[vox-tech] Re: mp3 files sound like alvin and the chipmunks

[Gabriel Rosa]

On Wed, Apr 23, 2003 at 10:20:25AM +1200, D & E Radel wrote:
> My soundcard is a SoundBlaster Live! Value PCI and uses kernel 2.4.20 drivers.
> 
> My solution was to convert the wavs to 44.1khz under Windows, and convert to
> .ogg. The result is a 44.1khz .ogg file that Debian likes. If I convert files
> under Debian with Audacity, the result is a slowed down track. eg: convert a
> 44.1khz track to 22.khz, and instead of a file that plays at correct speed with
> reduced sound quality, the result is a 'Barry White on drugs' slow-mo sound.
> 
> Similar results happen if I change the kde sound settings to 48khz. All the
> system sounds are speed up.
> 
> Solution? Ensure that all sound files are recorded/encoded/play/stay at 44.1khz.
> 

This is because you are doing a direct conversion of the sampling rate. ie,
you take the 44khz wav and change it so that it oscilates half as much (by
doing a mathematical conversion).

what you want is 'resample', which audacity will not do (iirc), but the
excellent command line 'sox' will do.

check 'man sox'

-Gabe