Flac --> AAC conversion

[PedroT99]

So pending one piece of advice pending in the ripping forum, I think I successfully ripped my first few discs to flac. Not as scary as I though. 3 discs...all at high confidence...couldn't be happier.

I want to run a few test conversions. I was going to simply go mp3 but I have been reading about AAC which I think is the next/newer/better version of mp3? I think?

Do you guys think this is a good choice for portability on an iPod and maybe an Android device? Any better choices?

On the download page, I see a number of options....
- m4a, mp4 decoder and Apple encoder
- m4a Nero AAc Encoder
- m4b Book Encoder
- AAC Encoder

Which do I want to download? Where do I save them or do these just installers?

Also, when I do convert, how would you suggest inset the file path so they don't get mixed up with my flac files? Those are just saved in the dBp default to Music.

Thoughts?

[Spoon]

mp3 is more universal, and if using a bitrate of 224kbps or above you will not hear any difference.

> m4a, mp4 decoder and Apple encoder
> m4a Nero AAc Encoder

Both of these would be required

When converting set dynamic to: [origpath]\[origfilename] and set the folder to a new drive or root folder.

[PedroT99]

Im torn. I really don't know what lossy format makes teh most sense or what bitrate. I do know that it would only be for audio. I have about 500 CDs and ideally would like to fit them on an ipod.

I was reading on Apple.com that the iTunes store doesn't even use mp3 anymore but AAC at 128. I have read that the quality at a given bitrate is better and ususally smaller. I can't find much advantage to mp3 especially since I dont' plan on using many different devices. Being that I already will have a lossless copy for streaming and playing on my home stereo do you think that would be sufficient? I was thinking of LC-AAC at somewhere between 128 and 192kb? Good plan? Anything you would do different?

That would leave me with a perfect flac for archival, streaming through my home stereo and on my computer and an mp4 or AAC (I don't know the difference) for portable players.

[garym]

Im torn. I really don't know what lossy format makes teh most sense or what bitrate. I do know that it would only be for audio. I have about 500 CDs and ideally would like to fit them on an ipod.

I was reading on Apple.com that the iTunes store doesn't even use mp3 anymore but AAC at 128. I have read that the quality at a given bitrate is better and ususally smaller. I can't find much advantage to mp3 especially since I dont' plan on using many different devices. Being that I already will have a lossless copy for streaming and playing on my home stereo do you think that would be sufficient? I was thinking of LC-AAC at somewhere between 128 and 192kb? Good plan? Anything you would do different?

That would leave me with a perfect flac for archival, streaming through my home stereo and on my computer and an mp4 or AAC (I don't know the difference) for portable players.

you're probably over thinking this. As you note, the key is having lossless versions for home use and for archive. After that it doesn't matter. AAC, mp3, etc. are all fine for lossy versions. Depending on how/where you use your ipod, 128 may even be overkill (is it in car, listening on train, etc.????). I personally create a mirror mp3 library using mp3 (LAME -V2), which produces about 192kbs average bitrate files. But even this is overkill for my lossy use on iphones/ipods. I could get by with -V5 I'm sure. But again, don't over think it. The good news is that with your lossless versions, every 3 or 4 years, you can simply point and click at these files and create an all new lossy mirror using whatever future codec makes sense (something that makes better, smaller, etc. lossy files that we can do today).