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Topic: Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high? (Read 4631 times) previous topic - next topic
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Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

The list turns green and won't convert. The "high" was compressed by 3.97 and now I have 3.99. Should I decompress everything and compress again?

Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

Reply #1 –
AFAIK, you can't transcode from one APE compression level to another in one single movement, at least with any of the regular frontends. So I gather you'll have to decode to WAV and then back to APE extra high or whatever setting you wish. So depending on how much APE files you actually have, you should consider if the 0.something % file size profit is worth the hassle.

Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

Reply #2 –
For what it's worth, even Matt himself doesn't recommend using anything above the "Normal" setting.  In fact, he even stated (to paraphrase) that he had half a mind to remove the higher settings altogether.  (Not that they are faulty or anything; they just aren't worth the costs, i.e., decoding/encoding CPU usage and time vs. file size savings.)

I only mention this in case you are only doing this "just because you can."  Of course, if you are trying maximize every last kilobyte of some old 4 GB HD you bought off eBay, then that's a different story. 

Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

Reply #3 –
well if you are backing up to cds, size is even more important than on an old 4gb drive.

Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

Reply #4 –
Quote
For what it's worth, even Matt himself doesn't recommend using anything above the "Normal" setting.  In fact, he even stated (to paraphrase) that he had half a mind to remove the higher settings altogether.

...sounds like a statement we shall make fun of at later times, sorta like how bill gates thinks <1mb of RAM is utopia circa 1980

really, la and optimfrog both operate under these "costly" conditions - and just happen to be the two most efficient lossless audio codecs.

when technology surpasses decoding issues i bet the current lossless situation will be quite different...


later

Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

Reply #5 –
Quote
The list turns green and won't convert. The "high" was compressed by 3.97 and now I have 3.99. Should I decompress everything and compress again?

What program are you using?
You can do it with Diskwriter in Foobar, or in Monkey's Audio GUI:
- Open the program
- Select "Convert" option
- Press on "Add Files" button, and coose files, wich you want to be converted
- Press "Convert" button

Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

Reply #6 –
Quote
well if you are backing up to cds, size is even more important than on an old 4gb drive.

To be clear, I was not saying there is no valid reason to use the higher settings.  In fact, I said quite the opposite.    I guess you didn't get my pitiful use humor.  I apologize for the misunderstanding.

It is just that many people like to do things to the extreme simply because it gives them that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.    I was just warning that [span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%']if[/span][/b] that's the case here, then don't bother--the author of the codec himself recommends against it.  That's all.

Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

Reply #7 –
Quote
Quote
The list turns green and won't convert. The "high" was compressed by 3.97 and now I have 3.99. Should I decompress everything and compress again?

What program are you using?
You can do it with Diskwriter in Foobar, or in Monkey's Audio GUI:
- Open the program
- Select "Convert" option
- Press on "Add Files" button, and coose files, wich you want to be converted
- Press "Convert" button 

It doesn't work (at least, with Monkey GUI). The list turns green, that's all.

Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

Reply #8 –
Quote
For what it's worth, even Matt himself doesn't recommend using anything above the "Normal" setting.  In fact, he even stated (to paraphrase) that he had half a mind to remove the higher settings altogether.  (Not that they are faulty or anything; they just aren't worth the costs, i.e., decoding/encoding CPU usage and time vs. file size savings.)

Which I would consider a great pity and a guaranteed recipe for a scantier gamut of lossless codecs. I see nothing wrong with a little freedom of choice. Especially since Monkey's high, extra high and insane settings are giving La and OptimFrog such a healthy run for their money. I don't think anyone could disagree that the mutual competition between codecs over the last few years has led to greater compression, usability and overall efficiency.

Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

Reply #9 –
Quote
really, la and optimfrog both operate under these "costly" conditions - and just happen to be the two most efficient lossless audio codecs.

All depends on how you define efficient. In my view, efficiency is more than compression ratio. Would you agree that even if OptimFrog's best setting compresses just a tad better than Monkey's extra high, but the former @ as slow as 2.5x real-time and the latter @ 10x real-time, that Monkey's extra high is still more efficient than OptimFrog best? Especially knowing that OptimFrog is so much more CPU hungry than an equivalently compressed APE file and that Monkey's is much more widely known and supported?

Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

Reply #10 –
Oh! I've forgotten to set: if output file exists, overwrite it!

Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

Reply #11 –
Quote
Oh! I've forgotten to set: if output file exists, overwrite it!

Now it works?

Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

Reply #12 –
try dbpoweramb with ape codec pack, it works really great in just a click or two!!!

Why cannot I convert APE high to APE extra high?

Reply #13 –
Quote
Quote
Oh! I've forgotten to set: if output file exists, overwrite it!

Now it works?

yes, of course!