dBpoweramp Compressing My Files?

[ugh]

What's happening here? I don't want any of my files compressed am I'm pretty sure it's dBpoweramp doing it. I've looked through the configuration before but can't find anything about it compressing my files, help?

[mville]

Re: dBpoweramp Compressing My Files?

You have to manually run dBpoweramp Music Converter on your files for it to have any affect on them.

The screenshot shows that the file is a flac file. Flac files are usually compressed when created, but it does depend on the compression level set by the user. How was the file in the screenshot created. See here: what is FLAC?

[ugh]

Re: dBpoweramp Compressing My Files?

The file was exported through Audacity, but this isn't just the case with my flac files. It seems like every one of my audio files is being compressed for some reason. Oddly enough, when I converted the flac file in the photo to it's same attributes in the dbpoweramp converter, it came out with 0% compression in its full size. This is not the case with my mp3s however. I'm very confused. I'm on Windows 8.1 if that helps at all.

[mville]

Re: dBpoweramp Compressing My Files?

Did you read the what is FLAC link as this might help with your confusion?

Also, when using dBpoweramp to convert to flac, the user sets the compression level from the Encoding drop-down box (Lossless Level 0 to Lossless Level 8 and Lossless Uncompressed, default is Lossless Level 5).

[ugh]

Re: dBpoweramp Compressing My Files?

After reading it makes sense that there's compression, but what I'm curious is why that's also happening to all of my music files, not just flac. When converting I make sure everything remains uncompressed and that's how it comes out. But how do I prevent my mp3s from compressing as I don't see an option. My advanced options: My normal options:

[mville]

Re: dBpoweramp Compressing My Files?

What format are your music files?

Most formats including the flac and mp3 formats use data compression, the difference being that flac is lossless, whereas mp3 is lossy.

Perhaps you can clarify why you don't want compressed audio files?

... OR maybe the question should be; why are you converting to flac and/or mp3?

[ugh]

Re: dBpoweramp Compressing My Files?

I'm trying to rip my vinyl records in the highest quality possible for my computer, so I rip 24Bit Lossless Flac files. I want these files as pure as possible. I transcode the flac files to mp3s (v0) so I can put them on my phone for on the go listening. I export my vinyl recordings from audacity to the 24bit flac.

[Spoon]

Re: dBpoweramp Compressing My Files?

mp3 is always a compressed format, the only formats which are not compressed are Wave, Flac (uncompressed) and AIFF.

[mville]

Re: dBpoweramp Compressing My Files?

I'm trying to rip my vinyl records in the highest quality possible for my computer, so I rip 24Bit Lossless Flac files. I want these files as pure as possible. I transcode the flac files to mp3s (v0) so I can put them on my phone for on the go listening. I export my vinyl recordings from audacity to the 24bit flac.

So, you are recording your vinyl records on your PC, using Audacity (as 24-bit wav files?) and then you convert to 24-bit flac and then to mp3 (v0). Unless you are applying any dsp in Audacity, the only loss of quality you will experience is when converting to the lossy mp3 format.

[ugh]

Re: dBpoweramp Compressing My Files?

Sorry if I'm not wording myself properly

I export out of Audacity to a 24bit flac. I then convert these 24bit flac to mp3 (v0). My problem is it appears that my files are being compressed twice. When I export to mp3 it shows its current size and its original size. I want to know where this original size file is. What is causing these original file sizes that are much larger to become much smaller? The original size for these mp3s is not the same as the flacs they are converted from so where are these files?

And what is causing my flac files to return to their original size when I convert them to their current attributes

[mville]

Re: dBpoweramp Compressing My Files?

I export out of Audacity to a 24bit flac. I then convert these 24bit flac to mp3 (v0). My problem is it appears that my files are being compressed twice. When I export to mp3 it shows its current size and its original size. I want to know where this original size file is. What is causing these original file sizes that are much larger to become much smaller? The original size for these mp3s is not the same as the flacs they are converted from so where are these files?

And what is causing my flac files to return to their original size when I convert them to their current attributes

I don't use Audacity, so I'm not entirely sure where it initially saves the recorded audio and in what format. I am guessing the original size refers to the original recorded audio, before export. You would need an audacity user here to confirm this however.

Having said that, I think your workflow is sound i.e. record in audacity >> export to flac >> convert to mp3. I think your are getting bogged down with the compression sizes, which are probably not accurate anyway.

The files become smaller because the data is being compressed. This is how the flac and mp3 codecs work. It is nothing to be concerned with. If (for reasons I am unclear on) you don't want compressed files, then you'll have to export to a format as described in Spoon's earlier post no. 8. However, you will struggle to get much non-compressed audio on your phone.

[ugh]

Re: dBpoweramp Compressing My Files?

I'm starting to understand this a bit better now, thanks for clearing the confusion