MixMP3 - Audio capture from sound card

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__philippe
Posts: 687
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2013 2:09 am

MixMP3 - Audio capture from sound card

#1 Post by __philippe »

MixMP3 - Audio capture from sound card

TPFC already musters six classic tools fit for the job, each with extended audio stream processing capabilities,
listed hereunder by disk size footprint, from the commendably lean to the patently obese:

  61KB Streamosaur
500KB mp3DirectCut
809KB Wavosaur
 26MB Audacity
 90MB OceanAudio
395MB OBS Studio

Yet,
for the odd, quick-and-dirty sound capture task, and in deference to __phil's sacro-sanct "least resource expenditure" principle, ;-)
MixMP3 [74KB *.exe CLI] looks a better fit for the job at hand :

Code: Select all

C:\mixmp3 myoutput

MP3-encoder of signal from soundcard. Version 1.0.7, 13.11.2000
(c) Dmitry Lesnikov (dlesnikov@mail.ru)  MP3-engine: Lame
----------------------------------------------------------------------
* Resulting file: myoutput.mp3
* File format: MPEG1 Layer3, 128 kbit/s, 44 kHz, j-stereo
* Quality: high
* Buffer size: 104857 kb
* Encoder version: 3.87

Press ESC to exit...
Record: 160.0 kbytes (0:00:10), buffer free: 99.9%, CPU usage: 12.2%

Mind you,
beyond the obvious simple usage manifest from the terse command line above,
MixMP3 does feature quite a few [optional] switches, for the benefit of the tinkerers among us :

Code: Select all

C:\mixmp3

Usage:
mixmp3 [options] [outfile]
options: [-b bitrate] [-f buffer] [-s level] [-a] [-ms|j|m] [-ql|h]
         [-d frequency] [-x filename] [-split1|2|3]

        -b - bitrate, maybe 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128,
             144, 160, 192, 224, 256, 320 kbit/s, default - 128 kbit/s
        -d - working samplerate, maybe 8, 11, 12, 16, 22, 24, 32, 44 or 48 kHz,
             default 44 kHz
        -t - limitation of encoding time, in minutes, by default - no limit
        -f - size of working buffer, in kbytes, starting with 256 kb,
             default - 5% of physical RAM (for mono - 2.5%)
        -s - cutting out silence on mentioned level, in dB, default - -50 dB
        -a - set the increased priority execution of encoder,
             by default on Windows 9x, -a- disable this mode
        -x - set of semaphore filename for stopping recording process
        -ms - use stereo mode (by default for bitrates >= 192)
        -mj - use j-stereo mode (by default for bitrates < 192)
        -mm - use mono mode
        -ql - encode with low quality
        -qh - encode with high quality (by default)
        -split1 - split to files (duration of 1 hour), daily cycle
        -split2 - split to files (duration of 1 hour), weekly cycle
        -split3 - split to files (duration of 1 hour), monthly cycle
        outfile - resulting mp3 filename, by default - out.mp3
Have a go at it ! 8)

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webfork
Posts: 10818
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Location: US, Texas
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Re: MixMP3 - Audio capture from sound card

#2 Post by webfork »

The site has a fairly constant anti-CLI attitude, but I've been gradually losing my resistance to the whole topic over the years. My main question for this CLI program is if it can handle multiple channels. For example, does it record audio from the mic? What if there are two audio signals playing?

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__philippe
Posts: 687
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2013 2:09 am

Re: MixMP3 - Audio capture from sound card

#3 Post by __philippe »

webfork wrote: Tue Jan 15, 2019 5:48 pm The site has a fairly constant anti-CLI attitude, but I've been gradually losing my resistance to the whole topic over the years.
It's a long and arduous journey on the CLI conversion path, my son,... but redemption is nigh...:wink:
webfork wrote: Tue Jan 15, 2019 5:48 pm...can (MixMP3) handle multiple channels?...does it record audio from the mic?... What if there are two audio signals playing?
Not sure about the answer, but since MixMP3 provides several options for stereo recording mode,
that seems to indicate multiple channels are catered for.

FYI,
Hereunder (hidden for length), an English translation of the MixMP3 Russian manual,
which might help elucidate the matter, theoretically.
(For lack of a handy mike, can't try the good old empirical method, more's the pity... :( )
Spoiler!   

Code: Select all

                                    MixMP3
                          Version 1.0.7 of 11/13/2000
                               Short description.



                                  Content.

1. What is MixMP3?
2. Opportunities.
3. Minimum system requirements.
4. Description of command line options.
5. Some remarks.
6. The author.


1. What is MixMP3?

   MixMP3 is a sound information encoder to the popular mp3 format with
   sound card output. To be more precise, it is not
   full coder, but only a superstructure above the engine Lame,
   implemented in a separate dll. The program allows you to record
   sound information directly from sound card to hard
   Disc in mp3 format in real time, if they allow
   hardware capabilities. The program is implemented as a console.
   applications.


2. Opportunities.

   - Record audio information in mp3-format with bitrate 8, 16, 24,
     32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 80, 96, 112, 144, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256
     and 320 kbps 16 bits 8, 11, 12, 16, 22, 24, 32, 44 or 48 kHz,
     in stereo, joint-stereo and mono mode.
   - Automatic "pokusyusanie" pauses at a given level.


3. Minimum system requirements.

   Operating system: Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 or
                             Microsoft Windows 98
   Processor: iP-200 (for mono or low
                             quality) or iCeleron 333 (stereo with
                             high quality)
   RAM: 24 Mb
   Sound card: 16-bit sound card.


4. Description of command line options.

   The format of the program call:

      mixmp3 [options] [outfile]

   where options are the parameters defining the modes of operation.
       outfile - the name of the created mp3 file.

   Currently it is possible to change the following modes:

      - Task working bitrate.

         Command format: -b nnn

         nnn - the value of the bitrate, is selected from a number of 8, 16, 24, 32
               40, 48, 56, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 144, 160, 192, 224,
               256, 320 kbps.
               The default is 128 kbps for 32, 44 and 48 kHz,
               80 kbps for frequencies 16, 22 and 24 kHz.

      - Set the operating sampling rate.

         Command format: -d nn

         nn - the value of the sampling frequency from a number of 16, 22, 24, 32,
              44 or 48 kHz. The default is 44 kHz.
              It should be borne in mind that your sound card and / or its
              The driver may not support some of these frequencies.

      - Specify buffer size for temporary storage uncompressed
        sound information.

         Command format: -f nnn

         nnn - buffer size in kb for unpacked data, set
               in kilobytes. The minimum value is 256 KB, the value
               the default is 5% of the amount of RAM for stereo modes,
               2.5% for mono mode.

         The presence of a buffer avoids the loss of part of the sound
         signal at periodic short-term peak loads on
         a processor, for example, launching a heavy application,
         short archiving or unpacking of archives,
         spreadsheet spreads, etc. If during sound recording
         If no other applications are planned to work, then you can set
         small size. Default buffer size according to
         author, is optimal under the condition of parallel work
         several applications of "moderate severity."

      - Automatic removal of pauses from the recorded signal.

         Command format: -s nnn

         nnn - indicates the level value in decibels, which is
               boundary to divide the signal into useful and pause.
               If the numeric parameter is omitted, the value is taken
               default is -50 dB.

      - Enabling increased priority for the execution of the encoder.

         Command format: -a

         In some cases it is necessary to provide higher
         resistance to signal skips in tough competition mode
         for processor resources of several active tasks. Wherein
         This parameter tells the operating system to
         high priority CPU allocation
         computational thread engaged in coding sound
         stream to mp3 format since this process is the most
         sensitive to a lack of CPU time.
         This mode is used by default when the program is running.
         the Windows 98 operating system, since it is not very
         successfully implemented a multitasking mechanism.
         If necessary, you can disable this feature by setting
         command line option -a-.

      - Set the recording mode.

         Command format: -mX

         X is one of the following modifiers:

             s - use stereo mode;
             j - use the joint-stereo mode (intensity stereo);
             m - use mono mode.

         The default mode is -mj for bit rates up to 160
         Kbit / s inclusive, at higher bitrates used
         -ms mode

      - Indication of coding quality.

         Command format: -qX

         X is one of the following modifiers:

l - encode with low quality;
             h - encode with high quality.

         The default mode is -qh. Coding mode with
         low quality can be applied in case of lack
         CPU power or when
         the need to allocate more resources to others
         simultaneously running applications.

      - Completion of work after a specified time interval.

         Command format: -t nn

         nn is the time in minutes after which the recording was stopped
              the program is terminated.

      - Completion of work on the appearance of the flag file.

         Command format: -x file

         file is the name of the flag file, the appearance of which causes the program
                frame to complete the work. The file flag is deleted.

      - Cutting the recorded information into files on the border of an hour.

         Command format:

         Command format:

          -split1 (daily cycle), file name: hh.mp3,
                where hh is the current hour

          -split2 (weekly loop), file name: dd - hh.mp3,
                where dd is the current day of the week, hh is the current hour

          -split3 (monthly cycle), file name: dd - hh.mp3
                where dd is the current day of the month, hh is the current hour


5. Some remarks.

   It is undesirable at the same time with the program to run "heavy"
   applications that actively and continuously use rusursy
   computer. This can sometimes lead to the loss of some
   sound stream. Under Windows 98, even such harmless testimonies
   applications like FAR manager take a large share of the processor
   time, sometimes causing the impossibility of coding in real
   of time.
   Mono recording mode as well as low quality recording (-ql switch)
   allow you to reduce the program requirements for computing power
   central processor In these modes will be enough iP-200, and
   maybe even iP-166.
   Since the encoding algorithm is built on floating operations
   point, then when using processors such as AMD, Cyrix, IDT
   requirements for clock frequency increase compared to
   Intel processor requirements due to weaker
   math coprocessor in the above processors.
   The error message "buffer overflow" means that the program does not
   Enough processor time to compress the incoming signal. it
   may occur due to lack of computing power
   processor or when the "capture" of the processor by other applications.

6. The author.

   The author of the program MixMP3 is Dmitry Lesnikov. You can contact me
   to addresses:

   2: 5025/3.35@fidonet
   dlesnikov@mail.ru

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