Help with LAME MP3 Encoder Install

[Uyysob]

It has been hell on wheels trying to get versions of lame to be recognized in my 1.2.6 Audacity..

I tried the last method using the location suggested:

http://audacityteam.org/forum/viewtopic ... 1&start=10

After downloading the zip file :

On My Vista system I try to extract the file lame3.98.2 using select/right click:

Right click Extract/ALL

I get the messsage:

Cannot complete the Compressed (zipped) Folders Extraction Wizard

The compessed (zipped) folder is empty

Before you extract you must copy files to the compressed (zipped) folder

But the file is NOT empty

lame3.98.2
Type of File: Compressed (zipped) Folder (.zip)
Location: C:Users/Maria/Downloads/zip files
Size: 372 KB (381733 bytes)

Any help woud be much appreciated.
Maria

[waxcylinder]

You could try a workaround that I proposed for a similar posting recently.

Search t'Interwebfor a standalone MP3 encoder - export your filesfrom Audacity as WAV files - then process them through the standalone encoder.

You will almost certainly find that whatever standalone encoder you use will afford greater flexibilty over the settings than that in the LAME plug-in for Audacity.

WC

[lastvestige]

I've had the same issue with Audacity 1.2.6 and 1.3.7 beta versions.. "Could not open MP3 encoding library"... At first I thought that this is a bug of audacity and there is nothing I can do but after a
little research I made it work finally.. so let me tell you my steps:

I've downloaded lame mp3 encoder not from http://lame.buanzo.com.ar/ but from this location:
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Lame_Encoder.htm

1)Once you unzip and extract the files you will find a "lame.exe" archive, double-click on it to run it(nothing to expect, just an ms-dos window for one milisecond or so).

2)Next, cut all these files including the html ones and paste them in the folder you installed Audacity(default location: C:Program FilesAudacity).
After that, open Audacity and export an mp3 file. When the program asks you to locate "lame_enc.dll" file, browse and go to the installation file where you paste it before with all the other files.
I have the 1.2.6 and it worked.

My conclusion is that the encoder from "buanzo" is corrupted or not comatible.

ericman13, you're a star!

That worked. Thanks alot!

[jimnteri]

I've had the same issue with Audacity 1.2.6 and 1.3.7 beta versions.. "Could not open MP3 encoding library"... At first I thought that this is a bug of audacity and there is nothing I can do but after a
little research I made it work finally.. so let me tell you my steps:

I've downloaded lame mp3 encoder not from http://lame.buanzo.com.ar/ but from this location:
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Lame_Encoder.htm

1)Once you unzip and extract the files you will find a "lame.exe" archive, double-click on it to run it(nothing to expect, just an ms-dos window for one milisecond or so).

2)Next, cut all these files including the html ones and paste them in the folder you installed Audacity(default location: C:Program FilesAudacity).
After that, open Audacity and export an mp3 file. When the program asks you to locate "lame_enc.dll" file, browse and go to the installation file where you paste it before with all the other files.
I have the 1.2.6 and it worked.

My conclusion is that the encoder from "buanzo" is corrupted or not comatible.

Well, I'll buy that, as I tried the LAME encoder from the site you mention, and everything works fine now. . .

[Smokedhaddock]

Well done, Ericman13, saved me so much grief. However this lame_enc.dll works for 1.2.x but I got an incompatibility message when trying to import using 1.3.x.

[Nikii07]

Just wanted to say thank you to ericman.. For 2 days I've been repeating the same steps over and over to no avail.. as soon as I downloaded the lame mp3 encoder from this link: http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Lame_Encoder.htm and unzipped the folder everything worked just great. THANK YOU ericman13!!

[steve]

Well done, Ericman13, saved me so much grief. However this lame_enc.dll works for 1.2.x but I got an incompatibility message when trying to import using 1.3.x.

Audacity 1.3.7 uses some very up to the minute components that require compatible up to date components in the Lame encoder. Most available Lame encoders (even those built from the latest 3.98.2 version of the Lame sourcecode) have been built against older libraries and so are not compatible with Audacity 1.3.7. For this reason, the Audacity team have provided a binary version of Lame that is compatible with Audacity 1.3.7. This version is also compatible with Audacity 1.2.6 and is used by millions of people worldwide, though for some unknown reason a few users have difficulty installing it.

The only suggestion that I can make is to be sure to follow the instructions exactly. I have personally installed Lame on dozens of different machines without difficulty, just by following the instructions - I would love to find one of the machines that it doesn't work on.

[Ariane]

Ericman 13, this is another thank-you post! Your instructions worked perfectly for me and I would seriously recommend everyone to stop tearing their hair out and do it your way! (And If i can do it anyone can ). I have now exported my first spoken word test MP3 successfully - I still have technical recording issues but at least it's now down to me and not the software.

Ariane

[ericman13]

Happy to see that my instructions were useful...It is very annoying when errors appear at programs you really need and you don't know what to do.. I was preparing to smash my pc until i found the solution..I wrote it here so I catch you up before you smash yours..

[Pam Wilson]

Thank you once again Steve the Fiddle. What would I do without you!
Pam