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Topic: Recommend MP3 Playback Apps with Jump To? (Read 4097 times) previous topic - next topic
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Recommend MP3 Playback Apps with Jump To?

Hi

We will be recording long drama practice sessions (~4-6 hrs) with a basic MP3 flash recorder that does not have the ability to mark regions or points for rapid access during later playback.

As result, I am interested in Windows audio playback apps that can do this.

Appreciate any suggestions/recommendations!

Thanks

Ken

Recommend MP3 Playback Apps with Jump To?

Reply #1 –
MP3 doesn't support "chapters".    I can probably be done, but then you'd need player software software that also supports it... and it's just non-standard.

I believe AAC an iTunes supports chapters for audio books, but I've never done that.

There are players that support cue sheets, and that should work with MP3 or any other format.  But, I'm not sure if the extra work of creating a cue sheet is worthwhile.

Or, it might be easier to split the MP3 into shorter sections (separate files) and name them sequentially.    mp3DirectCut can split or join MP3 files without decompressing/recompressing them.

Recommend MP3 Playback Apps with Jump To?

Reply #2 –
DVDdoug,

Thanks for the comments!

I know nothing about "cue sheets" so did some searching and found http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Cue_sheets  It mentions "Audacity's labels feature to provide track information for a cue sheet" so checked http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/label_tracks.html and found "Labels can be used to mark then restore chosen points or regions of audio for playback or editing." which sounds like what I am trying to do.

The MP3 Recorder is an older Sony voice recorder that has a USB out but no "Easy Search"

Here is some info on the "Easy Search" http://docs.esupport.sony.com/voicerecorde...0000003666.html

Also did a quick search for "MP3 players" & "cue sheets" but only got http://marc.info/?l=rockbox&m=119015220226272

Any ideas how I should search for Windows players that support cue sheets?

Thanks for your help!

Ken

Recommend MP3 Playback Apps with Jump To?

Reply #3 –
foobar2000 can play files with CUE sheets, but as DVDdoug says, you get far wider compatibility by splitting the files using something like mp3DirectCut to create numerous separate files, which does not re-encode and thus degrade the audio. (There's a chance of degradation at the cut point due to bit reservoir, but it's likely to be inconsequential when splitting a drama session, which would normally happen during silences).

foobar2000 has various plugins that may help, such as one to cut out silence over a certain length, a waveform seekbar which, like mp3DirectCut gives an approximation of loudness, letting you see where the silence is. If you know where you want to cut, e.g. between scenes or repeats of a reading, you could even use audible cues that are readily visible (e.g. 3 loud hand claps might show up as three short vertical lines) to make it easier to locate cut points in the edit.

It depends if you just want to listen back or if you want to make edited or labelled versions.
Dynamic – the artist formerly known as DickD

Recommend MP3 Playback Apps with Jump To?

Reply #4 –
Dynamic,

Thanks for the foobar2000 tip!

"you get far wider compatibility by splitting the files using something like mp3DirectCut to create numerous separate files, which does not re-encode and thus degrade the audio" 

All I want to do at first is just mark specific locations in the recording so on reviewing them with the others we can just go to 1,2,3,... 

To use an app like mp3DirectCut to create numerous separate files would seem to take more time but since I have never done either do not really know.

Still hope there is an app that marks the recording to allow fast playback of just the marked sections.

Ken

Recommend MP3 Playback Apps with Jump To?

Reply #5 –
CUE sheets are primarily used as a way to set track boundaries for burning CDs. You can technically use them to do what you're trying to, but the list of software that supports is going to be very short. I'm not even sure how you'd go about manually creating a CUE sheet since they are typically generated automatically from a CD. There might be a program to do it, or you might end up having to manually type it out.
As far as I know, the quickest and most compatible way to do this is to load up the file in MP3directcut and cut it up into separate files, one for each act or whatever you need to do. Maybe a pen and paper to write down the exact time of specific lines if you need more fine control.

The audio editor GoldWave also allows to drop "cue points" (not to be confused with cue sheets) that visually show a little arrow on the timeline. I believe the cue points can be saved somehow, but don't quote me on that, as I have only used them for the purpose of splitting into multiple files. ("Split file by cue points" in the menu)

Recommend MP3 Playback Apps with Jump To?

Reply #6 –
slks,

Thanks for the detailed explanation!  At this time none of the rehearsals would be worth burning a CD but maybe in the future so CUE sheets may be worth using.

To date the only thing I have found that might work is Audacity's labels.

Hope there is something more simple at least to start with!

Ken

Recommend MP3 Playback Apps with Jump To?

Reply #7 –
Quote from: DVDdoug on
I believe AAC an iTunes supports chapters for audio books, but I've never done that.


The MP4 container does, and can contain an MP3 stream. I've only added chapters to .mp4 by way of fb2k, and then it asks me for a .cue.

Recommend MP3 Playback Apps with Jump To?

Reply #8 –
Porcus,

"I've only added chapters to .mp4 by way of fb2k, and then it asks me for a .cue." 

Any tips how you did this using fb2k?

Thanks

Ken

Recommend MP3 Playback Apps with Jump To?

Reply #9 –
Quote from: KenO on
To date the only thing I have found that might work is Audacity's labels.

Whats seems to be a problem with that?

a. to store range : select range, press ctrl+b, give it a name
b. to play range  : clicky to range name, press enter to get rid of rename mode, press space to play range

Yeah its a bit cluncky, but I really wouldn't go any further.

p.s. alternatively you could do something more "hardcore" with mpv (or similar player);
Code: [Select]
mpv --no-video --start 10 --end 15 file.mp3

(mpv can be also configured/scripted to save specific position to clipboard or similar...)

p.s.2. mpv also supports "edls", like;
Code: [Select]
# mpv EDL v0
file.mp3,0,3
file.mp3,15,10
file.mp3,20,5

but I have not dig into that so far.
PANIC: CPU 1: Cache Error (unrecoverable - dcache data) Eframe = 0x90000000208cf3b8
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Recommend MP3 Playback Apps with Jump To?

Reply #10 –
smok3,

Thanks for the tips!

What ver of Audacity are you using?

Since posting have done some searching and found "Audacity 1.3: Improved Label Tracks" http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/features-1.3-e.php 

Checked mpv website http://mpv.io/ for tutorials but to date have not found any. 

Also Googled but top hits seemed non related like https://www.facebook.com/mpv.tutorials

Thanks again for all your help!

Ken

Recommend MP3 Playback Apps with Jump To?

Reply #11 –
Quote from: KenO on
What ver of Audacity are you using?

seems to be 2.0.1

p.s. some mpv docs are @ https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/tree/master/DOCS
(also IRC is nice/usefull @ freenode/#mpv-player)
PANIC: CPU 1: Cache Error (unrecoverable - dcache data) Eframe = 0x90000000208cf3b8
NOTICE - cpu 0 didn't dump TLB, may be hung