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Custom Ringtone tutorial

Kasmiur

Newbie
Oct 22, 2008
13
0
So you want some cool ringtones but the music you listen to isn't supported by Tmobile website... or the I'm too cheap to pay 1$ for a ringtone because I blew 200$ on my phone.

Step 1. Get Audacity. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Step 2. Find a file named Lame_enc.dll This is the mp3 encoder needed for audacity to export files as mp3 files.

Step 3. Find something worth making a ringtone out of. Audacity has an excellent ability to record anything you can hear through your speakers. I instead just loaded the program.

then open the mp3 file I wanted to use
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In this case I choose a file I recorded while I listened to it for the sole purpose of turning it into a ringtone.
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takes a sec to import it. Then Play the song to ensure it is what you want. Also note the time marks for when you want the ringtone to start and when you want it to end.
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Then you select the part you want to make the ringtone out of. I recommend selecting a second or two before the start and after the end. Then copy it using Edit or control-C.
Goto File, New, then in the new window goto Edit and Paste.
Trim the file to what you want.
then when you have it how you want and what volume you want(dont go too loud else you get distortion. also watch out on heavy bass)
then you goto File, Export as Mp3
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Make sure you fill out the IDv2 tag information. If you dont it is easy to lose what is what. I recommend naming it something like songnamechorus or songnamefirstverse so if you have multiple files off the same song you can tell which is which.

Then locate your file if you didnt save it somewhere special. It will be located here
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Copy your ringtone to the SDcard for your phone using the USBcable to connect your phone to your computer. I created a Ringtone folder in the music folder for myself so I did not get them mixed up. You could also just make a folder named blah and place them in there. The key is to keep them seperate from your normal music else you accidently infect your playlist with silly ringtones.
 
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Now Obviously if you like an artist and they have a professional ringtone out there please support them. If you know a local band that doesnt have that option yet ask them if they mind if you snag something off thier myspace and make it a ringtone. Then offer the file to them so they could have it online for other fans.

There are other good audio editing programs you can use to create just about any ringtone for your Android phone. Some of them offer the ability to warp or really edit the sound file.

I hope this helps you get your android a little closer to your heart and closer to finding Sarah Connor.
 
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Now Obviously if you like an artist and they have a professional ringtone out there please support them.

I disagree, for two reasons:

1. If I already have the mp3, I'm not paying for the same music again. It's my file, I have every right to chop it up and use it for my own personal use. It's not illegal unless I were to distribute it, or try to make money off of it, or used it in another project without properly crediting(and probably paying) the copyright owner.

2. Artists don't make jack crap off of albums, mp3s, or ringtones. Unless they own the recording company, or are self-published, the record company makes most of the money. TOURING is what puts most of the money in an artists pocket. So if you want to support an artist, for real, go to their concerts.

biblicone -

Yes that's true, but if have 50 friends, and want 50 ringtones for them, do you really want to use 50 full length songs, or just chop them down to the size you need -- and thus -- save room on your card for video, pics, and music.
 
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I disagree, for two reasons:

1. If I already have the mp3, I'm not paying for the same music again. It's my file, I have every right to chop it up and use it for my own personal use. It's not illegal unless I were to distribute it, or try to make money off of it, or used it in another project without properly crediting(and probably paying) the copyright owner.

2. Artists don't make jack crap off of albums, mp3s, or ringtones. Unless they own the recording company, or are self-published, the record company makes most of the money. TOURING is what puts most of the money in an artists pocket. So if you want to support an artist, for real, go to their concerts.

biblicone -

Yes that's true, but if have 50 friends, and want 50 ringtones for them, do you really want to use 50 full length songs, or just chop them down to the size you need -- and thus -- save room on your card for video, pics, and music.

I've discussed with my friends and associates at work the legalities and such of mp3's and personal rights(at great lenght since mp3's really hit the scene in '97) and from both sides. however this forum is not the place(feel free to message me though my position waivers as i'm anti-riaa but pro-artist/listener).

Either way.

Tonight I made a Barak Obama and Mccain ringtone. going to set it up so after I receive a text message they will chime in "I'm barack obama, I'm John McCain, (voices together) I approve this message"
Still working on the timing and syncing them together but will rock once its done.
 
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I'm not able to sit and play with my phone at the moment so figured those with expierence with ringroid would know quickly.

1. Does ringroid allow you to edit mp3/ringtone files to remove or add stuff(see my obama/mccain ringtone I'm working on)

2. Does it allow you to take what you hear and turn it into a ringtone IE record something off the radio or something along those lines.

3. after 90 days of the android launch the apps in the market place will start having a cost associated with them. Will ringroid still be free or will they charge 3-6 or 7-10$ for it from future android customers?(of note the app I pimp is free to download and use and is open source)

4. Does Ringroid allow you to change volume of the mp3 file when its playing or selectivly decrease or increase parts?

I plan on playing with ringroid.. I imagine while it does many things on the fly that would be useful and neat for those seeking more control or options to manipulate another option may be needed but both could exist equally in the same area
 
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incase anyone wants a copy.. here is what I was working on.

John Mccain and Barack approve my text messages:)
http://mobile.kasmiur.net/approvethismess.mp3


for those world of warcraft fans..
http://mobile.kasmiur.net/murloc.mp3

Also when creating a ringtone using any program I find getting the right volume is key. you want it to be loud but not too loud or distorted. You would be amazed what increasing it a decibel or two would do.
 
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Some hints on using Audacity to tweak your ringtones:

1) After cropping down to just the audio you want, Normalize (Effect, Normalize) the audio to 0 db. This will raise the overall volume of the clip, and will help dramatically for quieter audio. If your audio clip changes volume significantly, you may wish to play with the Leveler, or Compressor effects to help adjust it to your liking.

2) To give your clip a professional touch, select a small section at the beginning of the track and chose Effect, Fade In. Then select a small section at the end of the track, and choose Effect, Fade Out. This will give you a smoother sounding tone, so that it doesn't start and stop abruptly. The amount of audio you select determines how slow it fades in or out.

3) And to be a good citizen, export your file as an .ogg, instead of an .mp3, and support open formats! :)
 
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