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- Encoding is a critical stage in MP3 creation because in this process, the sound quality will be affected by the type of program you use.
- There are 3 types of encoders:
- 1. Fraunhofer-based encoders:
- -command-line: mp3enc31.exe, l3enc.exe
- -ACM: Fraunhofer ACM Professional Codec (encode up to 128 kbps) and Fraunhofer ACM Advanced Codec (encode up to 56 kbps)
- -32 bits windows programs with graphical interface: MP3 producer pro, audioactive production studio pro
- 2. Xing-based encoders:
- -command-line: x3enc.exe, tompg.exe
- -32 bits windows programs with graphical interface: XingMP3 Encoder v1.5
- 3. Iso-based encoders:
- -command-line: lame.exe, bladeenc.exe, plugger.exe
- -internal: lame_enc.dll, bladeenc.dll
- -32 bits windows programs with graphical interface: Mpeg Encoder v0.07 by SoloH
- Front-ends are windows programs that allow the use of command-line codecs in a GUI (graphical user interface).
- ACM stands for Audio Compression Manager. It's a way Windows manages the use of audio and video codecs: all ACM compatible codecs are available for use by any windows ACM aware program like Audiograbber, Easy CD-DA extractor, Cooledit etc... You can see which codecs are installed in your system in control panel, multimedia, devices, audio compression codecs.
- I consider all the issue of MP3 compression as a necessary compromise between file size and sound quality.
You have to accept this compromise if you want to store hundreds of songs in your computer hard drive, or you want to download and upload songs using the internet.
Out of these 2 situations, you should listen to your audio CD without compression for you to be sure to have the highest quality music.
Almost every body agrees that 128 Kbps is the encoding bit-rate that gives the best ratio between sound quality and file size. All the problem is to find the encoder that gives the best sound quality at 128 Kbps.
- I reject arguments of audiophiles like Tord Janson (creator of BladeEnc) who suggest to encode beyond 160 Kbps (preferably at 256 Kbps) in order to have the highest quality.
Using such high bit rates, you will find yourself with huge files, and the gain in sound quality is not noticeable for the ordinary person. In addition, high bit-rate encoded MP3 files consume more computer resources when they are played (this can be a problem if you are running a less than 200 MHz pentium, and play your MP3 with visual effects).
Xing-based encoders are the fastest you can find, but they produce poor quality music. A real music lover should avoid them. Programs like Musicmatch Jukebox, Realjukebox and Jet-audio use a Xing encoder. These programs are for peoples who don't care for the quality of their MP3 (at least when encoding is concerned, because the 3 programs are good as players).
As a general rule, an encoder which can encode in real time or faster than real time (i.e. faster than the time it takes to play the song) is not a good encoder. Such speed can be obtained only by compromising too much the sound quality (note that this might change in the future with faster processors becoming available). Good encoding is a slow process that can take several minutes or hours, depending on the speed of your computer. I don't see why one should be in a hurry when it's to create something he will be enjoying for years.
The difference in sound quality between a song encoded with the Fraunhofer ACM Pro Codec and the same song encoded with the XingMP3 Encoder v1.5 at 128 Kbps (either constant or variable bit-rate) is noticeable, even for somebody who doesn't have sensitive ears.
Without any doubt, best results (at 128 kbps) are obtained with encoders from the inventors of MP3 compression, the German Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Laboratory.
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- Most of time I use Audioactive Production Studio Professional or MP3 producer professional. Both are using Fraunhofer based encoder, but Audioactive production studio has a much better interface.
If you can't get one of these programs (they are expensive), you can use the Fraunhofer ACM Pro codec with MP3Compressor as frontend. Once the ACM codec is installed, go to control panel, multimedia, devices, audio compression codec, you will see a new codec called 'Fraunhofer IIS MPEG Layer-3 Codec (professional)'. This codec will encode up to 128 kbps.
MP3Compressor allows you to use the Fraunhofer ACM Pro codec in a very convenient interface. You can use it in association with alternative CDFS to do your ripping and encoding in one easy step: with your audio CD in the drive, you select in MP3Compressor to encode the wav files contained in the subdirectory stereo, 16 bits, 44100 Hz of your CD-ROM directory (see screenshot). Since audio CD is a read-only medium, you should not select 'delete after compress' and 'same destination directory' in MP3 Compressor preferences. You should enter manually in the appropriate field the directory where to save the MP3 files as you can see here, or you will get an error message. All you need to do after you have finished is to rename and ID3 tag your files.
L3enc.exe is the encoder from Fraunhofer that started the MP3 phenomenon. It's slower than the ACM codec, but produces very good quality MP3 files at 128 kbps (it can encode up to 256 kbps). It's no longer distributed (the new version is called mp3enc31.exe). L3enc.exe can be used as external command-line encoder with audiograbber or easy CD-DA extractor, or as a standalone encoder with one of the frontends available (L3ENC Front-End, L3encWin, Flip Tech visual encoder & decoder, Small Encoder are the best frontends for l3enc.exe).
You can read here the results of encoders speed and quality tests by the MP3 PRO CLUB.
In conclusion, the person who really cares for good quality encoding should use a Fraunhofer encoder at 128 kbps.
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