vB Easy Archive - A Method to Convert your MP3's into MMF

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A Method to Convert your MP3's into MMF
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Posted by: shengliz

Ok, as a spinoff from the thread about putting mp3's on your phone, I'm posting a guide on how to convert your mp3's into *decent* quality mmf's. This is a method that I arrived with through my own experimentation. If you have an constructive feedback, you're welcome to give it. I do know that there are a number of other good conversion guides out there, this is only an alternative. Please don't simply post some comment to flame the post. Now that the unpleasantries are out of the way...onto the guide!

Part 1: Tools

Here are the tools that you will need to download and install before you start. As I mentioned, both are completely free. The other awesome thing about these tools is that they both has versions for Mac OS X. Being a Mac enthusiast, I love that I can use this method on my Powerbook as well as my PC.

Audacity: This is a mp3 to WAV converter licensed under GPL. You can get it at the following link:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Yamaha WSD Converter: This converts WAV to MMF format, also free:

http://smaf-yamaha.com/tools/wsd.html

Part 2. Setup

Now that you have both programs installed, first start up Audacity. You will need to make a setting change before you continue (assuming you will use Audacity purely for mp3->mmf conversions). Go into "File->Preferences".
Click on the "Quality" tab, change the "Default Sample Format" dropdown to "16-bit". The click on "File Formats" tab, click on the "Uncompressed Export Format" dropdown, and select "WAV(Microsoft 16 bit PCM) ". Then click "OK", and you're all set.

Now, open up "Wave Sound Director" (WSD). In the upper left hand corner, right below "File", there is a drop down, select "MA-5".

Finally, pick an mp3 that you want to convert. Until you get proficient with this, I would copy the mp3 into some temp area. Also, be sure that there are no asian characters in the filename or pathname, Audacity doesn't like this for some reason. Remember where you put the mp3, now you're ready to go!

Step 3. Conversion

Now, in Audacity, go to "File->Open". Pick your mp3 and wait while the program imports it. After it is done, you will see a waveform, this is your mp3 converted into WAV. Now, you can highlight the part of the WAV that has the segment you want. You can use the play controls to figure out which part you want to cut. In my experience, 20 sec is pretty much the limit, although that should be plenty. You have to get used to the controls a little, but play around and you'll become proficient. When you have the part you want selected, go to "File->Export Selection As WAV...". (Make sure you pressed the "Stop" button on the play controls, sometimes if you just pause, the options under 'File' will be grayed out) Now, simply save the WAV file, and you're done with Audacity.

Now, open up WSD. Now, remember, it's IMPERATIVE you have the dropdown set to "MA-5". Go to File->Open, and pick the WAV that you have just created. It will pop up some error message about downsampling to 24000 Khz, as well as converting to "Mono". Make sure both options are selected, and hit "OK". Now, simply go to "Save As..." and save your newly created MMF!

Now, just transfer your new mmf to your phone with whatever means. You can use bluetooth, or put on your SD card. Remember if you use SD card, you have to copy them over to the phone before it will let you set it as a ringtone.

Please let me know what you guys think. Like I said, any constructive comments/suggestions would be appreciated. The reason I like this method is that it is minimal in effort and once you get good, you can make any mmf in about a minute. Happy converting!

Posted by: totaltoanage

old news, but an A for effort.

Posted by: wai_lai416

hmmm haven't tried those 2 software yet.. let's find out ^^

Posted by: shengliz

I apologize if this is a known method. I arrived at it through my own devices, apologies if I didnt' do my research.

Posted by: wai_lai416

no need to apologize!! this is good. should make it sticky. yes i'm sure that methods been posted elsewhere... but some ppl only go to CERTAIN part of the forum and might never see it?? good job shengz

Posted by: EMAGDNIM

Quote:

Originally Posted by totaltoanage

old news, but an A for effort.

Who cares if its old news...its new to a lot of members here...the Sharp board is not large...

Thanks for the help...

Posted by: EMAGDNIM

I just tried it out and it work great...Good seeing more Mac users (DP 2.0 right here

).

The instuctions were excellent and easy to follow...

thanks again

Posted by: Timsta

sweet. i can't wait to try it out. thx for posting man

Posted by: EMAGDNIM

Okay...I tred it out but I have run into a little snag...

It converted great, but the converted mmf files still wont play on my phone. I dont get it, I conveted it EXACTLY how it was posted. I send it to my phone via BT (I run a Mac G5) and it saves fine on my phone, but when I try to run it, it does not reconize it at all.

Little help please...

Posted by: EMAGDNIM

Forgot to mention that the MP3s that I converted were short to begin with. I took them off of the Wal-Mart music demo site. They are like 20 seconds long...

Posted by: braindead5400

As long as the mmf is under 300kb, then it should work. Are the files invalid or locked?

Posted by: EMAGDNIM

Got them working...my files were over 400K (like 418K). I just trimmed them down a little and they work perfectly...

Thanks again...

Posted by: wai_lai416

you can use goldwave to select which part of the mp3 you want

good program to use

Posted by: Timsta

nice! ii'm so pumped to get all this into my phone this weekend.

Posted by: calcipher

Hi i have a question on this,i saw some other post with a similar method that i tried and had working,with my tm 150,the sound quality on my conversaions were bad,so i decided i'll try this guide aswell,thing is i think the sappy tm-150 firmware has a problem with files over 50kb,so im thinking in my case i have to trim to way less than 300kb

i just wanted to know if thats the case,im still going to try a conversion that is over 50kb to see what i can do,i mean even midis larger than 51kb dont work on that stupid phone...

it was free and takes good pics and plays tetris well haha,so i guess i cant complain