
Andy does deserve the credit for being the first to say concatenation would work. The only reason I gave detailed instructions is because this is something I've done myself several times in the past, so I happened to know the exact details.
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Tony Fabris

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