Hello Estrachan, I got the idea for cue marking from an excerpt in Sadievan's reply (on Pg. 3) of this thread. Let me clarify some of what is said. 1. You convert your .aa file into mp3 first and then open it in goldwave (it should just load up if you convert it with goldwave). 2. Open Tools / Cue Points 3. Click on Auto Cue on the lower right hand side 4. Thresh hold is -32.0 (this defines what is considered silence - below a certain dB) minimum length is 0.50 (this is the length of the silence) minimum separation is 3:00.00 (this is how long your segment or tracks will roughly be) cue placement is 50% (this is how much room you are giving it to find a silent spot - some sections will be 3:04 or 3:02 etc.) 5. Select Ok and it will calculate all of the Cue Points 6. Click on split file, choose the directory you want the split mp3 put into (I recomment a fresh folder so you can find all of the pieces). Click on Use base filename and set the ### marks first and then I just put one word to describe what book it is from. I have found that if you put the ### marks first my cd-mp3 player will read them in numerical order but, if they are last my cd-mp3 player jumbles them all up no matter if they appear in order on the cd (This is from a burned cd - I'm not sure how it will work on my mp3 player I haven't recieved it yet). Click on Use file's current format and attributes. 7. Click Ok and it will record each file, which takes a little while (about 10 seconds per cue/file) I hope that answers your question. I think it works great because it picks out a pause between words and I don't even notice the break unless your mp3 player inserts a 2 second pause between tracks. Thanks, Mandi
I was wondering if anyone here could help me. I am totally blind and without sight. I am an audible user and would like to convert my audible files to the MP3 format so that I can load them on my cell phone. I have heard a lot of talk here about how it can be done and over the weekend, I installed River Past 5.0. I have received a code and activated the River Past software. I have tried now on several occasions to convert an audible file to MP3 from this program but it is not working. Could someone please email me or post here the step by step instructions on how to do this with River Past. I am very frustrated and any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Is there a way to strip the audible encryption on the Level 4 books WITHOUT converting on some of them you just loose too much quality converting the level 4 is literally 32khz mp3 just with some DRM added I have about 500 hours of audible content and at $12.95 a month (I have been with them for years) I spent a LOT of money to get it. I want to use it how I please. that means on my Minidisc player. Chris Taylor http://www.zodiacreview.com/
Hello All, I was all excited when I joined Audibles about 3 days ago. The first book I downloaded is The Fountainhead which is 35 hours long. It plays fine on Windows Media Player. My plan was to try to get it on 2 CDs in MP3 format. Needless to say, it's been a frustrating 3 days since. I have finally managed to get a working copy of River Past 5.0.0, but when I try to load the .aa file, it says the file "does not contain recognizable audio" I believe I downloaded the .aa with level 2 compression. Does anyone out there have any advice ?
Hello Mrupp, The best method I have found is using goldwave because you have more options. I tried RiverPast and it works but I needed to split up my audiobook because to get a decent sound quality the mp3 file ended up a little larger. Plus Goldwave has more options in choosing conversion Hz and bitrate (I had to read up on those to figure out what was going on there - I use 22050 Hz, mono, 64000 kbps). I have found with Goldwave that I can open the .aa file (in the open window under Files of Type select all *.*) it takes my computer about 7 minutes to open the file. Make sure that the .aa file plays from the begining where it says "This is Audible" and then select File / Save As and pick where you want to save it and pick Save as Type / mp3 select the Hz, channel and bitrate. If you use the rates I use the mp3 file will end up about 1/3 to 1/2 larger than the original (it takes my computer aprox. 25 minutes to convert). Then, if you read my earlier response, you can split the file using cue marks to whatever length you desire - the splitting takes about 10 seconds per section at three minute intervals). Then I just drop the section of book I am listening to on my mp3 player and away I go. My mp3 player is only a 256 Mb so I put on as many sections as it will take and every so often I delet ones I have listened to and add new ones to the end (I haven't run out yet). I hope this helps you. Let me know if there is anything else I can help with. I did use riverpast too and so I might be able to help you there. Sincerely, Mandi
PS. Mrupp, I downloaded the .aa file in level 4 compression for the best quality to start from since the conversion takes a little quality away. Oh and I didn't ever get the Riverpast 5.0 version to validate though if you ask they will give you an older key but, I got the newest version to convert for me. I just ignored the warning that pops up and says no recognizable audio.
rmgott: Thanks for all the info. I really appreciate you taking the time to help. Since posting my question, I did get River Past to work. For some reason the AudibleManager was originally causing some problems. It began giving me error messages about activation and the .aa file stoped working even with Windows Media Player. I finally re-set all activations, and re-downloaded the .aa files (I used Audible level 3 this time). After that River Past worked perfectly and I've been enjoying my books. The combination that's working for me now is AudibleManager 4.0 with RiverPast 5.0.0. After conversion, I'm breaking the MP3 into small tracks with Cool MP3 Splitter and finally burning to CD. One of my books is about 34 hours long and it only takes up about half of one CD. There may be better ways to do it, but I'm happy as a clam with what I've got. Thanks again.
ok, so like many of you i have been trying to convert .aa files to mp3 files. I've learned some interesting things that may make it easier for people to do the conversions and get it right. So i am going to start from the beginning First of all, here's what you need. - Audible windows Media Player Filter - latest Version of Goldwave OR RiverPast Audio Converter 5.0.0 Before you convert anything: - .aa files have a memory!! If you've been listening to them, they will remember where you left off and start at that point. You'll notice other people posting about how the files were only partially converting. For some reason the conversion will pick up where you leave off the last time you listened to it. - To get around this: * open the file in windows media player * stop the file from playing by clicking stop button in Windows Media Player. * Use the section navigoter from the audible filter clicking the rewind button until you think it has gone back to the beginning of the file. * Check to see if it is at the beginning by clicking play (you should hear "This is Audible ...") * Click rewind in the section navigator. This will bring the file back to the beginning. * Close Windows Media Player. -Now your file is ready for conversion Using riverpast: - Trial version only allows 2 min at a time. You need to buy the key( www.riverpast.com ) After you get the Key you must email riverpast support to get a key that works for the old version. - With this taken care of you can open RiverPast Converter, Click "Add" and select your file. Goto Output settings and select mp3 at setting sample rate 24khz and bitrate 56 kb/s - It takes me about 2hrs to convert a 100, 000+ kb file Using Goldwave: - Newest Version is at www.goldwave.com You can use it for quite a while in trial setting, after that you need the key. I recommend getting the key, personnally i like the software and think since i am using it i should pay for it. However this is just personal preference, do as you like. - click open in goldwave's control panel. Goto the directory where you keep your audible files. There won't be anything there, but don't panic. - under "files of type" in the open window, select "all *.*" - Now you should see your audible files, double click the one you want. It will take goldwave some time to convert so be patient. It usually takes my PC about 25 min to open the file. - Click "save as" and select the mp3 settings you want. This takes my pc about an hour for 17 hour aa file(using 80kb/s and 44.1khz). So again be patient. - when it is finished you will have your mp3 file. Enjoy! GoldWave Issue: - Goldwave won't open the mp3 file i just made * this is because Goldwave makes a .tmp file when opening your mp3. This tmp file gets Huge!! the one i got was about 15GB!! So you need a LOT of space on your hard drive to get that file to open. so do some house cleaning. Try to have 20gb free space if you want that file to open. * If you want to see your .tmp file. go to options --> Storage. Under temporary storage you can pick your directory for .tmp file and see the size for yourself. * the .tmp file should delete once you are done your work, if it doesn't, then goto the directory where you stored it and delete it. Well this covers it. Enjoy. If you want to split your file in goldwave then look at the following post in this thread: rmgott (Newbie) 11. May 2005 @ 11:45 It's covered really well. Cheers; gt
An easy way to make Audible forget where it left off in all your aa files is to rename C:\Program Files\Audible\Admin\[bold]playlist.ap[/bold] to [bold]playlist.ap.save[/bold]. Later delete [bold]playlist.ap[/bold] and rename the .save file back to it's original name.
Goldwave seems to be working great! Thank you so much for the tip. I have begun converting my .aa files to save on my device. Don't worry about the legal stuff, its for my personal use. The help found here has been great.
Hi there, I am a "serious" Audible listener. thanks to all of you who shared your experience!!! It's a really good help. I have now both Past River 5.0.0 and Goldwave. On my Destop Past River did not start (on my notebook there was no problem) so I tried Goldwave today and it works. Its a bit strange with Past River, it seems that I have all the Bitrates available, but on the screen whatever Bitrate I choose for save, there is only 22K and 16 bit shown whitout any change according to the chosen Bitrate. The only thig that changes is the size of the file. What you think? Is this a limitation or is it working? With Goldwave ver. 5.10 everything seems to be ok. It seems a bit slower than Past River. Do I need a version higher than ver. 5.0.0? Do I need to search for e.g. ver. 5.0.3? Does someone has one? jordan
Sorry for sending my message twice. I am new here... Hey Playlist, Does that what you say, mean that you don't need to go into every .aa file and open it and bring back the "listen" status? Does the AM program reset every file so you can convert them all at once in a batch? Jordan
playlist, just tried to delete the playlist.ap file in the admin folder. Then openend AM ver. 4.0 Here is the result: Every book I tried to open started from the beginning. I was wondering how the AM managed to reset at once all the .aa files, so i tried to open some not from within the AM, but from the WIN XP Explorer. Amazingly it worked too! Now I try to open the file with Goldwave to see if it works as well. .... it works!!! I have 200+ audiobooks and this will definetly help with the batch processing with Goldwave. As i understand the .aa file has some memory itself(thanks to the posted message earlier in the thread). But how starting the AM with no playlist.ap file is managing to reset all the audiboks just by opening?! Has anyone some idea? Thanks Jordan
Hi there, I just found the answer myself If someone is curious about it (how the audible manager forgets about the listening status of all the files when the file "C:\Program Files\Audible\Admin\playlist.ap" is deleted), here it is: Actually what playlist says is correct. I decided to prove it. First I looked if any .aa files were modified (after i renamed the playlist.ap and restarted the audible manager). The files were not changed. Then I experimented with listening to a book to some stage later renaming the playlist file and checked again if the audible manager forgets the status. It worked. I wondered if it would work with goldwave as well. I checked it only once with a batch of two files and it turned out ok. So here is what i found out: There is no memory in the .aa file itself. Rather the Audible Plug-in (the Audible Media player filter or the section navigation - I am speaking about the piece of software which allows the Media player to play the .aa file) goes everytime you open a file to that playlist.ap file and checks if your current file was opened before and for how long. So by renaming the paylist.ap file there is no history of any opened files so far and every file you try to open is treated as hear it for a first time. Jordan
I converted my .aa files( From Audible.com) to MP3 using GoldWave. I downloaded to my PC then transfered to my Zen Micro. The audio on the Zen Micro sounds awful. It play really S-L--O---W. Can someone tell me what I did wrong? Thanks
