Record tape/LP/analog to mp3 with Audacity

From Sean:

Plenty of us older folk have those older analog media like tape, record, etc. How to get it to mp3?
Well, I wanted some program that would record from Line In, and be able to clean up the hiss and other background noise that comes from playing this media.

I found on the web that someone used Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) to do this. So, I downloaded and installed it.

See this link for a nice more-detailed tutorial on this process, if you want more than I describe below: http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php?title=Transferring_tapes_and_records_to_computer_or_CD

Also, you'll need the LAME MP3 encoder - see this page
for instructions:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=install&item=lame-mp3

To actually record from tape to MP3, here's what I do:

• - Set the recording source to 'Line In'
• - Set the recording level to around 7
• - Run a stereo cable (male-to male, get from Radio Shack or wherever)) from my tape player phono jack to the computer's sound line-in jack
• - Insert tape into player and press play, listen for a few seconds to check the volume level and adjust as necessary
• - Stop and rewind tape
• - Press record on Audacity, then press play on tape
• - When tape stops, then stop recording on Audacity - the recording will be on its own track
• - Turn over tape to other side, Press record on Audacity, then press play on tape
• - When tape stops, then stop recording on Audacity - the recording will be on a different track
• - In Audacity, on each track, clean up the noise:

• - Select about 5 secs of dead (non-music/talking) footage
• - In the menu, select 'Effects -> Noise Removal'
• - Click 'Get Noise Profile', then cancel
• - Select the entire track (can click on the empty area under the mute/leveling items)
• - In the menu, select 'Effects -> Noise Removal', then click 'Remove Noise'
• - After a few mins of processing, the noise will be pretty much removed from the track

• - Edit/splice tracks as desired

• - Edit MP3 bit rate settings:

• - In the menu, select 'Edit ->Preferences', then the 'File Formats' tab
• - In the 'MP3 Export Setup' area, choose the bit rate (I use 96 for a compromise between quality and file size), then click OK

• - Edit MP3 id tags:

• - In the menu, select 'Edit -> Edit ID3 Tags'
• - Enter desired values in the various fields, then click OK

• - Export each track separately as desired:

• - Select an entire track
• - In the menu, select 'File -> Export Selection as MP3'
• - Enter filename for the mp3 file, then click OK

• - MP3 will be created

And there you go!
See Audacity help and the tutorial link above to understand how to do more things - I often do
Amplify, or Normalize before exporting to MP3.

Neti Pot purchase cheap

From Sean:
Was it from talking to parents that I found out about Neti pots? I dunno, but it sounded like a good idea to me, so I looked around on the web for the cheapest deal, and ended up getting it from the Puritans's Pride website:

Puritans's Pride Neti Pot search

I ordered the cheap Neti Pot and a pack of the extra special salt.
Here's a video helping to know how to use it: video

So, I received the cute cheap Alladdin's lamp Neti Pot with their cool expensive pure salt, and have done the deal a few times. Frankly, I think it really does work - I felt more cleansed and free in the nez. We'll see if I really avoid more colds and sniffles, but I have to say I'm optimistic.

A la irrigacion!

'byu.net' email alias

'byu.net' email alias:
I don't know if you already know about this, but you can get your own 'byu.net' email alias:
- goto 'byu.edu'
- click 'RouteY'
- login, or get a byu/routey id
- once you login, click 'email alias manager'
- there you can setup aliases, where people email to a 'byu.net' addr, which then forwards the email to another email addr of your choosing

Thus, you can tell people your 'byu.net' address, and then change the underlying aliased address whenever you change email accounts. People will always have the right email for you - neat. Of course, you want to avoid using the byu.net address with those you don't want to get spam from.

Well, Frankensean had to make one final return, with his offspring. As 'Garlic Flavor': may the Fork be with you !

And now, the mild-mannered Sean is pretty well back - wearing a shirt ready for another go at the Caribbean !

Ahhhhh !!!
The return to 'Normal'-Sean begins, with removal of those infernal pins !

Frankensean

	Innocent enough, with nice hairpiece
	The transformation begins, he looks happy and mild-mannered now, but ...
	The eyes become wild
	and full body is on the road to craze - who knows what's next? ...