MP3 Quality

[MWLipari]

I have been trying to use Audacity to record my LPs. I run my turntable into a stereo with a phone pre-amp and than connect to my sound card via the tape out. When I listen to the wav file it sounds pretty much like the phonogrpah (it sounds fine). I am recording it at 24bit and 44100 so the quality is high.

When I convert it to MP3 I lose all of the quality. It sounds like it is being played on a cheap am radio. I am converting it to 256K MP3 so I do not think it is my settings. Do the different LAME plug ins have different quality? Any other ideas? Any help would be appreciated.

[steve]

When I listen to the wav file it sounds pretty much like the phone

You mean it sounds crappy like a telephone?

[DarthLowBudget]

I think he means the wav files sound almost identical to the the LP being played on the turntable. I'm assuming of course that he's using "phone" to mean "phonograph".

[kozikowski]

We're going with the WAV capture file sounds pretty much like the record and the quality turns to trash at the MP3 stage.

Or maybe not. Which computer and which Audacity?

Koz

[MWLipari]

Sorry - The wave file sounds just like the phonograph - it sounds good. When I save it to MP3 it sound bad. I am using the beta version of audacity 1.3.6 and the computer is a AMD Tricore 8450 with 4 meg ram. The soundcared is a Creative Soundblaster X-FI Xtreme Audio.

Thanks for your help

[steve]

You've not mentioned what your operating system is, but since Mac and Linux users are usually keen to say that they are using something better than Windows, I'll assume that you are using some version of Windows

For Windows you should be using this version of Lame with Audacity 1.3.6 http://lame.buanzo.com.ar/libmp3lame-win-3.98.2.zip (download, unzip, and set Audacity Preferences to use it).

The presets are optimum settings for different compression amounts, so unless you have a reason to use something different, use the presets. The "insane" setting should be very nearly as good as the WAV (320 kbit/s CBR, highest possible quality for MP3).

If you still have problems, try LameDropXPd (a free stand-alone encoder/decoder) available here: http://rarewares.org/mp3-lamedrop.php

[orgelquaeler]

For Windows you should be using this version of Lame with Audacity 1.3.6 http://lame.buanzo.com.ar/libmp3lame-win-3.98.2.zip (download, unzip, and set Audacity Preferences to use it).

Indeed, I had the same problem, and upgrading to the very latest version of Lame solved the problem.Good luck with those LP's!

[kozikowski]

Actually, this could be the answer to a different question, he said, doing his fair share to promote thread wander. What are the parameters under which we send people off to that custom lame install? Always 1.3.6? Always Windows? Whenever anybody has any odd MP3 troubles?

Koz