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09 Jun 06 - 11:28 AM (#1756063) Subject: Tech: AVRack: How do I use it? From: Franz S. My new Lenovo laptop came equipped with AVRack Media Player. Evil looking dude. I want to use this program, but I am either in advanced middle age or the early stages of crusty old farhood and my learning curve ain't what it useta was. If I point my browser at something and wait, a little box pops up to explain what I'm pointing at, but most of the time I don't understand the explanation. I somehow managed to record my 78 of Frank Sinatra and the Charioteers singing "I've Got a Home in that Rock" as something called a ".wav" file, but: 1) It has all the snap, crackle and pop of the 78. 2) I don't know what to do with a ".wav" file. So: Any help with tutorials or such on using AVRack would be greatly appreciated. And advice on cleaning up (to the extent possible) the sound on old recordings would be good too. (I've already washed all my 78s carefully with dish detergent and water; maybe that was a bad idea, but it was the best advice I had at the time. And it didn't help much.) Joe Offer? I'm working on it. |
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09 Jun 06 - 11:37 AM (#1756067) Subject: RE: Tech: AVRack: How do I use it? From: Amos There is a software product called SoundSoap which specializes int he removal of pops and hisses and such. I have found it to be quite effective when used with care. A |
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09 Jun 06 - 12:01 PM (#1756092) Subject: RE: Tech: AVRack: How do I use it? From: Grab A WAV file is a format used for storing recorded music. There are many such formats - other formats are WMV and MP3. WAV preserves all the detail of the recording, but at the cost of giving large files. Most people's ears can't hear that much detail, so formats like WMV and MP3 save space by trimming off bits that your ears won't notice, giving you much smaller files. I remember having used AVRack in the past. I hated it, and ditched it in the end. I recommend uninstalling it. Your PC will then use Windows Media Player to play stuff, and that's much more user-friendly. For recording, it's better to get something designed for recording - good easy-to-use programs for this are Total Recorder and Sound Forge. WAV files are a fairly basic thing. This is kind of leading me to the conclusion that you're new to the PC game. This isn't a put-down, just an observation. Have you considered taking a course in this? Seriously, there's a helluva lot to learn, and it doesn't all come naturally. Otherwise you're pretty much in the position of buying a Porsche without knowing how to drive - you'll work it out for yourself in the end, but the stage in the middle might be expensive in terms of time and damage (not physical damage, but loss of files is almost guaranteed if you're not sure what you're doing). If you can justify $600-1000 on a laptop, you should be able to justify justify spending $100 and an hour or two a week on a course to learn how to use it properly. Alternatively if you want to learn at your own pace, head down to your nearest bookshop and find some "dummies guide" books. They're good tutorials - they'll take you up to being competent in most of what you're going to need, and don't assume that you already know it all. Graham. |
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09 Jun 06 - 12:42 PM (#1756134) Subject: RE: Tech: AVRack: How do I use it? From: Franz S. Amos; Thanks. I'll check it out. Graham: Actually, about 25 years ago I was one of my school district's computer experts. Everything I knew was obsolete by 1985. I've been using computers ever since but their capabilities have expanded much faster than my needs or wants. I bought this laptop because I could and because my Mac didn't have the speed or memory I need now. Now you're absolutely right; I have maybe not a Porsche but a pretty good Toyota (not to mention an old Volvo upstairs) and what I'm comfortable with is a bicycle. I don't expect,want,or need to use this machine to the extent of its capabilities, just to do a few things that I can do with it that I couldn't do otherwise. I may wind up doing what you suggest and getting rid of AVRack for something else, but I'm going to give it a shot first because it's what I have. I will keep in mind what you've told me and I thank you for it. |