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Topic: What software to use for .opus encoding? (Read 19349 times) previous topic - next topic
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What software to use for .opus encoding?

Hi Guys.

I have read about the opus format, but can't find much info about what software to use for it?! I'm considering re-ripping my CD-collection and I would like to give .opus a shot.

What software are you guys using for the CD-to-opus ripping?
Normally I use ExactAudioCopy, but it seems that there's no option for using the opus encoder in this?!

Any suggestions?

What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #1
You say that you're "re-ripping" as if this is the n-th time you've ripped your library from CDs. Just curious, but why don't you just rip it to FLAC/ALAC/anything lossless and then worry about the other parts (lossless to mp3/aac/opus/ATRAC) later?

What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #2
mp3/aac/opus/ATRAC
Ha, I was going to question whether Opus was the best choice for a library at the moment, but ATRAC is definitely much worse suited.

Opus is great, especially competitive at lower bitrates, but as said, you should consider ripping to lossless, and worry about formats like Opus later when you want your music on devices with limited space.

Besides, although the library is at a stable version, the currently available command-line tools aren’t. But if you really want to try out an encoder, I don’t understand the confusion: type Opus encoder into Google, and click on the first result that isn’t Wikipedia.

What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #3
Thank you for the replies.

Mavere: My current collection is in mp3 320, which I ripped many years ago. The case is that I'm a car-pc user and I don't have the space for all my CD's if ripping to FLAC (I have MANY CDs), so I'm considering ripping to .opus. But I would like to do some listening-tests before starting the "big" project.

db1989: I'm not asking how to use Google, I know that. I'm interested in knowing what software the people that DO ue the .opus format uses! When using DBPA, there's some problems in regards to the tagging-process, so I'm interested in trying other alternatives...

What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #4
Even in lossless, you could get ~ 10 000 CDs on a single 3TB hard drive these days, and even 4TBs are available.

What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #5
Thank you for the replies.

Mavere: My current collection is in mp3 320, which I ripped many years ago. The case is that I'm a car-pc user and I don't have the space for all my CD's if ripping to FLAC (I have MANY CDs), so I'm considering ripping to .opus. But I would like to do some listening-tests before starting the "big" project.


I think the usual solution is to put the flac files on an external drive.  While you CAN rerip when your requirements change, having the flac files will save a LOT of work.

Quote
db1989: I'm not asking how to use Google, I know that. I'm interested in knowing what software the people that DO ue the .opus format uses! When using DBPA, there's some problems in regards to the tagging-process, so I'm interested in trying other alternatives...


I've been using foobar with the opus v1.1alpha encoder, with options set to copy the .jpg files (cover art) to the destination folder.  All the other tags seem to transfer OK.



What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #6
Even in lossless, you could get ~ 10 000 CDs on a single 3TB hard drive these days, and even 4TBs are available.

Or, for the same price, about 5000 CDs saved twice on two separate 1TB drives. Just to stay on the safe side...
... I live by long distance.

What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #7
I do understand re-ripping to some extend, in fact I do it myself, but not CDs.
Vinyl records however, I re-rip from time to time. Simply because the errors when re-ripping sound differently, which is one of the whole niceties, of vinyl records. (for a non-aficionado it might be difficult to understand, I know)

Ripping from CDs is a different thing, though: If you're too lazy to rip a CD to a lossy file whenever you need one (usually you'd do this just once), you can rip it to a lossless format of your choice -- I suggest FLAC -- and then you'd just convert it into a lossy format whenever you need it, and how often you need it. Personally, I think that a CD is already a good lossless storage (duh...), so whenever I need the lossless source, I'd simply put the CD into the drive. I don't have a stereo equipment that would justify using nothing but lossless files (I use the internal sound chip of my main board and a pair of Sennheiser HD600), so a moderately good ripped lossy file works perfectly fine and transparent for me.

OK, about Opus encoding.
I don't think it makes sense just yet. I'd like to wait for the codec to see his first birthday, and then decide how well acceptance grew, if any horrible errors might have been unearthed and so on. I mean seriously, what's the rush anyway. As long as you have the lossless sources -- be it the CD or a lossless file -- you don't need re-rip in bulk anyway, just rip whenever you need it. Also, most portable players and media devices (that are space constrained) play a variety of formats, you don't need the whole library to be MP3 or MP4/AAC or Ogg/Vorbis or Ogg/Opus exclusively. I think it is perfectly fine to have your media files in more than one format or codec, as long as it is supported by the media players you use. I have some MP3s, I have some M4As and I have some Ogg/Vorbis files, I'd never bother to re-rip or transcode them from lossless sources, as long as those files work for me in a transparent manner.

Re-Ripping the whole library, just because a new codec pops up, is just a waste of time...

What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #8
-Aze-, foobar2000.


What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #10
I don't have a stereo equipment that would justify using nothing but lossless files
Time again to point out that it has been found in several cases that cheaper hardware was more likely to reveal artefacts of lossy encoding through disturbing the masking, etc. One would almost expect better-designed hardware to decrease the likelihood of lossy encoding introducing audible differences, as the encoders are designed with ideal playback conditions in mind, by necessity. This idea that someone who has happily been using lossy formats will save up for some expensive device that suddenly makes lossless encoding necessary seems like a red herring, for the most part.

What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #11
Quote
When using DBPA, there's some problems in regards to the tagging-process, so I'm interested in trying other alternatives...


Often this is because we actually follow the Vorbis tagging specification, where as many other programs do not (regards to field mapping, such as YEAR >> DATE), and these mappings can all be disabled.

What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #12
Ive been using Foobar to convert flac to opus files. Ive been encoding them at 64kbs and using them on an Iriver H340 with a few decent sets of  headphones and ive been really pleased with the quality its been excellent for such a low bit rate.

What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #13
foobar2000

Re: What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #14
Is foobar still the best option ? Or is there anything better ?

Re: What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #15
Is foobar still the best option ? Or is there anything better ?
Is blue still the best color? It's all about preferences, but foobar2k is still my weapon of choice at least.

Re: What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #16
Is foobar still the best option ? Or is there anything better ?

For .opus encoding or for CD ripping with .opus as final format? (I still wonder why not go lossless once you do the rip job.)

I settled on dBpoweramp (the paid Reference ) when I ripped my CD collection some nine years ago. I would have to check the competition's metadata coverage if I were to do it now.  Both dBpoweramp, EAC and CUERipper (which is new since then) certainly have something to offer over fb2k.

Re: What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #17
Even fb2k uses opusenc, doesn't it? Not much else out there except ffmpeg. So everything else is just a wrapper - use whichever you're comfortable with, probably whatever does tagging and track organisation the way you like. And replaygain, of course!

Re: What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #18
Is foobar still the best option ? Or is there anything better ?

For .opus encoding or for CD ripping with .opus as final format? (I still wonder why not go lossless once you do the rip job.)

I settled on dBpoweramp (the paid Reference ) when I ripped my CD collection some nine years ago. I would have to check the competition's metadata coverage if I were to do it now.  Both dBpoweramp, EAC and CUERipper (which is new since then) certainly have something to offer over fb2k.

For opus encoding only, for my smartphone


Re: What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #20
Personally, I think that a CD is already a good lossless storage (duh...), so whenever I need the lossless source, I'd simply put the CD into the drive.
If stored well, commercially pressed audio CDs are a fairly good source.  However, when it comes to transfer to PC, there are some issues:

* Many portable systems no longer have optical drives.  I quit using them years ago, and I know I'm not the only one.  That means getting some external USB thing to do ripping with.  Thanks to AccurateRip and CTDB we don't have to worry about rip quality like we used to.
* Tags & Artwork.  CD-TEXT is pretty crap for tags.  Hopefully your ripper can manage those for you in a way that is extremely easy for you to deal with.  Otherwise you're going to spend a non-trivial amount of time getting your rips tagged just the way you wanted, and downloading the artwork you want to keep.  I don't want to have to do that work more than once.
* Time.  My laptop can transcode from lossless much faster than it takes me to re-rip, and a good encoder can transfer the tags and artwork for me.

Re: What software to use for .opus encoding?

Reply #21
When CDs originally came out, I was sold on the idea that CDs would last more than a human lifetime. Now we know that's not exactly the case, for various reasons.

Of course proper care can prolong their lifespan, but there's no substitute for backups, and easy backups is what a lossless format on a Hard Drive can provide. Especially now that hard drive space is cheap.