MP3 files 3x larger

[jpeeden]

I was using Roxio 7 to capture audio from cassettes and LPs--some were old sermons from church, so about 30 minutes, and 9.5 MB mp3 files at my settings. Now that I've upgraded to 8, those same type files with the same settings are taking about 27MB each! How can I get them back in the 9MB size range? What happened to mp3 capture?

[tbrewst]

I tried using Easy Audio Capture,not the LP and Tape Assistant.I used your settings.I recorded 3 min of music and came up with a 2.4mb file.This would still come out to about the same amount of space you're saying for a half hour.I also went into V7.5 and did the same thing using a different encoder.The file I came up with was almost exactly the same size.So,I'm not sure how you ever got a file that small from anywhere.I'm stumped how this could be happening.

 

The only difference was I used the audio capture just because I was using a different source.I'm pretty sure that shouldn't make a difference as long as the file format is the same.

[d_deweywright]

My settings for these files were 16000 Hz, 112k, mono. Those are the same settings I have now. My files are just 3x larger, with the only change Roxio 7 to 8.

Let's do the math, because something doesn't add up here.

 

If you were indeed using 112Kbps (bits per second), that translates into 14000 bytes per second (112000/8).

 

Multiply that by 60, and you get 840000 bytes per minute. Times 30, and you get 25,200,000 bytes, or a little less than what you're seeing now. I'm guessing that you must have been using a lower bit rate setting, maybe 32Kbps, which would be roughly 1/3rd of what you're using now.

 

As a test, I recorded 2 minutes 1 second of audio at 64Kbps, and the file is 968,544 bytes long, or 7,748,352 bits. Divide by 121 (number of seconds) and it comes out to 64,035.9 bits per second. So, I was a little late clicking the stop button.

 

So, I conclude that somehow, you're previous configuration was using a lower bit-rate.

 

Hope that helps!

[jpeeden]

I took note of the recording at church this morning which was about 9-10MB for the sermon. They're using different software (I think it's something from Adobe). I think maybe it has something to do with a trick the encoder is pulling or something. Anyway, thanks for all your input. Sounds like I shouldn't have been getting that small of file, even though I was getting it.

[d_deweywright]

I took note of the recording at church this morning which was about 9-10MB for the sermon. They're using different software (I think it's something from Adobe). I think maybe it has something to do with a trick the encoder is pulling or something. Anyway, thanks for all your input. Sounds like I shouldn't have been getting that small of file, even though I was getting it.

The real key would be to play the file back using something like Winamp, which will display the Kbps that the file was encoded at, because that is the key here. Regardless of the orginal sample rate and size, the actual encoded bit-rate will determine the file size. So, whether you "should" or "shouldn't" be getting that file size is a non-question, that's what you're getting. The question is, what are properties of the final recording?

[grandpabruce]

I was using Roxio 7 to capture audio from cassettes and LPs--some were old sermons from church, so about 30 minutes, and 9.5 MB mp3 files at my settings. Now that I've upgraded to 8, those same type files with the same settings are taking about 27MB each! How can I get them back in the 9MB size range? What happened to mp3 capture?

 

Actually, that 9.5MB seems extremely low for a 30 minute file. The 27MB seems about right, so your original files must be extremely low quality.

[tbrewst]

I'd have to agree Bruce.Looking at some of my mp3's,I can find that about 6 mins at 128k uses about 5 1/2 megs.That comes out to about 30megs per half hour.Close to what they're getting.It would seem that the original stuff had to be recorded at a way lower rate to get under 10 megs per half hour.

[jpeeden]

My settings for these files were 16000 Hz, 112k, mono. Those are the same settings I have now. My files are just 3x larger, with the only change Roxio 7 to 8.