Clan/mp3 timecoding update

[Joe Blythe]

Dear RNLDers
a few weeks ago (02/05/2006) I warned against transcribing from mp3s 
because of timecoding issues. I mentioned I had this huge problem 
because I had used Clan to transcribe a number of transcripts from 
linearly encoded mp3s and that the timecoding didn't match the 
corresponding .wav file. I'm glad to say that at least this sorry tale 
has a happy ending.
The good people at Carnegie Melon have written into Clan a tool called 
fixmp3s. I was able to use this tool to realign the timecoding to the 
.wav files. I can now click near a bullet point and select the correct 
bit of audio regardless of whether I use the wav or the mp3, providing 
the two sound files are named the same and only one exists in the same 
folder as the transcription (.cha file).
However my warning remains as it was.
You should still use the wav files for transcription and archiving but 
you can now use an mp3 for playback only. This of course will save 
space on your hard-drive. Any further modifications to the transcript 
should be done from the wav file.
(raucous) Cheers
Joe

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Joe Blythe

Department of Linguistics
Transient Building
University of Sydney
NSW 2006