stupid computer tricks

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Pirateking

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Hi
I've been recording for 6 years but am fairly new to computer junk. In the past, I have mastered stuff from my 4-track down onto tape, then taken the master tape and recorded it using Goldwave onto the computer to make WAVs and MP3s. I have no problem with the sound quality, but this uses a ridiculous amount of hard drive space, which I have fairly limited amounts of. My question is this: is it possible, once I have put a song onto my computer, to save it to a CD-RW as a data file of some type that will take up less space than a WAV or MP3? Or is MP3 the best bet? I want to be able to save the song to a CD so that I can erase off of my hard drive, but then be able to pull it back off of the CD later without having to rip the actual song. Is this completely insane? It sounds like it should work to me, but I need help with the details. I know my CD burning program (Nero) makes you choose whether you are burning an audio cd or a data cd. If I simply pick "data cd" but save MP3 files will it do what I want to do?
 
No problem Pirateking. Burn it to CD-R in it's native WAV format, and then delete it off your hard drive.

Yes, make it a DATA cd. Don't use mp3 if your burning it to a CD. I'm guessing your doing this for archive reasons? You don't want to reduce the quality converting it to mp3. You have 650MB on a CD, that's typically 16 or so average length songs.
 
If you are REALLY concerned about space on your archives:

Try using Monkey's Audio Compression, sounds goofy, but it is free software that will compress your .wav files to ~1/2 their size and you DO NOT lose any sound quality.

Queue
 
What recording software are you using? Cakewalk/SONAR has a file format that "bundles" the project file and lal the related audio files together into a single file. I would think other similar apps might have such a feature.
 
Thanks for your help, guys. I am using Goldwave, as mentioned above. I now have access to CoolEditPro, but might just keep using Goldwave because it's pretty easy. Thanks again.
 
burn it to two CD-Rs

If you burn to CD and delete from HD, you don't have an archive, you have one copy. On a CD-R. (cue spooky music).
Since CD-Rs are really cheap I would suggest burning at least two copies of your wav files. Don't waste time with file compression, CD-Rs are very cheap and time is very prescious. Personally, I make 4 CD-R copies of any file I'm going to delete, and try to store at least one copy in a different place than the others.

You can be too skinny and too rich, but you can't be too paranoid.

:eek: Why's everyone looking at me?
 
Once you FORMAT your CDRW, you can use it (the CDRW's) as back up media.

You will need to format the CDRW disc.

spin
 
I agree with Zoetrope. CDRs are cheap, just save your WAV files to data CDR. I burn two copies if it's important, which I guess means I'm only half as paranoid as he is :D
 
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