Speed up audio playback?

[BigJim]

There are a number of audio players around which will allow adjustment the playback speed of an audio file - not least among them WMP. I am increasingly working with 'spoken word' MP3's which need a speed boost to keep my attention.

Does anyone know of an application which will allow me to copy and existing audio file at higher speed (e.g. x 1.4) without having to re-record it in real time? Cost IS an object   

Thanks in advance   

[Renegade]

Funny you should mention this... I'm working on exactly that right now.

But I don't know of anything free to do that other than Audacity. Check that out.

[mouser]

I was just going to suggest to look at Renegade's program..

[BigJim]

Thanks for those, guys. I've used Audacity some (although total recorder more) and I'm not aware of how I could employ it for other that real-time RE-recording. That's what I'm trying to avoid.

What's "Renegade's program"? (Oh, you mean Audacity?)

[mouser]

Actually i meant his "guitar and drum trainer": http://renegademinds...efault.aspx?tabid=65
it's kind of the opposite of what you want, can slow down songs etc.

[mwb1100]

If you're not opposed to a command line app, I think that SoX (Sound eXchange) for Windows will do what you want:

http://sox.sourceforge.net/

[Renegade]

Actually i meant his "guitar and drum trainer": http://renegademinds...efault.aspx?tabid=65
it's kind of the opposite of what you want, can slow down songs etc.

-mouser (January 27, 2008, 05:50 PM)

It will speed up as well, but it's commercial software and not free. Also, it doesn't save the audio right now. It's all 'real-time-only' for slower or faster audio. I'm in the process of upgrading GDT and saving songs slowed down or speeded up is one of the new features.

[BigJim]

Ha! Renegade, you were probably 'on target' with your first post.      After a fair bit of tedious searching I've found this:
http://www.tunequest...sts-part-2/20070219/

I'll have to give it a try tomorrow! This sounds like what I was looking for: shove it in one side and it comes out the other. Presto ... I hope   

[Renegade]

Ha! Renegade, you were probably 'on target' with your first post.      After a fair bit of tedious searching I've found this:
http://www.tunequest...sts-part-2/20070219/

I'll have to give it a try tomorrow! This sounds like what I was looking for: shove it in one side and it comes out the other. Presto ... I hope  

-BigJim (January 28, 2008, 12:00 AM)

Interesting article.

One of the things I do in my own podcast ( http://www.dotnetpreacher.com/ ) is to cut out a LOT of dead time to shrink the time down. Nobody wants to listen to pauses or "umms" or any of that junk. It takes a lot longer to edit, but the result is just about 100% pure information with nothing to waste your time.

If you have an iPod, there is an option to speed up audio books by 25%, but it only "kind-of" works for podcasts. i.e. Some podcasts will work fine (e.g. Dot Net Rocks), and others will still be normal speed.