HELP! Converted my files and they became crap!

[Vishnu9]

I need help, fast! I just used the converter to convert a bunch of my mp3 files (that I've been working hard on for years editing and fixing) to a 48100 sampling rate at 320 bps. Now when I play them, they all sound somewhat mechanical and like they're overmodulating. What can I do to fix that? I've tried reconverting them back to a lower rate, but it's not working, they still sound the same. I'd appreciate any help, I'd kill myself if I just threw my years of hard work down the drain. Thanks!

[ChristinaS]

Re: HELP! Converted my files and they became crap!

Ever heard of backing up your data?

Don't kill yourself, it's not worth it, but give yourself a solid kick in the butt and a whack over the head :headbang: :p

Never replace your originals until you've decided that your result is acceptable and you know for sure you will not need those original files ever again.

So what did you change? Frequency and bitrate? Did you try to convert back by changing one thing at a time? Always save in a different folder, different names.

Why were you working on mp3 files? The logical thing is to work on wav files and then convert them to some other formats but always preserve the original.

You cannot improve anything by transcoding to a higher frequency or bitrate.

I am afraid that your files are irrecoverable. All you can do is try to enhance them using different products and hope to achieve something acceptable again.

[xoas]

Re: HELP! Converted my files and they became crap!

What bit setting, frequency and bitrate were your mp3 files prior to conversion?
How many files are we talking about and what kind of tweaks went into their preparation?
Do all of these 48 kHz mp3 files sound this way or just some?
Did you add any DSP effects (such as volume normalization, EQ or such)? If so, what effects were used and at what settings?
What player(s) are you using for playing these files? Have you tried other players just to be sure that there is no issue about the ability of your player being a factor? Have you specifically tried playing the new files in dBpowerAMP Audio Player (and, if so, do they still sound bad)?
Did you enable Professional Frequency Conversion when you converted your files to 48 kHz? Did you try enabling Professional frequency conversion when you reconverted files back to (I presume) 44.1 kHz?

Possible ideas include:
Your player(s) might be having trouble handling 48 kHz. files;
Your file tags might have cover art or non-standard tag information that dBpowerAMP Music Converter cannot handle (such as comments that are too long, or non-ASCII characters) (in this case, converting without the tag information may help-try un-enabling the option to save file tags);
You failed to utilize Professional Frequency Conversion (a feature designed for conversions where you change frequency);
Various DSP effects were over-applied (such as too high an amount of Volume Normalization).

Your problems need not be related to just a single one of these factors.
If we can help pinpoint the factors involved in your case, we might be better able to advise you on how to proceed. Some of these problems may not be altogether reversible.

I assume you selected the option to delete source files after conversion before you discovered this problem. If so, I trust you can see why this is generally inadvisable.

Hopefully, we might find a decent solution for your files.

Best wishes,
Bill

[Spoon]

Re: HELP! Converted my files and they became crap!

By default converting 44.1Khz to 48KHz will use windows built in frequency conversion, which is pretty rubbish. You might not think so, but converting frequencies is a lossy process where audio information is lost.