Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with audio

Flash sound stopped working.

brocklanders — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:02:19 -0800

Flash sound stopped working in both IE and firefox. I'm using windows 7. This has been driving me crazy for the last week - I think, somewhere along the line, I was running a few anti-malware apps and something may have gotten deleted. There's no sound whatsoever from any kind of flash, be it youtube, lastfm, or a web ad. Here is what I have tried:

1) Un-installing and re-installing flash 10

2) Un-installing and re-installing Realtek HD drivers (my onboard sound)

3) This thread, which may not be applicable to windows 7.

4) CodecTweak, which has cited a variety of codecs mapped in (3) to be missing, but not msacm32.drv, which apparently is the important one.

5) Everything Adobe has on the subject.

My current thesis is that some codec somewhere has been deleted, but I have no idea which or what codecs flash uses, apparently I have none of them.

Anyone have any ideas??? Thanks in advance.

What are some of your favorite self-help audio books available on MP3?

wordsmith — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:51:29 -0800

What are some of your favorite self-help audio books available on MP3?

Yeah, I realize I'm probably screwed

The Winsome Parker Lewis — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:16:52 -0800

How can I fix unplayable MP3s recovered from a formatted hard drive? A couple weeks ago I posted this question about the total loss of my iTunes library. I was looking into data recovery options at the time. Update: Due to a poorly designed Western Digital utility (and my own ignorance/anxiety) the drive containing all my media got formatted. I found Stellar Phoenix Macintosh Data Recovery and a scan of the disk in free trial mode revealed fewer than half of my files, but at this point that's way better than nothing. Their names had been turned to full or partial gibberish like 53568412544329.mp3 or Bohemian-Rhap2364015779.mp3. But Stellar Phoenix provided partial previews of the files, actual audio I could listen to and know that my music was intact.

I put up the $100 and bought the program and set about undeleting the MP3s. Mission accomplished, now they're sitting in a folder on my laptop. Problem is, I can't play them at all. iTunes, QuickTime Player, Audacity, nothing will even open them. The filenames end in the .mp3 file extension and the right icon is displayed in the Finder. The file sizes look correct. I get error messages informing me that they're not a known file format.

I'm on the verge of giving up but I still believe there might be a way to save these files. Since Stellar Phoenix could preview them, the data structure must still be fundamentally intact, right? How can I convince my computer that they're viable MP3s? I'm totally down with AppleScripting or Terminal hacking or whatever it takes.

How do I shield an audio cable in my computer case which I cannot take out and replace?

aliasless — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:55:22 -0800

How do I shield an audio cable in my computer case which I cannot take out and replace? The cable running from my motherboard to the front headphone jack is unshielded, apparently. I constantly hear a high-pitched mosquito sound in my headphones, and static when my hard drive spins up.

What's a good DIY way to shield the cable? Foil tape? Some kind of mesh jacket? I can't replace it because that would require soldering knowledge, I think. However, I can unplug one end of the cable if needed.

How can I loop audio in realtime?

supyo — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:09:14 -0800

What software should I use to replicate the delay/looping effect that this video employs? I would need a metronome monitor separate from the input mix. It would be amazing to tweak the length of the decay too. http://vimeo.com/7722804 I looked at the Vimeo comments and found some helpful information. But I would like to hear of any other software suggestions people have. I do not have access to Ableton Live. I'm a classical musician wanting to experiment with realtime looping.

Quoted from the Vimeo comments:
"I had a laptop in a bag over my shoulder with Ableton Live running, but it's just a long delay with feedback set to 90% so it dies out and allows for development rather than looping into a noisy blur!"
"this is pingpong delay right?"

Best audio/communication solution for snowsports helmet?

Señor Pantalones — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:45:09 -0800

Best ski/snowboard helmet w/audio (mic preferred) integration? Current system of wearing iphone mic'ed buds (attached to a pocketed iphone) under a Bern helmet is nonoptimal. Too many moving parts, fumbling around to find things, etc.

Options:
1. bluetooth audio helmet (giro omen, burton red)
2. wired audio helmet (boeri vortex, poc receptor bug, burton red etc.)
3. DIY (find a good helmet, attach dedicated iphone mic'ed buds to it)

Any reviews/recommendations/experiences? Price is not as significant as ease of use and functionality of the setup. I'd like to be listening to music all day and have the ability to answer calls.

I don't always want to listen to music in the snow, but sometimes I do, and I need an ideal system for it.

Where can I find attractive powered speakers?

bryanlacksfocus — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:13:21 -0800

Does anyone know of any attractive powered speakers? Ones that look like they belong on a bookshelf and not next to a PC? I'm looking for speakers to put in my living room that I would beam music to through an Airport Express. It could be one speaker or a pair, but they should be powered and stand-alone—I don't have room for a "system" with a separate amplifier. I don't need a radio, CD player, or iPod dock—just a power switch, a volume knob, and one audio input jack. The only powered speakers I'm finding are designed for use with a computer and are, in my opinion, unforgivably ugly—at least for use outside a computer workstation. I'm hoping to find something simple and modern with straight, clean lines—possibly a cousin to this Tivoli or this GenevaSound radio or the wooden-cased (non-powered) speakers our parents had in the 70s.

With everyone doing so much from their computers these days, it seems like these ought to exist! Have you come across any? Any ideas are appreciated!

Looking for an affordable USB amplifier.

primer_dimer — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:13:04 -0800

Looking for an affordable ($100) USB amplifier. I've switched over to digital for all my music; currently I use an external sound card (I think it's a "Xitel hi-fi link") to a phono input on my amp, which drives a pair of reasonable bookshelf speakers. I'm pretty happy with the sound quality, but the amp is on its last legs and I'd like to replace it.

I assumed that by now it would be possible to buy an amplifier with a USB input which could drive my speakers (i.e. doing the job of both the USB soundcard and amp). Just a box with USB input, speaker cable output and a volume knob. Or even without a volume knob!

But all I can find are audiophile products like this. Anyone know of a cheaper (£70/$100) version of this? Or is the market at this price point served by USB speakers?

Speaker troubleshooting

Neiltupper — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:59:36 -0800

Loudspeaker troubleshooting. I have a pair of Boston Acoustic A60 speakers. They are two-way speakers, and in one of them the woofer does not produce any sound (not even distortion). The tweeter is OK. I've localized the problem to the speaker rather than the amp. All the connections inside the cabinet seem ok. What is my next step? I have common electrical tools and instruments but I'm not sure what to look for.

TOSLINK USB surround sound adapter + Mac OS X?

Blazecock Pileon — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:57:24 -0800

What is a good, working surround sound USB adapter for a Mac mini in a home theatre setup, which uses a TOSLINK connector? (I would be using this with DVD Player, iTunes, VLC, QuickTime Player, etc. if that matters for software support.)

New stereo amp to replace my broken one.

misterpatrick — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:28:05 -0800

My amplifier/receiver died. I need something inexpensive (~$200) but powerful to replace it. I am not an audiophile but like my music to sound good. Should I get a simple amplifier and an HD radio tuner or troll eBay for a used receiver? I have two sets of speakers plus woofer and need about 100W per channel. Need three or four inputs. Don't need fancy 5.1 or anything. Recommendations? The receiver I am replacing is a Sony STR-DE525. Worked fine for me but our radio reception isn't great here and the stations we listen to broadcast in HD, so one reason to just get an amp and an HD receiver. My other inputs are the computer (iTunes), cable, DVD player and turntable.

What kind of hardware jack does my Sleek Audio SA1 headphones use?

SamuelF — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:44:21 -0800

Help me identify this audio jack. I purchased a pair of Sleek Audio SA1 headphones recently, partially because they come with a replaceable cord. Problem is, the tiny plug it uses seems to be some kind of secret, and me no likey proprietary hardware. I figure it must be some kind of common connector, but don't know enough to identify it on sight or know what to search for. You can see examples here and here. It's very small, much smaller than a normal headphone plug. The male plug has a hole in the middle (hee hee), and the female jack (in the earbud) has a smooth metal prong that fits in the middle of the male jack (hee hee). It's not just a plug-in-a-hole like a normal headphone jack.

Any ideas? And, thanks!

Does Cubase Mac FLAC?

motty — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:36:44 -0800

How can I make Cubase play nicely with FLAC files on OS X? I'm working on some tunes with a guy living miles away, and want to be able to send him FLAC files instead of WAVs to save bandwidth.

He's using Cubase on OS X and I'm using Ardour on Linux. While I'm happy with doing all the WAV -> FLAC -> WAV conversion myself from the commandline, he's not. Searching Cubase forums hasn't turned up anything useful on FLAC integration, and I don't have OS X or Cubase myself, so I thought I'd ask here.

Does Cubase Just Work with FLAC if it finds the libraries? Is there a Cubase plugin for FLAC that I have failed to find? Will my friend have to get hold of one of the point and click FLAC -> AIF/WAV convertors and mess around with file conversion himself?

Or is there another solution I have not thought of, such as a lossless FLAC alternative that already works with Cubase?

Cheers in advance, hivemind.

Need good binaural recordings to chill out with!

archagon — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:48:33 -0800

Need good binaural recordings to chill out with! I'm looking for high quality ambient binaural recordings to relax to, in particular of thunderstorms. I really want to feel like I'm there, as I do when listening to this "Matchbox" demo. Any suggestions?

How to auto select loop in audio track?

lmm — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:36:02 -0800

Any way of automatically selecting an audio loop in Audacity or some other app? I have a bunch of video game tracks (NES/SNES) that loop (obviously) but the tracks I have don't end at the loop's end (and they also fade out at the end). I would like to loop these tracks. But this is hard. These tracks are really good but I fear that once I'm done with the tracks I won't want to listen to them anymore.

So, I'm thinking it would save a lot of time if there was an quick way to get a rough cut of where the loop in the track is and just go from there.

I've used Audacity a little to cut and join. Commercial software suggestions could be good as a future reference but I'd prefer free.

Getting equipped to groove

notashroom — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:21:11 -0800

Please help me choose an inexpensive home stereo for a teenager. I'm overwhelmed! I'm looking for a stereo for my 17-year-old daughter and getting overwhelmed by the options. I remember my audiophile ex teaching me, "No highs, no lows, must be Bose," but I don't know much of anything about brands beyond that.

I'm thinking shelf system, but if components can be done within budget and would be a better choice, I'll do that.

Here are the relevant data points I can think of:

- Budget is about US$200. Less is better, slightly more acceptable if it makes a big difference in quality/durability.

- It would be great if it's something I can order on Amazon. Second choice would be other reliable web sites that will ship to continental U.S. and stay within above budget. Third choice would be retailers like Best Buy.

- Build quality is the most important factor after price, then sound quality.

- Treble quality is more important than bass. She listens to more female artists than male, and more pop, folk, and country than r&b, rock, rap, etc. though there is some of all of those in her collection.

- Prefer clean lines in black, chrome, grey, white, etc., not pink or red or funky designs.

- It should be able to play CD-R as well as regular CDs, and preferably would also handle MP3 CDs. Multiple CDs would be nice, but unnecessary.

- She has no need for a turntable.

- She has an MP3 player (not iPod and not likely to be anytime soon) and it would be good to have a hookup through the headphone jack of the MP3 player to the stereo, and hopefully decent sound through that connection.

- Bluetooth or USB would be nice but is not necessary.

- The ability to hook up her TV and output sound through the stereo would be nice but is unnecessary.

- She's planning to move out next summer, and it's possible that this will be the sole system for her and roommates for a while, so it really should be up to taking some bumps from being moved around, bumped by a clumsy kid, etc.

What do you recommend, and why? Thanks for your help!

My wife doesn't like the cord on her earbuds...

judomadonna — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:24:09 -0800

...so can anyone recommend a pair of earbuds with a cord that looks like a capital y (Y), not a lowercase y (y)?

What's the best wireless audio bridge / networked digital audio receiver that works on the Mac?

nitsuj — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:27:10 -0800

What's the best wireless audio bridge / networked digital audio receiver that works on the Mac? I'm looking for a simple hardware solution that will allow me to bridge my Macbook Pro's audio-out source to my home theater amplifier. Many products like the WMB54G and Sirocco either have no Mac support at all, or have very poor reviews and cost way too much.

The Airport Express seems decent if I only wanted to stream iTunes, but I'd also like to stream from other sources, like Spotify, which it won't support.

Is there a simple, under-$100 (or close to it) solution out there?

Can I have my own black box?

tiamat — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:39:22 -0800

Is there such as thing as a personal audio recorder that has a rolling 'black box' feature where hitting the record button will start recording now, but also save the previous X minutes of recording data? I work in a job where it's often necessary to record conversations, and sometimes by the time you know you want to you've already missing something, which then causes a bit of a stilted pause as you get the recorder going and ask someone to repeat that last bit.....

So,

Is there an audio recorder that I could keep in my pocket, running all the time, which would only actually save data if I hit the button?

I've hit Google, but I'm not sure my terms are correct.

Thanks!

(and for the privacy nuts out there, don't worry, this is very legal in the context I do it.)

What are those personalized audio cones above me at the museum?

codybaldwin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:14:01 -0800

What are the personal/individual audio cones are museums called? Is it possible to make one at home relatively inexpensively? I can't find any information on them. This may be because I don't know what they're called, and so I couldn't really adequately look to see if this has even been asked before. Regardless, these are sort of halves of spheres that hang from above and project audio onto guests of museums. You also sometimes see them at internet and computer gaming cafe's.

So, what're they called?
How do they work?
Can I make one relatively cheaply?

Many iPhones, One recording?

davereed — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:14:39 -0800

Audio/mobile phone idea/question: I was at my kid's band concert recently, trying to record some of it for Grandma. I only thought of it after we got there so I was using my iPhone. Not a bad recorder, but it's hand held. It picks up me moving in my seat, people fidgeting, etc. Why isn't there an app/service where I could record the concert on my less-than-professional-equipment, and a bunch of OTHER Dads and Moms record the same thing from other vantage points (with other noise!) then put 'em all together subtract the noise and end up with a beautifull, clear, stereo recording. With the iphone's bluetooth/wifi/gps the iphones should be able to figure out where they are relative to each other. Is the doable? Am I nuts? Does it already exist?

How do they fix performance glitches when doing post-production on "live" recordings?

Joe Beese — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:18:09 -0800

How do they fix performance glitches when doing post-production on "live" recordings? Assuming that they don't have multiple performances to splice together, how do they correct a singer's pitch or fix an instrumentalist's late entrance?

If they simply record a new part in the studio, how do they approximate the venue's acoustics?

My stubby amplifier...

rleamon — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:12:01 -0800

Home amp filter: Shallow cabinet, 5.1-channel, three-input-HDMI, two-zone, good-quality amplifier-receiver -- does it exist? The missus and I just moved into our remodeled house -- the custom bookshelves are only 12" deep, so my 16" deep Denon amp that does most of what I want juts out unacceptably.

Is there such thing as a 13" (or less) deep, 5.1 or better surround, three-input-HDMI amp/receiver, that can play to two or more zones (i.e., 5.1 in the living room and 2 only in the kitchen?).

Fried crossovers/voicecoils for Mission speaker towers

omidius — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:28:30 -0800

Audio Trust: I suspect the crossovers & voice coils on my Mission speaker towers (the 5 driver + tweeter rosewood cabinet ones) have fried. Where can I possibly find replacements or knowledgeable people to help me solder in new ones?

Multimedia-filter: Looking for help from all you Network and digital media Gurus in making my first house totally awesome. Movies, Televsion, Music, Wifi, Streaming Content and 50mgbt broadband within.

Cogentesque — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:03:13 -0800

Multimedia-filter: Looking for help from HDTV, NAS, Media Servers and Network Gurus' in making my first house totaly awesome. Movies, Televsion, Music, Wifi, Streaming Content and 50mgbt broadband within. Ok guys, this is my first new message on metafilter, so thanks for everything thus far - to business.

The Premise:
In two weekends time, my girlfriend and I are moving into our first house together in Southampton (UK).

Thankfully she is very accomadating and shares the same views with me reguarding the wonder of technology and allure of gadgetry and thus: we have decided to go down the "cyberhouse" network route - all be it slowly.

What we currently have
50mgbt line and a Television package from Virgin.
2 relatively high-spec PCs downstairs (in the lounge) (XP/Vista soon upgrading to Windows 7 im sure)
A new TV - to be bought - (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/154997/show_product_reviews?offset=10&review_type=both&review_order_by=RLF - ebuyer's own)
1 ipod touch
Host of parts to make a low spec PC.

What I would like in my cyber house
DVD's playable on the TV
Normal channels (Virgin package) playable on the TV
Video (films, episodes) from PC's playable on the TV
Music, both downstairs and upstairs: DAB radio/Cd's/Downloaded Music/Online Radio (last.fm etc would be great)
The ability to change the music remotely (ideally, different sources for different rooms)

Some ideas I've been looking at so far
KVM Switch and a long HDMI cable for my computer to use TV as alternative screen - enabling videos from pc to be played
NAT Storage hiding somewhere in the network
Popcorn Hour to play video from PC
Sonos music system to play upstairs and downstairs
Media pc configured to do the job of sonos and popcorn hour (apparantly this is very tricky?)

What do you think metafilter? Remember that we are definately "on a budget" but I much more trust your collective ideas and conceptions than my own - so what would you reccomend should be my immediate course of action?