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Tech help for recordings (1 Viewer)

Andy Adcock

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum
Cyprus
I need some tech advice.

I have the Boesman collection of calls for Costa Rica but each name is prefaced by a number, this means that when I organise by name, it does it according to number not letter. They are in systematic order and without going through and renaming all 800+ files and the removing the numbers, I can't organise them alphabetically so each species is a pig to find?

Is there a quick fix which would remove the numbers and allow me to organise alphabetically?


Andy
 
Is that actually what you need? I think instead, I would move species into subfolders, such that say herons in one and ducks in another, warblers in one, saltators in another, etc. Then within each the numbers would still ensure display in taxonomic sequence, which would make it easier to hear presumably similarly sounding species.

No matter what you do, make sure you work on a copy of the file set, not on the originals.

Niels
 
njlarsen said:
Is that actually what you need? I think instead, I would move species into subfolders, such that say herons in one and ducks in another, warblers in one, saltators in another, etc. Then within each the numbers would still ensure display in taxonomic sequence, which would make it easier to hear presumably similarly sounding species.

No matter what you do, make sure you work on a copy of the file set, not on the originals.

Niels
Click to expand...

I need to be able to find them quicky and easily in the field Niels and yes I had realised I need to work on a copy file not the original to prevent a disaster!

Andy
 
Hi Andy, I assume you use it on a smartphone or tablet in the field?

I find it most efficiently to simply use the search function of the music player on my phone. The general search function on the phone should also work. Much quicker than going through a long list of files...

Normally the sound files have English and Scientific names in the file name or meta data, so you can use either to find them when using the search function.
 
peter.jones said:
It can be done, this solution in windows, might be worth a try. (I haven't tried it personally, so please be careful, and make sure you run it on the copies only)

http://superuser.com/questions/2732...irst-character-from-all-filenames-in-a-folder
Click to expand...

I downloaded a rename file which allows removal of leading numbers but it won't do the whole doc and many are left with a 1-2-3 etc as the prefix. I suspect that's where more than one recording exists for a species but half of them are totally left undone?

Tech just ain't my ting

Thanks Peter

Andy
 
andyadcock said:
I downloaded a rename file which allows removal of leading numbers but it won't do the whole doc and many are left with a 1-2-3 etc as the prefix. I suspect that's where more than one recording exists for a species but half of them are totally left undone?

Tech just ain't my ting

Thanks Peter

Andy
Click to expand...

I guess if they are renaming to the same filename, it would throw a spanner in the works. You'd maybe need to put the numbers at the back of the filename to keep it unique. There is probably a command for that, might be worth a Google search
 
andyadcock said:
I need some tech advice....
Click to expand...

I've use Mp3tag when I need to re-arrange batch files. Maybe it's something that will work for you. I would be more confident but I don't fully comprehend what you're trying to do.

Mp3tag is Open Source/Freeware, it won't cost you anything to download and use, although a donation is appreciated. Gotta say, I used it for years so I threw them a few bucks.

You can download it here.

Good luck my friend.
 
SanAngelo said:
I've use Mp3tag when I need to re-arrange batch files. Maybe it's something that will work for you. I would be more confident but I don't fully comprehend what you're trying to do.

Mp3tag is Open Source/Freeware, it won't cost you anything to download and use, although a donation is appreciated. Gotta say, I used it for years so I threw them a few bucks.

You can download it here.

Good luck my friend.
Click to expand...

The files are named e.g 367 Charming Hummingbird.

The number prefix prevents organising alphabetically for quick search on an mp3 device.

I managed to use the other programme but many species have more than one recording and this seems to cause issues and the 3 number prefix gets replaced by 1 number but that also prevents what I want to do.

Also, the programme stubbornly fails to alter about half of the files at all.



Thanks for the help guys, Andy
 
SanAngelo said:
I've use Mp3tag when I need to re-arrange batch files. Maybe it's something that will work for you. I would be more confident but I don't fully comprehend what you're trying to do.

Mp3tag is Open Source/Freeware, it won't cost you anything to download and use, although a donation is appreciated. Gotta say, I used it for years so I threw them a few bucks.

You can download it here.

Good luck my friend.
Click to expand...

I will try this one SanAngelo and Florian, if all else fails, I will have to use the search function I guess, will a species search ignore the numerical prefix?

Thanks again, Andy
 
Last edited:
andyadcock said:
if all else fails, I will have to use the search function I guess, will a species search ignore the numerical prefix?
Click to expand...

I guess it depends on the device you use.

If you have an older mp3 device, not a smartphone, perhaps this will not work. Possible that you have no other choice than scrolling through lists.

However, any smartphone should let you search sound files. Either the general search of the phone or the search function of different music players let you search parts of the file name or the file info, and you will find files easily.

For example with my Ample European birds collection, names of the sound files have numbers and German bird names (e.g. 0860 Schwarzspecht.mp3), but they have also French, German, English and Scientific names somewhere in the metadata. So I can type "Schwarzsp" or "Black Wo" and I quickly get all sounds of Black Woopecker.

See below a screenshot from my phone, using the Android power amp music player. You see that the search for "Black Wo" also shows Black-headed Woodpecker (from my Asian birds collection), so no problem to search for name fragments.

Way more easy than scrolling through long lists.

Cheers, Florian
 

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dalat said:
I guess it depends on the device you use.

If you have an older mp3 device, not a smartphone, perhaps this will not work. Possible that you have no other choice than scrolling through lists.

However, any smartphone should let you search sound files. Either the general search of the phone or the search function of different music players let you search parts of the file name or the file info, and you will find files easily.

For example with my Ample European birds collection, names of the sound files have numbers and German bird names (e.g. 0860 Schwarzspecht.mp3), but they have also French, German, English and Scientific names somewhere in the metadata. So I can type "Schwarzsp" or "Black Wo" and I quickly get all sounds of Black Woopecker.

See below a screenshot from my phone, using the Android power amp music player. You see that the search for "Black Wo" also shows Black-headed Woodpecker (from my Asian birds collection), so no problem to search for name fragments.

Way more easy than scrolling through long lists.

Cheers, Florian
Click to expand...

Thanks again Florian, for pure ease of navigation in the field and given that I'll be using a lot of playback and speculative trawling, I think I'll change them manually unless my wife can figure it out for me.

It will be a pain but I have plenty of time.


Andy
 
njlarsen said:
Just remember the ethics of how to use recordings!

Niels
Click to expand...

You fancy trying to see an Antpitta without using a recording!

Some species are almost impossible to see without speculative play and let's be honest, we don't do these trips to not see birds. When I say I'll be using a lot of playback etc, I mean over the whole month not in one go at one place for one species. As a fairly inexperienced birder in the Americas, my main use will be to try and establish the presence of a species that isn't apparent without trawling with a tape.

It's an old debate and one that will not be resolved here or probably anywhere else.


A
 
Last edited:
About 3/4 of the antpittas on my list are there without any recording used, and at least one of the remaining two would also be on the list without recording. However, my intent was not to say "absolutely no", but to say "do what you do in a responsible way". Sibley came with one nice discussion: http://www.sibleyguides.com/2011/04/the-proper-use-of-playback-in-birding/

I cannot remember if any of the parks in CR prohibit use of playback - they do several places elsewhere.

Niels
 
njlarsen said:
About 3/4 of the antpittas on my list are there without any recording used, and at least one of the remaining two would also be on the list without recording.

Niels
Click to expand...

How on earth have you seen them without tape, feeding station?

I've only seen 2 species (Sucre and Tepui) and without tape they'd have been impossible!

A
 
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