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Topic: Converting FLAC to MP3 (using fb2k), should I decompress to WAV first? (Read 5464 times) previous topic - next topic
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Converting FLAC to MP3 (using fb2k), should I decompress to WAV first?

Hello.

I need help.

before converting FLAC to MP3 using foobar2000

I need before decompress FLAC to WAV using FLAC-Frontend, and then, convert the WAV to MP3?

or there is not a problem if i am going to convert the FLAC directly to MP3?

I know, FLAC is lossless, but it's a compressed audio...can i really convert directly to MP3 without need to decompress to WAV?

I would like someone to answer it with assurance. Thanks.

Converting FLAC to MP3 (using fb2k), should I decompress to WAV first?

Reply #1 –
In any conversion from a compressed lossless (or lossy!) format to anything else, the source file *must* be decompressed to straight PCM first - there's no other way to process it.

Programs such as foobar2000 do this on-the-fly, in RAM - Google "unix pipes" for a general explanation.
"Not sure what the question is, but the answer is probably no."

Converting FLAC to MP3 (using fb2k), should I decompress to WAV first?

Reply #2 –
Understood.

Thank you very much.

Converting FLAC to MP3 (using fb2k), should I decompress to WAV first?

Reply #3 –
Depends on the encoder/converter. Most probably, the software is gonna decode the FLAC and then pipe the output into the MP3 encoder.

I have yet to see a binary that does both in bulk. Even so, it'll have to be decoded prior to encoding to MP3. So either you do it yourself, or you let the software do it, it should make no difference.

When in doubt, make a test: take a smaller FLAC and decode it, keeping the original.
Now, encode both, the FLAC and WAV into MP3, but make sure, you do it with no ID3 tags, etc.
Then, compare the resulting MP3's, by listening to them, and by making an MD5 checksum of each resulting MP3, and comparing those.

Converting FLAC to MP3 (using fb2k), should I decompress to WAV first?

Reply #4 –
Quote from: polemon on
Even so, it'll have to be decoded prior to encoding to MP3. So either you do it yourself, or you let the software do it, it should make no difference.

There is one difference. If you decode first to WAV then you will almost certainly lose your tags.

Converting FLAC to MP3 (using fb2k), should I decompress to WAV first?

Reply #5 –
Quote from: polemon on
Depends on the encoder/converter. Most probably, the software is gonna decode the FLAC and then pipe the output into the MP3 encoder.

I have yet to see a binary that does both in bulk. Even so, it'll have to be decoded prior to encoding to MP3. So either you do it yourself, or you let the software do it, it should make no difference.

When in doubt, make a test: take a smaller FLAC and decode it, keeping the original.
Now, encode both, the FLAC and WAV into MP3, but make sure, you do it with no ID3 tags, etc.
Then, compare the resulting MP3's, by listening to them, and by making an MD5 checksum of each resulting MP3, and comparing those.


I made the test

MD5 results are the same, for both encodes

seems foobar2000 is definitely trustable for this process

Converting FLAC to MP3 (using fb2k), should I decompress to WAV first?

Reply #6 –
Quote from: pdq on
There is one difference. If you decode first to WAV then you will almost certainly lose your tags.


When you decode to WAV you will lose your Tags, there's no way around it. The encoding process in itself is untouched by metadata, though. She already answered, that MD5 checksums are equal, so this issue is solved.

Converting FLAC to MP3 (using fb2k), should I decompress to WAV first?

Reply #7 –
Quote from: polemon on
Quote from: pdq on
There is one difference. If you decode first to WAV then you will almost certainly lose your tags.


When you decode to WAV you will lose your Tags, there's no way around it.

Well, not quite...like pdq said, "almost certainly."

Technically, there is a "standard" - more like a "suggestion", really - for WAV tagging...it's the randomness of if and how various programs implement it that renders WAV tags "practically" pointless.

For instance, open a tagged MP3 in Audacity, then export to WAV.  Relaunch Audacity (to clear the metadata editor) and open the WAV - at least some of the tags will be there (artist, track, and year, at least in the most recent version of Audacity).

Cool Edit 2000 - and by extension, I'll assume Adobe Audition - will show the same.

So, while you can reasonably assume that you'll lose tags if you decode to WAV, just be aware that it's not an absolute certainty.
"Not sure what the question is, but the answer is probably no."
 

Converting FLAC to MP3 (using fb2k), should I decompress to WAV first?

Reply #8 –
dBpoweramp can also tag wav files.