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HarddiskOgg

On-the-fly-line-in-to-Ogg/Wave/MP3-encoding
I want it now!


What is it?

HarddiskOgg takes a wave input stream from any Windows 95/98/2000/XP compatible sampling device (including microphone input and line in) and converts it to an Ogg/Wave/MP3 (optional) stream. This happens in realtime, so basically it is a harddisk recorder in Ogg.

Features:

  • Real-time encoding with bitrates from 32kbit/sec. up to 320kbit/sec.
  • Compatible with any sound card capable of stereo or mono recording @ 44.1kHz, 32kHz or 48kHz
  • Automatic numbering of output files
  • Can be placed in the systray and activated by a single click
  • On-the-fly amplification for low-volume inputs with auto-detect
  • Uses the high quality, patent free Ogg Vorbis encoding engine. Ogg easily outperforms MP3 in sound quality, especially at lower bit rates.
  • LAME MP3 encoder compatible. However, due to patent issues HarddiskOgg ist not distributed with the LAME encoding DLL. If you want MP3 support, fetch LAME_ENC.DLL from the web, but make sure you have the appropriate rights for doing so.
  • No fluff or stupid skinned interface, just works.
  • HarddiskOgg is FREEWARE!

Screenshot

HarddiskOgg main window screenshot

What is it good for?

Originally, HarddiskOgg was written to record the sound channel from TV, in particular music channels like MTV. Without HarddiskOgg, you would have to record to WAV first, then convert it to a space saving format using an external converter. While this is possible, it has one big disadvantage: it takes loads of disk space. While it is ok for recording one or two songs, you most probably cannot record more than one to two hours, and murphy's law guarantees you will always run out of disk space just after the first seconds of that one song you were looking for for weeks.

With HarddiskOgg, you can record approximately 11 times longer, that is 18 hours per GB. So why not record a day or so MTV so you can fast forward through songs you don't like?

On decent PCs, you can even play the MP3 with your favorite MP3 player while the recording goes on. This means you can listen for example to the radio in near realtime, but you can take a break whenever you want.

With some TV card/sound card combinations it is possible that sound recorded from TV is very low on volume. HarddiskOgg will automatically amplify the input signal before the encoding stage.

What is it not good for?

There's one thing you should definitely not use HarddiskOgg for, and this is CD to Ogg/MP3 conversion. HarddiskOgg records from the analog sound card input. This means there will always be some quality loss due to the analog to digital converters on your sound card. Real CD rippers read the exact, digital audio data directly from the CD, which results in a much higher quality.

Where can I get it?

You can download HarddiskOgg together with some other cool freeware from the official downloads page.

Usage

MP3 encoding

The algorithms used in all currently available MP3 encoders are patented, and require a license even if distributed non-commercially. Consequently, HarddiskOgg can not include an MP3 encoding engine. Hoewever, it has drop-in support for the LAME encoding dll. You can download it here, unzip it and put LAME_ENC.DLL into the HarddiskOgg directory. However, make sure you comply with local laws by downloading and/or using the DLL.

We strongly recommend encoding to the Ogg Vorbis format, which is much more versatile and has a much better quality than MP3, and even MP3Pro. The biggest advantage is that it is held free of patented algorithms, so encoders and decoders may be distributed free of charge. It is natively supported by many of the current players, including WinAMP.

Automatic file numbering

HarddiskOgg checks if the target file name end in a digit (e.g. Vorbis1.ogg), and increments it after each click of the Stop button. This makes it easy to quickly record multiple sound snippets in succession. If you do not want this (and overwrite the specified file each time), choose a file name which does not end in a digit.

Normalization

Low-volume audio sources can be normalized do 95% of maximum level by checking the "Normalize" box. There are two modes of operation:

  • Off: Just records what comes from your sound card.
  • Dynamic: Does not require setup, adjusts amplification while recording. This is the best choice for most sources, and effectively prevents distortion. It can however be irritated by quiet sound with loud pops. In extreme situations, you might also notice a slight volume change during the first seconds. If you absolutely can not live with this (for example, when ripping you LP collection), there's a second mode:
  • Static: Uses the same amplification factor during the whole recording. Before recording, you must calibrate the volume level to your sound source by clicking "Detect". HarddiskOgg will then listen and determine the maximum level. Be sure to feed the loudest parts of your material into HarddiskOgg during calibration, or you might get distortion later on. The current amplification is displayed during the process; you may stop calibration if it does not drop for some time.

Live playback while recording

You can actually play an Ogg or MP3 stream while it is being recorded by pressing the "Play" button. This will spawn the player associated with the selected file format. This might not work with some players, if it does not work with yours try WinAMP.

Sometimes WinAMP hangs when it is not currently running and HarddiskOgg tries to start it. You can circumvent this by starting WinAMP manually first, then pressing play.

Another thing that might cause problems is starting playback while actually no data has been written to disk yet. You should wait until at least some kilobytes are on disk before trying to play the encoded file.


Copyright © 2002 Jan Lellmann