Core Issue
The G.729 codec is missing from the Microsoft Sound Recorder because the G.729 codec is not installed on the Operating System (OS).
The G.729 codec is not provided by default when you install Windows because it is not in the public domain. The G.729 codec has intellectual property rights and must be purchased for commercial use.
Resolution
Install the G.729 codec in your OS.
Note: If you have a Cisco Unity server, you can use the App_SetWAVFormat utility to convert to any format you want. This utility is available at Cisco Unity Tools.
Once you install the G.729 codec on your OS, this option becomes available in the Microsoft Sound Recorder drop-down menu. You can use these options only after you install a G.729 codec separately. After the desired audio is recorded, perform these steps:
- Select File > Properties.
- Click Convert Now....
- Select the format.
- For Attributes, select 8.000 kHz, 8 Bit, and Mono.
- Click OK twice to close the Sound Selection and Properties dialog boxes.
The other option is to use snu.aef to record voice prompts using the phone (Use the telephone and a workflow with the Record Step).
For more information on SNU.aef, refer to the Designing a Basic Script section of Creating a Basic Script.
These are the other options available:
Option 1: Self recording on the Customer Response Solution (CRS) system
Use the Record Step in a workflow to record and save a G.729 recording. This must be done on a system installed with the G.729 option to produce a G.729 recording. The sample SNU.aef shipped with systems can be easily modified to store the recording into a file. There is also a record script available in the Script Repository, which can be downloaded from Cisco IPCC Express Edition
Option 2: Self recording using windows applications
Recording or converting previously recorded files using well-known tools like CoolEdit and SoundForge on Microsoft Windows cannot be used with G.729 unless a G729 codec is loaded on Windows. Unlike G.711, G.729 is not in the public domain, and the codec is not freely distributed for commercial use. As a result, it is not found on Windows. A personal use G.729 codec can be downloaded.
There is a personal use G.729 codec available for download. Licensing information is available from VoiceAge. Under the link for "Free Codec Downloads", click on Open G.727 . However, this has not been tested or endorsed, and it is not supported by Cisco. The installation of this codec allows the use of recording and processing tools on Windows systems.
Option 3: Prompt conversion options using Cisco CallManager
The Cisco CallManager Music On Hold (MoH) audio translator outputs G.711 and G.729 formatted files. Reported quality varies widely, probably due to quality variations in the input files. Cisco is not responsible for these conversion results. Perform these steps:
1. Copy the mp3 file to \programs files\cisco\moh\dropmohaudiofileshere. Wait a while. It takes a little bit of time if the mp3 file is big.
2.. Upload the prompt to the CRS server using the newly created file. For example, "_g729.wav".
The g.729 file can be found in \program_files\cisco\tftp\moh.
