Best program for .wav / MP3 conversion???

zip

zip

New member
I've been using these "free" conversion programs (Matchbox etc..) but I think I really need to get something which will yield a cleaner conversion.

Monkey's Audio is claimed to have better conversion but then others need a MA player if I'm not mistaken.

Any recos for me? I have to start weening myself from these freebie programs... :D

Thanks! zip >>
 
mp3 to wave converter

look up "mp3 to wav converter" at download.com - that's what i use. quick and easy.

and for wav to mp3...try bladenc
 
bladenc

I have heard that the bladenc converter takes away some of the punch and is more suitable for acoustic music. What type of music are you converting? Has that been a problem for you?
I like matchbox so far -- just been using it for about a week. I had CDex prior and that was poor in my experience...
 
I was always partial to SCMPX....

Sjoko2 had posted that in testing several, he liked Music Match the best.......

so who u gonna believe?....:rolleyes:
 
It's all in the codecs....

I've actually had great experiences with CDEX.

At any rate, it's going to come down to what codec you use. Most programs, as far as I know, don't have much to do with the encoding process much at all.
Every program uses one of the standard codecs (lame, blade, ogg, etc.) and many let you choose which one to use in their preferance settings.
I had always been told that "Lame" was the truest sounding codec out there and as far as MP3s go...CDEX w/lame has always sounded as true as MP3s sound to my ears.

Of course your mileage, yadda yadda yadda......



heylow
Rock Jedi/Indie Snob
www.heylowsoundsystem.net
 
cdex

CDEX works great most of the time. I think it runs better on Win9x at times though. If you're running W2k, make sure you follow the advice at their homepage re: ASPI drivers.

I use ntrack to record and it has an option for creating an mp3 of the recording at mix time in addition to the wave output. Seems to work great, though I usually use CDEX.
 
Holy Shite!

I've also been using Music Match - not Matchbox... doh! It's the free version. Don't they "sell" a version as well?? Is it any different?

I've got some looking to do...codecs etc...

Hey Bruce...which version of audioactive do you use? The "standard" or pro version? I did download their free MP3 to .wav decoder so now I have some comparing to do.

Audiocatalyst, Audioactive, Music Match, SF.... :eek:

Hell - I didn't even know SF did the conversions...

I guess I'll just have to do a bunch of conversions and let my ears decide. What a novel concept. :rolleyes: :D

Thanks!

zip >>
 
So far, the Lite version....

I'm considering the upgrade to full Pro for the higher bitrates (my version caps me at 128 kbps)...

Bruce
 
First of all...

I have no idea why I posted this in the mixing / mastering forum.

Anyway...

I did a few conversions and compared MM Juke and RC MP3...( I didn't throw in the Audioactive because the demo only converts up to 128kb/sec...but maybe I should have for the hell of it....)

The conversions were done on a progressive rock song at around 256kb/sec...

Compared directly to the .wav file the "winner" was a MM Juke VBR conversion at @244kb/sec. The reproduction seemed the cleanest with the least amount of difference in the high end.

A close second was MM Juke at 256kb/sec CBR... I noticed a very slight change in the cymbals - they sounded a little less clean.

In third place was the Right Click MP3. Again not a huge difference but it took a bit of the punch out of the drums and added a bit of high end brightness.

Does this mean anything? Probably not. It's one song on one system with one set of ears.

Maybe we need to do another one of Q's "challenges" to pick a winner. Have any server space Q????? :)

Or we could listen to Sjoko....:D
 
heylow has it right, it is all about the codec that is used.

I prefer the Fraunhofer codec over all the others I have heard. At 128kbs, it is by and far the best I have heard, but usually I use it at 192kbs, which is the minimum I encode for music I want people to make any kinds of subjective opinions about.

Ed
 
Hey Ed...

Which programs use the Fraunhofer? I believe Audioactive does but the pro version which encodes at >128kbsec is over 100 bucks.

Some programs seem to specify - RCMP3 uses bladenc or Xing but others like the MM Jukebox do not.

What are some good purchase options less than 100?? I do need the higher bitrates but prefer not to spend $100 if I can get away with it. Hell - that's another SM57 for my mic case!
 
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