Can't Convert RAM files to MP3 with ffmpegx

[bowjest]

Hello all,

I've got a set of RealAudio files (some .ram and some the actual .ra files) that I need to convert to mp3).

I've tried following the steps outlined here:

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20060906153448633

But whether I add .wav to the end of the .ram file or not, it just fails (with the .wav extension it states that the file is unrecognized in the input window on the left and if I just leave it with the .ram extension, it sees it as REAL, but when I select the output option of Audio file to mp3 on the right side, it encodes for a second or two, says it completes, but no file is produced).

Can anyone advise where I might be going wrong on suggest an alternative method of converting these files to mp3?

Thanks,

Bowjest

[redwudz]

You would get more answers in the ffmpegX forum. Moving you.

[Case]

Could you put one of those ra files online for me to try? I don't seem to have any of those myself.
pm me or post the url.

[bowjest]

Hi, Case,

I'll try to send you a pm now.

Thanks,

Bowjest

[Case]

I couldn't get it to work either with ffmpegX. It seems the source files use an audio codec that is not decodable by ffcook (the part of ffmpeg that handles real media audio codecs).
While playing one of the .ram files in RealPlayer 11.0.0, I noticed the app first wanted to download "RealAudio 3.0 codec Plug-in", which added two .bundle files to the codec folder (ddnt.bundle and dnet.bundle). The exact message was: "This clip requires the following free software
[x] RealAudio 3.0 codec Plug-in 120 KB
Enables playback of audio content produced with the DolbyNet(tm) Audio Codec for RealAudio™. 6.0.7.7064"

I think your best bet is to capture the audio while playing in RealPlayer. The capture app should record any audio being produced (going to the Mac's speakers) to be written to file. I think WireTap is one of the apps capable of doing this. Perhaps others know of different alternatives.

[tomlee59]

I second Case's recommendation to use some sort of capture app, rather than attempting to transcode the source file. WireTap is one possibility, Audio Hijack is another. Those are just a couple of the many apps that will intercept the audio stream sent to the speaker/headphone jack, and write that to a file for further processing. It's the approach of last resort, which is where we've ended up in this case.

[bowjest]

Case and tomlee59,

Thanks for your help. At least now I know it's not just me.

I'll try those apps you mentioned and see what results I get. Previously I had tried the same sort of thing with Audacity, but for some reason on a Mac it just seems to record what is coming out of the speakers (there is no take input from line-in option like there is on the Windows version).

Thanks again and hopefully one of the apps you mentioned will fix things for me.

Bowjest

[tomlee59]

Case and tomlee59,

Thanks for your help. At least now I know it's not just me.

I'll try those apps you mentioned and see what results I get. Previously I had tried the same sort of thing with Audacity, but for some reason on a Mac it just seems to record what is coming out of the speakers (there is no take input from line-in option like there is on the Windows version).

Thanks again and hopefully one of the apps you mentioned will fix things for me.

Bowjest

Just to be clear, what we're suggesting is that you play the clip as you would when listening to it normally. As you do this, fire up one of these apps to capture what is going to (coming out of) the speakers. You don't want to capture from the line-in, because that's not where the audio is.

And all versions of Audacity I'm aware of will capture from the line-in or mic port. I didn't know that they will hijack an audio stream like WireTap can. I'll have to check that out. Perhaps you meant the opposite of what you wrote?

[bowjest]

Hi, tomlee59,

Yeah, you're right, I kinda got ahead of my fingers.

Roger to what you said about capturing the stream as the Real file plays. Once I have one of the apps y'all mentioned, I'll see what results I get.

Take care and have a good Christmas.

Bowjest