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Chris Pickett
Guest
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 Posted:
Mon Nov 29, 2004 11:04 am Post subject:
Re: Musings from an MP3 Newbie |
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Carey Carlan wrote:
| Quote: | I posted a couple of 256Kbps samples on my website using Fraunhofer
encoding. It's licensed (not free) but makes excellent recordings without
resorting to variable bit rate (which a few players can't reproduce).
Hear it here:
http://ccarlan.home.mindspring.com/B6.html
I've used Lame before and I think it's good, but I believe (with no real
side by side comparisons) that Fraunhofer is better.
|
There are online tests that have been done, some harder to find than
others. FhG in this test below is Fraunhofer. Mind you this is the
general public (nevertheless one that cares enough to complete a
listening test) and a fairly small sample size.
http://www.rjamorim.com/test/mp3-128/results.html
As a side note, I always liked WinAmp 2.92 with the MAD mp3 decoder
plugin under Windows, and tried to get 192 Kbps mp3's or better.
http://www.mars.org/home/rob/proj/mpeg/mad-plugin/
There are better formats than mp3 for encoding if you can be bothered,
notably Ogg Vorbis:
http://www.rjamorim.com/test/multiformat128/results.html
Finally, you might be interested in FLAC if you have diskspace:
http://flac.sourceforge.net/index.html
Chris
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Steven Sullivan
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 29, 2004 4:17 pm Post subject:
Re: Musings from an MP3 Newbie |
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Mike Rivers <mrivers@d-and-d.com> wrote:
| Quote: | So, for those of you who have dealt with "MP3 sucks" can you give me
any advice as to minimum decent encoding rates, or option that I
shoudl be aware of? I've just used fixed rate so far.
|
www.hydrogenaudio.org , where codec developers anmd others discuss and test
compression formats, recommends this version of LAME:
LAME 3.90.3
(download from:
http://www.rarewares.org/dancer/dancer.php?f=1
)
and recommends using this preset setting for LAME 3.90.3:
--alt-preset standard
This is a variable bit-rate setting, ~190 kbit/s typically 180..22
I've used LAME 3.90.3 + --alt-preset standard and the results using
music have been subjectively indistinguishable from originals.
It's a good trade-off between file size and sound quality.
other good options for LAME are:
--alt-preset fast standard (~190 kbit/s, faster but potentially lower quality)
--alt-preset extreme (~250 kbit/s, typical 220 ... 270)
--alt-preset fast extreme (~250 kbit/s, faster but potentially lower quality)
--alt-preset insane (320 kbit/s CBR, highest possible quality) |
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Mike Rivers
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 29, 2004 6:21 pm Post subject:
Re: Musings from an MP3 Newbie |
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In article <8_udncA_kNuBEjfcRVn-vQ@comcast.com> rsmith@1nospam2.bsstudios.com writes:
| Quote: | I agree with Carey on this. Fraunhofer has the encoding best algorithms at
this time in my opinion.
|
I put my card in for a drawing of a free Fraunhofer encoder at AES but
I didn't win. This project is well worth the $11.95 for Total
Recorder, but any further money I put into it will be to fix the
PCM-501 adapter.
--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo |
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James Perrett
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 29, 2004 6:21 pm Post subject:
Re: Musings from an MP3 Newbie |
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Pooh Bear wrote:
| Quote: |
Mike Rivers wrote:
Does the decoder need to be smart enough to play a variable bit rate
encoded file?
Yes but haven't found one in years that didn't.
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Our DVD player doesn't play variable bit rate files and some cheaper mp3
CD players don't so I stick with 160 or 192kb/s CBR files.
Cheers.
James. |
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Chel van Gennip
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 29, 2004 6:21 pm Post subject:
Re: Musings from an MP3 Newbie |
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On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 18:27:07 +0100, Mike Rivers wrote:
| Quote: | Now I guess it's no surprise to those of you who have been living with
MP3 for a while, but this was my first experience actually comparing the
real thing (the radio) with an MP3 recording, on the same speakers, in
the same room. I wasn't surprised that I could hear a difference, but
even for casual listening (speakers are Minimum 7s) it's a bit mushy.
Program material is bluegrass, a lot of it from old recordings, even
some 78s, broadcast over FM radio (so fidelity going in is pretty low,
but with noises that perceptual encoders don't usually have to deal
with).
So, for those of you who have dealt with "MP3 sucks" can you give me any
advice as to minimum decent encoding rates, or option that I shoudl be
aware of? I've just used fixed rate so far.
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The material: old recordings, even some 78s, is hard to compress.
Use a high bitrate 192 or 256 or VBR and use extra time to compress.
Sugested settings: -v -V0 -q0
If this take too much CPU time, increase the number after -q to lower
CPU consumption and quality.
lame --longhelp gives some extra information.
--
Chel van Gennip
Bezoek Serg van Gennip's site http://www.serg.vangennip.com |
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Paul Stamler
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 29, 2004 6:21 pm Post subject:
Re: Musings from an MP3 Newbie |
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"Bob Smith" <rsmith@1nospam2.bsstudios.com> wrote in message
news:8_udncA_kNuBEjfcRVn-vQ@comcast.com...
| Quote: | "Carey Carlan" <gulfjoe@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns95AFCDF91C37Agulfjoehotmailcom@207.69.189.191...
I've used Lame before and I think it's good, but I believe (with no real
side by side comparisons) that Fraunhofer is better.
I agree with Carey on this. Fraunhofer has the encoding best algorithms at
this time in my opinion.
|
And it came free with CoolEdit 2000. I'm embarrassed to report that the new
box of Audition is still sitting on the bench waiting to be loaded.
Peace,
Paul |
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Carey Carlan
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 30, 2004 12:21 am Post subject:
Re: Musings from an MP3 Newbie |
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"Paul Stamler" <pstamlerhell@pobox.com> wrote in
news:XyJqd.72138$7i4.67978@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:
| Quote: | And it came free with CoolEdit 2000. I'm embarrassed to report that
the new box of Audition is still sitting on the bench waiting to be
loaded.
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It's in Audition as well, all versions to 1.5 |
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James Perrett
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 30, 2004 6:07 pm Post subject:
Re: Musings from an MP3 Newbie |
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Carey Carlan wrote:
| Quote: |
"Paul Stamler" <pstamlerhell@pobox.com> wrote in
news:XyJqd.72138$7i4.67978@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:
And it came free with CoolEdit 2000. I'm embarrassed to report that
the new box of Audition is still sitting on the bench waiting to be
loaded.
It's in Audition as well, all versions to 1.5
|
I had this nagging feeling that you were only allowed to save a certain
number of files before you were asked to pay extra for the mp3 encoding
but I can't find anything about this in the Audition documentation or
help files. Maybe it was a limitation of the older Cool Edit Pro or
maybe I'm thinking of some entirely different software. Despite having
the Fraunhofer encoder in Audition I still tend to use Lame.
Cheers.
James. |
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Lars Farm
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 30, 2004 6:07 pm Post subject:
Re: Musings from an MP3 Newbie |
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Pooh Bear <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Incidentally - heard many claims about the relative accuracy of *encoders*
but are all *decoders* created equal ?
|
The MPEG standard defines the interpretation of the stored data. So it
defines what a compliant decoder must do. Once in the analog domain
there may be differences and of course there are non compliant (buggy)
decoders to...
The MPEG standard says nothing at all about how to create the digital
data or the quality of the said data (how (or even if) that data
corresponds to an original analogue signal). Only how to interpret the
bit patterns.
So encoding is a black art and something encodermanufacturers try to
keep to them self. Encoders differ greatly in quality. Decoders are all
equal, at least for interepretation of MPEG data and assuming that they
comply to the standard.
The idea is that there will be many decoders so they must be well
defined and cheap end easy to create. There will be (comparativelly) few
encoders so they can be a tricky and expensive to do. Remember that MPEG
is primarilly a video format (Moving PICTURES Expert Group...) This is
digital TV first and foremost. Even if they usually use MPEG 1 layer 2
rather then MPEG 1 layer 3 (aka MP3)
Lars
--
lars farm // http://www.farm.se
lars is also a mail-account on the server farm.se |
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Carey Carlan
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:08 am Post subject:
Re: Musings from an MP3 Newbie |
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James Perrett <James.R.Perrett@soc.soton.ac.uk> wrote in
news:41AC9192.33725CC@soc.soton.ac.uk:
| Quote: | I had this nagging feeling that you were only allowed to save a certain
number of files before you were asked to pay extra for the mp3 encoding
but I can't find anything about this in the Audition documentation or
help files. Maybe it was a limitation of the older Cool Edit Pro or
maybe I'm thinking of some entirely different software. Despite having
the Fraunhofer encoder in Audition I still tend to use Lame.
|
It was an extra cost option in CEP 1.x. I guess they rolled the royalties
into the price of Audition. |
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Arny Krueger
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:11 pm Post subject:
Re: Musings from an MP3 Newbie |
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"Carey Carlan" <gulfjoe@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns95B1D7239D67gulfjoehotmailcom@207.69.189.191
| Quote: | James Perrett <James.R.Perrett@soc.soton.ac.uk> wrote in
news:41AC9192.33725CC@soc.soton.ac.uk:
I had this nagging feeling that you were only allowed to save a
certain number of files before you were asked to pay extra for the
mp3 encoding but I can't find anything about this in the Audition
documentation or help files. Maybe it was a limitation of the older
Cool Edit Pro or maybe I'm thinking of some entirely different
software. Despite having the Fraunhofer encoder in Audition I still
tend to use Lame.
It was an extra cost option in CEP 1.x. I guess they rolled the
royalties into the price of Audition.
|
My recollection is that the MP3 encoder was rolled into the product in CEP
2.x, prior to the Adobe acquisition. |
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