Converting Sound Files

File Sizes   Embedding a Player   Sounds Index

The files discussed on the File Sizes page were created in 2001 with various software packages. One of those was RealProducer Basic, which is no longer available. It has been replaced by a product called Helix Producer Basic, which lacks most of the useful functionality of the earlier free product.

With the software I had in 2001, I was not able to compress a voice narration sound bite in MP3 format to a very small file size. The RealProducer Basic software was able to give me the best and smallest file for voice narration.

Now that there is no free program available from RealNetworks to create efficient compressed files in their proprietary file format, I had to seek out a better solution.

Using Cool Edit to Produce Small Voice Files

I discovered that Cool Edit 2000 and Cool Edit Pro can produce a very tiny MP3 file from a voice narration sound bite. (The Cool Edit products come from Syntrillium.) Here's how:

1. Record (or capture) and save your file in the .wav format (or another uncompressed sound file format).
2. Open the sound file in Cool Edit.
3. Select File > Save As ... in Cool Edit.
4. In the dialog box, find Save as type at the bottom. Change this to the (*.mp3) option.
5. Click the Options button.
6. In the MPEG-1 Layer 3 Encoder Options dialog, change the CBR (Constant Bitrate) to 16 Kbps 11025 Hz, Mono (5.5:1).
7. Click OK in the MPEG-1 Layer 3 Encoder Options dialog.
8. Click Save in the Save dialog.

You should now have a nice tiny MP3 file. My test .wav file (29 sec.) was 278 KB, and my .mp3 file was 51 KB.

Using Audacity to Produce Small Voice Files

See the Audacity Web site for instructions. Audacity is open source and FREE. It works on Windows, Mac and Linux.