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Topic: List of recommended LAME settings (Read 648580 times) previous topic - next topic
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List of recommended LAME settings

Reply #550


Could someone be so kind as to explain the difference between the -V and -q parameters. They both are concerning quality but can be separately tuned. What is the exact difference?


-V determines the bitrate used. Lower -V levels make for larger files, and better quality.

-q determines how detailed the psychoacoustic algorithm should get. Higher -q levels make for longer encoding times, but theoretically better quality ones (at the same bitrate).

in practice, there is no proof that any -q levels beyond -q3 actually make a quaity difference, but they sure slow things down. -q3 is used by the presets. Basically, don't mess with the -q level.

Thank you for the quick response.

P.S.: One more thing puzzles me. In CDex when I select either preset standard or extreme, they both use VBR quality 2, whereas the first post in the topic with the lame settings says that preset extreme is VBR0. CDex uses lame_enc.dll 3.97. Am I missing something?


No... that's weird. --preset standard = -V2, --preset extreme = -V0.

Try to use the --vbr-new switch as well (-V2 --vbr-new, or --preset fast standard) since its better at this point. Not sure if CDex has that option though.

List of recommended LAME settings

Reply #551
-Vx is different from -qx
-Vx [VBR level] are all using -q2 IIRC

 

List of recommended LAME settings

Reply #552
No... that's weird. --preset standard = -V2, --preset extreme = -V0.

Try to use the --vbr-new switch as well (-V2 --vbr-new, or --preset fast standard) since its better at this point. Not sure if CDex has that option though.

-V2 --vbr-new is indeed what I use when I encode. I use EAC and RazorLame. I just decided to check CDex out and was surprised. The four presets: standard, fast standard, extreme and fast extreme - they all have the VBR settings automatically selected to 2. It's correct for the two standard presets but it's not for the two extreme presets. CDex obtains all modes from lame_enc.dll (as far as I know), so the problem must be within the DLL file.

List of recommended LAME settings

Reply #553
-V2 --vbr-new is indeed what I use when I encode. I use EAC and RazorLame. I just decided to check CDex out and was surprised. The four presets: standard, fast standard, extreme and fast extreme - they all have the VBR settings automatically selected to 2. It's correct for the two standard presets but it's not for the two extreme presets. CDex obtains all modes from lame_enc.dll (as far as I know), so the problem must be within the DLL file.

I think you're still confusing the -V presets with the -q switch, i.e., q=2 for each of those presets. CDex is a nice straightforward ripping app, however IMHO the lame configuration settings tab is outdated / poorly designed and often leads to this sort of confusion.

http://lame.sourceforge.net/lame_ui_example.php

Foobar's Converter and Omni Encoder both have UIs similar to this.

List of recommended LAME settings

Reply #554
I think you're still confusing the -V presets with the -q switch, i.e., q=2 for each of those presets. CDex is a nice straightforward ripping app, however IMHO the lame configuration settings tab is outdated / poorly designed and often leads to this sort of confusion.

http://lame.sourceforge.net/lame_ui_example.php

Foobar's Converter and Omni Encoder both have UIs similar to this.

I might still confuse the -V and -q switches, yeah, but if that's the case, I blame CDex for that.
This is how the encoder configuration window looks like:
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/9462/cdex1ub0.png
And this is what the 'Quality' menu contains. I see there the 'q' switch so the lower VBR menu (seen on the first screenshot) ought to be the -V switch.
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/5527/cdex2ps5.png

List of recommended LAME settings

Reply #555

I think you're still confusing the -V presets with the -q switch, i.e., q=2 for each of those presets. CDex is a nice straightforward ripping app, however IMHO the lame configuration settings tab is outdated / poorly designed and often leads to this sort of confusion.

http://lame.sourceforge.net/lame_ui_example.php

Foobar's Converter and Omni Encoder both have UIs similar to this.

I might still confuse the -V and -q switches, yeah, but if that's the case, I blame CDex for that.
This is how the encoder configuration window looks like:
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/9462/cdex1ub0.png
And this is what the 'Quality' menu contains. I see there the 'q' switch so the lower VBR menu (seen on the first screenshot) ought to be the -V switch.
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/5527/cdex2ps5.png


Blech! I have no idea what you'd want to select in that GUI trainwreck!