Loading audio files in Cassie Gen II

[BobFoster]

I think I already know the answer to this, but I'll throw it out for comment anyway. I want to load larger audio files than will fit on a CD. i.e. 120 - 180 min selections to add to Movie storyboards in my generation II Cassies without have to patch various 80 min or less CD files together by going thru the whole calculating and trimming process. So far, I don't see any way to access thumb drives or memory cards in the input audio categories. The only option I can come up with is to split the 3 hour music file into smaller pieces on my PC, make CDs, import to Cassie audio file storage, Make a 3 hour storyboard, add the music files, make a scene of the whole 3 hour story board and the make a 3 hour audio scene sample to be used in the future. I don't make 3 hour DVDs, but a 3 hour music file would permit various trimming to vary the background music content. Easier alternatives welcome.

[MichaelD]

You are right - you do already know the answer to this

You could use one of your Bogart machines to input the music via USB and then to create the CD's - might be a bit simpler than the PC and then you'd have the 'audio' file on all machines.

[BobFoster]

Thanks Michael. Actually using a PC DAW "SoundForge" to eliminate silent pauses, and unwanted selections is faster and more precise than using the included sound editing software with Bogart. After editing the audio and burning the separate CDs, it takes about 45 minutes to load the file broken down into multiple CDs, generate a faux 3 hour storyboard, add the audio files, make a scene/sample, render the audio and store the completed audio file. With 6 hard drives to perform this task and possible later multiple audio files, this can be time consuming. Forget about destructive software updates. Yes I could do this with S4000 Pro, however, the editor and 32" HD monitor are in a different location from my film transfer room. Oh well, back to workarounds. Thanks again.

[CasablancaExpert]

Another idea Bob is to take the audio output of your PC and bring that in as a line-level audio source into your Casablanca. Depending on the outputs on your computer, you could either take the headphone out with a mini-plug to paired RCA/Phono or a stereo RCA/Phono cable to bring in if your computer has analog outputs.

I use this method regularly to bring audio from my Windows and Mac laptops into my Casablanca/s. Just playback audio in the PC using whatever application allows you to do so, and record into the Audio Record, Edit menu on your Casablanca.

Regards,
Chet

[BobFoster]

I guess for the 3 hour audio files I am loading that would real time of 3 hours for each hard drive?

[CKNewman]

I just experimented and loaded a lecture from a CD recorded as a stereo 128 kbs MP3 on two tracks. The total length was about 3 hours and 25 minutes. The first track was about 75 minutes and the second was about 130 minutes. I put a check before each of them to import them but my Kron Plus only imported the second (130 minute) track and put an "A" as the track name. I went back and loaded the shorter track and it loaded as track "A2".

I wanted to see if it would play from the Edit screen so I used Sample>Scene with a 2 min 30 sec section I split off. I went to the edit screen and it seemed to play ok. I know that trying to match voice from an MP3 to video can be a chore, but music should be easier. You might be able to lengthen some tracks if needed.

I'm curious, will our Cassies allow us to import audio recorded to DVDs and rip them as if they were CDs?

It's too bad MacroSystem never documented (to the best of my knowledge) if and how our Cassies would work with MP3s.

[BobFoster]

Kesabra successfully loads DVDs created on Arabesk, but does not work very well with other created DVDs. For your idea, of ripping a DVD for the audio, the most frequent part that doesn't import well or not at all with Kesabra is the audio. I will try your idea of saving the 3 hour audio files as MP3 on a CD and see what happens. Thanks for your suggestion.

[CasablancaExpert]

Both Smart Edit & Bogart OS Casablanca systems allow audio import of both WAV files and MP3 from disk.
This began with the release of Smart Edit V6.

Regards,
Chet

[CKNewman]

Kesabra successfully loads DVDs created on Arabesk, but does not work very well with other created DVDs. For your idea, of ripping a DVD for the audio, the most frequent part that doesn't import well or not at all with Kesabra is the audio.

My idea is that rather than use a CD with a 70 minute capacity, try to use a DVD (that has a much greater capacity) with only music on it. The music would be loaded via the Audio Record window the same as you would load tracks from a CD.

[BobFoster]

Craig, I have experimented with your idea of recording audio to a DVD. My 1st attempt to burn the audio file as a data DVD. No success. The cassie would not recognize or open the DVD. Second attempt was to produce a NERO digital audio DVD. The .wav file was converted to an AAC mp4 audio file and then burned to DVD. Again the Cassie would not recognize the DVD or open it. The DVD burning software would not permit burning a .wav file to DVD. There may be a way to make an audio only DVD that will work with gen. 2 Cassies. I haven't found the way.

I did have have success taking the 192 minute .wav file and converting it to a 44.1k 256 kb/s MP3 file and burning that to a CD. The conversion was very fast at about 3 minutes. The burning of the CD took about 5 minutes and the Cassie recognized the CD file and loaded it in about 10 minutes. I haven't had a chance to review the sound on a real sound system, just the monitors 3 inch speaker. Reports I have read state that this MP3 codec setting is much better than iTunes MP3 codecs and should sound very acceptable. The deleted sounds are in the near inaudible frequencies for human hearing. My beat up old eardrums may not be very good at judging the sound quality anyway.

P.S. My MacBook Pro does play back the Nero digital audio DVD.