Quote:
Originally Posted by Gow
You might want to look into mp3gain, it will add either albumgain or trackgain losslessly to the files, so at any time you can undo the gain process. Just as long as you don't delete the APE tags.
|
I had looked into that, as well. But the problem is that the clipping occurs when the file is transcoded - so mp3gain doesn't fix that problem. I normalize at the transcoding process (rip to WAV > normalized and transcoded to MP3) so that the clipping is minimal. It's not the best solution, but I'm not too concerned because I still keep my source files intact.
It's difficult to determine what's a candidate for normalization - I usually take one or two files from the list, check them in Audacity first, and then decide if I need to normalize the album.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jorvette
What would be a better ripping format, Mp3 at highest bit rate , WMA at highest bit rate, WMA Pro Highest bit rate or WMA lossless?
I use WMP to rip
|
Depends on your needs. My 2 cents:
- MP3. Best for compatibility, if you don't mind the extra space needed for LAME V0 or V1. This is what I currently use, so I don't have to worry about "device lock in".
- WMA Pro / WMA Lossless. Best sound quality (especially WMA-L), but device compatibility is weak. You are basically locked into Windows and the Zune. I would personally avoid them, but that's just me.
- WMA. Better sound quality than MP3, at the same bitrates. And better compatibility than WMA-P or WMA-L . I think WMA is a good SQ / compatibility tradeoff, assuming you aren't planning to join the Apple ranks anytime, soon.
I had considered using WMA, but decided on MP3 because it's support on Linux is still better than WMA. Plus, if i ever decided to go back down the Apple path again, I wouldn't have to re-transcode.
I'll also add:
- AAC. Better sound quality than MP3, as well. However, I avoid it because of compatibility reasons - the Zune / iPod / Rockbox supports it, but other players may not (Cowon and Sandisk devices, for example).
As for whether AAC or WMA is "better" at the same bitrate is an endless argument.