encoding better sounding mp3s

[soulata]

Hi

I've heard about the variable bitrate -alt encoding but don't really understand how to do it.

Could somebody explain it to me, please?

I've searched the web, but all I found was...well, too complicated.

thanks

k

[Amberience]

Use Awave Studio. It lets you choose from 0-10 10 being poor quality, zero being best.

I think it works by setting a bitrate threshold. It'll never drop below a certain amount, but to preserve the audio, if it needs it, it'll use a higher bitrate partway through a file.

[soulata]

I use dbPoweramp converter, which is ok, but the -alt variable bitrate should give cd quality mp3 files.

k

[Voidoid Surrealist]

the -alt variable bitrate should give cd quality mp3 files.

No mp3 is capable of that.

[farlukar]

the -alt variable bitrate should give cd quality mp3 files.

No mp3 is capable of that.

320kbps is a pretty good approximation

[Voidoid Surrealist]

True, but I'm in the mood for being a pedantic twatter

[Peel]

the -alt variable bitrate should give cd quality mp3 files.

No mp3 is capable of that.

I disagree. There are double-blind listening tests about this (Here's one, but there are more.
Of course, it's true that an MP3 can never produce a signal identical to the original audio, but we're talking about quality, not data, right? (I can be pedantic, too!)

[Paulie Phonick]

Agreed, to me a VBR MP3 encoded at average bitrate of around 200 kbps sounds good enough, but it has to be assured that no filtering is done during compression. Some encoders cut high frequencies by default!

[Spaceman Sounds]

We had to get a track that was on a really tight deadline to the pressing plant, and we had like 2hrs and we were still finishing it. They wanted us to drive there, but I said we'll mp3 it at 320kps uber high quality mode in Soundforge and email it.

They were disgusted he he, I was like, it's Hardcore no one could ever tell the difference. To be honest I doubt if they could tell the difference at 128kps. It's normally the top end and kick drums that suffer at 128kps, 256kps is the minimum I think for mp3.

[Lunatique]

LAME encoder, alt-preset-standard. That's it. Very simple.

[Mr. Tunes]

We had to get a track that was on a really tight deadline to the pressing plant, and we had like 2hrs and we were still finishing it. They wanted us to drive there, but I said we'll mp3 it at 320kps uber high quality mode in Soundforge and email it.

They were disgusted he he, I was like, it's Hardcore no one could ever tell the difference. To be honest I doubt if they could tell the difference at 128kps. It's normally the top end and kick drums that suffer at 128kps, 256kps is the minimum I think for mp3.

I have a friend whose relatively new to all this stuff and he thought it was ok to take all the tracks he's worked on, convert them to mp3 and delete his Wave masters to save space on the hardrive. i found this out when he asked me to remaster his album and I had asked for the waves- I absolutely shook my head and told i'm not spending all this work on mastering your mp3s

[smart]

there's also a alt-preset-extreme that should be the best but it'll take up more hd space.

[The Chase]

I always do it when I rip CD's with audition. I range from 128Kbps to 320kbps, and I cant tell the difference from straight 320's

[NAD]

I can't tell the difference beyond 192kbps....

[davy]

Problem with vbr is that some players don't know how to handle them. They expect constant rate.