What's the best way to convert .flac into mp3?

[airhendrix]

Well, using Audacity, should I convert .flac to mp3?

I love getting my shows into mp3 but Idk how to get the best quality. I know if you convert to a lossy format like mp3, that's what you get but is there anyway I can get the best quality for my .flac gigs into mp3 for free?

*Gimme any link to any good software if you feel its related to what I'm talking about

[kozikowski]

On the PC, I think Super and Switch will both convert like that. If you're going to convert, go up to WAV format and edit there. WAV is an uncompressed format.

Koz

[airhendrix]

So, convert it to wav and then convert it to 320 kbps mp3?

[steve]

Using Audacity:
Import the FLAC file.
Export as MP3.

Not sure why you want to do this though - FLAC files are better quality than MP3 (lossless compression, so they are just as good as WAV files, but half the size).

[airhendrix]

Oh ok, well I do that already for my mp3s through Audacity. That's how I usually convert them.

But the thing is, my Zune doesn't play .Flac files so I thought I might as well convert them to 320 kbps anyway. I know I might have lost quality but concert tapes are concert tapes, they're not usually the best quality anyway.

[airhendrix]

Am I being ignorant on this fact though? Lemme know

[steve]

Allow me to make another suggestion:

1) Import into Audacity
2) Export as WAV (16 bit 44100Hz stereo)
3) Export as MP3
4) Burn the WAV files to a CD.

You now have MP3's for your Zune, and a backup copy on CD that you can play on a CD player.
Converting from FLAC to WAV is lossless, so the CD is as good as the original FLAC files, as long as you don't scratch the CD).

[airhendrix]

Cool . thanks man!


Just another thing, say if I had to transfer the .flacs I had from my computer to my mom's cause I don't have a cd burner on my comp and she does, would I get rippage in the .flac files via Aol Messenger's File Transferring Service?


And about transferring mp3's in general through AIM Messenger: Does it decrease the quality? I've let my sis get some of her music back one time like that though I didn't know if it would decrease the quality of the music by doing so.

[waxcylinder]

And I would add: make at least one backup copy of the WAV file on a separate disc (speaking as someone who had a disk crash on my external RAID drive last weekend - but fortunately with a second USB disc with a full set of my WAV files - phew .....).

WC

[steve]

Just another thing, say if I had to transfer the .flacs I had from my computer to my mom's cause I don't have a cd burner on my comp and she does, would I get rippage in the .flac files via Aol Messenger's File Transferring Service?


And about transferring mp3's in general through AIM Messenger: Does it decrease the quality? I've let my sis get some of her music back one time like that though I didn't know if it would decrease the quality of the music by doing so.

Transfering audio tracks electronically, by e-mail or other means, should make no difference to the sound quality at all. It is when you use lossy compression (such as encoding as MP3) that the reduction in quality happens.