Remote Show Control with a Laptop

 

MP3s

MP3s in brief

When I first put this website together in 2000, few people were familiar with MP3s.  Now everyone has huge music libraries on their computers.

All the software I use now is free.  The open-source movement is terrific! Links are below and on the “Links and Info” page.

Windows Media Player.  I used to use other software, but Microsoft upgraded this years ago and it’s fine (and free.) On the Options menu, if you select the Rip tab, you can pick either mp3 or WAV format to copy tracks from a CD.

Winamp It’s possible to use other software to play back the files, but that stuff is many times large, clumsy and slow. Winamp is fast and efficient.

You may need to edit the sound files.  Some sound effects and pieces of music will be the right length. But let’s say, for example, on one sound effects CD there’s a great drum roll that’s almost one minute long. If you want it shorter, you’ll have to cut it down. Copy the sound file off the CD, but turn it into a WAV file, not an MP3. Then load it into software that will let you edit the length of the file.

The best free option currently available is Audacity.  It’s open-source and does everything you need.

Learn how to load a WAV file into it and how to edit the sounds so you have what you need.  You can ignore the other features, unless you want to mess with the sounds and do things like make them sound echo-y.

Once you’ve edited it to the right length, save the file as an mp3 using Audacity.