CD audio into .WAV file




You can convert parts of an audio CD track into a .wav file with commercial sound editing utilities, but why not use Windows 95's own free tools? Just insert a CD in the drive, open the CD Player and Sound Recorder (select Start--Programs--Accessories--Multimedia), and press Record in Sound Recorder and Play in CD Player. When you've captured all the audio you want, stop recording and save your cut as a .wav file. Most sound boards come with a CD player and .wav audio recorders that do the same thing.
- Michel Morency


Sure you can do that. However, even though you're reading one digital audio file and writing it to another digital audio file, you'll find the copy none too faithful. That's because your computer's sound board converts the CD-based audio from digital to analog format when you play it, and then from analog back to digital when you record. The higher frequencies and stereo separation suffer noticeably.
The other main problem is that Sound Recorder doesn't let you record for very long at CD-quality sampling rates. Here's a trick to overcome this: after you start recording, drag Sound Recorder's slider to the right. If you keep clicking, you can record until you run out of hard disk space. But each click or drag mars the .wav file with a small gap, or skip.
- Scott Spanbauer


Category: Win95, Multimedia
Issue: May 1997
Pages: 162

These Web pages are produced by Australian PC World © 1997 IDG Communications