Converting CD>MP3

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Member Since: Jun 09, 2006

I need to convert my song to MP3 to put them online. Is there a program that converts directly from CD>MP3? What is the best program that most professionals use that retains the most quality?

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Czar of Cheese
Member
Since: Jun 09, 2004


Jun 09, 2006 10:04 pm

Welcome to HRC! Enjoy your stay!

There's a bazillion of them. Many audio and music applications will rip off of a CD and convert to MP3. I happen to use iTunes to convert from a CD to an MP3.

Quality is a different issue. You can decide on the quality that you want. Better quality translates into bigger file size. A lot of us use 128 K for casual MP3 conversion, but higher rates (192, 328, etc. for more important stuff.)

I'm sure others will chime in with their favorite application for doing what you need to do.

Jim

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Jun 09, 2006 10:06 pm

audacity.sourceforge.net does it if you also install the mp3 encoder.

Member
Since: Jun 09, 2006


Jun 09, 2006 10:09 pm

Yes Im looking for the one with the best quality. Which one do professionals use to maintain the highest quality?

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Jun 09, 2006 10:13 pm

Well "professionals" really don't rely much on mp3, even at it's best it's not that great, but, the fraunhaufer (spelling?) is the standard it seems...AUdacity, which I linked to above does a pretty good job, but, between mp3 encoing and streaming over the net you will never have as high fidelity as a wav file.

Welcome to HRC.

I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003


Jun 09, 2006 10:17 pm

Well, "highest quality" and "mp3" don't really belong together.

The LAME encoder does a good job. It's just a .dll, so you'll need a host to use it. I use a freeware proggy called FreeRip, and its a great freebie.

Here's FreeRip:
www.mgshareware.com/frmmain.shtml

And here's the LAME encoder .dll:
lame.sourceforge.net/

128 kbps is the standard web-friendly encoding bitrate, but it has a noticeable loss of sound quality. I'd recommend a minimum of 160 kbps if you're just wanting to pass it out to friends, but 192 kbps is (in IMO) the bare minimum if sound quality is your concern. Of course, LAME will encode up to a pretty high bitrate so you can approach CD quality.

(sorry Jim, I just realized that I didn't read your post and just repeated everything you already said hehe)

Ultra Magnus
Member
Since: Nov 13, 2004


Jun 11, 2006 01:31 am

iTunes.

Member
Since: Jun 09, 2006


Jun 14, 2006 08:13 pm

Thanks for the advice. Can someone please link me to the fraunhofer mp3 converter?

Thanks

Member
Since: Jun 09, 2006


Jun 14, 2006 08:16 pm

Wait im still a little bit confused. Im going to be converting mp3s to 320kb to maintain the highest quality. Would you recommend LAME or fraunhofer?

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Jun 14, 2006 08:32 pm

either one will do the job very well.

www.mp3-converter.com/enc...er_encoders.htm

www.free-codecs.com/download/Lame_Encoder.htm

Member
Since: Jun 09, 2006


Jun 15, 2006 05:46 pm

So either one will do the job about the same for higher bitrates? No one has a specific program that they always use that produces the highest quality?

Hold 'Em Czar
Member
Since: Dec 30, 2004


Jun 15, 2006 05:48 pm

not tryin' to be an ***, but there's no such thing as a high quality mp3.....i use wavelab just to be safe though.

www.TheLondonProject.ca
Member
Since: Feb 07, 2005


Jun 15, 2006 06:10 pm

Depending on where you plan to upload your music to you may be limited to 128 or 192 anyways. Some sites will let you upload higher bitrates but will downsample them automatically. If this is the case you'd be better off uploading the bitrate that they are set up for. Also, file size is directly related to bitrate so you might have to be concerned with the maximum file size that some sites enforce as well. My .02 worth.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Jun 15, 2006 09:22 pm

Well I use Sonar for converting to mp3. It comes with the Fraunhofer encoder.

Member
Since: Jun 09, 2006


Jun 15, 2006 09:49 pm

AHHHHH!!! Theres too many mp3 converters. I dont want to have to install a codec on a host. Can someone just give me the best lame wav to mp3 converter?

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Jun 15, 2006 09:57 pm

Have a look through these. Some free, some not free. Most are good, the not free ones are the better of course.

www.dailymp3.com/encoders.html

Member
Since: Jun 09, 2006


Jun 15, 2006 10:08 pm

I really cant decide. Are some programs that use LAME worse than others? Or if they use LAME are they all the same?

Member
Since: Jun 09, 2006


Jun 15, 2006 10:10 pm

Also I have another question. If I want MP3s from a CD I have should I Rip them and then convert them to Wav or can I rip them straight to mp3?

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Jun 15, 2006 10:23 pm

You know you bring up a good point there. I dont know why I didnt think of that earlier.

Windows Media Player 10 can rip and convert to mp3. And at higher bit rates if you like. I havent tried it with raw wav files, but I would think it can convert them to mp3 as well, seeing as it can play them.

And you can just rip them directly to mp3 from the CD in Windows Media Player.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Jun 15, 2006 10:33 pm

OK, I cant seem to find a way to make it look for the wav files on a hard drive. IT wants to rip from CD.

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Jun 16, 2006 05:18 am

Quote:
I dont want to have to install a codec on a host.


Well, then, you are not going to be able to make an mp3...codecs are required for any multimedia format you use...you likely already have dozens on your computer. You are making WAY too big of a thing out of a simple mp3 encoding. mp3's on computers are very often pumped out of substandard computer speakers or put on iPods and listened to with little earbud headphones...

Just get an encoder, they are not expensive (sometimes free) and they are easy to find, and just encode them. Some thing are worth all the brain power can you put into them, taking a wav and compressing it to an mp3 isn't worth that time.

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