I remember when digital audio first became available and downloading a supercut (which we didn’t have a word for then) of Homer Simpson saying “d’oh”. We probably had to wait at least half an hour, and then we didn’t have a program on the computer that could play audio files (or at least not one we could find) so we had to search around and wait even longer to download some shareware program (Goldwave)
Assuming Windows, I think Sound Recorder should have worked. I remember wasting many hours just playing with it by reversing, speeding up, or slowing down my voice that I recorded on the old, beige Bob Barker-like standing microphone.
Well, yeah, but it was the player software itself that sucked so bad. It could’ve easily been less bloated but for years they added more and more bloat. Even an old slow computer shouldn’t be struggling hard just to open a damned audio player.
my first computer didn’t come with Internet Explorer. yes there was a time when Microsot didn’t automatically pack in their browser. Instead I had Netscape.
the problem was I wanted to play X-Wing vs Tie Fighter online faster than having to directly ask people to play and asking for their IP address. For that I needed Microsofts Internet Gaming Zone. The problem was it didn’t work on Netscape and only worked on Internet Explorer.
It took me 8+ hours to download IE and I had to pray to whatever god was out there that A. no one called and B. no one needed to make a call…for 8+ hours.
There was a time when Windows didn’t have a TCP/IP stack so it couldn’t connect to the Internet at all and you had to use a third party program like Trumpet Winsock.
I still use Goldwave to this day, so about 20 years. Been using the free version the entire time. I just edit some file every so often to reset my clicks. I need to just buy it, but for some reason I remember intentionally not buying it, maybe was subscription or something.
I miss Audiogalaxy. I got so many BBC radio dramas from there and I love radio drama. I’ve gotten a lot of them I’ve lost over the years back, and a lot of new ones, thanks to the Internet Archive, but it’s a fraction of what I used to have.
But backing up data back then was way too expensive except on CD-Rs and I have no idea where those CD-Rs went. They’re long gone now.
I remember when digital audio first became available and downloading a supercut (which we didn’t have a word for then) of Homer Simpson saying “d’oh”. We probably had to wait at least half an hour, and then we didn’t have a program on the computer that could play audio files (or at least not one we could find) so we had to search around and wait even longer to download some shareware program (Goldwave)
Having like 3+ audio players until Winamp came along and rocked that world.
It really whipped the llamas ass
Hm! What was there? Winplay3, mpg123 and…? Was there another before Winamp? Or are you talking about other formats than mp3?
Real Player, I think.
Assuming Windows, I think Sound Recorder should have worked. I remember wasting many hours just playing with it by reversing, speeding up, or slowing down my voice that I recorded on the old, beige Bob Barker-like standing microphone.
It would not have been able to play mp3s or anything but a .wav file.
You kids and your fancy MP3s. In my day we used Real Audio, uphill both ways.
Yuck… Real player. What about vivo player? Somehow was even worse!
TBF RealAudio typically used a 200:1 compression ratio, which nothing can survive. Tiny files, at least.
Well, yeah, but it was the player software itself that sucked so bad. It could’ve easily been less bloated but for years they added more and more bloat. Even an old slow computer shouldn’t be struggling hard just to open a damned audio player.
my first computer didn’t come with Internet Explorer. yes there was a time when Microsot didn’t automatically pack in their browser. Instead I had Netscape.
the problem was I wanted to play X-Wing vs Tie Fighter online faster than having to directly ask people to play and asking for their IP address. For that I needed Microsofts Internet Gaming Zone. The problem was it didn’t work on Netscape and only worked on Internet Explorer.
It took me 8+ hours to download IE and I had to pray to whatever god was out there that A. no one called and B. no one needed to make a call…for 8+ hours.
Nutscrape navigator!
There was a time when Windows didn’t have a TCP/IP stack so it couldn’t connect to the Internet at all and you had to use a third party program like Trumpet Winsock.
My first sound file was a supercut of Keiko O’Brien giving birth on Star Trek: The Next Generation, edited to make it sound like an orgasm 😆
Not much editing was needed lmao!
I still use Goldwave to this day, so about 20 years. Been using the free version the entire time. I just edit some file every so often to reset my clicks. I need to just buy it, but for some reason I remember intentionally not buying it, maybe was subscription or something.
I was surprised to look it up and see it still kicking. I actually paid for it but haven’t used it in probably 15 years
I miss Audiogalaxy. I got so many BBC radio dramas from there and I love radio drama. I’ve gotten a lot of them I’ve lost over the years back, and a lot of new ones, thanks to the Internet Archive, but it’s a fraction of what I used to have.
But backing up data back then was way too expensive except on CD-Rs and I have no idea where those CD-Rs went. They’re long gone now.