iTunes, iPods, audio formats

Automatic Transcoding

It seems the correct phrase is “automatic transcoding”, which is on reflection a reasonable description of the concept but I wasn’t going to think of it in a decade. And the answer is I can’t do what I want to do (or perhaps just not for the time being).
http://forums.ilounge.com/showthread.php?t=193033

Often I can hear a loss with compression

From my experience it depends on the type of compression used. I did an experiment a few years ago using an original CD, an iPod, a minisic and a DAT. The experiment was basically to see whether I could tell the difference between the formats, but the main focus was to tell the difference between the original CD and the file ripped to an iPod (and played back on an iPod), and then telling the difference between Minidisc and DAT.

I ripped a CD to my iPod and used a track I know very well (Her Town Too by James Taylor) as a test. I couldn’t tell the difference at all between the original CD and an MP3 ripped at 192k played back on the iPod. To my rather critical ears they sounded exactly the same.

For the test between Minidisc and DAT, I came out of a CD player optically and simultaneously recorded digitally to the Minidisc and DAT. On playing them back, without fail every time I tried I could tell the difference between the two. Minidisc sounded cold and harsh compared to the DAT, which sounded dynamic, warm and open.

What did this prove? To me it showed just how good the iPod sounds.

Incidentally, my iPod has travelled around Europe with me while I’ve been gigging as a source of music before the concert. Large PA systems have a habit of showing faults in sound sources, but my iPod has been through systems in theatres, clubs, arenas and stadiums and has sounded superb everywhere. I’m sure if you encode everything at 64 or 96k you’ll tell the difference, but 192k sounds perfect to me. I Can’t Tell You Why by The Eagles sounded rather nice when I put it through the 80,000-odd watt system I had in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium the other month. Anything that sounds warm in such a harsh environment gets my vote.

Anyway, I’m typing this while listening to Joni Mitchell’s Shadows And Light on vinyl. Now there’s a real format!

Paul

MP3 came to pass into the public mainstream about 10 years ago. I remember using DOS to encode WAV file, which I ripped in realtime (ouch) and waiting 10 odd minutes to get a 3 min MP3. How things change. I can rip and encode an entire CD in perhaps 3-4 mins.

I seriously think that FLAC, a lossless and importantly open-source format, is the next way to go. Okay the output file is perhaps 5 times greater than a MP3 but int his day of high-capacity storage that is less of an issue. I’ve had a quick bash at encoding with the Pro version of Winamp and the results sound good.

There is a website where you can get unofficial firmware for your iPod that supports FLAC. As ever use at your own peril.

Another whinge about DRM. Can we have an open portable music player without the need for restricted formats? Please?

I have a pretty high end speaker system too and I have never noticed a difference.

I have to say that with 192Kbps MP3, for instance, it is quite difficult to hear a difference… (Or I’m getting deaf 😉 )

I don’t know if you can or not, some hardware seems to be optimized for some types of compression and codexes. I would experiment.

I use the mediacoder for when I need to toy with advanced settings (codexes and lossy and other compression settings), but its not too user friendly and complex if your like me and don’t have much of a clue. It probably has addwear in it, but hasn’t given me any problem yet

I don’t know if it has the format you’re looking for. I don’t have an Ipod.
http://mediacoder.sourceforge.net/index.htm

Exactly, why ?

Unless you are using the system to make a sound analysis, where you can’t afford a loss for technical reasons, the compressed audio files you are using nowadays won’t sound any different to you than the non-compressed audio.

Often I can hear a loss with compression

Exactly, why ?

Unless you are using the system to make a sound analysis, where you can’t afford a loss for technical reasons, the compressed audio files you are using nowadays won’t sound any different to you than the non-compressed audio.

I think you’re missing my point – it’s easy enough to connect the iPod and synch … what I want to do is use different codecs between the version on the PC and one on the iPod. I don’t know if you can do this.

Yeah but why?

I think you’re missing my point – it’s easy enough to connect the iPod and synch … what I want to do is use different codecs between the version on the PC and one on the iPod. I don’t know if you can do this.

Eh? If you are using itunes just load your CD’s onto the that and transfer seemlessly to you ipod.