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Grey Matter

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 8, 2003
6
0
Hi,

This is my first post at Macrumors.

I'm new to Mac, so any help you can offer would be much appreciated.

I am looking for Mac software that can do the following:

Open and edit MP2 files and then save the files as RealMedia (.rm)
We're oly talking audio here, no video editing required.

Real have their own Real Media producer (and Helix) but this is really a very basic program and you can't precisely edit any large file in it. Soundforge - does this on PC but they don't have a Mac version.

Cleaner 6, can edit and convert (I think, from reading the product description) but only for OS 9. I need an OS X program.

If anyone can suggest OS X software, that would be great.

Thanks!
 
Do you mean mp3 audio files? I don't think there is a monster as mp2 audio...it's either AIFF or AC3 (Dolby Digital).
 
Okay, let me clarify a little.

I use a Marantz digital recorder to record interviews and speeches. The Marantz records in mp2 format onto a compact flash card. Marantz specs: Recording and reading methods:
MPEG1 Layer II compression (MP2)xx
16-bit linear uncompressed .wav (PCM)

Recording bit rate (Selectable by preset):
MP2 = 32 -192 kbps
PCM (Wave) = 768 kppsx

http://www.marantz.co.jp/eng/pro_asia/pmd680.html

I then transfer the file to my computer, open and edit it (delete some uhms and ahs, cut the length etc.) Then save the file as .rm and upload it to our real server.

I'm not a fan of realaudio but that's beside the point and I have no say in the matter.

I used to do all this on a pc using SoundForge. Now that I've moved to Mac, I need to find an equivalent program. It doesn't need to be big or sophisticated - I don't need any kind of video editing ability, just audio.

Cleaner 6 can open mp2 files and save them as realmedia but according to their documentation the real media option is only for OS 9. :(

Hope that clarifies the problem. Any help much appreciated!
 
There's a freeware program called Audacity that will open and edit .mp2's:

Find it here.

That's the only one I can find that will edit .mp2.

As for getting it in Real Audio format...I can't help there. I think Real is working on an OS X app, but who knows when that will be out.
 
Crazytom, thanks very much for the help!

I'm told that Peak 3.1 could also work, at least as far as converting to RM. But not sure if it can open MP2 files.

Do you have any experience of this?
 
Originally posted by Grey Matter
I'm told that Peak 3.1 could also work, at least as far as converting to RM. But not sure if it can open MP2 files.

Do you have any experience of this?

Yes, I have Peak 3.21 and it does not recognize .mp2. I don't know if the 4.0 update will recognize it...but that isn't coming out for a few months... I did test audacity...but not for more than 20 seconds...though you could probably convert to something that is useable by Peak.

Peak does have an option to convert to RealAudio, but my option is greyed out. I haven't done research to see if there's a plug-in that I'd need to get. AFAIK, Real is still working on one. I'd check it out, but I'm pressed for time until after this weekend.
 
the plot thickens or should that be the plight deepens ...

I can open MP2 files in Quicktime and save them to .mov

Now Perk should definitely be able to edit Quicktime's files. So that seems to be a solution ... except ... your Real Audio option is greyed out! That's ominous.

I was relying on Peak to do the RA conversion but if it can't ... We know that Cleaner 6's RA option only works with OS 9. Which you can't boot on the new Powerbooks.

I thought we almost had a solution there ...

Again, thanks tom, have a nice weekend!
 
why do you need to convert these files to .rm files? for any specific purpose? could you use another format (.rm isnt a good format in my opinion)

and as a side note to crazytom...mp2 is still the standard used by radio stations who use idgital music. If you order a massive song library for a computer based radio station its all mp2 format:)
 
I'm afraid I have no say in the matter, uhlawboi80. The company decided to use Real, has a real steaming server and software. I'm not a fan of theirs either.

My computer is my own and I decided to go for Mac. At the time I didn't even consider that it might be a problem finding software to to handle mp2 and rm. If I were using OS 9, I could use Cleaner but the new PBs don't boot OS 9.

Peak seems to be a "real" possibility but craytom said his rm options were greyed out - any idea why?

A friend suggested Adobe Premier 6 (apparently 6.5 is not good for RM either). What overkill to use such software for plain audio.

A solution will be found.
 
I've used real producer on OSX - running under classic - perhaps not the most elegant solution if you were hoping to do everything natively in OSX but it worked.
Charley
 
thanks guys,

Can I run classic on a 17" PowerBook? That's the machine I've ordered but haven't received yet.

All this is just to sort out what software I'll need once I get it. As I'm not working on a Mac at the moment I can't test anything.
And as far as I've been able to find out the new PBs can't boot OS 9.

Can anyone confirm this?
 
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