Updating your MP3 procedures

[Snarkridden]

MP3 technology is improving all the time, for the best results you need to keep up to date with developments.

There is a new version of LAME out now since April (3.92)

http://www.mp3dev.org/mp3/

Which means that if you use DBPowerAmp which uses the LAME
codec you will probably be using an out of date codec, same applys to DbPowerAmp music converter..

http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm

With the standard installation of the converter, the codec .DLL
should be in the path depicted in the attached JPG file.

Just download the new LAME version, install, and move a copy of the LAME .DLL into your DbPoweramp LAME folder, rename the old DLL just in case you have a problem.

Latest start of the art in MP3 ripping (quality before convenience) seems to be Exact Audio copy (EAC) to create the track wave files and Razorlame (frontend) using LAME 3.92 with Variable Bit rate mode (VBR) to do the encoding.

Doing a dummy run with various VBR minimum/maximum settings using the historgram to check bit-rate demand, if you set 160 mini mum and 320 maximum, run the encode, and the 320k bar NEVER comes up, then your material does not need the highest bit rate encode option, so set it down a bit, I find a good general setting for most CD rips is 128 min 256 max.

If you use vinyl, and your setup is top notch, you might find that also needs the higher setting of 256 to 320k, as the high frequencies from a good analogue disc player often exceed those from a CD which is bound by Nyquist rules to encoding frequency divided by 2 (usually 22k max).

If your albums are older, and your cartridge just average, then set the minimum bit rate to 96k and the maximum to 160k this will reduce the size of the MP3 file considerably.

All the above applies to MP3 pure & simple, NOT MP3PRO or any other lesser quality encode method.

Snark..