Converting from Real Media (.rm) to MP3

meena · Post by **meena** » 28 Feb 2006, 00:54

mantra wrote:
Can someone post the KVN concerts as a mp3. I am unable to play .rm files

there are many free softwares available on the net that u can d/l and install to convert rm to mp3.

mantra · Post by **mantra** » 28 Feb 2006, 02:21

Meena,
I am unable to find a free software, most of them have a trial version for 30 seconds only. Can you give me the software name and version?
Thanks
Shyam

meena · Post by **meena** » 28 Feb 2006, 02:32

mantra

the .rm files should play on realplayer media. Ur unable to play now this is 'news' to me!

Those trial version also works , u can still install and use them and ones the trial period is up u can d/l the next available one ha ha,

well this one i use and it does the job!
http://www.rm-mp3.org/

mantra · Post by **mantra** » 28 Feb 2006, 03:15

Most trial versions that are there work only for 30 seconds and hence dowloading them does not work.
Thanks Meena, this one is currently working.
Shyam

Ananth · Post by **Ananth** » 01 Mar 2006, 12:16

mantra, Streambox Ripper (http://streamboxripper.cjb.net/) can convert most audio formats to mp3/wma
Has some other cute features too, a batch mode converted, graphic equaliser etc..

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 04 Mar 2006, 06:49

Asking for your opinion on converting .rm CM files to mp3. The .rm files are small in size compared to mp3. When you convert to mp3, what bitrate you find to be equivalent in quality to the .rm version. I tried 64 bit and I could not tell the difference. Can I go even lower while conversion? In case you have experimented with that, I would like to learn from your experience. Thanks.

ananthaks · Post by **ananthaks** » 06 Mar 2006, 00:42

I am a newcomer to this group. Anyway, as far as a free rm to mp3 convertor goes, try the free Switch Sound file convertor from NCH Swift sound, available at http://www.nch.com.au/switch/index.html
I haven't tried it, however I have used Wavepad from the same co. & that works ( http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/index.html ).

And regarding optimum bitrates, from my short experience, optimum is 128 kbps CBR at 44kHz.(VBR is best at quality 5, if you are comfortable with it.) These are lossy convertors ie some part of the musical content is eliminated. rm eliminates a different portion as compared to mp3. Since most rm files online typically are sampled at frequencies lower than 44 kHz, (16 kHz , not sure), you could work at slightly lower mp3 bitrates, maybe 80 kbps at 22kHz. I have heard decent pieces at 40 kbps at 24kHz, but then that depends on the musical content of the file(Can't go into details). Of course, depends on subjective quality & person to person interpretation; what sounds fine to me may not be the most satisfactory for you.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 06 Mar 2006, 03:52

ananthaks, thanks for the info.

A few follow-ups.

1) I am using the Jodix free rm-mp3 converter and for VBR mp3 it lets me select min and max bit rates. When you say quality 5, what min and max bit rate does that map to?

2) Thanks for your data/opinions on the .rm to mp3 conversion... I see the .rm file to be really compact size. For example, the decent sounding KVN_MC_RAGHU_CHENNAI_EARLY_70s.rm for a 2.5 hour concert is only 18 Meg. If I convert that to mp3 64 Kbit ( lower than what you suggested ), the file size is almost 4 times as big. These .rm files should be using low sampling frequency and low bit rate. ( Jodix says the rm is in 22050Hz ). What I am curious is, while converting from this already massively lossy compressed CM .rm file, what mp3 bit rate is comparable? If people have experimented with that for CM, that will be great to hear the results.

sunayanaa · Post by **sunayanaa** » 06 Mar 2006, 07:50

I use a bitrate of 32 KBPS and sampling frequency of 32 KBPS and I find no degradation in sound quality for such concerts.

In fact it has been extensively discussed and debated in the forum http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/ra ... ya-dot-net and people have done scientific analysis of audio waveforms using tools to conclude that the degradation is not really audible for normal ears.

Having more bitrate does not mean better quality. It all depends on the quality of the souce recording.

pinkchry · Post by **pinkchry** » 06 Mar 2006, 08:33

I hate dredging up this issue again, but 32kbps is really too low a bit rate for most recordings. At the very least 56 or 64kbps vbr is a better choice. However I'm not the one uploading most of these concerts, and thus I can only give recommendations.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 06 Mar 2006, 08:55

sunayanaa, thanks. I will read up on the yahoo group you pointed out when I have some time. They may have a point, I am beginning to think, the KVN rm file sounded great at such a low file size for a 2.5 hour concert.

pinkchry, I am with you in general... The rule of thumb I follow for CM is, for a studio recorded CD, I use 128 kbps and for a not so good quality tape, I use 64 kbps. I do not have personal experience with converting reel tape or vinyl.

As I wrote above, my current curiosity is about the choice of mp3 bit rate for the already lossy compressed .rm file.

ananthaks · Post by **ananthaks** » 06 Mar 2006, 10:34

Sunayanaa: Having more bitrate does not mean better quality. It all depends on the quality of the souce recording.

If the original source quality is poor, audio quality will not improve even if you encode in pcm (.wav). In case of that particular KVN recording, since the original recording may have been of poor quality, a lower grade encoding had little to degrade! Higher bitrate at proper resolution & sampling definitely means lower degradation.

In general rm compresses better for same subjective quality than mp3, but has its complications. Among free formats, I found .ogg slighlty better than the erstwhile free .mp3

If you wish to convert rm files, just because you do not like the free realplayer, there are plugins available that play rm files in Winamp.
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Rea ... Winamp.htm

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 06 Mar 2006, 11:48

In general rm compresses better for same subjective quality than mp3

I have gotten the same impression. It does quite an impressive job considering it compresses it to such low byte count.

If you wish to convert rm files, just because you do not like the free realplayer

In my case, I have the real player and do use it to play .rm files but there were three occasions when I had to convert it to mp3.

1. Creating an audio CD along with other mp3 files. It does not seem to be trivial to make multiple programs contribute material to one CD and then close the CD. If there is a way, I will use it instead of the intermediate conversion to mp3.

2. Just dumping stuff to a CD, without converting to audio cd format, so that it can be played on an MP3 CD player or a DVD player. None of them play .rm files.

3. Same as above, except for uploading to the portable mp3 players like iPod.

So, I can still use a recommendation for how low an mp3 bit rate I can go for converting these .rm files for the above purposes. At 64 kbps, the mp3 files are ~4 times the size of .rm files and for items 2 and 3 above I want to keep it as low as possible without making it worse than the .rm .

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 07 Mar 2006, 10:39

I use Total Recorder to capture stuff from the sound card eg radio broadcasts.

It also does conversion, including batch conversion, so I use it for that.

It is not free.

meena · Post by **meena** » 22 Mar 2006, 23:59

tech pro vk;) and shankar

have u found any software to convert ram to mp3? the ones i came across are all trial versions.thanks

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 23 Mar 2006, 00:44

Meena,
I am nowhere near VK's league (despite his protests!).
I try to convert all of my files to mp3 or m4a so that I can play in them in iTunes/iPod...I use a mac, and have not been able to find any software that will convert .ram or .vqf files so far (not even trial versions).
Ravi

meena · Post by **meena** » 23 Mar 2006, 01:24

vqf- try dBpowerAMP

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 23 Mar 2006, 01:30

vqf- try dBpowerAMP

Meena,
Thanks: I checked it out. I do not think it works on mac os 10.4.5 (Tiger)...

:frown:

Ravi

abadri · Post by **abadri** » 23 Mar 2006, 03:29

tech pro vk;) and shankar

have u found any software to convert ram to mp3? the ones i came across are all trial versions.thanks

dbPoweramp has a codec for realmedia format. you can convert it to
any target format that your dbPoweramp installation allows (depending
on the codecs you've installed).

the flip side - it's slow, conversion happens only at 1x play speed
still better than nothing, I guess!

meena · Post by **meena** » 23 Mar 2006, 03:49

badri

for that i've to install 'real alternative' prior to that i've to uninstall realplayer media
and i've read folks feedbacks on dbPoweramp forum. folks have not had good results

abadri · Post by **abadri** » 23 Mar 2006, 08:29

Meena,

I've the realmedia codec for dbpoweramp installed, never installed
real-alternative or uninstalled realplayer. Maybe some versions of
dbpoweramp (or it's realmedia codec) make the kind of demands
you mentioned - but I seem to be going along happily without
meeting any of those "requirements"!

param · Post by **param** » 23 Mar 2006, 10:44

tech pro vk;) and shankar

have u found any software to convert ram to mp3? the ones i came across are all trial versions.thanks

Meena teacher,

which are the trial version softwares that you have. Send me the names and I will try and send you the serial keys or cracks for the same. Send me information as under:
Name of Software
Tech name (this is available in Help - About)
Registration details required.

Thanks

meena · Post by **meena** » 23 Mar 2006, 11:13

oh guruji

ur not setting a 'good' example to ur students

moi, would have raised a 'cane' by now

param · Post by **param** » 24 Mar 2006, 10:01

Meena Teacher,

One need not be a hacker to get the cracks and serial number of a software. Justy do a thorough search in google - go through most links of a search and u will get it. I am only sharing with you the tricks of the trade which otherwise would prove v v expensive. Well, if the others overheard our conversation, it only means that their concentration is not on the lessons but elsewhere. As I always say Practice Maketh a Man Perfect.

param · Post by **param** » 24 Mar 2006, 10:07

All,

I will ask my friends in this trade to get me a "registered" copy of a software to converty .rm to MP3 - and once I get, I will upload it into rapidshare using the following name - RaMa2MP3.zip - I hope that will ease all concerned

Meena Teacher - thanks for the new titles

meena · Post by **meena** » 24 Mar 2006, 11:54

guruji

SORRY!

pinkchry · Post by **pinkchry** » 24 Mar 2006, 12:10

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but these discussions regarding serials and cracks should not appear in a public forum. Google is watching! I would advise srkris to delete the relevant messages.

sunayanaa · Post by **sunayanaa** » 24 Mar 2006, 13:49

I agree, such public discussions leading to approval and patronage of hacking & cracking can land someone into trouble.