Copying in a non-mp3 format

[lgylsen]

Hello

I hope someone can answer this question for me.....

I need to copy some cd's onto my windows media player but have been told;

"we do not recommend copying the soundtracks in an mp3 format (or any other compressed format). We suggest using .wav or another non-compressed format. "

What does that mean, and how do I go about doing this.

Thank you :lol:

[creospace]

Make sure the mp3 format is at least 128kps and you wont know teh difference but you will save a massive chunk of your hard drive!

mp3 is about 10 x smaller than wav

Gary

[confused]

I'd say go higher than 128, I can tell the difference between 128 and 192, but not from 192 upwards, and indeed I cant tell 192 from cd. Of course if you have a pair of £5 speakers and an 8 bit soundcard then you wont tell anyway. I'd deefo go for mp3 though, an average music track is about 40 meg (wma) and about 3.5 mp3 @ 128

CALV

[Urban Space]

Just ignore it! It's only saying that because it wants its own filetypes to be played. It won't damage anything! Computers do nothing but moan anyway :lol:!

Liam

[KM-Tiger]

I would highly recommend Exact Audio Copy (http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/) to do this. You will also need to encode to MP3 using LAME, available here (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Lame_Encoder.htm).

Because it's two programs it's a bit of hassle to setup, but particularly if you use the VBR setting of LAME - which will take the bit rate up to 320, but only where needed, the quality you get will be superb, you will not be able to distinguish from the original.

[confused]

That looks good, I usually use audiograbber which can also use LAME, its pretty fast and I like the way you can set how folders are named from the cd title/artist/etc.
I think I'll download it and have a play, I wonder when the final version is released if they will charge for it.

CALV

[Coding Monkey]

I do AAC at 224kbps. Using some Shure E4c (http://www.shurestore.com/earphones/eseries_e4c.html) you can easily tell the difference in sound quality. Anything below 192kbps isn't worth listening to.

[KM-Tiger]

I suspect maybe never.

I've been using it for many years and the versions have always been beta. But no bugs that have ever affected me.

If you are interested there is some more info on setup here:-

http://www.chrismyden.com/index.php

The man's a bit of a musical fascist, but the information is sound.

[confused]

I cant notice the difference above 192, all sounds the same to me after that, and it is defo going through a decent system, might beold age lol.
Thanks for the link, Ill check it out.

CALV

[lgylsen]

Thanks guys for all your suggestions. I will not even pretend to have understood everything you posted. But I think I do get that you have to download Exact Copy and Lame then make sure the bit rate is upto 320 so copy in .wav.

Phew! :roll:

[CG Effect]

The 128kbs means the amout of data used for each second of sound. 320 sounds about as good as CD but on a CD their is 1400kb of sound data for each second alot of it is a recording of sounds we can't hear. Below 320kbs is were the compression application wipes out sound detail we can hear. Look for import settings on your PC music player to up it to 320kbs and 48khz.

Some stereos or walkmans can't take advantage of the sound data on a CD hence why some can't tell the diference between compressed music and CD. I play my music through an Audigy 2 ZS sound card through an Arcam A85 amplifier and B&W 602s3 speackers. I would have to spend £100,000 on a stereo to hear everything on a CD nearly perfectly.

[confused]

Right, Im officially tone deaf!
I just plugged my soundcard (audigy) into my amp (yammy dsp 990, bose 301's) and cannot no matter how hard I try, detect even the slightest difference between a cd and 192kbs mp3, below 192 I can tell.
I agree that you need to spend MUCH more money on a hifi, but dont forget to include the cost of the pc. I'd say in all honesty, my pc and hifi sound about as good as each other - the hifi goes major louder though and I have larger sub than on the pc. Anyway Im off in a huff now beacuse a few weeks ago I had an eye test and need erading glasses (had perfect vision all my life) and now I'm deaf, next thing I know I'll be going bald !

CALV

[CG Effect]

Maybe your not a true audiofile like me I'm fussy. Bare in mind slower music is easier to produce theirs less going on. I listen to heavy rock as well as stuff like Simply Red and theirs a diffrence in the record quality.On Cd there about the same. Oh better mention 128kbs sound on iTunes AAC is alot beter than MP3. Apples compresson tech is miles ahead. I would say 128kbs AAC is about the same as 192kbs MP3.