Converting to VBR MP3

[Spyder]

When converting WMA to MP3 I'd like to use VBR (preferably R3Mix). I've set up a "New CD" for this:-

Audio CD Type: Mp3
Type: Mp3 [Lame]
Settings: Preset Quality R3Mix

When I create the CD the files are CBR. If I just use VBR I get CBR with a bit rate equal to the Min Bit Rate set for the VBR.

Does CD Writer only support CBR or am I missing something?

Cheers

daveR

[xoas]

Re: Converting to VBR MP3

I suspect you may be missing something. I can create a New CD set for mp3 for R3Mix.
The files convert fine and come out variable bitrate.
I wonder if the issue has to do with your wma files.
What type of frequency and bitrates do your mp3 files have? Do you convert these to mp3 before you add to CD Writer or after? If before, do you still convert to the mp3 bitrate?
If you do convert your wma to mp3 set for rp3mix in dBpowerAMP Music Converter (outside of CD Writer), do you still get the same results?

[Spyder]

Re: Converting to VBR MP3

[COLOR=Red]And now it's working OK - no idea what I was doing wrong but everything seems fine now.[/COLOR]

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I wonder if the issue has to do with your wma files.

The files are Lossless WMA - don't know whether that makes a difference but I'll check.

What type of frequency and bitrates do your mp3 files have?

The converted files are 44.1k (as per the WMA) and the bit rates set to the lowest end of the VBR settings, so if I set a min bit rate of 128 I get 128 CBR.

Do you convert these to mp3 before you add to CD Writer or after? If before, do you still convert to the mp3 bitrate?

I let CD Writer work with DMC to do the conversion - so after.

If you do convert your wma to mp3 set for rp3mix in dBpowerAMP Music Converter (outside of CD Writer), do you still get the same results?

If I just use DMC on the WMA files the conversion to VBR works just fine so it's got to be something I'm doing inside of CD Writer

Thanks for the help,

daveR

[xoas]

Re: Converting to VBR MP3

I'm glad its working now.

It could be that your problem could have stemmed from opening the wrong audio mp3 format disc in CD Writer (I don't recolect what the default encoding settings are, I think they are mp3, 192 kbs, cbr but I could be wrong).
There had been a glitch in one or more earlier versions of CD Writer in which a format setting in CD Writer (dCW) could get over-ridden by format settings in dBpowerAMP Music Converter (dMC). I believe this has been fixed. If this is the cause of your problem you could confirm this by experiment. Open a file in dMC and set your mp3 output to (say) 128 kbs cbr and exit (don't bother with the actual conversion). Go to CD Writer, access your disc with the mp3 rp3 mix setting (or create a new mp3 cd disc just to assure that you have the correct rp3mix setting) and add a file to this cd. Go and confirm the result for the converted file (easiest is to play it in dB Audio Player and access the tag information, or you can browse to your TempCreateCD folder and check the file and its tag information there).
If that is not ok, go back to dMC and reset your mp3 conversion setting and return to dCW. Delete and reload your track. It should now be in in vbr.
If the first trial was OK, go back to dMC and reset mp3 to a setting other than rp3mix (128 kbs cbr would stand out). Then return to dCW and ad another file. Check it out as before. If that converts to vbr in the rp3mix range, then you know that this was not the cause of your problem. If it is overridden by your dMC setting then you will have confirmation of that
If you are not using the most recent version of CD Writer, I would recommend that you do so.

Best wishes,
Bill

[Spoon]

Re: Converting to VBR MP3

The --alt preset settings should give better results than r3mix, such as alt preset standard

[Spyder]

Re: Converting to VBR MP3

Xoas - tried that and it's all working fine now - can't get it to go wrong for the life of me. Twenty years in the IT business and these things still baffle me :o

Spoon - thanks for the advise, I'll try that.