Wav to MP3 conversion

krd

What's the best way to do it?

I transfer my Wavs to MP3, using lame on command line. And I end up losing the frequencies I want to keep. So I'm ending up with something different from the original intention.

Any suggestions?

dav nagle

krd wrote: »

What's the best way to do it?

I transfer my Wavs to MP3, using lame on command line. And I end up losing the frequencies I want to keep. So I'm ending up with something different from the original intention.

Any suggestions?

http://www.nch.com.au/switch/

Neurojazz

What codec does that use Dav?

PaulBrewer

krd wrote: »

What's the best way to do it?

I transfer my Wavs to MP3, using lame on command line. And I end up losing the frequencies I want to keep. So I'm ending up with something different from the original intention.

Any suggestions?

iTunes ?

This is a discussion I've had with a couple of Mastering engineers here.

If you are getting stuff mastered, then is the time to convert your Master to MP3 too (this of course may not apply to you)

seannash

why is mp3 encoding in itunes always getting a bad rap.

is it really that bad?

PaulBrewer

seannash wrote: »

why is mp3 encoding in itunes always getting a bad rap.

is it really that bad?

I don't know . It seems ok to me on what is by definition a subtractive process.

Anyone done comparisons ?

dav nagle

Wave File Compression Codecs Compared
Audio Compression Manager

This is a reference to compare the audio quality and compression bitrates of the different wave compression codecs available for ".wav" and ".dct" files using the audio compression manager including PCM, GSM, ADPCM, CELP, SBC, TrueSpeech and MPEG Layer-3. Note: The Audio Compression Manager (ACM) is used for recording to .wav (wave) or .dct (dictation) files. For other file formats, please start with the Sound File Formats page.
The ACM is used by:

WavePad - Sound Editing Software
Express Dictate - Dictation Recorder
Switch - Audio File Format Converter
Pocket Dictate - Voice Recorder for Pocket PC
AudioTime - Programmable Audio Recorder and Player
VRS Recording Software
MSRS Court and Conference Recorder
RecordPad Sound Recorder Software
SoundTap Streaming Audio Recorder
and many other of our Sound Programs
The audio file compression formats listed on this page are low bitrate speech formats. Higher bitrate music and broadcast voice formats are not listed.

You can listen to samples of each audio format by clicking on the "Sample" link.

Format

Bitrate

1 min =

Sample

11,025Hz 16bit PCM 176.4kbs 1292k 11k16bitpcm.wav
8000Hz 16bit PCM 128kbs 937.5k 8k16bitpcm.wav
11,025Hz 8bit PCM 88.2kbs 646k 11k8bitpcm.wav
11,025Hz u-Law 88.2kbs 646k 11kulaw.wav
8,000Hz 8bit PCM 64kbs 468.8k 8k8bitpcm.wav
8,000Hz u-Law
* toll quality telephone 64kbs 468.8k 8kulaw.wav
11,025Hz 4bit ADPCM 44.1kbs 323k 11kadpcm.wav
8000Hz 4bit ADPCM 32kbs 234.4k 8kadpcm.wav
11,025Hz GSM6.10 18kbs 131.8k 11kgsm.wav
8000Hz Mp3 16k 16kbs 117k 8kmp316.wav
8,000Hz GSM6.10
* cell phone quality 13kbs 102.5k 8kgsm.wav
8000Hz Lernout & Hauspie SBC 12k 12.0kbs 87.9k 8ksbc12.wav
8,000Hz DSP Group TrueSpeech 9kbs 65.9k 8ktruespeech.wav
8000Hz Mp3 8k 8kbs 60k 8kmp38.wav
8,000Hz Lernout & Hauspie CELP 4.8kbs 35k 8kcelp.wav

MilanPan!c

I use dbPoweramp... and have for a while...

it has multiple codec support and integrates very nicely into my OS.

Good stuff!

Laserharp

The encoding in iTunes is excellent. Years ago when it first came out it was not the best, but that's changed. MP3 and AAC. Why would you need anything else? Plus, it's one if the few that makes editing metadata very easy.

But don't take my word for it. Best thing is to do a null test, that way you can see and hear the actual artifacts of each encoder. PS every player decodes in the same way. It is only the encoding that is proprietary.

krd

PaulBrewer wrote: »

iTunes ?

This is a discussion I've had with a couple of Mastering engineers here.

If you are getting stuff mastered, then is the time to convert your Master to MP3 too (this of course may not apply to you)

Well, I don't have the luxury of using a Mastering engineer (though I've heard, Abbey road will master for as little as 10 quid a track, if you give them ten tracks - in fact cheaper. A few months back I saw an offer of 90 quid for ten tracks master)

For the minute - stuff I've been doing - say for putting stuff up on Soundcloud, I have to convert to MP3 first, then it's uploaded to Soundcloud and sound cloud re-compress it. And it can sound so radically different to the wave - if there is - and in the case of stuff I've done - a radical sweep from low to high frequencies on a bass, the MP3 conversion breaks it up, dumps some of the essential partials and makes it sound really flat.

If I had tool to create the MP3 - something that let me turn a 100mb Wav into a 20Mb or 30Mb MP3 - I'd probably be happy and be able to get most of what I want up.

But say the real problem is - on the wave file, there's a bass that starts really distorted at the top and swoops down to get a resonant and rhythmic Whooommph at the bottom. When I MP3orize it, it turns into something else.

Paul, you'd actually be really horrified to see what I do and how I do it. But ... over the last year, I've realised, for my own production stuff - I need to progress further down that path of horror. It would be great if I had some engineers to help me - If I had a room where I could set up multiple old machines, like Atari STs and BBC micros - and stuff and make it all blend. That would be good. What I would give for an old PC sequencer that could handle SYSEX without having a **** attack.