Convert Real Audio files?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim
  • Start date Start date
J

Jim

Anyone know an app that will convert Real Audio (.ra) files to another
format? Ideally WAV but Windows Media, mp3, anything would work.

dbpoweramp converter works but takes the same time as the file takes to
play. (http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm)

Maybe an Audacity plug in?

Thanks.
 
Jim said:
Anyone know an app that will convert Real Audio (.ra) files to
another format? Ideally WAV but Windows Media, mp3, anything would
work.
Click to expand...

Google "Streambox Ripper"

--
dadiOH
_____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.0...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
____________________________
 
dadiOH said:
Google "Streambox Ripper"
Click to expand...

From this page:

http://www.sonicspot.com/streamboxripper/history.html

the following:

"Version 2.011

* RealAudio support has, yet again, been removed. This time
permanently.
* The product is no longer sold and this release has unlimited
batch conversion support for all supported formats. "

Also:

"As of version 2.011, this program is freeware and has no trial
limitations."

implying that earlier versions are trialware, not freeware.

This site:

http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/942785872/1

refers to the program as "shareware". Also, a reviewer at that site
says the following: "Only allows you to convert 10 files."

Is there perhaps an earlier version that's freeware AND will convert
RealAudio files?
 
dadiOH said:
John Corliss wrote:




Yeah, but I don't know if it was freeware or not...
http://www.aeternus.tmfweb.nl/WTold/Floor2.html (in "Resources")

--
dadiOH
_____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.0...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
____________________________
Click to expand...
Thanks guys, I had read about Streambox Ripper but it certainly looks
like it's in a legal grey area at best. Testing it converts a 3hour .ra
file to mp3 in about 13 minutes.
 
Jim said:
Anyone know an app that will convert Real Audio (.ra) files to another
format? Ideally WAV but Windows Media, mp3, anything would work.
Click to expand...

I saw this at one site somewhere else:

"*don't transcode lossy to lossy!* It will not sound good! You should
leave lossy music files such as MP3, RealMedia, WMA, etc. exactly as
they are, unless you want to make a music-CD, and then you only ought
to decode to WAV..."
dbpoweramp converter works but takes the same time as the file takes to
play. (http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm)
Maybe an Audacity plug in?
Click to expand...

Couldn't find any such plugins, but I found this a freeware program
that might work. You might give it a try, but note that I have no use
for such a program and haven't tried it:

http://www.rawavrecorder.homestead.com/
 
John said:
I saw this at one site somewhere else:

"*don't transcode lossy to lossy!* It will not sound good! You
should leave lossy music files such as MP3, RealMedia, WMA, etc.
exactly as they are, unless you want to make a music-CD, and then
you only ought to decode to WAV..."
Click to expand...

Just to correct a general misunderstanding, transcoding *always* decodes to
wave. That wave is then encoded using the appropriate encoder. This
decoding to wave may be done transparently to the user but it *is* done,
same as when "playing" an MP3 or writing it to an audio CD.

It is true that a file resulting from transcoding will be "less good" than a
file encoded from the original wave but "less good" is highly subjective...I
really doubt that anyone will ever hear a difference if it was properly
done. I've done it on a file for 10 generations and could hear nothing
different. However, my ears have 71 years on them so I used a hex editor to
compare the original wave to a wave decoded from generation #10'. I don't
recall the exact result (been many months ago) but there was an
insignificant difference between them...maybe 200 bytes out of 3+ million.
IMO and experience, "*don't transcode lossy to lossy!*" is hooha. YMMV.

--
dadiOH
_____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.0...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
____________________________
 
dadiOH said:
Just to correct a general misunderstanding, transcoding *always* decodes to
wave. That wave is then encoded using the appropriate encoder. This
decoding to wave may be done transparently to the user but it *is* done,
same as when "playing" an MP3 or writing it to an audio CD.

It is true that a file resulting from transcoding will be "less good" than a
file encoded from the original wave but "less good" is highly subjective...I
really doubt that anyone will ever hear a difference if it was properly
done. I've done it on a file for 10 generations and could hear nothing
different. However, my ears have 71 years on them so I used a hex editor to
compare the original wave to a wave decoded from generation #10'. I don't
recall the exact result (been many months ago) but there was an
insignificant difference between them...maybe 200 bytes out of 3+ million.
IMO and experience, "*don't transcode lossy to lossy!*" is hooha. YMMV.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification dadioh. However, have you seen that
program I found before? The one here:

http://www.rawavrecorder.homestead.com/

If so, is it worth a darn?
 
John said:
Thanks for the clarification dadioh. However, have you seen that
program I found before? The one here:

http://www.rawavrecorder.homestead.com/

If so, is it worth a darn?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I'm not familiar with it. Seems rather unnecessary though, as
apparently it records in real time; i.e., it records what is playing.
(Needs the Real decoder to play the stuff too). If one already can play
Real files, the sound can be recorded to wave with any of many, many
programs.

--
dadiOH
_____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.0...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
____________________________
 
dadiOH said:
Sorry, I'm not familiar with it. Seems rather unnecessary though, as
apparently it records in real time; i.e., it records what is playing.
(Needs the Real decoder to play the stuff too). If one already can play
Real files, the sound can be recorded to wave with any of many, many
programs.
Click to expand...

Thanks for explaining that dadioh. See, I don't have RealPlayer
installed on my system and just ignore Realplayer files on websites.
However, I can see where somebody else may have a job related need to
view such files.
 
Tim said:
John Corliss wrote:




It told me it wouldn't do anything longer than 30 seconds.
Click to expand...

No kidding! Well, then I guess we're maybe both correct since there
seems to be a total-number-of-files-converted limit.
 
Il /17 set 2004/, *Tim Weaver* ha scritto:

CUT
Crippleware. Keep it.
Click to expand...

sorry, never tested this SW
I only find out related DL link didn't work properly!
I don't use RA at all!
 
Do a search for RA2Wav - it is hard to find, but will do the trick for you (and quickly too). It
does need to have the RealOne player installed to work.
 
On 17 Sep 2004, John Corliss wrote
dadiOH wrote:
-snip-


Thanks for explaining that dadioh. See, I don't have RealPlayer
installed on my system and just ignore Realplayer files on
websites.
Click to expand...

Have you looked at "Real Alternative"? It lets one play any and all
Real Media files through Media Player Classic, but isn't linked in any
way with Real Audio. (No nonsense of calling-home/start-up crud and
the like.)

When I looked into this, Real Alternative seemed to be both legally and
ethically above-board, since it doesn't involve any cracking of
proprietorial code. (The way I understood it, the codecs relied upon
by RealPlayer for streaming are apparently public domain -- or, at
least, not copyrighted by Real Audio.)

I'd be happy to be corrected on this, though, if it turns out that
"Real Alternative" is a crack rather than a legitimate product.
 
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