MP3 Encoder

[John Swanson]

I need an encoder that can rip to 128kbs with decent quality. I use Sonar X2 and their encoder is crappy sounding at such low bit. Have also tried winLAME but can’t get it to do exactly 128kbs. Thanks for any suggestions

[Advice]

iTunes
“Switch” from NCH Audio

[Steve]

I use LAME in Reaper.

[John Swanson]

Thanks guys. I heard I-Tunes was pretty good and I tried to find a download link for their encoder on the internet but everything looked really suspicious! I don’t have I-Tunes set up on my computer. Do you have to set up the whole I-Tunes program to use their encoder?

[Mark Lewis]

Do you have to set up the whole I-Tunes program to use their encoder?

There’s nothing much to set up, you simply download iTunes and load your tracks into it and then convert.

Here are the standard instructions I send to our customers who don’t know how to convert WAV to MP3

Converting to MP3 is very easy. If you don’t already have it download the free app iTunes (Mac or PC) here:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

Load all of the sounds into iTunes (simply drag and drop in most operating systems) then choose iTunes > Preferences
Click on the ‘General’ tab, then click on the ‘Import Settings’ button and choose ‘MP3 Encoder’.
You can also choose the quality setting you want or choose ‘custom’ if you have a specific setting in mind.
Click OK. Then go back to the library, select all of your tracks that you want to convert, then choose Advanced > Create MP3 Version.
Once that is done you will have an MP3 version of the track in your iTunes music folder.

[Art Munson]

“Switch” from NCH Audio

I had problems with “Switch”. For some reason it would cut off any MP3 file it created and tech support wasn’t any help. I use iTunes without any problems.

[OverDub]

I use “Switch” everyday, and love it. Goes to show you, what works for one, doesn’t for another!

[Art Munson]

I recently bought the Sonnox Codec Toolbox (around $50) and sounds great! Best encoder I’ve used. You can also audition your track in real time to hear what the mp3 will sound like within your DAW and is great for metadata editing and batch encoding. Very trustworthy.

[Advice]

Wow… Switch works great for me. Don’t know why it didn’t work for you, Art… But with tech stuff, one never knows. I like Switch because it’s fast – I can just right click on a file in Windows Explorer and convert. iTunes does a great job but it’s slow to open just to convert a file.

[Art Munson]

iTunes does a great job but it’s slow to open just to convert a file.

I agree. I may try Switch again. Have you checked your Switch converted MP3s to make sure they haven’t been truncated?

[Mark]

I personally use BarbaBatch for heavy duty encoding and converting. I couldn’t survive without it but it is Mac only and very expensive.
http://www.audioease.com/Pages/BarbaBatch/

iTunes is free, does a good job and works on PC and Mac.

[Author]

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