Without a doubt, one of the most-used programs on my PC is Total Recorder (I have the Professional Edition), which I use to record RealAudio feeds, most notably the BBC4’s In Our Time series, NPR programs, Edison’s Attic, interviews, All Songs Considered, and whatever else catches my magpie attention.
I use MediaPlayerClassic as part of the RealAlternative package, in my quest to rid all computers of RealPlayer. I’m still a happy member of Rhapsody, which no doubt has Real software entwined about its innards, but that I can live with.
I recently figured out how to use the TR Scheduler, so now I can record the entire In Our Time archives and listen to them on my commute, when I do the dishes, etc. I stack up about 5 programs at a time and set them to record when I’m in bed or at work. And the little MP3s are waiting for me when I get back.
(For the GTD geeks who care, I have the following folder structure: C:\Music\@Inbox\InPlay. The new MP3s go into the inbox, and when I load them on the Digisette, I also move them to the InPlay folder. After I’ve listened to them, I either delete or archive them.)
It doesn’t quite replace Audible–there’s room at the table for both. But I’m interested next in digitizing some of our old albums, and Total Recorder includes a plug-in to help clean up those scratchy audio captures. The only thing TR doesn’t have is a CD-burning mechanism, but that’s pretty ubiquitous. I still use Roxio CD Creator 5 for that (one of the few things I still use Roxio for).
TR is a great program at a very nice price and one of my pieces of Essential Software.
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