Converting LPs to digital - Tiki Music

T tikibars Tiki Socialite Aku Hall, Chicago Joined: Apr 11, 2002 Posts: 2034	T tikibars Posted posted on Tue, Aug 3, 2004 10:24 AM MP3 is a lossy compression format. No matter what transmission rate you use, 128kbps, 160 kbps, 192kbps, etc (these are transmission rates, not sample rates) the quality will still be diminished over an uncompressed format such as .wav, .aiff., or SDII. Granted, 320kbps is less degredation than 128 kbps, but you're still tossing out large amounts of your audio signal in order to make a smaller file. And, when your CD burner program takes the MP3s and preps them for burning to a CD, it is expanding them back into a .wav-like format anyway, but once the damage is done, it is done - the quality doesn't come back. So making MP3s is trashing your fidelity for no good reason. If you want to burn CDs AND post trax to the web, burn the CD from the uncompressed .wavs and then make separate copies in MP3 for net or iPod use. One more thing: ALL audio CDs use a 44.1Khz sampling rate and a bit depth of 16. When sampling your vinyl into your audio editing software, always use a sample rate of 44.1Khz. Using a higher setting will NOT give a better sound quality, and you will have to convert to 44.1Khz later anyways - and the conversion process can do more harm than good. That said, sampling at 24 bits rather than 16 and then later converting to 16 bits can actually yeild better sound, if done properly. There was another long thread on this stuff just recently... should we move all of this ove there? Iorana! JT http://www.tydirium.net Tiki Bar Review Pages / Tiki Road Trip / Left Orbit Temple [ Edited by: tikibars on 2004-08-03 10:26 ]

MP3 is a lossy compression format.

No matter what transmission rate you use, 128kbps, 160 kbps, 192kbps, etc (these are transmission rates, not sample rates) the quality will still be diminished over an uncompressed format such as .wav, .aiff., or SDII.

Granted, 320kbps is less degredation than 128 kbps, but you're still tossing out large amounts of your audio signal in order to make a smaller file.

And, when your CD burner program takes the MP3s and preps them for burning to a CD, it is expanding them back into a .wav-like format anyway, but once the damage is done, it is done - the quality doesn't come back.

So making MP3s is trashing your fidelity for no good reason.

If you want to burn CDs AND post trax to the web, burn the CD from the uncompressed .wavs and then make separate copies in MP3 for net or iPod use.

One more thing: ALL audio CDs use a 44.1Khz sampling rate and a bit depth of 16. When sampling your vinyl into your audio editing software, always use a sample rate of 44.1Khz. Using a higher setting will NOT give a better sound quality, and you will have to convert to 44.1Khz later anyways - and the conversion process can do more harm than good.

That said, sampling at 24 bits rather than 16 and then later converting to 16 bits can actually yeild better sound, if done properly.

There was another long thread on this stuff just recently... should we move all of this ove there?

Iorana!

http://www.tydirium.net
Tiki Bar Review Pages / Tiki Road Trip / Left Orbit Temple

[ Edited by: tikibars on 2004-08-03 10:26 ]

Post #105939 by tikibars on Tue, Aug 3, 2004 10:24 AM