A sound system

By Charles Wright
June 16, 2005
Illustration: Simon Rankin

Illustration: Simon Rankin

Listen up. Have you noticed that all those traditional sources of audio - radio, CD player, cassette tape - are being replaced by computers? PCs and Macs and MP3 players such as the iPod and iRiver have not only taken over, they've extended the utility of audio devices.

More radio stations are using streaming audio to make shows available over the internet. The more enlightened, such as the ABC and the BBC are starting to make them available as podcasts, which you can download and listen to at your convenience, or transfer them to your MP3 player.

It seems a wise defensive move, given the existence of hardware such as Griffin Technology's Radio Shark, which not only allows you to listen to AM and FM broadcasts through your PC or Mac, but also gives you the option of scheduling them for recording, or time-shifting them if you happen to miss the beginning.

The release wasn't all that impressive, but recent software updates have turned it into a great aid for dedicated radio listeners, at about $120.

Another great audio source is podcasting, which allows amateur audio enthusiasts to record shows and pop them on the internet for downloading. While there's a lot of self-indulgent podcasting out there, there's a growing number of high-quality ones. We find ourselves constantly visiting itconversations.com to listen to fascinating programs about computers and the internet.

Last week's Livewire revealed the increasing number of audio books being produced in MP3 format. While existing copyright makes it illegal in Australia to copy those that aren't in digital format - let's hope the Government quickly changes that with the legislative review we mentioned recently - it's easy to turn into MP3 files those titles that still come out only on CD and cassette. The reason you may want to do that is not just because it gives you a back-up, but also because MP3 files can be played through your PDA, MP3 player and even your mobile phone.

Given those options, it's much more likely that you'll be able to enjoy the real benefit of digital audio.

And if you can't bear to waste a minute, once they're in that format they can also be speeded up. We have friends who take great pride in the fact that they can listen to Late Night Live or a book they've downloaded from audible.com in much less time than would be possible with the original format.

Programs delivered only by streaming audio can also be captured and turned into MP3 files with software such as High Criteria's Total Recorder ($US11.95 or $A15.70) for the PC, or Audio Hijack ($US16 from rogueamoeba.com). These programs use drivers that capture sound from programs such as Real Player, Windows Media Player, iTunes and so on.

You could also use them to record audio files you've downloaded from audible.com, which would give you a more versatile file than the restrictions imposed by audible.com's licensing. Both programs could also be used to record internet phone conversations.

In each case, the companies offer Pro versions that have more capabilities, but even the basic ones allow you to schedule recordings. The latest version of Audio Hijack works with Tiger.

High Criteria also has some companion products worth looking at: Dictation Buddy turns your PC into a great dictation tool, particularly when you add the Melbourne-designed VPedal.

With the number of blogs increasing at a phenomenal rate, more people than ever will find themselves dealing with the market-leading Movable Type. The Movable Type 3 Bible, from Wiley, gives you a thorough grounding in the complexities of a blogging platform that, on the surface, looks relatively easy to master but repays the effort required to learn about its more powerful features. Increasingly, these books are rendered somewhat out of date with the release of new versions, which this book promises to solve with an update site. Frankly, there's not much there, but there is a link to the author's site.

