LAME settings

[Gurn Blanston]

When I set the LAME encoder on its highest setting available to me (VBR), it reports "estimated bitrate 240kbps". I know LAME will rip 320kbps. Looking on the "Help" instructions page, there is a picture of the LAME control panel which totally doesn't match mine. I have no "green bar", I have no "ALT presets" etc.

What I have is this:



and when I press the "advanced" button, I get this:



I would love to have access to the ALT presets, since I know that one of them is just what I'm looking for (I can see it in your screenshot on the Help page).

I also can't really tell what version of dBpoweramp I'm running, I got it less than a year ago so it should be up-to-date, but since there is no "Help > About..." I can't get to it. If you please...

Thanks,

:(

[EliC]

Re: LAME settings

Change from variable bit rate (VBR) to constant bit rate (CBR) and raise it as high as it will go. You wont hear any difference and if you really want to preserve maximum quality try a lossless codec like FLAC.

LAME no longer uses the ALT PRESETs. Instead it uses -Vx system.

[Gurn Blanston]

Re: LAME settings

Change from variable bit rate (VBR) to constant bit rate (CBR) and raise it as high as it will go. You wont hear any difference and if you really want to preserve maximum quality try a lossless codec like FLAC.

LAME no longer uses the ALT PRESETs. Instead it uses -Vx system.

Thanks, Eli. Actually, I DO rip to FLAC when I am archiving, then I convert on the fly when I download to my MP3 player or burn a MP3 disk to play in my car. The problem (as I see it) with CBR is that the file size is noticeably larger than equivalent VBR. Since my devices/disks have finite space, I need to get the best possible quality/filesize ratio, which is 320VBR. Even my Spesoft Free Ripper will rip to that, I can't believe that my dBpoweramp won't!

8)

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Listening to:
Boston Baroque / Pearlman - Bach Concerto #3 in G BWV 1048 1st mvmt

[EliC]

Re: LAME settings

Your settings above with VBR will use up to 320. Lame (unless you use Free Format - which is not compliant) is maxed out at 320. So you cannot have an average VBR of 320 with MP3. Your -V0 is basically alt preset extreme.

[EliC]

Re: LAME settings

I need to get the best possible quality/filesize ratio, which is 320VBR. Even my Spesoft Free Ripper will rip to that, I can't believe that my dBpoweramp won't!

listening tests have proven that the best quality/file size ratio is probably much less, even 160 or less.

[Gurn Blanston]

Re: LAME settings

Your settings above with VBR will use up to 320. Lame (unless you use Free Format - which is not compliant) is maxed out at 320. So you cannot have an average VBR of 320 with MP3. Your -V0 is basically alt preset extreme.

I agree, you are right that the "average" can't be that high. It can, however, be considerably higher than 240 (which is frequently not 240, but that's another issue). I ripped today on another ripper and it used a mode called "insane" which reports back an average of 320. This is the mode I always used to rip in before DB, and I know I could now if I could get the settings properly.

8^)

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Listening to:
Boston Baroque / Pearlman - Bach Concerto #4 in G BWV 1049 1st mvmt

[Gurn Blanston]

Re: LAME settings

Well, is this a newer or an older version than the one I pictured above:



8^)

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Listening to:
Boston Baroque / Pearlman - Bach Concerto #4 in G BWV 1049 2nd mvmt

[Spoon]

Re: LAME settings

-V 0 is the highest VBR mode Lame can give, the 220kbps is just an estimated value, if Lame needs to it will scale upto 320kbps and down lower when it can.

[LtData]

Re: LAME settings

Please note all the LAME alt presets have been replaced with the new vbr presets, the picture you see in the file is from dMC r11.5, I believe.