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Topic: Encoding for Portable ? (Read 4682 times) previous topic - next topic
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Encoding for Portable ?

Hi
I want to buy an new 10 Gb Ipod next month and will start
encoding my Cd now.
What Lame setting is the best for a portable Mp3 Player ?
I need the Mp3 just on the Ipod and they size sould be
around 128 kps.
I have try a lot of settings (--alt-preset 128 / r3mix ),
but i am not shure.
Maybe you can help me out.
Thanks and greetings from Vienna

Encoding for Portable ?

Reply #1 –
If it were me, I would use --alt-preset 128. At that setting, I can fit almost any single CD on one 64MB flash card.
flac > schiit modi > schiit magni > hd650

Encoding for Portable ?

Reply #2 –
I also live in Vienna and came to these forums to ask the exact same question. Allow me to flesh it out a bit:

On a 10GB harddisk I don't feel exactly limited by space so I would go up to --aps standard if it was worth it, however I'd like to know if there are any presets or tweaks assuming a portable mp3 player (in our case the new iPod)

1) directly driving portable headphones (no amp).

This would be the standard case for portables I think. Limiting factors: the listener, the portable (audio hardware, also decoder implementation) and the headphones.

2) connected to a hi-fi stereo amp.

Mainly for parties or background music. If I sit down in the sweet spot specially to listen to some music I use the original CDs. Limiting factors: see above minus headphones.


The flaws in human hearing are exploited by the psy. models but I don't see optimizations for various output equipment yet - why is that?

Regards

Fallen Guru

Encoding for Portable ?

Reply #3 –
You don't see optimization for different output equipment because good equipment is "transparent"... meaning that whatever comes in is what goes out, just louder.

Of course, in the real world this is not the case. Just look at the still hot debate between tube/valve lovers and solid state lovers.

That said, I also suggest using aps for encoding to your portable. For my encodes I limit to a max of 224kbps and it still sounds wonderful. This way, I think ALL my albums end up being less than 100MB each, more like 60-80MB. That means at least 100 CDs in 10GB. Enjoy

Encoding for Portable ?

Reply #4 –
--alt-preset standard -Y ?
'cause in such environments You'll recieve too much noise to let You hear anything above 16000Hz... maybe even a more drastic lowpass:
--lowpass 15 or even lower ? Although You must try for Yourself. Concerning "equipment-oriented-settings" You must see that any listener may or may not be prone to certain artifacts and detect (and be annoyed by) them in various circumstances, or not - so it still depends mostly on listener and secondly on equipment/circumstances...

PS it's late - so forgive me if my post is too enigomanontic  (enigmatic? or what's the word?)

Encoding for Portable ?

Reply #5 –
I like to use --alt-preset 160

128 gives me enough artifacts that it irritates me but 160 seems to do the trick on my rio volt w/ cheap in-ear headphones or in the car.  Plus I can fit a satisfactory amount on one cd w/ that bitrate but aps doesn't tickle me or ape because the size just doesn't appeal enough to justify the quality for me.

Pray for ogg vorbis on the iriver or rio products... 

-Jeffrey

Encoding for Portable ?

Reply #6 –
The only reason I chose --alt-preset 128 is because I have some 64MB flash cards, and at that bitrate, I can just fit an entire CD on one card.

So, my choice was entirely based on file size for my particular device, and how much music I needed to be able to carry. This for me, is the definition of portable.

On my car stereo, file size is not relevant, so it's --alt-preset standard.

To answer the original question, it really depends on how many CD's you wish to carry around with you on the 10GB drive. With a drive that big, I would go for quality first.

On my 64MB cards, I go with the highest bitrate that will allow me to fit an entire CD on one card.

For double CD's, I have a 128MB card.
flac > schiit modi > schiit magni > hd650

Encoding for Portable ?

Reply #8 –
I wouldn't fault him for that. Just trying to get as much info as possible I suppose.

Even though I wouldn't use r3mix myself, I'm sure there are some good people on that board with some good info.
flac > schiit modi > schiit magni > hd650

Encoding for Portable ?

Reply #9 –
That there are.

The page is outdated as hell and abandoned but the forum is very much alive, accurate, and helpful.

Encoding for Portable ?

Reply #10 –
After encoding and listen the hole night long,i think --alt-preset 160 is the best
setting between size and quality,for the most Cds.
Better sounding Cds i will encode in --alt-preset standard.
And i think i have to buy the 20 Gb Ipod.



So,thanks for you help and good night.

Encoding for Portable ?

Reply #11 –
Personally I would go with --alt-preset standard -Y first.  If you find the bitrate is still to high on average, then maybe --alt-preset 160 would be better.  --alt-preset standard -Y should be a better choice though because it uses many techniques for higher quality that  the abr and cbr modes do not because they don't have the same flexibility as vbr.  Especially on difficult samples, --alt-preset standard -Y will outperform a normally equivalent bitrate abr mode.

Encoding for Portable ?

Reply #12 –
Yup, I too would recommend using the --alt-preset standard -Y setting for a nice balance between sound quality and file size. It's what I personally use on the MP3 CD's that I play in both my iRiver SlimX and ChromeX. After trying out a few other quality settings, APS -Y is the one I've decided to stick with.

Encoding for Portable ?

Reply #13 –
Hmm, does that -Y advice still hold with stock 3.92?

chris@jesus:~/lame/test$ lame --alt-preset standard -Y .wav apsY_test.mp3

*** WARNING *** the meaning of the experimental -Y has changed!
                now it tells LAME to ignore sfb21 noise shaping (VBR)

LAME version 3.92 MMX  (http://www.mp3dev.org/)
CPU features: i387, MMX (ASM used)
Using polyphase lowpass  filter, transition band: 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz

I thought it was just supposed to make the frequency cut-off a little more agressive?

Encoding for Portable ?

Reply #14 –
That message is normal when the -Y switch is used. LAME 3.92 is the version that I use for all of my MP3's, so yeah, you can go ahead and safely use the --alt-preset standard -Y switch on that version of LAME.