Convert audio (music only) stream to Ipod format

[tabcom]

I have a favorite internet music stream site that I like to record to minidiscs. What is the easiest way to convert the stream to a format that can be transfered to and edited into individual tracks to upload to my ipod?

[jman98]

Do you REALLY mean this format?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minidisc
Or is "minidisc" some sort of term that makes sense to you alone and nobody else uses this term to refer to whatever you are talking about? Sorry, but I do have to ask. I actually have both a minidisc player and recorder. Everything I am about to say does NOT apply if what you are calling a minidisc is different from what that link talks about.

Minidisk uses a proprietary format called ATRAC for compression. I am not aware of any free programs that can work with it on PCs. And you posted on the Mac forum, so you REALLY aren't making things easy on yourself.

Method 1 - transfer the files to a PC/Mac (if even possible - Wikipedia suggests that it may not be), use something to convert them from ATRAC to MP3 or AAC for your iPod.
Method 2 - if you have a player that has output jacks, maybe digital ones, that can go into a recorder, then connect it to some sort of recording device with the same audio input such as a standalone CD recorder (yes, these DO exist as I have one I bought around 2000) or a PC sound card with the right input jacks. Record the output from the minidisc player and then convert it.

[tabcom]

OK . . . I guess I need to be more accurate in what it is I'm trying to do. Thanks for pointing this out to me "jman98".

I currently steam audio to my Sony Minidisc player\recorder thru my Macs audio output. What I wish to do is stream the audio directly into a program on my Mac. After I've saved an audio ONLY file, I want to be able to edit it and transfer the file through iTunes to my Ipod.

What I'm looking for is an audio stream to Ipod formated files program for my Mac.

[tomlee59]

First, off with the bold blue font. It's almost as bad as all caps (= shouting).

Next, if your goal is to put the audio into an iPod-supported format, then there's no need to go through your minidisc recorder, since the website is streaming audio to you in some digital format anyway. Figure out what that format is (e.g., MP3, etc). If it's one that your iPod supports, you're good to go. Simply grab the file (there's lots of utilities for doing this, if the site doesn't let you do it easily). If you need to convert the file to a different format, use a tool like Audacity to do it. Audacity will also allow you to perform simple edits, so if you want to chop up the stream into individual tracks, that's a fine tool for doing it.

If, for some reason, you insist on capturing the analog stream, you can also do that under the control of Audacity. However, you need a Mac with an analog in, of course, but since you've been using the minidisc, it would appear that you already have that requirement filled.

[tabcom]

>> . . . since the website is streaming audio to you in some digital format anyway. Figure out what that format is (e.g., MP3, etc).

The website is www.dublab.com/dubstream
When I click to listen, it opens in ITunes. It states that the steam is 'continuous'.

The properties reads:
The URL: is http://205.188.215.225:8008/
Kind: MPEG audio stream
Size: Stream

How do I capture this info into Audacity?

[tomlee59]

The font is much nicer now.

Sorry if I wasn't clearer before, but here are your options:

1) Direct digital capture.
2) Analog capture.

From your OP, it seems that you were doing 2). Audacity can be used to control that process, as well as to convert the resulting file into an iPod-compatible one (e.g., MP3), as well as to permit editing. It can do more, too, like remove noise, perform equalization, etc.

If you do 1), you can avoid the loss that comes from the digital-to-analog-to-digital process of 2).

Apps you might find useful include Audio Hijack, Wire Tap, and StreamRipperX. Wire Tap is shareware, StreamRipperX is free, and Hijack is payware. Check them out, see which one(s) will serve your purpose. They all have in common the fact that whatever sound comes out of your Mac can be captured as a digital file. Basically, it's the equivalent of what you've been doing all along, but without requiring a Minidisc recorder as a go-between.

[tabcom]

thank you kindly for the solution to my question.

WireTap + Audacity will work nicely for what I wish to do.

[tomlee59]

I hope it works out for you. Good luck!