Hello Andrew,
I am not sure about batch conversion, but you can convert one file at a time
to the MP3 format using ITunes.
1. Open ITunes and then press CTRL with comma to bring up the preferences.
If the keystroke doesn't work use Alt-E and even if JAWS doesn't speak use
up arrow to the preferences choice and press enter.
2. If focus is on the OK button then use the tab key one time to move to
the page tabs. The first one should be the general page tab. Use right
arrow five times to move to the advanced page. Sometimes focus will jump to
the OK button when using the right arrow key to move to the Advanced page,
so if that happens just use tab key to move back to the page tabs.
3. use tab key one time to move to the sub tabs and then use right arrow
key one time to move the focus to the import tab.
4. Use the tab key a couple of times to move to the "import using" combo
box. Use the down arrow key in the combo box to move to the MP3 encoder
choice. Use tab key to move to the OK button and press enter.
The above process will put the "import to MP3" choice in the advanced menu
of ITunes. It will remain there so you only have to do the above process
one time.
If you are able to select songs to be imported while in ITunes then that is
what you would do next. I had some trouble doing that so I went to where
the .M4A files are located using Windows Explorer. Here are the steps I
followed for converting .M4A to MP3:
1. When you select the file to convert use the application key to bring up
a context menu.
2. Use down arrow to move to the "open" choice and press enter. If
you have .M4A files associated with ITunes then the file will open in
ITunes. Otherwise you might want to change your file association for .M4A
so that they open in the ITunes program. Also, I tried the "play" choice
from the context menu but that didn't work. I had to use the "open" choice.
3. As soon as the file starts playing then press spacebar to stop it.
4. Press Alt-A to bring up the Advanced menu and use down arrow to the
"convert to MP3" choice. Press enter on the choice.
5. The music will start playing again but you can just press spacebar to
stop it. In a few seconds you should hear the audio indication that the
file has finished being converted. It should be in the same folder as the
original .M4A file.
6. As soon as you know conversion is complete then close the program.
Start converting another file by using the application key on another file,
use the open command to open it in Itunes, stop the playing of the music
with spacebar, and go into the Advanced menu again with alt-A where you can
choose to convert the file to MP3.
There is a program that will convert .M4A to .WAV files, but of course .WAV
are not compressed and take a lot more room on a device than .MP3 files.
dBpoweramp Music Converter will convert from .M4A to .WAV, and it has a
batch conversion choice. The conversion worked quite fast when I used
default settings, but I did notice a bit of a break in one of the songs that
was not in the original. I think the Victor will play .WAV files, but you
probably want to save room by using a compressed format like .MP3. The
conversion process by ITunes also went quite quickly.
Take care.
Brian Lee
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Head" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Victor Gouveia" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>;
<[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2008 8:27 AM
Subject: Re: [JAWS-Users] converting multiple files
> Hi Victor,
> Thanks for your reply. Some of the files are converted, but I have about
> 12
> folders with files in the m4a format. I ripped these songs from cds using
> itunes and they turned out in the above format. Gold wave cannot convert
> them. Does anyone know of a program that will convert the m4a file type
> quickly and is accessible to jaws? I want them converted so they will play
> on my victor reader stream.
> I am grateful for any help anyone can give me.
> from Andrew----- Original Message -----
> From: "Victor Gouveia" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2008 12:34 AM
> Subject: Re: [JAWS-Users] converting multiple files
>
>
>> Hi Andrew,
>>
>> Please find below instructions that I wrote a few months ago on how to do
>> batch conversions using GoldWave.
>>
>> ***Original Message***
>>
>> If you are in the Gold Wave main window, once it opens up, if you press
>> the
>> alt+F to get to the file menu, then press the letter B for batch
>> conversions, it will open up another dialog box that you can do batch
>> conversions with, or you can choose to do just one file, it's up to you.
>>
>> Once in that dialog box, tab to the button that says add, and press the
>> space bar.
>>
>> Another dialog box will pop up, similar to the save as dialog box, so if
>> you
>> know exactly where the file is, go ahead and type it in. If you don't
>> know
>> the exact file location, just do a shift+tab to the window just above the
>> one you're in, and backspace four or five times, or until your screen
>> reader
>> reads out my documents.
>>
>> Once it says that, just go ahead and find the folder where the files are
>> that you want to convert.
>>
>> Once you find the files, go ahead and select them, either, contiguously,
>> or
>> non-contiguously, and tab to the open button and press the spacebar.
>>
>> Once you press the open button, you'll land back on the add button. If
>> you
>> have more files you want to convert, just press the add button and go
>> through what I just outlined above.
>>
>> If you don't have anymore files to convert, you can tab to the check box
>> that says, convert files to this format. Make sure this box is checked,
>> so
>> you can tell it what to convert the files to.
>>
>> Once you check that box, tab down to the combo box that asks you what
>> file
>> type to convert the files to. You must want to select the exact file
>> type
>> for all the files you want to convert. You can't do one file type for
>> some
>> of the files and another file type for another bunch of files you
>> selected.
>> That's why this function is called the batch conversion feature of Gold
>> Wave. You can only convert the files to the same file type.
>>
>> Once you select the file format you want to convert the files to, tab
>> down
>> to the bitrate and frequency selection.
>> I'm going to assume, for time's sake, that you already know all about
>> bitrate and frequency rates, and just continue on from here to the next
>> step.
>>
>> Once you set the bitrate and frequency rates, do a control+tab over to
>> the
>> file locations tab to set where you would like Gold Wave to save the
>> converted files once their done.
>>
>> You have two choices here.
>>
>> You can either choose to save the converted files in their original
>> folders,
>> or save them in a different folder. This I leave up to you, and I can
>> tell
>> you that this tab is pretty much self-explanatory, so go ahead and make
>> your
>> settings as you see fit.
>>
>> Once you've made your selection, just tab over to the button that says
>> begin, and press the spacebar.
>>
>> Once a dialog box pops up, with an ok button, you're files are done
>> converting, and you can just press the ok button.
>>
>> You'll land back on the begin button, so just tab over to the cancel
>> button,
>> then you'll land on the Gold Wave main window. You can just alt+F4 out
>> of
>> that, and you can go delete the pre-converted files.
>>
>> Just make sure you clear your recycle bin, as those files will use up a
>> lot
>> of space on your computer.
>>
>> I would also recommend you check the files for length and bitrate choice,
>> as
>> you can always go back into your recycle bin and restore the files you
>> deleted, so I suggest you check the files before you empty the recycle
>> bin.
>>
>> If you have any other questions, feel free to ask, and I'll endeavour to
>> answer them as quickly as possible.
>>
>>
>> Victor
>> Co-moderator
>> Blind Movie Buffs List
>> Guidedogs List
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>> --
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>> Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.5.2/1561 - Release Date:
>> 18/07/2008
>> 6:35 PM
>>
>>
>
>
> Visit the JAWS Users List home page at:
> http://www.jaws-users.com
> Visit the Blind Computing home page at:
> http://www.blind-computing.com
> Address for the list archives:
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> or body of a blank message to:
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> If you wish to join the Blind Computing list send a blank email to the
> following address:
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Visit the JAWS Users List home page at:
http://www.jaws-users.com
Visit the Blind Computing home page at:
http://www.blind-computing.com
Address for the list archives:
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
To post to this group, send email to
[email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
For help from Mailman with your account Put the word help in the subject or
body of a blank message to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Use the following form in order to contact the management team
http://www.jaws-users.com/managers.php
If you wish to join the Blind Computing list send a blank email to the
following address:
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