Clan/mp3 timecoding update

[Linda Barwick]

Yes please do not use mp3 as an original recording format. They are  
not an archival format.  Rather, record an uncompressed format  
(e.g. .wav, .aiff), and then save a copy of the file as mp3 if you  
prefer that for access purposes.

To start off with, because mp3 is a lossy compression format, it  
throws away information that may later be useful. Secondly, in order  
to be archived, the file will have to be 'uncompressed' into .wav  
form. If later on this archival form is re-compressed into mp3 or  
another  compressed format unpredictable artefacts may emerge (e.g.  
strange noises that were not in the original recording). Thirdly, mp3  
is a proprietary format.

Regards
Linda

On 29/05/2006, at 12:51 PM, Linguist wrote:

> Hi Joe and everybody:
>
> This is not actually to do with transcribing from MP3s , my query is
> about recording with them.  I have heard in the past that they are no
> good for recording language material for linguistic research.
>
> Is this the case??
>
> Any comments appreciated.
>
> Rachel
>
> Rachel Cross
> Linguist
> South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council
> 7 Harvey St, Victoria Park WA 6979
> P. 9486 2400
> Email Linguist at noongar.org.au
>
>
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joe Blythe [mailto:joe.blythe at arts.usyd.edu.au]
> Sent: Friday, 26 May 2006 9:21 AM
> To: rnld list
> Subject: Clan/mp3 timecoding update
>
>
> 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
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> Joe Blythe
>
> Department of Linguistics
> Transient Building
> University of Sydney
> NSW 2006
>