Need help converting iTMS AAC audio to PCM

[Empathy]

Hi,

I'm new here, so please be gentle if this topic has come up before...

I'm running a Sawtooth G4 (450), with an external SCSI-based CD burner. I _purchased_ several songs on iTunes (OS X - Jaguar), only to discover that there's apparently no way to burn them to CD as PCM audio without a built-in CD burner, or a "supported" Firewire burner.

I've also tried several freeware or shareware apps that claimed to convert AAC files to AIFF, but the copy protection mechanism works too well.

Has anyone had any success converting protected AACs to another format? I bought this music, and I want to use it on a mix CD!

Thanks In advance!

 

[Westside guy]

A quick-and-dirty solution, if you have access to a PC with a CD burner (or another Mac), would be to copy the protected AAC files over there and then authorize that machine to play your music. iTunes on the PC works perfectly well. You can always de-authorize it immediately afterward.

Unfortunately most of the other "solutions" I can think of would violate the license agreement you and I agreed to before using the iTunes store.

 

[kgarner]

You might try www.xlr8yourmac.com and look up your drive and OS. If someone else has gotten it to work they may have posted how. They usually have tutorials about adding support for some drives as well.

 

[Empathy]

Thanks, but I already tried it. My wife's got an HP laptop, and uses iTunes extensively. So, I burned the files to CD (mac/pc hybrid data CD), and had her copy them over to her drive. We tried every way we could think of to get those files to show up in her library. No dice.

Then I discovered the Sharing function. turned on sharing, authorized her machine to play these files... but they will _only_ play. You can't drag them into a playlist to burn them. *sigh*

Lookin like I'm hosed.

Thanks again for your suggestion!

 

[Logik]

Audio HiJack should be able to help you save these as unprotected files. i think it's like $16... I would think HYMM (i thinkt hat's the name of it now) should work too....

I love audio hijack pro.. great little app

 

[Empathy]

hmm, I'll look it up. Thanks, Logik!

kgarner, I followed your advice and searched the xlr8yourmac databases for posts aout my drive (it's a Yamaha 6416S, by the way). The interesting thing is that there are several posts from people that claim to be able to use their 6416's to burn iTunes CDs!



So I checked the Yamaha website to see if maybe I'm using outdated firmware. Of course the link to the latest firmware (v. 1.0d), is broken. *sigh*

 

[Westside guy]

Thanks, but I already tried it. My wife's got an HP laptop, and uses iTunes extensively. So, I burned the files to CD (mac/pc hybrid data CD), and had her copy them over to her drive. We tried every way we could think of to get those files to show up in her library. No dice.

Then I discovered the Sharing function. turned on sharing, authorized her machine to play these files... but they will _only_ play. You can't drag them into a playlist to burn them. *sigh*

I think you must've missed a step - specifically you authorized her to play them AFTER you were trying to add the files themselves. She has to be authorized first (which you've now done, since she can access your shared files).

Assuming you haven't since de-authorized her - transfer the files over to her computer again, and then just drag them into her iTunes. It should just simply work; even burning the CD. I have done this.

BTW it'd be simpler to move files over to her machine using SSH. You can get a free (for personal use) graphical SSH/SFTP program from ssh.com. Then just turn on the ssh server on your Mac "System Preferences -> Sharing -> Remote Login" and connect with your Mac username/password.

More totally free ssh programs for Windows are the OpenSSH port to Windows and PuTTY.

Edit: It's also important to make sure both machines are running the current version of iTunes.

 

[Empathy]

Hmm.. you may be onto something there. I'll give it another shot tonight. Thanks westside!

 

[kgarner]

Just an FYI. It seems form what I read at xlr8yourmac.com about your drive that many people had issues with the SCSI Card. You might check that your SCSI card drivers are up to date as well and make sure you have 10.2.8 on your Mac. That way you can still use it to burn other stuff down the road. My dad had problems with his SCSI card in his Sawtooth under 10.2, but he was trying to run a RAID off it so I don't know about burning.

 

[Empathy]

Hey westside,

I just tried it again, but still nothing. I mounted my shared files from my iTunes, to make sure the files are still authorized, then I copied the files from CD again - but they just simply won't show up in my library, nor will iTunes let me add any of the files to a playlist.

Confused.

kgarner, I'm checking on the drivers for the Adaptec 2930U card and the firmware for the 6416S next.

THanks again for all your help!

 

[Westside guy]

I just tried it again, but still nothing. I mounted my shared files from my iTunes, to make sure the files are still authorized, then I copied the files from CD again - but they just simply won't show up in my library, nor will iTunes let me add any of the files to a playlist.

Now I'm confused too!

This probably won't make any difference, but I suggest trying to transfer them via SSH directly from the Mac to the PC (not using the CD in other words). Just in case there's something funky about the copy of those files that are on the CD (or the CD itself).

 

[Logik]

deactivate... then goto the music store.. login using your login/password, add to the library. i've done it from pc->mac that way and it worked perfectly fine.. but i was logged into the music store before doing so. not sure if it really makes a difference or not either. but worth a shot.

Hymm should remove the DRM... i'd say you have a decent enough reason for using it.. just wait, this thread will get tossed to the wasteland due to me suggesting that. *rolls eyes* ... so much for fair use i guess