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Topic: How to tell if -Z switch was used (Read 3705 times) previous topic - next topic
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How to tell if -Z switch was used

I have a LAME 3.93.1 --preset standard encoded mp3 that someone sent me, but I'm unsure if they actually used the -Z switch in addition to the preset.  Is there a way to tell with EncSpot or similar?

How to tell if -Z switch was used

Reply #1 –
AFAIK, no. Encspot cannot even know which preset was used, much less if the -Z switch was applied or not.

You could perhaps find out if you had the original file from which it was encoded... Then you could encode it to aps-z and regular aps and then compare the checksums with the file you have, but I suppose that will not be possible. 

How to tell if -Z switch was used

Reply #2 –
Sure there is a way. Check the Lame header with EncSpot. If -Z was used with 3.93.1 --preset standard, the "Noise Shaping" field is "1".

Of course in case of Lame 3.90.3, the "Noise Shaping" field is "1" without the -Z switch when using --alt-preset standard, because it's enabled in that build and setting by default.

So generally the issue is not to know whether -Z switch was used or not, the issue is whether the Noise Shaping type 1 is used or not, because -Z switch switches between Noise Shaping type 1 and 2, so the result depends on the Lame build and settings used..

Edit. Edited the answer to make it hopefully more clear..
Juha Laaksonheimo

How to tell if -Z switch was used

Reply #3 –
Quote
Sure there is a way. Check the Lame header with EncSpot. If -Z was used with 3.93.1 --preset standard, the "Noise Shaping" field is "1".

I'm looking in the Columns tab of EncSpot's settings dialog, but I don't see a "Noise Shaping" option in the LAME Tag choices.  Is it under another name?

How to tell if -Z switch was used

Reply #4 –
Quote
Quote
Sure there is a way. Check the Lame header with EncSpot. If -Z was used with 3.93.1 --preset standard, the "Noise Shaping" field is "1".

I'm looking in the Columns tab of EncSpot's settings dialog, but I don't see a "Noise Shaping" option in the LAME Tag choices.  Is it under another name?

Right click menu:

Juha Laaksonheimo

How to tell if -Z switch was used

Reply #5 –
JohnV: Thanks!

How to tell if -Z switch was used

Reply #6 –
@JohnV:
Why can I see the Lame-Tag Informations only at VBR-Files, not at CBR-Files?
What exactly does the Quality-Value mean? On my ABR-Files its 58, on my APS-Files its 78.




Greetz, Frankie

How to tell if -Z switch was used

Reply #7 –
Quote
@JohnV:
Why can I see the Lame-Tag Informations only at VBR-Files, not at CBR-Files?
What exactly does the Quality-Value mean? On my ABR-Files its 58, on my APS-Files its 78.




Greetz, Frankie

Maybe your CBR files are so old that there's no Lame tag, or you have an old Encspot. I can see Lame-tags in CBR files just fine.

The quality-value doesn't mean pretty much anything especially what comes to presets, so that is practically useless imo.
Juha Laaksonheimo

How to tell if -Z switch was used

Reply #8 –
Let me guess, you're a good boy and replay-gain both your CBR and VBR files? Here's the reason you cant see the Lame tag in the CBR files... http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=10864 . The newest version of MP3Gain (v1.2.1) fixes this issue. Hope this helps.
 

How to tell if -Z switch was used

Reply #9 –
Quote
Maybe your CBR files are so old that there's no Lame tag, or you have an old Encspot. I can see Lame-tags in CBR files just fine.

The quality-value doesn't mean pretty much anything especially what comes to presets, so that is practically useless imo.

No, they aren't very old. All this fils are made using LAME 3.92 or LAME 3.90.1
But when I right-click the files, the option LAME HEADER isn't available:






My Version of EncSpot is 2.0 Build 817  Is there a newer one?



@ViPER1313: No, I don't use MP§Gain or anything simmilar.




Greetz, Frankie