Where are the new releases as download?

[cantosis]

The smaller the mp3 file, the worse the sound quality. MP3s at 320kbps are bigger than 192kbps MP3s. They're bigger because they conserve more of the original sound data. However MP3 is always a "lossy" compression format, compared to FLAC for example which contains the same sound data as the CD - if you feed the FLAC compressor the original .wav files from the ripped CD. (You cannot get a lossless file again if you convert an mp3 to FLAC - that's because you cannot regain an oil painting from simply having a photocopy of that painting! What's gone is gone.)

If you listen to music snippets on the Net, at Amazon for example, that's music encoded at a low bit rate - probably as low as 64 or 32 kbps. You immediately notice the difference to the original music there, because those previews sound as being played through a medium wave radio, or a tin can.
192 kbps is already pretty good, certainly good enough for a mobile mp3 player, but if you listen closely, there can be differences sometimes. For example hi-hat lines can sound a bit "coloured" compared to the original, if you listen with good headphones.

It's really simple to test one's own tolerance level for mp3 compression. Get a freeware mp3 encoder on the Net and encode the same track at different compression rates. Start with 32 kbps, then try 96 kbps, 128 kbps, ... if you then listen to the resulting files, it's immediately obvious how compression rate and sound quality are related!

320 kbps is the best that is possible with MP3, it's 99,9 % (or something like that) to the CD, so we all can live with that until FLAC (lossless compression) gets more popular. Most of the mobile mp3 players can't play FLAC files so far, so if TD offered FLAC I suppose they'd be overrun with complaints like "Hey I downloaded the album but it doesn't play!". Which would be no fun for the TD office I suppose... So thanks for 320 kbps mp3, good compromise!

Whats about MPEG4 files that you get when you buy albums from itunes, I realise now you can change your itunes settings to a better format but what is the kbps for that format?

There must be a big difference in the amount of hard drive space these better formats take though. I downloaded a few albums in WAV format and I was amazed to see how much of my hard drive was taken.

[Michael66]

Whats about MPEG4 files that you get when you buy albums from itunes, I realise now you can change your itunes settings to a better format but what is the kbps for that format?

I'm unfamiliar with iTunes' settings, I've used iTunes only once for downloading Marbury's album. But if Apple's formats are like the other compression formats, more kbps (= bigger filesize) means better sound.

There must be a big difference in the amount of hard drive space these better formats take though. I downloaded a few albums in WAV format and I was amazed to see how much of my hard drive was taken.

WAV is the file format you get when copying a CD to your harddrive. It's the uncompressed sound data. For reducing the filesize you can do two things: Either using a lossless compression format (FLAC, APE - they both reduce the filesize to slightly more than 50 % of the WAV filesize normally)), or using a lossy compression format (MP3, OGG - better compression than lossless compression, but they achieve the better compression rate by discarding some sound data).

If you run Windows and if you need a good converter from one format into another, have a look at foobar2000 - it's a freeware audio player, but also a good converter for audio formats. I'm using it for 2 1/2 years now for playing and converting all my music.

[cantosis]

Whats about MPEG4 files that you get when you buy albums from itunes, I realise now you can change your itunes settings to a better format but what is the kbps for that format?

I'm unfamiliar with iTunes' settings, I've used iTunes only once for downloading Marbury's album. But if Apple's formats are like the other compression formats, more kbps (= bigger filesize) means better sound.

There must be a big difference in the amount of hard drive space these better formats take though. I downloaded a few albums in WAV format and I was amazed to see how much of my hard drive was taken.

WAV is the file format you get when copying a CD to your harddrive. It's the uncompressed sound data. For reducing the filesize you can do two things: Either using a lossless compression format (FLAC, APE - they both reduce the filesize to slightly more than 50 % of the WAV filesize normally)), or using a lossy compression format (MP3, OGG - better compression than lossless compression, but they achieve the better compression rate by discarding some sound data).

If you run Windows and if you need a good converter from one format into another, have a look at foobar2000 - it's a freeware audio player, but also a good converter for audio formats. I'm using it for 2 1/2 years now for playing and converting all my music.

Many thnaks forr all your help

[Beaubourg]

The smaller the mp3 file, the worse the sound quality. MP3s at 320kbps are bigger than 192kbps MP3s. They're bigger because they conserve more of the original sound data. However MP3 is always a "lossy" compression format, compared to FLAC for example which contains the same sound data as the CD - if you feed the FLAC compressor the original .wav files from the ripped CD. (You cannot get a lossless file again if you convert an mp3 to FLAC - that's because you cannot regain an oil painting from simply having a photocopy of that painting! What's gone is gone.)

If you listen to music snippets on the Net, at Amazon for example, that's music encoded at a low bit rate - probably as low as 64 or 32 kbps. You immediately notice the difference to the original music there, because those previews sound as being played through a medium wave radio, or a tin can.
192 kbps is already pretty good, certainly good enough for a mobile mp3 player, but if you listen closely, there can be differences sometimes. For example hi-hat lines can sound a bit "coloured" compared to the original, if you listen with good headphones.

It's really simple to test one's own tolerance level for mp3 compression. Get a freeware mp3 encoder on the Net and encode the same track at different compression rates. Start with 32 kbps, then try 96 kbps, 128 kbps, ... if you then listen to the resulting files, it's immediately obvious how compression rate and sound quality are related!

320 kbps is the best that is possible with MP3, it's 99,9 % (or something like that) to the CD, so we all can live with that until FLAC (lossless compression) gets more popular. Most of the mobile mp3 players can't play FLAC files so far, so if TD offered FLAC I suppose they'd be overrun with complaints like "Hey I downloaded the album but it doesn't play!". Which would be no fun for the TD office I suppose... So thanks for 320 kbps mp3, good compromise!

Whats about MPEG4 files that you get when you buy albums from itunes, I realise now you can change your itunes settings to a better format but what is the kbps for that format?

There must be a big difference in the amount of hard drive space these better formats take though. I downloaded a few albums in WAV format and I was amazed to see how much of my hard drive was taken.

iTunes Plus is 256 kpbs (twice the speed of the standard 128) - but not as good as Eastgate's current 320 kpbs. Many thanks, Eastgate!

p.s. Amazon.com (in the U.S.) - where I've bought a ton of music (including many Klaus Schulze releases priced between $1.78 and $3.99 per entire album) is also 256 kpbs.

[timer]

There must be a big difference in the amount of hard drive space these better formats take though. I downloaded a few albums in WAV format and I was amazed to see how much of my hard drive was taken.[/quote]
iTunes Plus is 256 kpbs (twice the speed of the standard 128) - but not as good as Eastgate's current 320 kpbs. Many thanks, Eastgate!

p.s. Amazon.com (in the U.S.) - where I've bought a ton of music (including many Klaus Schulze releases priced between $1.78 and $3.99 per entire album) is also 256 kpbs.[/quote]

Sounds like Eastgate triumph again !

[har]

Managed to squeeze the 320 kbs AIH onto the i pod, just. Defo uses 1.67 times the space

Some of my i tunes stuff was 128 kbs and was okay however would not purchase anything now that wasnt 256 i tunes plus quality. BIG difference.

AND

AIH is a qulaity download in more ways than one

[cantosis]

One other question about downloads. one site where I buy my MP3s they are 128kbs. I am guessing if I buy MP3s at this rate converting them to wave would be pointless as it won`t improve the quality if it has already been compressed to this 128 rate??.

Sorry for the stupid questions but I want to learn as much as possible so I don`t waste time doing stuff that won`t improve anything

[Michael66]

One other question about downloads. one site where I buy my MP3s they are 128kbs. I am guessing if I buy MP3s at this rate converting them to wave would be pointless as it won`t improve the quality if it has already been compressed to this 128 rate??.

Yes that's right, what's gone is gone... The more the sound data gets compressed, the more it gets simplified. Of course you can convert the .mp3 to .wav again, for example for burning it to a CD, but the information that got discarded for achieving the high compression rate can't be restored. The resulting .wav file would sound like the mp3. Otherwise, you could take a preview mp3 snippet from the TD shop (they're currently encoded at 48 kbps) and make it sound like CD music by converting it to wav...

Another example: If you make a b/w photocopy of a colour photo (reducing the "data" the photo had by discarding the colour information), there is no way of restoring the true colours of the original photo by just having the b/w photocopy. You can still see what's on the photocopy, but in b/w you can't tell an orange coffee mug from a green one for example. That information is lost, even if you scan the photocopy and print it on photo paper again.