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Topic: Mono MP3 to Stereo (Read 4314 times) previous topic - next topic
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Mono MP3 to Stereo

Much I as would not normally touch transcoding with a bargepole, my beloved MP3 player (an Archos GMini XS202S) has a problem with playing mono MP3s (specifically, downloaded podcasts from New Scientist).

I've tried to re-encode using Foobar2000 and LAME, but any -m option appears to be ignored, and I end up with mono again!

Anyone attempted anything like this before?

Mono MP3 to Stereo

Reply #1 –
Quote from: d6mck on
Much I as would not normally touch transcoding with a bargepole, my beloved MP3 player (an Archos GMini XS202S) has a problem with playing mono MP3s (specifically, downloaded podcasts from New Scientist).

I've tried to re-encode using Foobar2000 and LAME, but any -m option appears to be ignored, and I end up with mono again!

Anyone attempted anything like this before?

LAME cannot create new audio channels. Foobar has a "Convert mono to strereo" DSP filter that should do the trick. I think it is included in the default DSP filters (if not, then a plugin is probably available in the foobar site). Just select select the "DSP Processing" conversion option and activate "Convert mono to strereo". You may want to disable other possibly active DSP options.

Mono MP3 to Stereo

Reply #2 –
Quote from: d6mck on
Much I as would not normally touch transcoding with a bargepole, my beloved MP3 player (an Archos GMini XS202S) has a problem with playing mono MP3s (specifically, downloaded podcasts from New Scientist).

I've tried to re-encode using Foobar2000 and LAME, but any -m option appears to be ignored, and I end up with mono again!

Anyone attempted anything like this before?


I suggest you do this in 2 stages, converting to an uncompressed WAV first then to mp3. This is presumably what Foobar has been doing automatically but if you do it like this you can make sure that the WAV produced in the first step is in stereo. Foobar/LAME should then produce a stereo MP3 form this without problem.

Mono MP3 to Stereo

Reply #3 –
Would it theoretically be possible to do this conversion losslessly, taking the mono channel as the mid channel and all zeros for the side channel?

Mono MP3 to Stereo

Reply #4 –
@pdq:
Yup. That'd work perfectly (*). The problem is finding a program that would do it. I suppose I can hack mp3packer to support that, but it's not exactly high on my priority list.

(*) as long as the bitrate of the mono file is not anywhere near 320kbps, but I doubt that's the case.
"We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!" - Vroomfondel, H2G2

Mono MP3 to Stereo

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Omion on
@pdq:
Yup. That'd work perfectly (*). The problem is finding a program that would do it. I suppose I can hack mp3packer to support that, but it's not exactly high on my priority list.

(*) as long as the bitrate of the mono file is not anywhere near 320kbps, but I doubt that's the case.

Unless I'm mistaken, the maximum available bitrate for a mono MP3 (without going into freeformat) is 160 kbps.

    - M.

Mono MP3 to Stereo

Reply #6 –
Quote from: M on
Quote from: Omion on

@pdq:
Yup. That'd work perfectly (*). The problem is finding a program that would do it. I suppose I can hack mp3packer to support that, but it's not exactly high on my priority list.

(*) as long as the bitrate of the mono file is not anywhere near 320kbps, but I doubt that's the case.

Unless I'm mistaken, the maximum available bitrate for a mono MP3 (without going into freeformat) is 160 kbps.

    - M.


If that's true then couldn't one get higher quality by encoding a mono source as joint stereo with zero side channel? The mid channel should then get ~320 kbps.