Most sound compression is destructive and you don’t recover no matter what format you convert it to. If you convert to WAV, the destruction and damage in the MP3 is perfectly preserved – It doesn’t get worse.
Koz
Maybe I should just convert to mp3 and forget about .wav when I capture audio.
John B.
Or maybe not. If your capture masters are sub-standard, then you get killed when a New Technology comes out. Fraunhofer designed MP3 in 1989. You can get twice the compression at the same or better quality with M4A or Apple AAC format – but only if you don’t have substandard masters. What kind of computer were you using in 1989?
Converting between compression types is a problem. You end up compressing the errors of the last compressor.
I do Exports to WAV always – each capture. Then, if the client wants something to post to email or a web site sample, I can create Something Else. The show quality never goes below the original capture uncompressed WAV.
If all this is completely overkill for you, then go for it. Just be aware that you can’t back up. Once you create a gargly MP3, that’s it.
Koz
Didn’t own a computer in '89. Can I burn m4a and aac the same as mp3 and listen on an a mp3 player? I think I’ll continue to convert to wav. It’s a good habit to get into. But how can I put the artist name in the artist column in My Music? I have the song name dash artist in the Name column. Most everything sounds good on my computer speakers.
Thanks,
John B.
<<<and listen on an a mp3 player? >>>
No, but you can listen on any iPod/iTunes/iPhone.
<<>>
That’s my point. If you’re never going to listen on anything other than Computer Speakers, then moderate MP3 compression will work just fine. The first time you plug good headphones into an MP3 music player, you may change your mind, but that’s the decision. Destructive compression made files smaller but it created a terrible decision process that a lot of people don’t catch on to until it’s too late.
“I saved all my albums in 92Kb MP3 and got really small files, but they don’t seem to sound as good as they used to. What Audacity filter can I use to punch them up a little.”
Sorry. You lose on Sports Call®.
Even if you never use them, it’s nice to have WAV versions on a thumb drive in a closet.
Koz
Like I said, I’ll continue to Export in .WAV and change to MP3 afterwords. I found out that if I redo a .wav or mp3 to mp3 I can enter the artist name and it will show up in the Artist column. Cannot do same for .wav. I have 4 one gig mp3 players that I bought at the computer swapmeet and I’ll try downloading music and listen to how they sound in my car. I’ll use the highest quality I can find with Audacity (32 bit float & 44,100HZ) or Switch.
Happy New Year!
John B.
Happy New Year to you.
<<<I’ll use the highest quality I can find with Audacity (32 bit float & 44,100HZ) or Switch. >>>
That’s actually an interesting discussion. That’s not straightforward, either. 41000, 32-floating, Stereo is Audacity default format because it has great ability to survive special effects and sound manipulation. If you don’t do any of that, it may be a waste of drive space. Music CD format is 44100, 16-bit, Stereo. Digital Television sound is 48000, 16-bit, Stereo. That’s the one I use.
Yes, you can convert 44100, 32-floating, Stereo to other formats, but those original 32-floating sound files may not drop into just any other sound program like the other two will. We’ve had postings of these files refusing to burn a CD on some computers and more scary than that, they sometimes create MP3 files that won’t play universally.
“I sent my demo reel MP3 to the client and he claims he couldn’t play it. Please Help!”
The poster sent me the reel and all I did was convert it back to WAV, get rid of the 32-bit floating and make a new MP3. At this point, nobody was interested in perfectly quality. Any reel will do.
She wrote back that she got the work.
If all this was easy…
Koz
Good. I changed the format in Audacity to 16-bit and 48,000. The 24-bit is still fudging? I have made less than 20 MP3’s so going back with the .WAV files and re-converting them to the new settings won’t be too much of a job. I don’t have 1000’s of MP3’s. AND, I can add the artist name to the artist column.
Thanks,
Happy New Year!
John B.
I dropped all my mp3’s into my mp3 1gig player. I used it in my car. I powered it through the cigarette lighter. There are issues with ignition noise, changing songs etc. Maybe if I bought a better player it might help. Better yet, I’ll buy a new car with a mp3 player already installed.
Happy New Year!
John B.
But you will use them …
As storage units get higher and higher packing densities you will want to use uncompressed music files. Who would ever have thought a few years ago that you could get a little single platter 160gb disk into a tiny portable iPod.
That’s one of the things I’m carefully saving my WAVs for anyway - I’m just waiting for the technology to catch up.
And I note that you can now buy “digital jukebox” hifi components with up to 1.5TB on board! Room for a sizeable record collection in WAV - but not very portable though 
WC
I’ve exported my .WAV files with the default 32-bit and 44,100Hz and am exporting the mp3’s at 16-bit and 48,000Hz. Am I doing right with the .WAV files or should they also be at 16-bit & 48000Hz? If the future holds the music storage in terrabits then maybe the use of non-compressed .WAV might be a better way to listen? Should I use the Audacity Project File first before I make my .WAV and MP3’s? I have been bypassing that step but it might be useful.
Happy New Year!
John B.
John,
my WAVs are actually stored as 16-bit 44.1kHz. I started out that way as I was making CDs from my vinyl LPs and 45s (and that is the Red Book standard for CDs). I actually record and edit at 32-bit floating 44.1kHz and then downsample on export
If I had thought harder about it at the beginning of my transcription project (and had the knowledge that I acquired along the way) I would probably have worked in 48kHz 32-bit and stored the archive WAVs in that format - just downsampling copies to make temporary WAVs for burning CDs.
But given that my ears are now ageing somewhat I think that the high frequency response 44.1versus 48kHz may be lost on them. I do listen to the CDs I made from the vinyl on a fairly detailed pair of speakers (Quad ELS-57 electrostatics) and the recordings sound pretty good to my ears.
I also make AAC copies on my iPod (using iTunes to do the conversion), listened to with a decent pair of Sennheiser headphones - and even at AAC 192 they still sound pretty good.
WC
[I found out that if I reexport a .wav or mp3 to mp3 I can enter the artist name and it will show up in the Artist column]
In Windows you can right click on the MP3 file in My Music, or where ever, look at the properties (summary tab in XP), and add the artists there.
That info I found on leovilletownsquare.com by Jim W at gatorgrad.com.
I’ll try to remember to Export my .WAV in 32-bit and 48khz but I have to change something every time.
HNY!
John B.
P.S. Is it me or does downloading music speed the music up a notch? Conversion settings? My ears remember the music a little differently after all these years.
If you play 41.1KHz samples (e.g. ripped from CD) at a sample rate 48KHz they will be speeded up by about 16% , not chipmunk but noticably faster and higher pitched.
It’s a good thing I make .WAV and MP3’s at the same time so I can take the .WAV and redo the MP3’s. It’s a lot of work but worth it 'cause I notice the difference and it bugs me. I can do 41.1K if it is the right speed but what about 44.1K? Will that still be faster?
Thanks,
HNY!
John B.
You could try playing back any odd sounding track at different sample rates e.g. at 44100Hz, then at 48000Hz …
I chose a song and set the rate at 22050Hz and from that I can clearly understand the Set Rate system. Sounds much, much better. Now I’ll go back and change all 45 MP3 songs to 41100Hz. This really neat stuff.
Thanks,
HNY!
John B.
EDIT I changed the Audio Sample to 41100 but when I opened up My Music again the rate is set at 44KHz. I went to Set Rate/Other and typed in 41100. It won’t stick. I try deleting both mp3’s of that song.
EDIT-EDIT I played back at 44Khz and it’s livable. So maybe when I change back I need only change 32-bit to 16-bit because 44KHz is the default.
EDIT AGAIN I found a program that will convert my .WAV and MP3’s to 44100Hz at 16-bit. I’m using the free evaluation. I couldn’t figure out how to do it with Audacity. I’ve updated my .WAV and MP3’s to 44100Hz and 16-bit.
And I missed most of the Laker game doing it but saw the last two minutes.
The show default sample rate is a little schizophrenic. It starts with the Preferences value, but then changes to the sample rate of the first loaded clip. I think it’s whichever one is higher, but I’m not sure about that one. It causes quite a few blank looks and I would just as soon it didn’t do that, but there it is.
If I open my 48000 piano solo in my 44100 Audacity, suddenly, I have a 48000 Audacity and for all succeeding clips.
Koz
Audacity is a terrible converter. Use Super or Switch (download) or iTunes conversion tools or, for the really rolling in cash, QuickTime Pro ($30).
Koz
I downloaded WAV Mp3 Converter and I can convert but only at 60% of the song so I might have messed up some of my songs. The full edition will do 100% of the songs. It’s only $20.00. I’ll have to go back and redo about a half dozen songs. I don’t know a lot about hz or bits or kbps but I think I want between 41K and 44K at 16-bits. I haven’t learned to convert bits into kbps yet. I’ll play around with it somemore. I’ve tried Switch and Super but the converter I have now is more comfortable. I had the same trouble with Audacity in that when I change the sample it won’t stay for the next song or even when I export it to My Music it won’t stay at the conversion levels I choose.
Thanks,
John