[Wylug-help] wav file quality

[Jim Jackson]

On 2 Sep 2003, don wrote:

> I've just set up a linux telephone answering machine. But when I replay
> the messages either with sox or xmms the quality is awful. I've tried
> all of the different formats but none of them improve things. I think
> that there may be issues with 8 bit samples from some of the comments on
> the web.
>
> If I play the same wav file with windows software it sounds ok (well, as
> good as 2 bit samples are going to).
>
> Anybody know how to solve this?
>

First off identify where the problem is. Have you played a known good
wav file from another source?

Is the quality any good?

If not then, then there's a problem with the sound play back.
Using a mixer controller have you shut off all unused inputs, have you
played with the various volume controls to find the optimum low noise
settings?

If quality is good, then it's the recording side. Have you fully adjusted
the mixer settings for optimum record level (NOT highest!  otherwise you
overload the ADC and get distortion - the optimum level such that usual
levels are recorded with a peak of about half the maximum possible so that
slightly louder noises don'tr cause clipping and distortion.).

Jim