Creating streaming media for the Internet is a two step process: the media must first be digitized and edited. It must then be converted into a streaming format (i.e. RealAudio/RealVideo or Microsoft NetShow). This document describes how to acquire sounds using the SoundEffects audio editor. Once digitized, sounds may be exported to RealAudio using the free RealProducer G2 from RealNetworks.
Note: Before you record, make sure that the Mac is set to record using the Sound In port. This can be set via the Control Strip. See below.
Recording the Sound
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In SoundEffects (located in the Sound Editors folder), select the record button. If you’re recording voice, set your settings to Mono, 11.5 KHz sampling rate at 8 bits/sample. See the figure. Press the record button and begin speaking. When you are finished press Stop. Then click Save. Select Normalize from the Effects menu. This will optimize the sound for RealAudio encoding. When you are done, save the sound as an AIFF file. |
RealAudio
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In the RealProducer, select Open File
from the File menu and select the uncompressed ounds file (AIFF, WAV, etc)
that you wish to encode.
In the main RealProducer window, enter the clip information (title, author, copyright) along the left of the screen. Region 1 highlights this part of the dialog box. Next, select w hat type of connection your listeners will be using (28.8 modem, 56k modem, ISDN line, etc) and what type of audio/video you have. These are set on the right side of the screen, in Region 2. Under File Type, select Single Rate. This ensures that users who don’t have the latest RealPlayer G2 can still play your sound files. Press Start. The program will covert your sound into a RealAudio file. Depending on the speed of your machine and the size of the input file, this can take several minutes. To view information about your file as it’s being encoded, select Statistics from the View menu. |
Group A
Brainstorm some ideas for implementing RealAudio files that you create into your language teaching. For example, how might you promote awareness of regional differences in target language speech? What are some possible advantages and disadvantages of using RealAudio and/or RealVideo?
Group B
Brainstorm some ideas for implementing RealAudio sites that already exist on the web into your language teaching. Go to the resource list at the end of the following online article and explore one or two RealAudio/RealVideo links.
http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/Techniques/Tuzi-RealAudio.html
For example, how might you use live radio broadcasts to develop listening comprehension? What are some possible advantages and disadvantages of using RealAudio and/or RealVideo?