How to convert a WAV to FLAC

2003-11-12 11:13:39

Can i use EAC or something else to convert a WAV already on my PC to FLAC ?

Ta

How to convert a WAV to FLAC

Reply #1 – 2003-11-12 11:16:55

Do the following steps to convert wav > flac using foobar (steps on how to configure EAC to output flac files can be seen below the foobar steps!)

1. get foobar2000 if you dont already have it, if you do you might already have the flaccer plugin, if you dont download either the special version of foobar or just the flaccer plugin

2. start foobar and open all your wav file in it

3. select all the wav files in the playlist and right click on them followed by covert>settings

4. choose output location (where you want the flac files to be saved)

5. if you want to keep all the original file names, type %_filename% in the "output file name formatting"

6. choose "flac" from the "output format"

7. click "settings" and choose whichever compression level you want

8.  click "close" to exit the configuration screen

9. you should now be back to the foobar playlist, if the files are not selected, select them again in the playlist, right click again followed by convert>run convertion.  This should start to convert all your wav files to flac files

[edit - This is how you configure eac to output to flac.  once you have it configured, all you have to do is drag and drop your wav files into eac and it should start to convert them to flac .  You will need flac.exe on your harddrive to make this work which can be downloaded from here]

How to convert a WAV to FLAC

Reply #2 – 2003-11-12 11:35:01

Using foo_flaccer is one way.

But the more common one would be to get the FLAC binaries and use flac.exe from the cmd.line:

Code: [Select]

flac input.wav

If you are uncomfortable with cmd.line usage, I'd advise you to try Speek's excellent FLAC Frontend.
A nice, easy-to-install bundle of tools, frontend and PlugIns is availablehere.

How to convert a WAV to FLAC

Reply #3 – 2003-11-12 14:00:20

There is also a third possibility:
FLACDrop

You'll get it here:

http://rarewares.hydrogenaudio.org/files/flacdrop.zip



elzed

How to convert a WAV to FLAC

Reply #4 – 2003-11-16 11:47:53

Thanks guys. I am looking at Elzed's option right now. It looks cool but whenever i drop the wav files onto Flacdrop it says cannot find flac.exe even if i use Options to specify where it is. But is is weird cos i am running it anyway so i don't really understand why its location matters.

How to convert a WAV to FLAC

Reply #5 – 2003-11-16 11:57:45

The solution is simple, copy flac.exe into the same directory as flacdrop.exe

How to convert a WAV to FLAC

Reply #6 – 2003-11-16 14:38:08

I find dBPowerAmp is a quick and easy way to convert between formats. In Windows you just right click on any file it recognizes and select "Convert To", then select what you want to convert it to.  You'll have to download the flac codec from the codec page on the dBPowerAmp site seperately from the main program.

How to convert a WAV to FLAC

Reply #7 – 2003-11-16 15:42:41

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/show.php/showtopic/14880



Unfortunately, i removed the guide describing how to make flac from wavs already on pc, as the crowd hacked on me, as the other way by EAC directly is way more smoothly...

well, u ask, here it is again, if you have already the wavs on HD, jump over eac step:

written by user, 2003-11-04
© by user, 2003-11-01

If you use parts of this text, or copy it,
refer/give credits to the author 'user', the *,
set link to the original website (*).



How to make FLAC as * album according to * standard for archiving
your music_albums, original CDs:


Table of content:

2.  Introduction
1.  EAC Action
2.1  Foobar2000  for    Encoding, Tagging, Replaygaining
2.2.1 Encoding wave_album to FLAC
2.2.2 Tagging
2.2.3 Replaygaining the FLAC_album
3.  Finalizing your * album





1.

EAC Action:

Test & Copy uncompressed.

* (of course with correct * drive settings for your specific drive,
see other part of guide)

* But take care to use a good naming scheme (same as usual for your * albums):

Check in your EAC options:
Filename tab
'Naming scheme' should include this:

%D (%Y) %C\%N - %T

'Use various artist naming scheme' should include this:

VA (%Y) %C\%N - %A - %T

These naming schemes are recognized well  by Foobar's Masstagger later, so simply use it.
After You finished the whole procedure, you can rename later,
as naming is liberal in the * standard !






2.0  Introduction



So you have got the lossless album_waves properly named on your Hard Drive (HD).

The goal of * is, of course, to save space on your HD, but to keep/maintain
the full_perfect_archive_quality of your album.
The best perfect_quality/size ratio you get by using the min. *_mpc_settings (, ie.
'--quality 7 --ms 15 --xlevel' as example.)
MPC_* at this quality level is not to distinguish from the original CD or the waves
by listening, even if you apply Digital Sound Processing (DSP) like Logic7 or DPL2
for sound via 4-6 speakers, or transcode later on the MPC_* to another format (like mp3)
for compatibility/portability reasons.
This means, regarding the usage of music = listening, MPC_* is without any loss,
so called "Lossless", or 'transparent'.

But maybe you want to archive a very rare album even theoretically Lossless.
So you need to use a lossless_encoder like FLAC or WavePack.
WavPack offers an hybrid mode, which gives you song files
at same time  very well encoded lossy and lossless.
Read more at www.wavpack.com , if you have interest in details.
So, if you want to give the album in a small variant to your sister, family,
or another example, you want to have the rare album archived theoretically_losslessly
at home, but you want to have it on your laptop on a small HD, too,
together with other albums, you could copy only the WavePack_lossy (*.wv) songfiles
to your Laptop HD, to save space, there.


So, to make a long story short,

WavePack Hybrid offers you an easy_to_use bridge between 'still_quite_big'
even_theoretically_lossless music_files for archiving,
and at same time smaller (265 kbit/s) lossy music_files with still_good_sound.

FLAC as alternative Lossless codec, offers you some other advantages, like
* files, songs not totally corrupted, if a single error appears inside a file (maybe due
to aging of backup_medium like DVD+-R, CD-R.
* 'Hardware' support
So, FLAC is your choice, if Archiving is the main purpose for you going lossless with big files,
Wavpack Hybrid offers you something additional.




2.1  How to

1.
EAC Action:

Test & Copy uncompressed, see remarks to step 1. above.

2.2 
  Foobar2000  for
2.2.1 Encoding wave_album to FLAC
2.2.2 Tagging
2.2.3 Replaygaining the FLAC_album




2.2.1


Foobar2000 for Encoding wave_album to FLAC:

After step 1.:
So you have got the lossless waves properly named on your Hard Drive (HD).


* Start foobar2000.
* Playlist tab: Add directory
Add the wave files (*.wav) to an empty playlist in foobar.
* Mark them all
* mouse_right_click, select 'convert' -> settings  (you are now in the Diskwriter tab)
* select output directory
* Output file name formatting:

$num(%_diskwriter_index%)%_filename%

* Output format: select:
CLI encoder

(* stay with default settings:
Uncheck everything in 'processing',
check 'Don't expand loops')


* Now press 'settings...' of the CLI Encoder (you are now in the CLI encoder tab)
* Locate flac.exe file, as example:
Encoder: F:\Programs\Musepack\FLAC\flac.exe
* Extension: flac (default)
* Parameters: - -o %d  (default)

* Highest BPS mode supported: 24
* Tag: default
* Save this preset, which you need only to configure once, as
preset: *_flac as naming_example.
Then you can load later on this preset again quickly for more albums !

* After this configuration check,
press 'Close' in CLI encoder tab.

* Mark the songs in the foobar_playlist (they should be  marked still),
* Mouse_right_click -> Convert -> Run conversion

** Now your album_waves are encoded to your album as FLAC.

Wait some time until finished and continue with 2.2.2 Tagging.









2.2.2.

Tagging


Continue directly after step 2.2.1:

* Foobar2000 -> Playlist tab -> Clear
Your playlist is now empty, you have cleared it from the waves,
which you don't need anymore, because you want to process
now the flac (*.flac) files of your album

* Playlist tab: Add directory  (containing the flac files)
If flac files aren't added, you need to configure foobar preferences settings:
* Foobar2000 tab -> Preferences -> Core
In the field of : 'Restrict incoming files to:'
add: *.flac  (separated from other file extensions by ';'
an example line:
*.mpc;*.mp3;*.ogg;*.wav;*.ape;mp2;mp+;*.wv;*.flac
Close foobar2000 preferences,
and start again with this step 2.2.2 tagging.
This configuration in foobar2000 preferences, you need to carry out only once, of course.


* mark all (*.flac) songs in the album playlist,
* Mouse right_click: select 'Masstagger' -> Edit tags
* Repeat for the various tags, you want to add:
Add 'set value'  ok
Field Name:
-Artist
-Album
-Date (type into Field value: year of album_release like: 2003 as example)
-Genre
-Comment (type into Field value something like: *_lossless by your_nickname)
At the end of tags selection, you need to select another action_type
in foobar's Masstagger:
-'guess values from filename' ok
In 'scheme' you need to copy/type in/edit this line to following result:

%tracknumber% - %title%

In masstagger - actions to perform, you see now a big list
of tag actions, that will be performed now:
* Click 'Run'

** Now the tagging of the album is finished.
Continue with 2.2.3 Replaygaining:





2.2.3  Foobar2000 for:


Replaygaining the flac_album 




Directly after step 2.2.2,


* mark all (*.flac) songs in the album playlist,
* mouse_right-click -> replaygain -> Scan selection as album

* wait a short time, until replaygain is finished.

* Now you may create an m3u_playlist simply by foobar.






3. Finalizing your * album:

* As usual = creation of md5 file.


(see other parts of guide,
how to create MD5 file.

Before Finalizing = creation of md5-file,
don't forget to include the EAC log file(s).) 










written by user, 2003-11-04
© by user, 2003-11-01

Thanks for advice & comments to Volcano, the experts & community at www.hydrogenaudio.org & everybody else, who contributed.

If you use parts of this text, or copy it,
refer to the author 'user', the *,
set link to the original website (*).


MOD: * no links or names to ripping group guides please.