From: David H. Straayer <mail_at_dhstraayer.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 07:40:28 -0800

In an earlier post, I asked if Rockbox could record fixed bit
rate instead of variable bitrate because I use MP3DirectCut to
chop up files. Martin thoughtfully replied off-list that
MP3DirectCut can cut VBR files if one listens rather than uses
the display.

I thought I'd reply on-list because the situation reveals some
of the subtle differences between the music-use and the
audiobook-use of Rockbox. Although many of the
Rockbox-enthusiasts are music oriented, I've notices that a lot
of audiobook lovers post on this discussion area also.

I'll continue to convert VBR->FBR before cutting my dubbed
cassettes because of these differences. I have to cut into 2-4
minute segments in order to allow other MP3 players to navigate
the otherwise too-large 45-minute cassette sides. I have to cut
precisely because the cuts are placed in the short pauses
between sentences. It would add a lot of time to the cutting
process if I had to listen for the exact cut point.

The quiet pauses between cuts on music albums tend to be quite
long, so it is pretty easy to get a cut somewhere within a
pause.

But some of the MP3 players that I use to listen to the recorded
books require extra time to go from file to file, and thus
insert extra pause. That can be very disconcerting to the flow
of the text. It can be (barely) tolerable if the extra time
comes between sentences, though. On some spoken material (I
have a number of LPs of recordings of plays), any extra pause at
all, even if it is between sentences, is very disturbing.

Fortunately, Rockbox does a superb job of buffering between
files, and I've not noticed any extra pause at all when playing
these on the Rockbox/Archos.

Once again, I'm directing this reply to the general group to
help foster understanding of the different requirements of
audiobook use and music use.

David H. Straayer
The Self-Appointed CD/MP3 Audiobook Gadfly
mail_at_dhstraayer.com

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Received on 2004-03-22