Hi Everett, I think the shortcuts for adjusting playback speed in VLC have only coarse increments (Command-"+", Command-"="), and as far as I know there isn't another way (e.g. via command line) to achieve finer control. You might want to do some more research on this. In the AppleScripts in the linked previous posts you can just specify the speedup rate as a number. What I use myself are the two AppleScripts that were originally posted on the Mac OS X Hints page, and that Louie also posted. (There's an even earlier post in the archives for the list that describes those). I don't use the later "Podfast" AppleScript that's a modified version of those posts which I mentioned in the January post, although I tested it. I only included it because some people prefer to get something that is downloadable in toto, and that doesn't requiring opening up the Script Editor under the AppleScript folder under Applications -- even if only to copy and paste in the scripts.
Also, if you're interested in mp3 audiobooks, you might want to check out OverDrive media console playback of downloadable mp3 audiobooks. Marshall Scott forwarded an article about the release of the Mac version of OverDrive's media console last November. This allows you to download non-DRM mp3 audiobooks from your local public library and play them on your Mac. The OverDrive media console has its own speed control shortcuts. Participating libraries are in the U.S. and Canada, and include the Toronto public library. So with a public library card (or its barcode number), you can access your library's online catalog, borrow DRM-free mp3 audiobooks, and even transfer them to your iPod during the borrowing period. Be aware that most of the OverDrive library offerings are still in DRM'ed WMA files that only play on Windows and can only play on mp3 players that support playback of downloaded DRM-protected WMA files -- that's a separate category of mp3 players with more restrictive requirements than simply being able to play ordinary DRM-protected WMA files. See this archive post: http://www.mail-archive.com/disc...@macvisionaries.com/msg46105.html (Re: MacDailyNews - Mac software introduced for digital audiobook downloads from public libraries) for a brief description of how this works. Here's another post in that thread: http://www.mail-archive.com/disc...@macvisionaries.com/msg46154.html that describes how to do a search for OverDrive mp3 books from your library that can play on the Mac. Cheers, Esther On Mar 27, 2009, at 10:08 AM, E.J. Zufelt wrote: > > Good afternoon, > > Thanks for the response. That was exactly what I needed to know. I > didn't relize VLC ad this feature. I have an mp3 e-book and wanted to > speed it up > > Everett > On 27-Mar-09, at 3:50 PM, Esther wrote: > >> >> Hi Everett, >> >> You probably need to say more about what you need in terms of >> adjusting playback speed, what software you generally use, and what >> you want to do in terms of adjusting speed in order to get a useful >> answer. The basic answer is, yes, you can adjust speed of playback >> with existing applications on the Mac, and you can even do so in a >> way >> that preserves pitch. For example, you can play faster or slower in >> VLC or QuickTime Player with keyboard shortcuts, but with fairly >> coarse adjustments of speed. If you bring up the A/V Controls Window >> of QuickTime Player (Command-K), you can separately interact with >> sliders for pitch and playback speed for finer control. These >> features are also supported in many sound editors like Audacity >> (freeware), Sound Studio, and Amadeus Pro, and also in Garageband, >> but >> at different levels of complexity and difficulty of implementation >> depending on exactly what level of control you need and for what >> purpose. >> >> If you want to control speed to learn/listen to music for performance >> (not likely, given the way you've asked your question), you'd be much >> better off looking at specialized software like the Amazing Slow >> Downer from Roni music (or similar products), that will easily let >> you >> slow down music to learn chord sequences with keyboard shortcuts, and >> also play from CDs with these features enabled. Scott has used this. >> >> On the other hand, if you want to control playback speed to listen to >> podcasts at a faster rate, then I just do this with QuickTime player >> via AppleScripts that allow me to select tracks in my iTunes library >> and switch player control between iTunes (which doesn't support >> faster >> playback) and QuickTime Player (which does). This lets me keep the >> last played position bookmarked. >> >> I think I responded to your post about this in January: >> >> http://www.mail-archive.com/disc...@macvisionaries.com/msg49448.html >> (Re: speed up slow down I tunes) >> >> The AppleScripts that I use for this, and their source (at the Mac OS >> X Hints page) are described in that archived post. The source post >> with the two scripts (posted by Louie) are also at the end of that >> post. >> >> If you want to find out how to control speed and pitch in Garageband >> or Audacity you'll have to ask elsewhere, although I know it's >> doable. Similarly, you can use options supported in third-party >> sound- >> editing software to do this, probably with more control and ease that >> working directly with QuickTime. Again, the best solution for you >> depends on what you want to do, what level of control you need, and >> what other software you may have on your machine. I haven't done >> much >> with sound editing software for some time, so likely you'll get >> better >> answers from other list readers. Also, since the earlier post didn't >> get much response, it may not be relevant to your needs. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Esther >> >> On Mar 27, 2009, at 2:10 AM, Scott Howell wrote: >> >>> >>> I don't know of one that works outside Terminal, but there is >>> Mplayer, >>> but you do have to run it from Terminal and in fact you have to >>> compile it. However, I believe there is a way to use iTunes to >>> accomplish the same task, but I only heard it was possible, I have >>> not >>> done it myself. >>> On Mar 27, 2009, at 5:11 AM, E.J. Zufelt wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> Good morning, >>>> >>>> Is there an audio playback application for OSX that will allow me >>>> to >>>> adjust the speed of playback? It would be ideal if pitch was not >>>> affected by the change in speed, but not altogether necessary. >>>> >>>> Thanks, >>>> Everett >>>> >>>> >>>>> >>> >>> >>>> >> >> >> > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
