Sound Recorder

[Chim]

Can y'all recommend a Free, Safe, Good Sound Recorder that is easy to use and better than the Windows XP Sound Recorder?  Preferably that can record in MP3 format and possibly various formats.

[Chris Thomas]

Audacity is a great software 

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

[spg SCOTT]

Audacity is good, and there is a portable version as well. The portable version makes it easier to test to see if you like it as once you are done you can simply delete the folder it is contained in, and the machine is left as it was...

One thing though, to export to mp3 you need the lame encoder, which IIRC, is just one .dll

http://portableapps.com/apps/music_video/audacity_portable
http://portableapps.com/support/audacity_portable#lame

-Scott-

[bob3160]

You could also check out jetAudio.
Audio is only one thing it does very well. 

[Chim]

Thanks for your recommendations, Chris, Scott and Bob! 

For now, by default, I'm gonna have to go with trying the Audacity Portable one.
I have Dial Up and JetAudio is a 31 Plus MegaByte Download.  Not feasible on my Dial Up.  I'd have to wait until one day when I can download it on my neighbors' or my friends' High Speed Internet and save it to my Flash Drive.

And even the regular version of Audacity is a 10.94 MegaByte Download.  That's still UP there for my Dial Up.

That leaves the Audacity Portable version at a 2 MegaByte Download as the do-able Download.  I'd of course have to also download that Lame dll File to be able to record and save in MP3.

Thanks, Guys! 

[spg SCOTT]

You're welcome

The download size is another benefit of PA.c...

I use many of  them on the pc running from the hard drive, just because I find it so much easier

(Just remember to run 'AudacityPortable.exe' as that is the launcher that keeps everything in that one folder.)

-Scott-

[Chim]

I see you do use several of those Portable Apps, Scott.

Okay, I went to download the Lame dll File for the Audacity Portable.  Okay, what's up with that Cheesy Homemade-looking page?   It makes me nervous.  Is it legit?  It just about looks like some below amateur site that I'm accessing from someone's computer.  What the heck exact link am I supposed to click on to download the Lame dll File?  I'm afraid I'll click on some bogus link that'll take me to some Virus Jungle.

[Chim]

The best I can figure out is that I'm supposed to click on this Zip Option that is right below the Donate Button.  Is that the correct one?

libmp3lame-win-3.98.2.zip

[Chim]

Okay, leery as I was with that Cheesy page, I downloaded that Lame dll File and installed it.
I did manage to save the Voice Clip as a MP3 File like I wanted to.
However, something is off somewhere.  My Windows Media Player 11 will NOT play it.  It tells me that either my Media Player cannot recognize that format or cannot recognize the Codec used to compress the File.  Well, it cannot be my Windows Media player NOT recognizing the MP3 format cuz I can play other MP3 Files.  So, maybe my Windows Media Player 11 does not recognize the Codec that that Lame dll File used.

Hmmm?  My friend used Audacity to record a Voice Clip just like I did and her MP3 File worked on my Windows Media Player 11.  The difference is that as per what she tells me, she used some App called Format Factory to convert the wav File to MP3.  Anyone familiar with Format Factory?  Is it a SAFE App?

[Chim]

Okay, I finally got it to work all fine.  I just needed to fill out the ID Tags or whatever that Info Window is called.  I thought that was optional since it was asking for Title, Artist, Type of Music and such.  So, I'm good to go now. 

[spg SCOTT]

So it is all ok now?

That is good to hear

Glad you have got it working.

The lame site is genuine, as can be found from the audacity site:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=install&item=lame-mp3  --> the download page is the same.

-Scott-

[Chim]

Yeah, the Portable Audacity is working now.
I'll probably make one tweak tomorrow.  I think I need to take that Lame dll File out of its 2 levels of Folders inside the LAME Folder and put it straight up at level 1 in the LAME Folder.  This because I understand that only on the 1st time you use Audacity after you install the Lame dll File ... you'll be asked to navigate to the actual File.  After that, Audacity should automatically find it.  Well, I don't think it's automatically finding it on subsequent uses.  I still had to manually navigate to the Lame dll File.  So, I'll try to fix that tomorrow.

[mkis]

Hmmm?  My friend used Audacity to record a Voice Clip just like I did and her MP3 File worked on my Windows Media Player 11.  The difference is that as per what she tells me, she used some App called Format Factory to convert the wav File to MP3.  Anyone familiar with Format Factory?  Is it a SAFE App?

I find Format Factory to be very friendly, easy to use, and reliable program, (despite the advertising that comes bundled).

[Chris Thomas]

@ chim

I find it difficult to believe that people in the USA still are on dial up 

[bob3160]

@ chim

I find it difficult to believe that people in the USA still are on dial up 

Why? It's a big country. Up until 4 years ago, dial up was normal for the community I live in.
At that time the only alternative was Satellite and that was very expensive. ( It still is. )