audio – Official TechtalkRadio Blog https://blog.techtalkradio.com The Blog for the TechtalkRadio Show Tue, 15 Mar 2016 01:04:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 63714750 World Backup Day, and speakers from iothinks https://blog.techtalkradio.com/mar-5-show-notes-world-backup-day-and-iothinks-speakers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mar-5-show-notes-world-backup-day-and-iothinks-speakers https://blog.techtalkradio.com/mar-5-show-notes-world-backup-day-and-iothinks-speakers/#respond Tue, 08 Mar 2016 00:54:18 +0000 http://blog.techtalkradio.com/?p=6147 Read More]]>
In an effort to promote safe computing, March 31 is “World Backup Day”. You can get more information about it at http://www.worldbackupday.com

We play Name That Term…but this time, it’s the “networking” edition.

And we talk about iothinks.com which has developed speakers smart enough to stream music, read news, talk to other gadgets and more…automatically, when you want and need…based on your habits!

]]> https://blog.techtalkradio.com/mar-5-show-notes-world-backup-day-and-iothinks-speakers/feed/ 0 6147 Compete for prizes (headphones and clothing) on Pinterest! https://blog.techtalkradio.com/compete-for-prizes-headphones-and-clothing-on-pinterest/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=compete-for-prizes-headphones-and-clothing-on-pinterest https://blog.techtalkradio.com/compete-for-prizes-headphones-and-clothing-on-pinterest/#respond Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:30:09 +0000 http://blog.techtalkradio.com/?p=1875 Read More]]> Like fashion? Like headphones? Like Pinterest?  Well, then…

A “MOMENTUM for beautiful people” contest is now in progress. Prizes are Sennheiser MOMENTUM headphones, and Drykorn clothing vouchers. Per the press release:

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To enter the competition…create Pinterest mood boards that showcase designs, fashion ideas and products that they feel complement the new MOMENTUM headphones and this season’s Drykorn styles.”

How it works? Just repin one of the MOMENTUM versions with complementary clothing or accessories from Drykorn. Then, its time to exercise your good taste! Find 5-10 items to pin on your personal mood board that best reflect the lifestyle and look of our signature items. Make sure to tag all the items pinned to your board with the hashtag #MOMENTUMforbeautifulpeople – then you’re ready to submit the URL of your board to us. As inspiration, Sennheiser has created pinboards for both the MOMENTUM Black and MOMENTUM Brown including matching Drykorn items, showcasing the pure design language and vision behind the award-winning headphones.

…Four winning style boards will be chosen and each winner will receive a pair of Sennheiser MOMENTUM headphones and Drykorn vouchers worth $650.

…Follow Sennheiser on Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/sennheiser) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Sennheiser). The MOMENTUM Style competition on Pinterest will run between 22 April and 6 June.

 

]]> https://blog.techtalkradio.com/compete-for-prizes-headphones-and-clothing-on-pinterest/feed/ 0 1875 Slice and dice MP3s really nice! https://blog.techtalkradio.com/slice-and-dice-mp3s-really-nice/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=slice-and-dice-mp3s-really-nice https://blog.techtalkradio.com/slice-and-dice-mp3s-really-nice/#respond Tue, 08 May 2012 14:45:19 +0000 http://blog.techtalkradio.com/?p=1703 Read More]]> I’m impressed…and that’s not easy to do, ’cause I tend to want too much.

A press release was sent to me about the MP3 Toolkit:

“…a free and powerful Windows app includes MP3 converter, CD ripper, tag editor, MP3 cutter, MP3 merger and MP3 recorder for users who want to handle MP3 files easier.

“You can use MP3 Toolkit to convert audio…fix tag information, rip Audio CD, record sound or merge audio pieces to a complete MP3 file.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah…I’ll install it and check it out…one day.

That day did come…it was at 5 A.M. that day (finding free time ain’t easy with my schedules)…

“MP3 Recorder is designed to…record any sound from the microphone to standard MP3 format without any limitation on length. Also it’s possible to record streaming audio provided that the sound card supports sound mixing…select sample rate, bitrate and channels…”

“CD to MP3 Ripper…choose bitrate, maximal VBR bitrate, encoding quality…rip the audio from CD to MP3, WMA, APE or WAV…”

“MP3 Converter…MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, FLAC, AC3, AAC or AMR…customize other settings such as bitrate, rate, audio channel…It can also extract the audio stream from popular video formats like MP4, FLV, AVI, etc.”

“MP3 Merger…select files in MP3, WAVE, FLAC or OGG, specify the output settings such as bitrate, rate, audio channel…offers a batch mode that enables merging multiple files in the fully unattended manner…”

“MP3 Cutter…It also has the ability to cut a part of music from a video file, or a movie.”

“MP3 Tag Editor…It supports all ID3v1 and ID3v2 versions. Also, the editor will allow you to edit album photos and lyrics.”

I’ve been looking for something like this: I want to record audio “letters” or “diaries”, stitch them together…and then send the file (or files).

(Some of the formats that are) Supported are…

MP3 Toolkit Input Audio/Video Formats:
AAC, AC3, AMR, ASF, APE, AVI, FLAC, FLV, MP4, M4V, M4P, MOV, M4A, MP3, MPG, MTV, OGG, RM, WAV, SWF, WMV, WMA

MP3 Toolkit Output Audio Formats:
MP3, AC3, AAC (Apple Audio), OGG, AMR, WMA, FLAC, APE, WAV, MPG (Audio)

MP3 Toolkit is compatible with Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, 2003, VISTA and 7…and Windows 8.

http://www.mp3toolkit.com/

 

]]> https://blog.techtalkradio.com/slice-and-dice-mp3s-really-nice/feed/ 0 1703 Philips and O’Neill “Stretch” headphones https://blog.techtalkradio.com/philips-and-oneill-stretch-headphones/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=philips-and-oneill-stretch-headphones https://blog.techtalkradio.com/philips-and-oneill-stretch-headphones/#respond Mon, 15 Nov 2010 06:43:05 +0000 http://blog.techtalkradio.com/?p=1128 Read More]]> A brown, plain box was delivered and then was handed to me.  Sometimes, you never know:  it could be a good thing, or…

It was the Philips | O’Neill Stretch SHO9561 headphones.  And they are a great thing.
Of their new line-up (see below), these are the toughest:  they’re impact, and stress/crack, resistant. “The headband is constructed with TR55 superstretch polymer…ensuring these headphones are extremely tough and flexible.”

Really?  I thought they were making it up.  Until I found:
Klegecell TR 55 High-performance Expanded Polymer Foam Core Material

OK.  It’s for real.  Durability:  “check”…

The Stretch headphones have an open acoustic system with 40 millimeters dynamic drivers to provide clear audio, and very deep bass.  The frequency response is 12 – 24 000 Hz.
The cord connected to the headphones is about 2 inches (50.8 mm) long.  It’s very convenient for when you need/want to disconnect from the source of the audio and move away for an extended distance:  you don’t need to take the headphones off, and take a long cable/cord with you.  A 4 foot (1.2 m) fabric cable is provided.

“Inspired by the latest in ski technology the cable quickly disconnects from the headband whenever the cable is caught”…the 3.5 mm stereo connectors on the cables are reinforced to prevent breakage.

The Stretch headphones have an auto-fit, stretchable, cushioned inner band.  The ear cushions are very soft, and isolate sound so noises outside of the headphones won’t interfere with what you’re trying to listen to.  I wore them for hours, and have no complaints.  I even wore them to dampen the noises that others were making around me…and in the hope that they would see the headphones and not try to talk to me (I wanted to ignore them, and for them to ignore me…it worked).

They are available in “Black Bordeauh” and “Powder White”.

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The Snug model doesn’t have the suspension-type, cushioned, inner band.  And could be a better choice for some who tend to wear their hair in a very large “afro” style as I often do (see pictures on our website:  http://TechtalkRadio.com).

The Covert is an in-ear model with controls for iPhones, and The Specked has tough cords.

Before you go to their website, turn down the volume on your computer speakers.

]]> https://blog.techtalkradio.com/philips-and-oneill-stretch-headphones/feed/ 0 1128 Handheld recorder review: iKEY-AUDIO HDR7 https://blog.techtalkradio.com/handheld-recorder-review-ikey-audio-hdr7/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=handheld-recorder-review-ikey-audio-hdr7 https://blog.techtalkradio.com/handheld-recorder-review-ikey-audio-hdr7/#comments Mon, 08 Nov 2010 08:36:06 +0000 http://blog.techtalkradio.com/?p=1010 Read More]]> The iKEY-AUDIO HDR7 is a new handheld digital “Portable Field Recorder” for professional-quality recording to SD/SDHC cards, and USB drives…AND IT IS RICH WITH FEATURES!
I expected it to have more weight to it, but it’s very light:  only 0.55 pounds/0.3 kilograms.  It measures 6.22 inches long, 2.87 inches wide, and is 1.46 inches deep (158 x 73 x 37 mm).

At the top are two condenser microphones in an X/Y configuration, a 1/8-inch (3.5mm Jack) stereo line input socket, and a combination 1/8-inch (3.5mm Jack) stereo headphone/line output socket.  A wind screen is included.

On the right-side:
the Standard-A USB 2.0 port for storage drives…
for connection to a computer, a Mini-B 5-pin USB port…
the mic gain switch…
an “OUTPUT LEVEL” control for adjustment of the headphone level…
and a 1/8-inch (3.5mm Jack) stereo microphone input socket.

From the User Manual:  “The HDR7 unit will only interact with one memory device at a time, and the USB drive gets priority over the SD card…when a USB memory stick is connected, only files stored on that device will be viewable.  As well, all recordings will be stored on just the USB drive when it is connected.  When there is no USB drive connected, the HDR7 uses the SD card to read files and store recordings.”

On the left-side:
is an input gain switch with three levels (20, 0, and +10 db)…
the power switch…
and the 5-volt/1 amp “DC INPUT” port for the included AC adaptor.

The SD card slot on the bottom allows for recording onto FAT and FAT32 formatted SD or SDHC cards (64 MB to 32 GB).  The included tripod stand also connects at the bottom…

An SD (or SDHC) card must be insterted, or a USB drive must be connected, before the HDR7 can be powered-on.

Included is:
a USB cable (Standard-A and Mini-B 5-pin plugs)…
four AA batteries…
and a 1 GB SD Card.

Freq Response:      20Hz – 20KHz

Supported file formats:
Waveform Audio Format (WAV)
MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3)
Advanced Audio Coding (AAC)
Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF)

The sampling rates (the number of samples per second taken from a signal) available for WAV and AIFF files include 44.1, 48.0, 88.2, and 96.0 kHz.

For WAV and AIFF files, bit depth (how many bits of sound are utilized within a particular sound sample) can be recorded at 16-bit and 24-bit.

And bitrates (how many bits per second are being processed) for MP3 and AAC are 64, 96, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256, and 320 kbps.

Recording levels can be adjusted using an on-screen (volume unit/VU) meter.

Other features:
Automatic Gain Control (AGC) – a mid-range frequency compressor to enhance vocals
Compressor – Condenses the signal so it sounds fuller
Limiter – to ensure a file does not reach too high of a level and become distorted
Noise gate – so audio below a certain threshold does not get recorded

When engaged during recording, auto-track will begin a new file after there is a “prolonged silence”.

At preset increments, during a recording, file timer will begin a new file.

“But wait…there’s more!…”

Guitar and chromatic tuners are built-in…just connect a guitar to the HDR7, and you can stay on key.  (Per the manual:  “The Guitar option is meant for the more novice guitar player, and the Chromatic is for intended for more skilled players.”)

Recordings are stored to /ikey/folder/

For better stereo recordings, I suggest an external stereo microphone be used.

The webpage for the HDR7 is http://www.ikey-audio.com/products/items/22

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UPDATE:

A file to update the HDR7 to version 1.0.37 has been released.

After downloading it from their website, and following the instructions in the User Manual, my unit did not update.

I posted a message on their Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=120247142274&topic=16194), and found others were having the same problem.

To resolve the issue, the file must be renamed (see the discussion in their Facebook account).
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