Cranford Publictions
MP3 Information Page
Cranford
Pub Search Engine
Cranford
Publications soundclips are genrally given as MP3s,
the standard for Internet audio content. To allow
easier streaming the clips have been encoded at lower
bit rates than what is used for commerciially
available tracks. The fidelity is however good for
educational usaage
Both to simplify and
because of the educational nature of our site our
site, links to sound clips are accessed
a-tune-at-a-time, from the page devoted to the source
recording. These are long enough to learn a melody but
don't give complete tracks (tracks are availabe if you
purchase the CDs or individuals tracks from the
artists sites). Other clips are accessed from pages of
music notation - single transcriptions which can be
found by following links from source
recordings.
Alternatively
you may enjoy browsing by artist
or searching for specific tunes using the
Cranford
Pub Search Engine
What
are MP3s
MP3s
on the cranfordpub.com site
Configuring
Your Browser to work with a Plug in
How
do I save or download MP3s for later
playback?
Saved
an MP3 file, but can't find it
Software
Players
Quick
Tips for Optimum Playback:
What
are MP3s
MP3s are the most
popular format for listening, transferring and storing
audio from the Internet. On-line, MP3s can be streamed
or you can download MP3s to your hard drive for later
use. These files can then be catalogued and played by
both home computers and portable MP3 devices. MP3s can
be backed up on any hard drive or floppy disc and can
even be burned to a CDR for playback on any CD player.
Today, this is the most popular format for the
personal playback of MP3s.
The MP3s on our site
are mostly short clips taken off of the CDs we sell
providing you:
- Free demos from
the recordings which Cranford Publications sells
mail order as conventional CDs and
cassettes.
- Recorded
reference for melodies which are supplied in
standard musical notation as GIF or ABC files. Most
of these seetings are also found in books books
which we sell or are currently
compiling
- Familiarily with
this technology. In the next few years, more and
more artists will be selling their music this
way.
MP3s
found at cranfordpub.com
With the exception
of the link that brought you to this page, any time
you click the symbol below, assuming your browser is
configured with the proper plug-in, a separate window
will open and a sound clip will start to load. We find
that the Quicktime plug-in is best. Depending on
monitor /software used you may have to resize or
minimize the playback window so that you can see music
notation at the same time as playback.
If you go to our
recordings section, the links to individual recordings
will lead to samples of music notation and /or sound
clips. Our sound clips are almost all partial tracks
(including a minimum of once through a featured
melody). Tune titles, composer and performer
information etc. are all included with each
clip.
Although MP3 files
can be streamed without copying them onto your PC,
unless you have broadband Internet access like cable,
DSL or better, we recommend downloading and saving
before playback. This will reduce the buffering time
at slower connection speeds.
Regardless of
connection speed, anyone who wants play a melody
repeatedly will find it advantageous to download the
desired MP3. Save all the tunes you want o learn in
one place, and then listen and learn at your own pace.
NOTE - no sound files contained in this web
site are to be copied and retransmitted unless
permission is received both from Cranford Publications
and from the artist / label/copyright
holder.
Configuring
your Browser
Most modern Browsers
are already set up to play MP3s. You may however need
to "fine-tune" your settings, plug-ins installed etc.
Because of the number of players, browsers and
versions that exist, it's impossible for us to give
specific instructions.
With most software
you install, set-up happens automatically. Programs
such as Firefox, Safari Internet Explorer and Netscape
Communicator are best used with transparent plug-ins
such as Quicktime. All can be downloaded for free for
both Windows and MacIntosh platforms.
Any browser with a
properly installed plug in will open our MP3 files
exactly the same way as activating a text link on the
web. We have programmed the links so that while the
MP3 loads into your cache, a new resizable window
opens ... so that you can look at the musical notation
to the tune while you wait for the sound to begin. If
you have more than one audio player on your computer
you should assign each one as the default player for
specific audio files. Use your Realaudio player to
listen to the Realaudio files. Use MP3, Windows Media
or QuickTime players to listen to MP3 files. Using
your Realaudio player to listen to MP3 files may cause
a minor crash in the audio software and you may have
to shut down the program.
For both sound
quality and functionality we prefer the Quicktime
Plug-in. Clips play automatically after they have
completely loaded. Alternatively, partial clips can be
listened to during the loading process. We've tested
this using all connection speeds - from very slow cell
modem connection of 9600 baud to broadband - all
without problem (other than the length of time to
load). For the "audiophiles" Quicktime offers the best
sound quality either as a browser plug-in or as a
standalone media player.
Download Quicktime
Plugin
How
do I save or download MP3s for later
playback?
You can preview the
clip by letting it load to approximately 10% and then
manually activating the player. If it's the tune you
want, let the entire clip load before saving. Once
loaded, it is in your cache it should play flawlessly.
If you want to save it just go to the file menu and
choose the appropriate Save As option and file
it away in an appropriate directory. (this differs
depending on Browser, platform etc. -- for Mac
Internet Explorer users choose download link to
disk). ... for Netscape choose "Save as
Source".
Lost
an MP3?
For Windows use your
computer's find command and type in *.mp3 as the file
name, looking in all directories (C: for most
computers) (Mac just go to the Finder and issue a
seach command for .mp3). This tells the computer to
look for any MP3 files on your hard drive. Your
browser typically will save by default to a temporary
folder. Many programs prefer you save downloads into
their default folder, which can make finding tunes a
little confusing. You can avoid this situation by
creating a new folder that you use to store all of
your MP3 downloads. Or, choose to save all downloads
to your desktop. Either way, your files won't get
buried deep inside your computer where you can't find
them.
Some
popular software players include
There are also
dozens of hardware devices which act as portable
stand-alone players. Other multi-purpose devices are
proliferating include cell phones with players built
in, PDAs with MP3 capability, the I-Pod etc.
etc.
Quick
Tips for Optimum Playback:
