FLAC to Apple Lossless

[Giorgio]

Hello again to everybody and Happy New Year.

I receive for Christmas a new I pod, so now I would like to convert all my music that is in Flac format into Apple Lossless (because the quality for me is very important and I still want to lissen the Ipod with the cd quality) and save it.
Then I would like to convert the Apple Lossless into AAC format (because my Ipod is 8 GB and is not enough for all my music) so that in case I can still bring all my music with me, in a good quality.

My question is:
1) to avoid to loose any information, to avoid to have errors and to be sure that input and output files are identical (Flac and Apple Losses) like the original cd, what is the best way to convert it ? I convert it directly or I should first convert it in audio cd format and then in Apple Lossless ?
2)what is the best way to convert to AAC format: convert from Apple Losses to AAC or convert from Flac to AAC ?

I wait for your help, thank you !!
Giorgio :smile2:

[LtData]

1) The only way I know of right off is for you to listen to the converted tracks to make sure they were converted ok.

2) Either way you go, you will get the same result.

[Giorgio]

Sorry Ltdata,

thank you for your reply, but I don't understand. Do you mean I have just to lissen to compare it ? I'm looking for well detailed answers.

Best regards,
Giorgio

[Giorgio]

:blush: Please help me!! :blush:

[LtData]

I misunderstood your first question. Converting directly from FLAC to Apple Lossless would be your best bet. Since both formats are lossless, as long as you don't get any errors, your input and output files should be exactly the same.

[xoas]

I agree with Lt Data. Both FLAC and Apple Lossless are lossless codecs so the only source for error would be the conversion itself and a one-step conversion should be safer than a two-step conversion in terms of whatever very low odds there are of a glitch in the conversion process. It may be that the actual "one-step" FLAC to Apple Lossless conversion may involve converting from FLAC to Wave (CD standard) and Wave to Apple Lossless even though it appears to be a direct conversion to the user (I hasten to add that I am not sure on this point).

As to your second question-since both Apple Lossless and FLAC are lossless, it makes little difference which you use to convert to AAC. If you have a CD track ripped directly to AAC, the same track ripped to Apple Lossless and then converted to AAC (same setting as before), and the same track ripped to FLAC and then converted to AAC (same settings as in the previous cases)-all three AAC files should sound the same. My guess would be that FLAC might be a bit faster to rip and/or it might allow you somewhat greater compression (smaller file size, though this would be at the expense of ripping speed) but that Apple Lossless might convert more quickly to AAC. Again, this is all supposition on my part. From the perspective of sound quality, however, it does not make a difference which lossless codec you use for storage.

Best wishes,
Bill

[Giorgio]

ok, I understand that may be is not directly the conversion, but Flac to wave and wave to Apple Lossless but we don't see that.

But you are telling me that dbpower converter convert Flac to Apple Lossless. Can you please explain me how to do this with dbc without loose any information in terms of quality ?

Also in the Codec Central, under the Apple Lossless codec, it says Decodes, but not Encodes. What does it means ?

And why some people told me that I probably need to convert FLAC to AIFF first, then AIFF to Apple Lossless, if is possible to have the same result just converting from Flac to Apple Lossless ?

I'm waiting..............Thank youuuuuuuu

[LtData]

That is wrong, the Apple Lossless codec will both decode and encode. Originally, ALAC (Apple Lossless) could only be decoded but now it can also be encoded.

I am not sure why people told you to do a multi-step process except maybe they didn't know that there was a program that could go directly from FLAC to ALAC.

[Giorgio]

Hi,

finally I have downloaded the ALAC codec in the correct way and I converted the song "What's Up" (the band is "4 Non Blondes").

What I see is that the file in Flac format is 30.134 KB and the same in m4a (I think m4a means Alac) is 28.679 KB.

Why there is this difference if both are is Lossless ?

[xoas]

I believe that ALAC will use an .m4a file tag, but there the mp4/m4a codec will also create lossy files with an .m4a tag.

But since you created the file with the ALAC codec, it should be lossless and the difference you not in file size is simply due a different amounts of compression used in creating your FLAC and ALAC files. (FLAC allows you a range of compression options, all of which are lossless, I don't know about ALAC).

Best wishes,
Bill

[Giorgio]

Ok Xoas,

everything is clear now, thanks.

Just in case I want to compare the two files, do you know if exist a software that can analize these 2 files to see if they are perfectly the same ?

thank you

[Deano]

Foobar2000 has a plugin that should be able to facilitate that. It decodes the files and can say if the files are the same. I think it's called Comparator or something similar, my memory currently escapes me.

[Giorgio]

I will try Foobar2000 (thank you Deano), also because I try to import the same track from the cd to Apple lossless using iTunes and the size is different:

28.406 KB converted to Apple Lossles from cd using iTunes
28.679 KB converting the Flac file to the Aplle Lossless using dB converter

Why this discrepancy ? Who can help me ? Pleeease

[Giorgio]

I used Foobar2000 and I compared the 2 songs:
28.406 KB converted to Apple Lossles from cd using iTunes
28.679 KB converting the Flac file to the Aplle Lossless using dB converter

But I don't understand the result:

Comparing:
"C:\Giorgio\priv\Flac\4 Non Blondes - What's Up.m4a"
"C:\Giorgio\priv\Flac\01 What's Up [Edit].m4a"
differences found: 22486396 sample(s), starting at 0.2727664 second(s), peak: 1.5723572 at 175.4030159 second(s), 1ch

[Spoon]

If you were to compress a word document using zip and another zip method (such as .gz) then the files would be different sizes even though the contents when unzipped are identical.

It looks like you are comparing different files...

[Giorgio]

I took the same cd and I use iTunes with setting "Convert to Apple Lossless".
I'm sure about that and I can see it also because if I look proprietes, both files says on the "ID tag": 44410 KB uncompressed

While the comp ratio is as follow:

1.5 to 1 (63%) the file 28.406 KB converted to Apple Lossles from cd using iTunes
1.5 to 1 (64%) the file 28.679 KB converting the Flac file to the Aplle Lossless using dB converter

But I don't understand the result:

Comparing:
"C:\Giorgio\priv\Flac\4 Non Blondes - What's Up.m4a"
"C:\Giorgio\priv\Flac\01 What's Up [Edit].m4a"
differences found: 22486396 sample(s), starting at 0.2727664 second(s), peak: 1.5723572 at 175.4030159 second(s), 1ch

[Spoon]

Why are you comparing a file called 'Whats up' against another one called '4 Non Blonds' they are different audio tracks.

[Deano]

Spoon, I believe he may well be comparing the same track but with a different naming format, the song seems to be called "What's Up".

The description he is getting back doesn't necessarily mean it requires heavy explanation, the files are different. I would originally have thought the filesize descrepancy was probably just tags, but it does not look this way from the sample analysis.

[Giorgio]

Hello to everybody,

sorry but I was out, now I'm just come back.

The 2 files have different name just because the "28.679 KB" file was ripped without any internet connection, so I wrote the name letter by letter using the keyboard.

Any way if you tell me how to post (or email) these files, I will be very glad and you can check if what I say is correct.

[Spoon]

We cannot accept such large files in the email.

If you install dBpoweramp Reference it has a [calculate crc] utility codec, select both file (original flac and encoded alac and right click >> convert to >> [calculate crc])

[Giorgio]

ok Spoon, I follow your instruction and I compare the old Flac file with the same Flac File converted in Apple Lossless and appear a Notes page with this text:

CRC32 Filename

DAA4B57B C:\Giorgio\priv\Flac\4 Non Blondes - What's Up.flac
DAA4B57B C:\Giorgio\priv\Flac\4 Non Blondes - What's Up.m4a

Than I made another thing, but I don't know if this has sense, I made the same instruction but I compared the 2 Apple lossless files and this is what appear in the Notes page:

CRC32 Filename

6FC5F8DA C:\Giorgio\priv\Flac\01 What's Up [Edit].m4a
DAA4B57B C:\Giorgio\priv\Flac\4 Non Blondes - What's Up.m4a

[Giorgio]

any news for me ? :blush:

[Spoon]

You list 3 files, under each one write the name of the program used to create the file please.

[Giorgio]

ok, under each one I wrote the name of the program.

ok Spoon, I follow your instruction and I compare the old Flac file with the same Flac File converted in Apple Lossless and appear a Notes page with this text:

CRC32 Filename

DAA4B57B C:\Giorgio\priv\Flac\4 Non Blondes - What's Up.flac (from cd to flac using DBpower Converter)DAA4B57B C:\Giorgio\priv\Flac\4 Non Blondes - What's Up.m4a (from flac to Apple Lossless using DBpower Converter)

Than I made another thing, but I don't know if this has sense, I made the same instruction but I compared the 2 Apple lossless files and this is what appear in the Notes page:

CRC32 Filename

6FC5F8DA C:\Giorgio\priv\Flac\01 What's Up [Edit].m4a (from cd to Apple Lossless using Itunes)
DAA4B57B C:\Giorgio\priv\Flac\4 Non Blondes - What's Up.m4a (from cd to flac using DBpower Converter and then from flac to Apple Lossless using DBpower Converter)

[Spoon]

iTunes does not offset correct the CD drive, it is not possible to compare rips unless the correct offset is used.

[Giorgio]

Any way, I tried with several other tracks, and always I have difference comparing Apple Lossless from Itunes and Apple Lossless from dbpoweramp (cd/flac/Apple Lossless), but the most important thing is the final quality and I think I have a good hear and for me there is no difference at all.

Many thank for the help to all of you !!!! :thumbup: