Hydrogenaudio Knowledgebase - User contributions [en]

LAME

2010-03-17T00:33:52Z

CiTay: 3.98.3

{{Software Infobox
| name = LAME
| screenshot = [[Image:Lamelogo.png|250px|LAME official logo]]
| caption = LAME ain't an MP3 encoder
| maintainer = The LAME project
| stable_release = 3.98.3
| preview_release = none
| operating_system = Windows, Mac OS/X, Linux/BSD
| use = Encoder/Decoder
| license = LGPL
| website = [http://lame.sourceforge.net/ LAME website]
}}{{featured}}
'''LAME''' (Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder) is the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended [[MP3]] encoder. It has been developed by the open-source community since 1998, and has become the highest quality [[MP3]] encoder for most purposes.

Some benefits of using LAME:
* Highly optimised presets
* Fast encoding
* [[CBR]], [[ABR]] and quality-optimized [[VBR]] encoding methods
* [[Gapless]] playback with LAME-header compliant decoders
* Supported by recommended CD rippers [[Exact Audio Copy]] and [[CDex]]
* Highly tunable

==History==
LAME development began around mid-1998. Mike Cheng started it as a patch against the 8hz-MP3 encoder sources. After some quality concerns raised by others, he decided to start from scratch based on the dist10 sources. That branch (a patch against the reference sources) became LAME 2.0, and only on LAME 3.81 they got rid of all dist10 code, making LAME a completely new program-not a mere patch of an existing encoder.

The project quickly became a team effort. Mike Cheng eventually left leadership and started working on [http://toolame.sourceforge.net/ tooLAME], an [[MP2]] encoder. Mark Taylor became leader and released version 3.0 featuring gpsycho, a new psychoacoustic model developed by him.

Nowadays LAME is considered the best MP3 encoder at mid-high bitrates and features the best VBR model among MP3 implementations, mostly thanks to the dedicated work of talented developers like Takehiro Tominaga, Naoki Shibata, Darin Morrison, Gabriel Bouvigne, Robert Hegemann, etc. And development is still going on...

==Recommended encoder compiles and source code==

Unless noted otherwise, the recommended LAME compile for optimal quality is always the '''latest stable version'''.

It is suggested that the compiles available here be used with the recommended encoder settings you can find below.

'''Download the latest LAME from these links:'''
* [http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.php RareWares MP3 Page] - Compiles for Win32, Mac OS X universal binary, Linux etc.
* [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=290&package_id=309 LAME source code on SourceForge]

==Recommended encoder settings==
This section describes the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended settings to be used with [[LAME]] for highest quality [[MP3]] encoding. These settings require LAME 3.98 or later (the latest stable version is recommended).

===Quick start (short answer)===
====Best quality: "archiving"====

<code>-b 320</code>. This is the strongest setting for [[MP3]], with the lowest risk of [[artifact]]s.
With the exception of a few situations, quality is rarely better than the highest [[VBR]] profiles described below. However, 'archiving' music using a lossy format like [[MP3]] is never recommended – no matter how transparent the resulting files might sound.
The alternative is to use [[Lossless]] formats like [[WavPack]], [[FLAC]] etc. that allow true archiving, bit for bit like on the original CD.

====High quality: HiFi, home or quiet listening====

<code>-V0</code> (~245 kbps), <code>-V1</code> (~225 kbps), <code>-V2</code> (~190 kbps) or <code>-V3</code> (~175 kbps) are recommended.
These settings will normally produce [[transparent]] encoding (transparent = most people can't distinguish the [[MP3]] from the original in an [[ABX]] blind test).
Audible differences between these presets exist, but are rare.

====Portable: background noise and low bitrate requirement, small sizes====

<code>-V4</code> (~165 kbps), <code>-V5</code> (~130 kbps) or <code>-V6</code> (~115 kbps) are recommended.
<code>-V6</code> produces an "acceptable" quality, while <code>-V4</code> should be close to perceptual [[transparency]].

====Very low bitrate, small sizes: eg. for voice, radio, [[mono]] encoding etc.====

For very low bitrates, up to 100kbps, [[ABR]] is most often the best solution.
Use <code>--abr <bitrate></code> (e.g. --abr 80).

'''--preset voice''' is only available in the command line front-end, and is there for compatibility.
It is currently mapped to '''''--abr 56 -mm''''', so that means that the recommendation would be to encode in mono, and use ABR.

===Detailed explanation (long answer)===
====VBR (variable bitrate) settings====
'''[[VBR]]:''' ''variable bitrate mode. Use variable bitrate modes when the goal is to achieve a fixed level of quality using the lowest possible bitrate.''

[[VBR]] is best used to target a specific quality level, instead of a specific bitrate. The final file size of a [[VBR]] encode is less predictable than with [[ABR]], but the quality is usually better.

Unlike other MP3 encoders which do VBR encoding based on predictions of output quality, LAME's default VBR method tests the ''actual'' output quality to ensure the desired quality level is always achieved.

'''Usage:''' <code>-V(number)</code> where number is 0-9, 0 being highest quality, 9 being the lowest.

'''Example:''' <code>-V2</code>

'''Note:''' The switch <code>--vbr-new</code>, which enabled a superior VBR mode in LAME 3.97 and some previous versions, is no longer needed with LAME 3.98 as it is now the default VBR mode. However, if you're still using LAME 3.97 or older, you have to add <code>--vbr-new</code> to your commandline to use that mode.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Bitrate overview (mostly based on LAME 3.98.2 results)'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbit/s''' || '''Bitrate range kbit/s'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -b 320 || --preset insane || 320 || 320 CBR
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset fast extreme || 245 || 220...260
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || 225 || 190...250
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset fast standard || 190 || 170...210
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || 175 || 150...195
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset fast medium || 165 || 140...185
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || 130 || 120...150
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || 115 || 100...130
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || 100 || 80...120
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || 85 || 70...105
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || 65 || 45...85
|}
See also [[#Technical information|Technical details for recommended LAME settings]].

If you need a predictable bitrate (in a streaming application, for example), use [[ABR]] or [[CBR]] modes, described below.

====ABR (average bitrate) settings====
'''[[ABR]]:''' ''average bitrate mode. A compromise between [[VBR]] and [[CBR]] modes, [[ABR]] encoding varies bits around a specified target bitrate.''

Use [[ABR]] when you need to know the final size of the file but still want to allow the encoder some flexibility to decide which passages need more bits.

'''Usage:''' <code>--preset <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (desired averaged bitrate in kbit/s) can be any value between 8 - 320 , like eg. 9, 17, 80, 128, 133, 200 etc.

'''Example:''' <code>--preset 200</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[ABR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

====CBR (constant bitrate) settings====
'''[[CBR]]:''' ''constant bitrate mode. [[CBR]] encoding is not efficient. Whereas [[VBR]] and [[ABR]] modes can supply more bits to complex music passages and save bits on simpler ones, [[CBR]] encodes every frame at the same bitrate.''

[[CBR]] is only recommended for usage in streaming situations where the upper bitrate must be strictly enforced.

'''Usage:''' <code>-b <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (bitrate in kbit/s) must be chosen from the following values: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256, or 320.

'''Example:''' <code>-b 192</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[CBR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

===Remarks===
* The rule of thumb when considering encoding options: at a given bitrate, [[VBR]] is higher quality than [[ABR]], which is higher quality than [[CBR]] ([[VBR]] > [[ABR]] > [[CBR]] in terms of quality). The exception to this is when you choose the highest possible [[CBR]] bitrate, which is 320 kbps (-b 320 = --alt-preset insane), but this produces the largest filesizes for doubtful audible benefit.

* All modes and settings mentioned in this topic belong to the specifications of the [[MP3]] standard, and the resulting MP3s should be playable by every [[MP3]] decoder that conforms with the standard. If your decoder or device does not play MP3s produced by LAME, blame the manufacturer or developer, not LAME.

* Avoid using alpha (a) versions of LAME. More often than not those are exclusively for testing purposes. Use them only if you want to help developers with feedback. History of [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=28125/ Lame versions & compiles].

* The <code>--vbr-new</code> switch enables the new [[VBR]] mode (no longer needed with LAME 3.98, as it is now the default VBR mode). In terms of quality, <code>--vbr-new</code> appears to be better than the old model, but reports of artifacts when using the new model do exist. Despite these possible issues, <code>--vbr-new</code> is currently recommended over the default [[VBR]] mode due to both the speed and quality increases afforded by the new algorithm.

* '''-mm''' : the sound will be encoded in '''mono'''. Useful for low bitrates and/or when stereo is not important.

[[Image:lame-chart-2.png|frame|center|Here a trial to see how the perceived listening quality improves with settings/averaged filesize]]

====Hey! What happened to "--alt-preset"?====

The revolutionary <code>--alt-preset</code> system was introduced in LAME 3.90; it was replaced by the <code>--preset</code> flags in later versions. Starting with version 3.94, the <code>-Vx</code> quality system was introduced, which allows finer control over the desired bitrate; the <code>--preset</code> switches were made into aliases to the corresponding <code>-V</code> flags for the sake of backwards compatibility. '''There is no difference between the output you get if you use <code>-V2</code> or <code>--alt-preset standard</code>.''' (Although adding <code>--vbr-new</code> is recommended for now, see above for details.)

More encoding options are available under the new system, such as <code>-V1</code>, which provides a level of quality between the old "standard" and "extreme" presets, or <code>-V3</code>, which is between the old "medium" and "standard" presets.

Recent LAME versions feature more streamlined command line options, and it's recommended to stick to one of the values described in the text or shown in the tables above.

For example, the following command lines will all produce the same output:

<code>--alt-preset insane</code> = <code>--preset insane</code> = <code>-b 320</code> = <code>--preset 320</code> = <code>--preset cbr 320</code>

(<code>--preset cbr 320</code> is the exact same thing as <code>--alt-preset insane</code>, etc.)

==Technical information==
The table below contains technical details about the recommended settings.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Technical details of the recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbps''' || '''Y Switch''' || '''Lowpass''' || '''Resample'''
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset fast extreme || ~245 || || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || ~225 || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset fast standard || ~190 || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || ~175 || Y || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset fast medium || ~165 || Y || 17249 Hz - 17782 Hz ||
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || ~130 || Y || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || ~115 || Y || 15115 Hz - 15648 Hz ||
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || ~100 || Y || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || ~85 || Y || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || ~65 || Y || 9336 Hz - 9602 Hz || 24000 Hz
|}

==See also==
* [[MP3]]
* [[Exact_Audio_Copy|Exact Audio Copy]]
* [[EAC_and_Lame | Configuring EAC and LAME]]

==Notes and references==

'''People who took part in suggesting the different settings:'''

Dibrom, r3mix, ff123, Hans Heijden, kjempen, Benjamin Lebsanft, GeSomeone, Wombat & GuruBoolez for his immense testing.

'''Creation of the alt preset system and related special code level quality enhancements:'''

Dibrom, with technical assistance from Robert Hegemann and Naoki Shibata, Gabriel and extensive tuning help and quality verification via listening tests from JohnV and also initial help (--dm-preset era) from Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, and others. Test clips, bitrate information, and further listening tests provided by TheBashar, zbutsam, Pio2001, BadDuDeX, r3mix, h, TarX, Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, Filburt, Volcano, Garf, MrDrew, TrNSZ, nyaochi, Amadeus93, in no particular order, and many, many others we (Dibrom, user) probably forgot to mention.

'''Idea (also exposing the need for a unified preset system), Original post and list of original settings collected by:''' user

'''Layout and additional work by:''' dev0, CiTay, SNYder, Dibrom.

And finally...

Thank you ALL in the community for making it what it is, providing interest and discussion and helping to work towards the most concise, well tuned, and most thought out MP3 quality "paradigm" seen yet! -- Dibrom

==Further reading==
*[[CBR]]
*[[ABR]]
*[[VBR]]

==External links==
*[http://lame.sourceforge.net LAME official homepage]
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/lame.html Historical versions of LAME] at ReallyRareWares
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/test/ Several multiformat listening tests] featuring LAME and other encoders.
*[http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.html RareWares MP3 page]
*[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=478&st=0 Discussion of recommended Lame compiles in the Hydrogenaudio forum]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=16&t=32288 Forum discussion of the recommended settings]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=203 Forum discussion of the recommended settings (older)]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32288&view=findpost&p=327262 Previous recommendations (outdated)]

[[Category:Software]]
[[Category:Encoder/Decoder]]

Replay Gain

2009-08-16T19:39:39Z

CiTay: /* Linux */

'''Replay Gain''' is the name of a technique invented to achieve the same playback volume of audio files. It specifies the reference level of 89dB and an algorithm to measure the '''perceived''' loudness of audio data.

Replay Gain is different from [[Normalization|peak normalization]]. In peak normalization, you merely ensure that the peak amplitude reaches a certain level. This does not ensure equal loudness. The Replay Gain technique measures the ''effective power'' (i.e. taking RMS after an ''Equal Loudness contour'') of the waveform, and amplifies the waveform accordingly. The result is that Replay Gained waveforms are usually more uniformly amplified then peak-normalized waveforms.

== Implementations ==
There are different Replay Gain implementations, each with its own uses and strength. Most of them use [[metadata]] to indicate the level of the volume change (Volume is adjusted on playback; needs player/decoder support) others modify the audio data itself. Generally it is recommended to use an implementation which uses the metadata and does not touch the audio itself.

In a metadata based solution, information on both types of Replay Gain can be stored, and the desired playback effect can be switched back and forth in the appropriate player. However, if the audio data is permanently modified, only one type of Replay Gain can be chosen. Furthermore, if the audio data is modified, you may not be able to restore the original data, especially if the Replay Gain technique produces a negative amplification.

Replay Gain has significant advantages over normalizing. It allows the loudness of a song to be consistant over an entire collection of audio, similar to (but more accurate than) RMS normalizing (this is called 'Track Gain', or 'Radio Gain' in earlier parlance). However, it also allows the loudness of an album to be consistant over a entire music collection, allowing the dynamics of album to remain (This is called 'Album Gain', or 'Audiophile Gain' in earlier parlance). This is usually very important in classical CDs, as there may be quiet segments and loud segments written into different tracks.

=== MP3Gain ===
[[MP3Gain]] is an implementation of Replay Gain. It either modifies target data reversibly, or attaches metadata.

* Format: [[MP3]]
* Method: Audio / Meta
* Limitations: Limited to 1.5dB steps mode, may become irreversible
* http://mp3gain.sourceforge.net/

=== AACGain ===
[[AACGain]] is a modified version of MP3Gain that works on both MP3 and AAC files.

* Format: [[MP3]], [[AAC]]
* Method: Audio / Meta
* Limitations: Limited to 1.5dB steps mode, may become irreversible
* http://altosdesign.com/aacgain/

=== [[LAME]] ===
* Method: Header ([http://gabriel.mp3-tech.org/mp3infotag.html mp3infotag])
* Notes:
** Tags added during encoding; not supported by any player yet; Track Gain only
** Replay Gaining MP3's are usually done using MP3Gain (see [[Replay Gain#MP3Gain|above]]) or [[Replay Gain#foobar2000 Replay Gain scanner|foobar2000]]
* http://lame.sourceforge.net/

=== [[Musepack]] Replay Gain ===
* Method: Header (similar to Meta data method)
* Notes: Replay Gain values are stored in the header and Replay Gain is part of the Musepack specifications; therefore any Musepack decoder that does not support Replay Gain can be considered broken.
* http://www.musepack.net/

=== VorbisGain ===
* Format: (Ogg) [[Vorbis]]
* Method: Meta (in [[Vorbis comment]])
* http://www.sjeng.org/vorbisgain.html
** new compiles of VorbisGain at [http://www.rarewares.org/ogg.html www.rarewares.org]
:'''''Note:''' Andavari has provided a very useful script to integrate VorbisGain, which is a CLI tool, into Windows Explorer. Please (Ogg) [[Vorbis#Replay Gain|check this section]].

=== FLAC / METAFLAC ===
* Format: [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]]
* Method: Meta (in [[Vorbis comment]])
* http://flac.sf.net

=== WavPack / WVGAIN ===
* Format: [[WavPack]]
* Method: Meta (in [[APEv2]] tag)
* http://www.wavpack.com

=== Wavegain ===
* Format: waveform
* Method: Audio
* Limitations: Irreversible
* http://www.rarewares.org/files/others/wavegain.zip

=== [[foobar2000]] Replay Gain scanner ===
* Format:
** [[MP3]]: Values written to [[ID3v2]] (default) or [[APEv2]] tags.
** [[Musepack]]: Values written to header.
** (Ogg) [[Vorbis]]: Values written to [[Vorbis comment]].
** [[WavPack]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
** [[AAC]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
** [[MP4]]: Uses its own iTunes-compatible tagging system (though iTunes does not support Replay Gain).
** [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]]: Values written to [[Vorbis comment]].
** [[APE]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
** Modules ([[MOD]] etc.): Optionally saved into [[APEv2]] tags.

* http://foobar2000.org

=== [[MediaMonkey]] ===
* Format:
** [[MP3]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] or [[ID3v2]] tags.
** (Ogg) [[Vorbis]]: Values written to [[Vorbis comment]].
** [[WMA]]: Values stored in MediaMonkey's MDB database.
** [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]]: Values written to [[Vorbis comment]].
** [[APE]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
** [[WAV]]: Values stored in MediaMonkey's MDB database.
** [[MPC]]: Internal gain Structure.
* In addition to tags, all Replay Gain values are also stored in MediaMonkey's MDB database
* Does not support Album/Audiophile Replay Gain (Added to new [[MediaMonkey]] version 3
* Also capable of (irreversibly) changing the volume of MP3 tracks, similar to [[MP3Gain]]
* http://www.mediamonkey.com

=== [[Winamp]] Replay Gain scanner===
* Format:
** [[MP3]]: Values written to [[ID3v2]] tags.
** (Ogg) [[Vorbis]]: Values written to [[Vorbis comment]].
** [[WMA]]: Values stored in Windows Media Audio tags.
** [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]]: Values written to [[Vorbis comment]].
** [[APE]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
** [[AAC]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
** [[MP4]]
** [[TAK]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
* Support Album/Track Gain

== Players support ==
Replay Gain being present in the specs of FLAC, Musepack, and APE formats, any player that support those formats usually support Replay Gain.

The situation with MP3 is rather different, as it was not part of the MP3 specs. The APEv2 tags metadata implementation is somewhat becoming the de-facto standard.

=== Windows ===
* [[foobar2000]] supports Replay Gain in all possible aspects.
* [[Winamp]] supports Replay Gain in album or track mode.
* [[MediaMonkey]] supports track Replay Gain only
* [[XMPlay]] recently implemented Replay Gain

''...and probably others.''

=== Linux ===
* [[XMMS]]. Reads Replay Gain from [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]], [[Musepack]], (Ogg) [[Vorbis]] ..
:For [[MP3]], use the CVS version of the [http://xmms-mad.sourceforge.net/ xmms-mad] mp3 plugin (it's not yet released as binary, furthermore not available in distribs' versions for now. Meanwhile binaries are available here: [http://perso.crans.org/~krempp/xmms-mad/ custom binaries])
* [[amarok]]. By using the amarok-script [http://kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=26073 Replay Gain]
:And possibly others, since [http://developer.kde.org/~wheeler/taglib.html TagLib] added support for [[APEv2]] tags in [[MP3]] files, players using this library (like [[amaroK]] and [[JuK]]) might support that kind of Replay Gain tags in the near future.
* [http://www.sacredchao.net/quodlibet Quod Libet] reads Replay Gain from (Ogg) [[Vorbis]], [[MP3]], [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]], and [[Musepack]].
:Requires support to be enabled (via the appropriate python bindings and libraries) for the above formats. Does not support Replay Gain values stored in [[APEv2]] tags in [[MP3]]s. Replay Gain values are stored in RVA2 id3v2.4 frames. See the [http://www.sacredchao.net/quodlibet/wiki/Development/ID3Notes Quod Libet RVA2 / Replay Gain notes].
* [http://www.musicpd.org/ Music Player Daemon] (MPD) reads Replay Gain from (Ogg) [[Vorbis]], [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]], and [[Musepack]].
:foobar2000-style TXXX frames in [[MP3]]s are also supported in the latest development releases.
* [http://www.mplayerhq.hu/ MPlayer]. Mplayer support for Replay Gain is codec dependent.
:Codecs that are known to support Replay Gain: vorbis
:Because of this, you need to prioritize the codecs that support it, or choose it individually on the command line. To add it to the command line, add an -ac [codec] option after each file that you want to choose the codec for, or at the beginning to make it apply to all files listed. To prioritize the codecs by default, list them in a line in mplayer.conf:
ac=[codec],[othercodec],vorbis,mad,

=== Portable devices ===
[http://www.rockbox.org/ Rockbox] supports Replay Gain (in album or track mode) for most formats, including WMA, MP1/2/3, AAC, ALAC, Musepack, Monkey's Audio, Wavpack, FLAC and Vorbis. Note that Replay Gain is only supported when using the respective codec's native tagging format. For example: Replay Gain stored in APEv2 tags is not supported for MP3, rather ID3v2.x tags are expected.

There are no other portable players known to support Replay Gain.

The iPod features ''Soundcheck'', which seems to produce roughly the same normalization gains as Replay Gain, but doesn't provide an Album Gain.

=== Hi-Fi ===
Slim Devices a company owned by Logitech Inc, supports Replay Gain on both of their hi-end audiophile players, known as the [[Slim Devices Transporter|Transporter]] and the [[Slim Devices Squeezebox|Squeezebox]].

== External links ==
* [http://replaygain.hydrogenaudio.org Original Replay Gain website]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replay_Gain Replay Gain] at Wikipedia
* [http://www.bobulous.org.uk/misc/Replay-Gain.html Replay Gain using foobar2000] (how to use Replay Gain in Windows using foobar2000).
* [http://www.bobulous.org.uk/misc/Replay-Gain-in-Linux.html Replay Gain in Linux] (how to use Replay Gain in Linux using foobar2000 and Wine, or using metaflac or vorbisgain).

[[Category:Technical]]
[[Category:Metadata]]

Replay Gain

2009-08-16T19:39:16Z

CiTay: /* Windows */

'''Replay Gain''' is the name of a technique invented to achieve the same playback volume of audio files. It specifies the reference level of 89dB and an algorithm to measure the '''perceived''' loudness of audio data.

Replay Gain is different from [[Normalization|peak normalization]]. In peak normalization, you merely ensure that the peak amplitude reaches a certain level. This does not ensure equal loudness. The Replay Gain technique measures the ''effective power'' (i.e. taking RMS after an ''Equal Loudness contour'') of the waveform, and amplifies the waveform accordingly. The result is that Replay Gained waveforms are usually more uniformly amplified then peak-normalized waveforms.

== Implementations ==
There are different Replay Gain implementations, each with its own uses and strength. Most of them use [[metadata]] to indicate the level of the volume change (Volume is adjusted on playback; needs player/decoder support) others modify the audio data itself. Generally it is recommended to use an implementation which uses the metadata and does not touch the audio itself.

In a metadata based solution, information on both types of Replay Gain can be stored, and the desired playback effect can be switched back and forth in the appropriate player. However, if the audio data is permanently modified, only one type of Replay Gain can be chosen. Furthermore, if the audio data is modified, you may not be able to restore the original data, especially if the Replay Gain technique produces a negative amplification.

Replay Gain has significant advantages over normalizing. It allows the loudness of a song to be consistant over an entire collection of audio, similar to (but more accurate than) RMS normalizing (this is called 'Track Gain', or 'Radio Gain' in earlier parlance). However, it also allows the loudness of an album to be consistant over a entire music collection, allowing the dynamics of album to remain (This is called 'Album Gain', or 'Audiophile Gain' in earlier parlance). This is usually very important in classical CDs, as there may be quiet segments and loud segments written into different tracks.

=== MP3Gain ===
[[MP3Gain]] is an implementation of Replay Gain. It either modifies target data reversibly, or attaches metadata.

* Format: [[MP3]]
* Method: Audio / Meta
* Limitations: Limited to 1.5dB steps mode, may become irreversible
* http://mp3gain.sourceforge.net/

=== AACGain ===
[[AACGain]] is a modified version of MP3Gain that works on both MP3 and AAC files.

* Format: [[MP3]], [[AAC]]
* Method: Audio / Meta
* Limitations: Limited to 1.5dB steps mode, may become irreversible
* http://altosdesign.com/aacgain/

=== [[LAME]] ===
* Method: Header ([http://gabriel.mp3-tech.org/mp3infotag.html mp3infotag])
* Notes:
** Tags added during encoding; not supported by any player yet; Track Gain only
** Replay Gaining MP3's are usually done using MP3Gain (see [[Replay Gain#MP3Gain|above]]) or [[Replay Gain#foobar2000 Replay Gain scanner|foobar2000]]
* http://lame.sourceforge.net/

=== [[Musepack]] Replay Gain ===
* Method: Header (similar to Meta data method)
* Notes: Replay Gain values are stored in the header and Replay Gain is part of the Musepack specifications; therefore any Musepack decoder that does not support Replay Gain can be considered broken.
* http://www.musepack.net/

=== VorbisGain ===
* Format: (Ogg) [[Vorbis]]
* Method: Meta (in [[Vorbis comment]])
* http://www.sjeng.org/vorbisgain.html
** new compiles of VorbisGain at [http://www.rarewares.org/ogg.html www.rarewares.org]
:'''''Note:''' Andavari has provided a very useful script to integrate VorbisGain, which is a CLI tool, into Windows Explorer. Please (Ogg) [[Vorbis#Replay Gain|check this section]].

=== FLAC / METAFLAC ===
* Format: [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]]
* Method: Meta (in [[Vorbis comment]])
* http://flac.sf.net

=== WavPack / WVGAIN ===
* Format: [[WavPack]]
* Method: Meta (in [[APEv2]] tag)
* http://www.wavpack.com

=== Wavegain ===
* Format: waveform
* Method: Audio
* Limitations: Irreversible
* http://www.rarewares.org/files/others/wavegain.zip

=== [[foobar2000]] Replay Gain scanner ===
* Format:
** [[MP3]]: Values written to [[ID3v2]] (default) or [[APEv2]] tags.
** [[Musepack]]: Values written to header.
** (Ogg) [[Vorbis]]: Values written to [[Vorbis comment]].
** [[WavPack]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
** [[AAC]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
** [[MP4]]: Uses its own iTunes-compatible tagging system (though iTunes does not support Replay Gain).
** [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]]: Values written to [[Vorbis comment]].
** [[APE]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
** Modules ([[MOD]] etc.): Optionally saved into [[APEv2]] tags.

* http://foobar2000.org

=== [[MediaMonkey]] ===
* Format:
** [[MP3]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] or [[ID3v2]] tags.
** (Ogg) [[Vorbis]]: Values written to [[Vorbis comment]].
** [[WMA]]: Values stored in MediaMonkey's MDB database.
** [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]]: Values written to [[Vorbis comment]].
** [[APE]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
** [[WAV]]: Values stored in MediaMonkey's MDB database.
** [[MPC]]: Internal gain Structure.
* In addition to tags, all Replay Gain values are also stored in MediaMonkey's MDB database
* Does not support Album/Audiophile Replay Gain (Added to new [[MediaMonkey]] version 3
* Also capable of (irreversibly) changing the volume of MP3 tracks, similar to [[MP3Gain]]
* http://www.mediamonkey.com

=== [[Winamp]] Replay Gain scanner===
* Format:
** [[MP3]]: Values written to [[ID3v2]] tags.
** (Ogg) [[Vorbis]]: Values written to [[Vorbis comment]].
** [[WMA]]: Values stored in Windows Media Audio tags.
** [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]]: Values written to [[Vorbis comment]].
** [[APE]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
** [[AAC]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
** [[MP4]]
** [[TAK]]: Values written to [[APEv2]] tags.
* Support Album/Track Gain

== Players support ==
Replay Gain being present in the specs of FLAC, Musepack, and APE formats, any player that support those formats usually support Replay Gain.

The situation with MP3 is rather different, as it was not part of the MP3 specs. The APEv2 tags metadata implementation is somewhat becoming the de-facto standard.

=== Windows ===
* [[foobar2000]] supports Replay Gain in all possible aspects.
* [[Winamp]] supports Replay Gain in album or track mode.
* [[MediaMonkey]] supports track Replay Gain only
* [[XMPlay]] recently implemented Replay Gain

''...and probably others.''

=== Linux ===
* [[XMMS]]. Reads Replay Gain from [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]], [[Musepack]], (Ogg) [[Vorbis]] ..
:For [[MP3]], use the CVS version of the [http://xmms-mad.sourceforge.net/ xmms-mad] mp3 plugin (it's not yet released as binary, furthermore not available in distribs' versions for now. Meanwhile binaries are available here: [http://perso.crans.org/~krempp/xmms-mad/ custom binaries])
* [[amarok]]. By using the amarok-script [http://kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=26073 Replay Gain]
:And possibly others, since [http://developer.kde.org/~wheeler/taglib.html TagLib] added support for [[APEv2]] tags in [[MP3]] files, players using this library (like [[amaroK]] and [[JuK]]) might support that kind of Replay Gain tags in the near future.
* [http://www.sacredchao.net/quodlibet Quod Libet] reads Replay Gain from (Ogg) [[Vorbis]], [[MP3]], [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]], and [[Musepack]].
:Requires support to be enabled (via the appropriate python bindings and libraries) for the above formats. Does not support Replay Gain values stored in [[APEv2]] tags in [[MP3]]s. Replay Gain values are stored in RVA2 id3v2.4 frames. See the [http://www.sacredchao.net/quodlibet/wiki/Development/ID3Notes Quod Libet RVA2 / Replay Gain notes].
* [http://www.musicpd.org/ Music Player Daemon] (MPD) reads Replay Gain from (Ogg) [[Vorbis]], [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]], and [[Musepack]].
:Foobar2000 style TXXX frames in [[MP3]]s are also supported in the latest development releases.
* [http://www.mplayerhq.hu/ MPlayer]. Mplayer support for Replay Gain is codec dependent.
:Codecs that are known to support Replay Gain: vorbis
:Because of this, you need to prioritize the codecs that support it, or choose it individually on the command line. To add it to the command line, add an -ac [codec] option after each file that you want to choose the codec for, or at the beginning to make it apply to all files listed. To prioritize the codecs by default, list them in a line in mplayer.conf:
ac=[codec],[othercodec],vorbis,mad,

=== Portable devices ===
[http://www.rockbox.org/ Rockbox] supports Replay Gain (in album or track mode) for most formats, including WMA, MP1/2/3, AAC, ALAC, Musepack, Monkey's Audio, Wavpack, FLAC and Vorbis. Note that Replay Gain is only supported when using the respective codec's native tagging format. For example: Replay Gain stored in APEv2 tags is not supported for MP3, rather ID3v2.x tags are expected.

There are no other portable players known to support Replay Gain.

The iPod features ''Soundcheck'', which seems to produce roughly the same normalization gains as Replay Gain, but doesn't provide an Album Gain.

=== Hi-Fi ===
Slim Devices a company owned by Logitech Inc, supports Replay Gain on both of their hi-end audiophile players, known as the [[Slim Devices Transporter|Transporter]] and the [[Slim Devices Squeezebox|Squeezebox]].

== External links ==
* [http://replaygain.hydrogenaudio.org Original Replay Gain website]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replay_Gain Replay Gain] at Wikipedia
* [http://www.bobulous.org.uk/misc/Replay-Gain.html Replay Gain using foobar2000] (how to use Replay Gain in Windows using foobar2000).
* [http://www.bobulous.org.uk/misc/Replay-Gain-in-Linux.html Replay Gain in Linux] (how to use Replay Gain in Linux using foobar2000 and Wine, or using metaflac or vorbisgain).

[[Category:Technical]]
[[Category:Metadata]]

LAME

2008-11-24T23:18:44Z

CiTay: /* VBR (variable bitrate) settings */

{{Software Infobox
| name = LAME
| screenshot = [[Image:Lamelogo.png|250px|LAME official logo]]
| caption = LAME ain't an MP3 encoder
| maintainer = The LAME project
| stable_release = 3.98
| preview_release = none
| operating_system = Windows, Mac OS/X, Linux/BSD
| use = Encoder/Decoder
| license = LGPL
| website = [http://lame.sourceforge.net/ LAME website]
}}{{featured}}
'''LAME''' (Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder) is the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended [[MP3]] encoder. It has been developed by the open-source community since 1998, and has become the highest quality [[MP3]] encoder for most purposes.

Some benefits of using LAME:
* Highly optimised presets
* Fast encoding
* [[CBR]], [[ABR]] and quality-optimized [[VBR]] encoding methods
* [[Gapless]] playback with LAME-header compliant decoders
* Supported by recommended CD rippers [[Exact Audio Copy]] and [[CDex]]
* Highly tunable

==History==
LAME development began around mid-1998. Mike Cheng started it as a patch against the 8hz-MP3 encoder sources. After some quality concerns raised by others, he decided to start from scratch based on the dist10 sources. That branch (a patch against the reference sources) became LAME 2.0, and only on LAME 3.81 they got rid of all dist10 code, making LAME a completely new program-not a mere patch of an existing encoder.

The project quickly became a team effort. Mike Cheng eventually left leadership and started working on [http://toolame.sourceforge.net/ tooLAME], an [[MP2]] encoder. Mark Taylor became leader and released version 3.0 featuring gpsycho, a new psychoacoustic model developed by him.

Nowadays LAME is considered the best MP3 encoder at mid-high bitrates and features the best VBR model among MP3 implementations, mostly thanks to the dedicated work of talented developers like Takehiro Tominaga, Naoki Shibata, Darin Morrison, Gabriel Bouvigne, Robert Hegemann, etc. And development is still going on...

==Recommended encoder compiles and source code==

Unless noted otherwise, the recommended LAME compile for optimal quality is always the '''latest stable version'''.

It is suggested that the compiles available here be used with the recommended encoder settings you can find below.

'''Download the latest LAME from these links:'''
* [http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.php RareWares MP3 Page] - Compiles for Win32, Mac OS X universal binary, Linux etc.
* [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=290&package_id=309 LAME source code on SourceForge]

==Recommended encoder settings==
This section describes the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended settings to be used with [[LAME]] for highest quality [[MP3]] encoding. These settings require LAME 3.98 or later (the latest stable version is recommended).

===Quick start (short answer)===
====Best quality: "archiving"====

<code>-b 320</code>. This is the strongest setting for [[MP3]], with the lowest risk of [[artifact]]s.
With the exception of a few situations, quality is rarely better than the highest [[VBR]] profiles described below. However, 'archiving' music using a lossy format like [[MP3]] is never recommended – no matter how transparent the resulting files might sound.
The alternative is to use [[Lossless]] formats like [[WavPack]], [[FLAC]] etc. that allow true archiving, bit for bit like on the original CD.

====High quality: HiFi, home or quiet listening====

<code>-V0</code> (~230 kbps), <code>-V1</code> (~210 kbps), <code>-V2</code> (~190 kbps) or <code>-V3</code> (~170 kbps) are recommended.
These settings will normally produce [[transparent]] encoding (transparent = most people can't distinguish the [[MP3]] from the original in an [[ABX]] blind test).
Audible differences between these presets exist, but are rare.

====Portable: background noise and low bitrate requirement, small sizes====

<code>-V4</code> (~155 kbps), <code>-V5</code> (~130 kbps) or <code>-V6</code> (~115 kbps) are recommended.
<code>-V6</code> produces an "acceptable" quality, while <code>-V4</code> should be close to perceptual [[transparency]].

====Very low bitrate, small sizes: eg. for voice, radio, [[mono]] encoding etc.====

For very low bitrates, up to 100kbps, [[ABR]] is most often the best solution.
Use <code>--abr <bitrate></code> (e.g. --abr 80).

'''--preset voice''' is only available in the command line front-end, and is there for compatibility.
It is currently mapped to '''''--abr 56 -mm''''', so that means that the recommendation would be to encode in mono, and use ABR.

===Detailed explanation (long answer)===
====VBR (variable bitrate) settings====
'''[[VBR]]:''' ''variable bitrate mode. Use variable bitrate modes when the goal is to achieve a fixed level of quality using the lowest possible bitrate.''

[[VBR]] is best used to target a specific quality level, instead of a specific bitrate. The final file size of a [[VBR]] encode is less predictable than with [[ABR]], but the quality is usually better.

Unlike other MP3 encoders which do VBR encoding based on predictions of output quality, LAME's default VBR method tests the ''actual'' output quality to ensure the desired quality level is always achieved.

'''Usage:''' <code>-V(number)</code> where number is 0-9, 0 being highest quality, 9 being the lowest.

'''Example:''' <code>-V2</code>

'''Note:''' The switch <code>--vbr-new</code>, which enabled a superior VBR mode in LAME 3.97 and some previous versions, is no longer needed with LAME 3.98 as it is now the default VBR mode. However, if you're still using LAME 3.97 or older, you have to add <code>--vbr-new</code> to your commandline to use that mode.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Bitrate overview (mostly based on LAME 3.98.2 results)'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbit/s''' || '''Bitrate range kbit/s'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -b 320 || --preset insane || 320 || 320 CBR
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset fast extreme || 245 || 220...260
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || 225 || 190...250
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset fast standard || 190 || 170...210
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || 175 || 150...195
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset fast medium || 165 || 140...185
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || 130 || 120...150
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || 115 || 100...130
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || 100 || 80...120
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || 85 || 70...105
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || 65 || 45...85
|}
See also [[#Technical information|Technical details for recommended LAME settings]].

If you need a predictable bitrate (in a streaming application, for example), use [[ABR]] or [[CBR]] modes, described below.

====ABR (average bitrate) settings====
'''[[ABR]]:''' ''average bitrate mode. A compromise between [[VBR]] and [[CBR]] modes, [[ABR]] encoding varies bits around a specified target bitrate.''

Use [[ABR]] when you need to know the final size of the file but still want to allow the encoder some flexibility to decide which passages need more bits.

'''Usage:''' <code>--preset <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (desired averaged bitrate in kbit/s) can be any value between 8 - 320 , like eg. 9, 17, 80, 128, 133, 200 etc.

'''Example:''' <code>--preset 200</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[ABR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

====CBR (constant bitrate) settings====
'''[[CBR]]:''' ''constant bitrate mode. [[CBR]] encoding is not efficient. Whereas [[VBR]] and [[ABR]] modes can supply more bits to complex music passages and save bits on simpler ones, [[CBR]] encodes every frame at the same bitrate.''

[[CBR]] is only recommended for usage in streaming situations where the upper bitrate must be strictly enforced.

'''Usage:''' <code>-b <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (bitrate in kbit/s) must be chosen from the following values: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256, or 320.

'''Example:''' <code>-b 192</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[CBR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

===Remarks===
* The rule of thumb when considering encoding options: at a given bitrate, [[VBR]] is higher quality than [[ABR]], which is higher quality than [[CBR]] ([[VBR]] > [[ABR]] > [[CBR]] in terms of quality). The exception to this is when you choose the highest possible [[CBR]] bitrate, which is 320 kbps (-b 320 = --alt-preset insane), but this produces the largest filesizes for doubtful audible benefit.

* All modes and settings mentioned in this topic belong to the specifications of the [[MP3]] standard, and the resulting MP3s should be playable by every [[MP3]] decoder that conforms with the standard. If your decoder or device does not play MP3s produced by LAME, blame the manufacturer or developer, not LAME.

* Avoid using alpha (a) versions of LAME. More often than not those are exclusively for testing purposes. Use them only if you want to help developers with feedback. History of [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=28125/ Lame versions & compiles].

* The <code>--vbr-new</code> switch enables the new [[VBR]] mode (no longer needed with LAME 3.98, as it is now the default VBR mode). In terms of quality, <code>--vbr-new</code> appears to be better than the old model, but reports of artifacts when using the new model do exist. Despite these possible issues, <code>--vbr-new</code> is currently recommended over the default [[VBR]] mode due to both the speed and quality increases afforded by the new algorithm.

* '''-mm''' : the sound will be encoded in '''mono'''. Useful for low bitrates and/or when stereo is not important.

[[Image:lame-chart-2.png|frame|center|Here a trial to see how the perceived listening quality improves with settings/averaged filesize]]

====Hey! What happened to "--alt-preset"?====

The revolutionary <code>--alt-preset</code> system was introduced in LAME 3.90; it was replaced by the <code>--preset</code> flags in later versions. Starting with version 3.94, the <code>-Vx</code> quality system was introduced, which allows finer control over the desired bitrate; the <code>--preset</code> switches were made into aliases to the corresponding <code>-V</code> flags for the sake of backwards compatibility. '''There is no difference between the output you get if you use <code>-V2</code> or <code>--alt-preset standard</code>.''' (Although adding <code>--vbr-new</code> is recommended for now, see above for details.)

More encoding options are available under the new system, such as <code>-V1</code>, which provides a level of quality between the old "standard" and "extreme" presets, or <code>-V3</code>, which is between the old "medium" and "standard" presets.

Recent LAME versions feature more streamlined command line options, and it's recommended to stick to one of the values described in the text or shown in the tables above.

For example, the following command lines will all produce the same output:

<code>--alt-preset insane</code> = <code>--preset insane</code> = <code>-b 320</code> = <code>--preset 320</code> = <code>--preset cbr 320</code>

(<code>--preset cbr 320</code> is the exact same thing as <code>--alt-preset insane</code>, etc.)

==Technical information==
The table below contains technical details about the recommended settings.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Technical details of the recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbps''' || '''Y Switch''' || '''Lowpass''' || '''Resample'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset fast extreme || ~240 || || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|-
| -V 1 || || ~210 || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset fast standard || ~190 || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 3 || || ~175 || Y || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset fast medium || ~165 || Y || 17249 Hz - 17782 Hz ||
|-
| -V 5 || || ~130 || Y || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || ~115 || Y || 15115 Hz - 15648 Hz ||
|-
| -V 7 || || ~100 || Y || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || ~85 || Y || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 9 || || ~65 || Y || 9336 Hz - 9602 Hz || 24000 Hz
|}

==See also==
* [[MP3]]
* [[Exact_Audio_Copy|Exact Audio Copy]]
* [[EAC_and_Lame | Configuring EAC and LAME]]

==Notes and references==

'''People who took part in suggesting the different settings:'''

Dibrom, r3mix, ff123, Hans Heijden, kjempen, Benjamin Lebsanft, GeSomeone, Wombat & GuruBoolez for his immense testing.

'''Creation of the alt preset system and related special code level quality enhancements:'''

Dibrom, with technical assistance from Robert Hegemann and Naoki Shibata, Gabriel and extensive tuning help and quality verification via listening tests from JohnV and also initial help (--dm-preset era) from Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, and others. Test clips, bitrate information, and further listening tests provided by TheBashar, zbutsam, Pio2001, BadDuDeX, r3mix, h, TarX, Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, Filburt, Volcano, Garf, MrDrew, TrNSZ, nyaochi, Amadeus93, in no particular order, and many, many others we (Dibrom, user) probably forgot to mention.

'''Idea (also exposing the need for a unified preset system), Original post and list of original settings collected by:''' user

'''Layout and additional work by:''' dev0, CiTay, SNYder, Dibrom.

And finally...

Thank you ALL in the community for making it what it is, providing interest and discussion and helping to work towards the most concise, well tuned, and most thought out MP3 quality "paradigm" seen yet! -- Dibrom

==Further reading==
*[[CBR]]
*[[ABR]]
*[[VBR]]

==External links==
*[http://lame.sourceforge.net LAME official homepage]
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/lame.html Historical versions of LAME] at ReallyRareWares
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/test/ Several multiformat listening tests] featuring LAME and other encoders.
*[http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.html RareWares MP3 page]
*[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=478&st=0 Discussion of recommended Lame compiles in the Hydrogenaudio forum]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=16&t=32288 Forum discussion of the recommended settings]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=203 Forum discussion of the recommended settings (older)]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32288&view=findpost&p=327262 Previous recommendations (outdated)]

[[Category:Software]]
[[Category:Encoder/Decoder]]

LAME

2008-11-24T23:17:16Z

CiTay: Bitrates updated a bit for 3.98.2 results

{{Software Infobox
| name = LAME
| screenshot = [[Image:Lamelogo.png|250px|LAME official logo]]
| caption = LAME ain't an MP3 encoder
| maintainer = The LAME project
| stable_release = 3.98
| preview_release = none
| operating_system = Windows, Mac OS/X, Linux/BSD
| use = Encoder/Decoder
| license = LGPL
| website = [http://lame.sourceforge.net/ LAME website]
}}{{featured}}
'''LAME''' (Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder) is the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended [[MP3]] encoder. It has been developed by the open-source community since 1998, and has become the highest quality [[MP3]] encoder for most purposes.

Some benefits of using LAME:
* Highly optimised presets
* Fast encoding
* [[CBR]], [[ABR]] and quality-optimized [[VBR]] encoding methods
* [[Gapless]] playback with LAME-header compliant decoders
* Supported by recommended CD rippers [[Exact Audio Copy]] and [[CDex]]
* Highly tunable

==History==
LAME development began around mid-1998. Mike Cheng started it as a patch against the 8hz-MP3 encoder sources. After some quality concerns raised by others, he decided to start from scratch based on the dist10 sources. That branch (a patch against the reference sources) became LAME 2.0, and only on LAME 3.81 they got rid of all dist10 code, making LAME a completely new program-not a mere patch of an existing encoder.

The project quickly became a team effort. Mike Cheng eventually left leadership and started working on [http://toolame.sourceforge.net/ tooLAME], an [[MP2]] encoder. Mark Taylor became leader and released version 3.0 featuring gpsycho, a new psychoacoustic model developed by him.

Nowadays LAME is considered the best MP3 encoder at mid-high bitrates and features the best VBR model among MP3 implementations, mostly thanks to the dedicated work of talented developers like Takehiro Tominaga, Naoki Shibata, Darin Morrison, Gabriel Bouvigne, Robert Hegemann, etc. And development is still going on...

==Recommended encoder compiles and source code==

Unless noted otherwise, the recommended LAME compile for optimal quality is always the '''latest stable version'''.

It is suggested that the compiles available here be used with the recommended encoder settings you can find below.

'''Download the latest LAME from these links:'''
* [http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.php RareWares MP3 Page] - Compiles for Win32, Mac OS X universal binary, Linux etc.
* [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=290&package_id=309 LAME source code on SourceForge]

==Recommended encoder settings==
This section describes the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended settings to be used with [[LAME]] for highest quality [[MP3]] encoding. These settings require LAME 3.98 or later (the latest stable version is recommended).

===Quick start (short answer)===
====Best quality: "archiving"====

<code>-b 320</code>. This is the strongest setting for [[MP3]], with the lowest risk of [[artifact]]s.
With the exception of a few situations, quality is rarely better than the highest [[VBR]] profiles described below. However, 'archiving' music using a lossy format like [[MP3]] is never recommended – no matter how transparent the resulting files might sound.
The alternative is to use [[Lossless]] formats like [[WavPack]], [[FLAC]] etc. that allow true archiving, bit for bit like on the original CD.

====High quality: HiFi, home or quiet listening====

<code>-V0</code> (~230 kbps), <code>-V1</code> (~210 kbps), <code>-V2</code> (~190 kbps) or <code>-V3</code> (~170 kbps) are recommended.
These settings will normally produce [[transparent]] encoding (transparent = most people can't distinguish the [[MP3]] from the original in an [[ABX]] blind test).
Audible differences between these presets exist, but are rare.

====Portable: background noise and low bitrate requirement, small sizes====

<code>-V4</code> (~155 kbps), <code>-V5</code> (~130 kbps) or <code>-V6</code> (~115 kbps) are recommended.
<code>-V6</code> produces an "acceptable" quality, while <code>-V4</code> should be close to perceptual [[transparency]].

====Very low bitrate, small sizes: eg. for voice, radio, [[mono]] encoding etc.====

For very low bitrates, up to 100kbps, [[ABR]] is most often the best solution.
Use <code>--abr <bitrate></code> (e.g. --abr 80).

'''--preset voice''' is only available in the command line front-end, and is there for compatibility.
It is currently mapped to '''''--abr 56 -mm''''', so that means that the recommendation would be to encode in mono, and use ABR.

===Detailed explanation (long answer)===
====VBR (variable bitrate) settings====
'''[[VBR]]:''' ''variable bitrate mode. Use variable bitrate modes when the goal is to achieve a fixed level of quality using the lowest possible bitrate.''

[[VBR]] is best used to target a specific quality level, instead of a specific bitrate. The final file size of a [[VBR]] encode is less predictable than with [[ABR]], but the quality is usually better.

Unlike other MP3 encoders which do VBR encoding based on predictions of output quality, LAME's default VBR method tests the ''actual'' output quality to ensure the desired quality level is always achieved.

'''Usage:''' <code>-V(number)</code> where number is 0-9, 0 being highest quality, 9 being the lowest.

'''Example:''' <code>-V2</code>

'''Note:''' The switch <code>--vbr-new</code>, which enabled a superior VBR mode in LAME 3.97 and some previous versions, is no longer needed with LAME 3.98 as it is now the default VBR mode. However, if you're still using LAME 3.97 or older, you have to add <code>--vbr-new</code> to your commandline to use that mode.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Bitrate overview (mostly based on LAME 3.97 bitrates)'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbit/s''' || '''Bitrate range kbit/s'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -b 320 || --preset insane || 320 || 320 CBR
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset fast extreme || 245 || 220...260
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || 225 || 190...250
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset fast standard || 190 || 170...210
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || 175 || 150...195
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset fast medium || 165 || 140...185
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || 130 || 120...150
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || 115 || 100...130
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || 100 || 80...120
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || 85 || 70...105
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || 65 || 45...85
|}
See also [[#Technical information|Technical details for recommended LAME settings]].

If you need a predictable bitrate (in a streaming application, for example), use [[ABR]] or [[CBR]] modes, described below.

====ABR (average bitrate) settings====
'''[[ABR]]:''' ''average bitrate mode. A compromise between [[VBR]] and [[CBR]] modes, [[ABR]] encoding varies bits around a specified target bitrate.''

Use [[ABR]] when you need to know the final size of the file but still want to allow the encoder some flexibility to decide which passages need more bits.

'''Usage:''' <code>--preset <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (desired averaged bitrate in kbit/s) can be any value between 8 - 320 , like eg. 9, 17, 80, 128, 133, 200 etc.

'''Example:''' <code>--preset 200</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[ABR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

====CBR (constant bitrate) settings====
'''[[CBR]]:''' ''constant bitrate mode. [[CBR]] encoding is not efficient. Whereas [[VBR]] and [[ABR]] modes can supply more bits to complex music passages and save bits on simpler ones, [[CBR]] encodes every frame at the same bitrate.''

[[CBR]] is only recommended for usage in streaming situations where the upper bitrate must be strictly enforced.

'''Usage:''' <code>-b <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (bitrate in kbit/s) must be chosen from the following values: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256, or 320.

'''Example:''' <code>-b 192</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[CBR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

===Remarks===
* The rule of thumb when considering encoding options: at a given bitrate, [[VBR]] is higher quality than [[ABR]], which is higher quality than [[CBR]] ([[VBR]] > [[ABR]] > [[CBR]] in terms of quality). The exception to this is when you choose the highest possible [[CBR]] bitrate, which is 320 kbps (-b 320 = --alt-preset insane), but this produces the largest filesizes for doubtful audible benefit.

* All modes and settings mentioned in this topic belong to the specifications of the [[MP3]] standard, and the resulting MP3s should be playable by every [[MP3]] decoder that conforms with the standard. If your decoder or device does not play MP3s produced by LAME, blame the manufacturer or developer, not LAME.

* Avoid using alpha (a) versions of LAME. More often than not those are exclusively for testing purposes. Use them only if you want to help developers with feedback. History of [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=28125/ Lame versions & compiles].

* The <code>--vbr-new</code> switch enables the new [[VBR]] mode (no longer needed with LAME 3.98, as it is now the default VBR mode). In terms of quality, <code>--vbr-new</code> appears to be better than the old model, but reports of artifacts when using the new model do exist. Despite these possible issues, <code>--vbr-new</code> is currently recommended over the default [[VBR]] mode due to both the speed and quality increases afforded by the new algorithm.

* '''-mm''' : the sound will be encoded in '''mono'''. Useful for low bitrates and/or when stereo is not important.

[[Image:lame-chart-2.png|frame|center|Here a trial to see how the perceived listening quality improves with settings/averaged filesize]]

====Hey! What happened to "--alt-preset"?====

The revolutionary <code>--alt-preset</code> system was introduced in LAME 3.90; it was replaced by the <code>--preset</code> flags in later versions. Starting with version 3.94, the <code>-Vx</code> quality system was introduced, which allows finer control over the desired bitrate; the <code>--preset</code> switches were made into aliases to the corresponding <code>-V</code> flags for the sake of backwards compatibility. '''There is no difference between the output you get if you use <code>-V2</code> or <code>--alt-preset standard</code>.''' (Although adding <code>--vbr-new</code> is recommended for now, see above for details.)

More encoding options are available under the new system, such as <code>-V1</code>, which provides a level of quality between the old "standard" and "extreme" presets, or <code>-V3</code>, which is between the old "medium" and "standard" presets.

Recent LAME versions feature more streamlined command line options, and it's recommended to stick to one of the values described in the text or shown in the tables above.

For example, the following command lines will all produce the same output:

<code>--alt-preset insane</code> = <code>--preset insane</code> = <code>-b 320</code> = <code>--preset 320</code> = <code>--preset cbr 320</code>

(<code>--preset cbr 320</code> is the exact same thing as <code>--alt-preset insane</code>, etc.)

==Technical information==
The table below contains technical details about the recommended settings.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Technical details of the recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbps''' || '''Y Switch''' || '''Lowpass''' || '''Resample'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset fast extreme || ~240 || || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|-
| -V 1 || || ~210 || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset fast standard || ~190 || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 3 || || ~175 || Y || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset fast medium || ~165 || Y || 17249 Hz - 17782 Hz ||
|-
| -V 5 || || ~130 || Y || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || ~115 || Y || 15115 Hz - 15648 Hz ||
|-
| -V 7 || || ~100 || Y || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || ~85 || Y || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 9 || || ~65 || Y || 9336 Hz - 9602 Hz || 24000 Hz
|}

==See also==
* [[MP3]]
* [[Exact_Audio_Copy|Exact Audio Copy]]
* [[EAC_and_Lame | Configuring EAC and LAME]]

==Notes and references==

'''People who took part in suggesting the different settings:'''

Dibrom, r3mix, ff123, Hans Heijden, kjempen, Benjamin Lebsanft, GeSomeone, Wombat & GuruBoolez for his immense testing.

'''Creation of the alt preset system and related special code level quality enhancements:'''

Dibrom, with technical assistance from Robert Hegemann and Naoki Shibata, Gabriel and extensive tuning help and quality verification via listening tests from JohnV and also initial help (--dm-preset era) from Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, and others. Test clips, bitrate information, and further listening tests provided by TheBashar, zbutsam, Pio2001, BadDuDeX, r3mix, h, TarX, Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, Filburt, Volcano, Garf, MrDrew, TrNSZ, nyaochi, Amadeus93, in no particular order, and many, many others we (Dibrom, user) probably forgot to mention.

'''Idea (also exposing the need for a unified preset system), Original post and list of original settings collected by:''' user

'''Layout and additional work by:''' dev0, CiTay, SNYder, Dibrom.

And finally...

Thank you ALL in the community for making it what it is, providing interest and discussion and helping to work towards the most concise, well tuned, and most thought out MP3 quality "paradigm" seen yet! -- Dibrom

==Further reading==
*[[CBR]]
*[[ABR]]
*[[VBR]]

==External links==
*[http://lame.sourceforge.net LAME official homepage]
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/lame.html Historical versions of LAME] at ReallyRareWares
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/test/ Several multiformat listening tests] featuring LAME and other encoders.
*[http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.html RareWares MP3 page]
*[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=478&st=0 Discussion of recommended Lame compiles in the Hydrogenaudio forum]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=16&t=32288 Forum discussion of the recommended settings]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=203 Forum discussion of the recommended settings (older)]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32288&view=findpost&p=327262 Previous recommendations (outdated)]

[[Category:Software]]
[[Category:Encoder/Decoder]]

LAME

2008-07-23T12:26:47Z

CiTay: /* High quality: HiFi, home or quiet listening */

{{Software Infobox
| name = LAME
| screenshot = [[Image:Lamelogo.png|250px|LAME official logo]]
| caption = LAME ain't an MP3 encoder
| maintainer = The LAME project
| stable_release = 3.98
| preview_release = none
| operating_system = Windows, Mac OS/X, Linux/BSD
| use = Encoder/Decoder
| license = LGPL
| website = [http://lame.sourceforge.net/ LAME website]
}}{{featured}}
'''LAME''' (Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder) is the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended [[MP3]] encoder. It has been developed by the open-source community since 1998, and has become the highest quality [[MP3]] encoder for most purposes.

Some benefits of using LAME:
* Highly optimised presets
* Fast encoding
* [[CBR]], [[ABR]] and quality-optimized [[VBR]] encoding methods
* [[Gapless]] playback with LAME-header compliant decoders
* Supported by recommended CD rippers [[Exact Audio Copy]] and [[CDex]]
* Highly tunable

==History==
LAME development began around mid-1998. Mike Cheng started it as a patch against the 8hz-MP3 encoder sources. After some quality concerns raised by others, he decided to start from scratch based on the dist10 sources. That branch (a patch against the reference sources) became LAME 2.0, and only on LAME 3.81 they got rid of all dist10 code, making LAME a completely new program-not a mere patch of an existing encoder.

The project quickly became a team effort. Mike Cheng eventually left leadership and started working on [http://toolame.sourceforge.net/ tooLAME], an [[MP2]] encoder. Mark Taylor became leader and released version 3.0 featuring gpsycho, a new psychoacoustic model developed by him.

Nowadays LAME is considered the best MP3 encoder at mid-high bitrates and features the best VBR model among MP3 implementations, mostly thanks to the dedicated work of talented developers like Takehiro Tominaga, Naoki Shibata, Darin Morrison, Gabriel Bouvigne, Robert Hegemann, etc. And development is still going on...

==Recommended encoder compiles and source code==

Unless noted otherwise, the recommended LAME compile for optimal quality is always the '''latest stable version'''.

It is suggested that the compiles available here be used with the recommended encoder settings you can find below.

'''Download the latest LAME from these links:'''
* [http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.php RareWares MP3 Page] - Compiles for Win32, Mac OS X universal binary, Linux etc.
* [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=290&package_id=309 LAME source code on SourceForge]

==Recommended encoder settings==
This section describes the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended settings to be used with [[LAME]] for highest quality [[MP3]] encoding. These settings require LAME 3.98 or later (the latest stable version is recommended).

===Quick start (short answer)===
====Best quality: "archiving"====

<code>-b 320</code>. This is the strongest setting for [[MP3]], with the lowest risk of [[artifact]]s.
With the exception of a few situations, quality is rarely better than the highest [[VBR]] profiles described below. However, 'archiving' music using a lossy format like [[MP3]] is never recommended – no matter how transparent the resulting files might sound.
The alternative is to use [[Lossless]] formats like [[WavPack]], [[FLAC]] etc. that allow true archiving, bit for bit like on the original CD.

====High quality: HiFi, home or quiet listening====

<code>-V0</code> (~230 kbps), <code>-V1</code> (~210 kbps), <code>-V2</code> (~190 kbps) or <code>-V3</code> (~175 kbps) are recommended.
These settings will normally produce [[transparent]] encoding (transparent = most people can't distinguish the [[MP3]] from the original in an [[ABX]] blind test).
Audible differences between these presets exist, but are rare.

====Portable: background noise and low bitrate requirement, small sizes====

<code>-V4</code> (~160 kbps), <code>-V5</code> (~130 kbps) or <code>-V6</code> (~115 kbps) are recommended.
<code>-V6</code> produces an "acceptable" quality, while <code>-V4</code> should be close to perceptual [[transparency]].

====Very low bitrate, small sizes: eg. for voice, radio, [[mono]] encoding etc.====

For very low bitrates, up to 100kbps, [[ABR]] is most often the best solution.
Use <code>--abr <bitrate></code> (e.g. --abr 80).

'''--preset voice''' is only available in the command line front-end, and is there for compatibility.
It is currently mapped to '''''--abr 56 -mm''''', so that means that the recommendation would be to encode in mono, and use ABR.

===Detailed explanation (long answer)===
====VBR (variable bitrate) settings====
'''[[VBR]]:''' ''variable bitrate mode. Use variable bitrate modes when the goal is to achieve a fixed level of quality using the lowest possible bitrate.''

[[VBR]] is best used to target a specific quality level, instead of a specific bitrate. The final file size of a [[VBR]] encode is less predictable than with [[ABR]], but the quality is usually better.

Unlike other MP3 encoders which do VBR encoding based on predictions of output quality, LAME's default VBR method tests the ''actual'' output quality to ensure the desired quality level is always achieved.

'''Usage:''' <code>-V(number)</code> where number is 0-9, 0 being highest quality, 9 being the lowest.

'''Example:''' <code>-V2</code>

'''Note:''' The switch <code>--vbr-new</code>, which enabled a superior VBR mode in LAME 3.97 and some previous versions, is no longer needed with LAME 3.98 as it is now the default VBR mode. However, if you're still using LAME 3.97 or older, you have to add <code>--vbr-new</code> to your commandline to use that mode.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Bitrate overview (mostly based on LAME 3.97 bitrates)'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbit/s''' || '''Bitrate range kbit/s'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -b 320 || --preset insane || 320 || 320 CBR
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset fast extreme || 245 || 220...260
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || 225 || 200...250
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset fast standard || 190 || 170...210
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || 175 || 155...195
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset fast medium || 165 || 145...185
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || 130 || 110...150
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || 115 || 95...135
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || 100 || 80...120
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || 85 || 65...105
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || 65 || 45...85
|}
See also [[#Technical information|Technical details for recommended LAME settings]].

If you need a predictable bitrate (in a streaming application, for example), use [[ABR]] or [[CBR]] modes, described below.

====ABR (average bitrate) settings====
'''[[ABR]]:''' ''average bitrate mode. A compromise between [[VBR]] and [[CBR]] modes, [[ABR]] encoding varies bits around a specified target bitrate.''

Use [[ABR]] when you need to know the final size of the file but still want to allow the encoder some flexibility to decide which passages need more bits.

'''Usage:''' <code>--preset <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (desired averaged bitrate in kbit/s) can be any value between 8 - 320 , like eg. 9, 17, 80, 128, 133, 200 etc.

'''Example:''' <code>--preset 200</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[ABR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

====CBR (constant bitrate) settings====
'''[[CBR]]:''' ''constant bitrate mode. [[CBR]] encoding is not efficient. Whereas [[VBR]] and [[ABR]] modes can supply more bits to complex music passages and save bits on simpler ones, [[CBR]] encodes every frame at the same bitrate.''

[[CBR]] is only recommended for usage in streaming situations where the upper bitrate must be strictly enforced.

'''Usage:''' <code>-b <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (bitrate in kbit/s) must be chosen from the following values: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256, or 320.

'''Example:''' <code>-b 192</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[CBR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

===Remarks===
* The rule of thumb when considering encoding options: at a given bitrate, [[VBR]] is higher quality than [[ABR]], which is higher quality than [[CBR]] ([[VBR]] > [[ABR]] > [[CBR]] in terms of quality). The exception to this is when you choose the highest possible [[CBR]] bitrate, which is 320 kbps (-b 320 = --alt-preset insane), but this produces the largest filesizes for doubtful audible benefit.

* All modes and settings mentioned in this topic belong to the specifications of the [[MP3]] standard, and the resulting MP3s should be playable by every [[MP3]] decoder that conforms with the standard. If your decoder or device does not play MP3s produced by LAME, blame the manufacturer or developer, not LAME.

* Avoid using alpha (a) versions of LAME. More often than not those are exclusively for testing purposes. Use them only if you want to help developers with feedback. History of [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=28125/ Lame versions & compiles].

* The <code>--vbr-new</code> switch enables the new [[VBR]] mode (no longer needed with LAME 3.98, as it is now the default VBR mode). In terms of quality, <code>--vbr-new</code> appears to be better than the old model, but reports of artifacts when using the new model do exist. Despite these possible issues, <code>--vbr-new</code> is currently recommended over the default [[VBR]] mode due to both the speed and quality increases afforded by the new algorithm.

* '''-mm''' : the sound will be encoded in '''mono'''. Useful for low bitrates and/or when stereo is not important.

[[Image:lame-chart-2.png|frame|center|Here a trial to see how the perceived listening quality improves with settings/averaged filesize]]

====Hey! What happened to "--alt-preset"?====

The revolutionary <code>--alt-preset</code> system was introduced in LAME 3.90; it was replaced by the <code>--preset</code> flags in later versions. Starting with version 3.94, the <code>-Vx</code> quality system was introduced, which allows finer control over the desired bitrate; the <code>--preset</code> switches were made into aliases to the corresponding <code>-V</code> flags for the sake of backwards compatibility. '''There is no difference between the output you get if you use <code>-V2</code> or <code>--alt-preset standard</code>.''' (Although adding <code>--vbr-new</code> is recommended for now, see above for details.)

More encoding options are available under the new system, such as <code>-V1</code>, which provides a level of quality between the old "standard" and "extreme" presets, or <code>-V3</code>, which is between the old "medium" and "standard" presets.

Recent LAME versions feature more streamlined command line options, and it's recommended to stick to one of the values described in the text or shown in the tables above.

For example, the following command lines will all produce the same output:

<code>--alt-preset insane</code> = <code>--preset insane</code> = <code>-b 320</code> = <code>--preset 320</code> = <code>--preset cbr 320</code>

(<code>--preset cbr 320</code> is the exact same thing as <code>--alt-preset insane</code>, etc.)

==Technical information==
The table below contains technical details about the recommended settings.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Technical details of the recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbps''' || '''Y Switch''' || '''-b''' || '''Lowpass''' || '''Resample'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset extreme || ~240 || || 128 || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|-
| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme || ~240 || || || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || ~210 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 1 --vbr-new || || ~210 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset standard || ~190 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || ~190 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 3 --vbr-new || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|-
| -V 5 --vbr-new || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|-
| -V 6 --vbr-new || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 7 --vbr-new || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 8 --vbr-new || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|-
| -V 9 --vbr-new || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|}

==See also==
* [[MP3]]
* [[Exact_Audio_Copy|Exact Audio Copy]]
* [[EAC_and_Lame | Configuring EAC and LAME]]

==Notes and references==

'''People who took part in suggesting the different settings:'''

Dibrom, r3mix, ff123, Hans Heijden, kjempen, Benjamin Lebsanft, GeSomeone, Wombat & GuruBoolez for his immense testing.

'''Creation of the alt preset system and related special code level quality enhancements:'''

Dibrom, with technical assistance from Robert Hegemann and Naoki Shibata, Gabriel and extensive tuning help and quality verification via listening tests from JohnV and also initial help (--dm-preset era) from Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, and others. Test clips, bitrate information, and further listening tests provided by TheBashar, zbutsam, Pio2001, BadDuDeX, r3mix, h, TarX, Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, Filburt, Volcano, Garf, MrDrew, TrNSZ, nyaochi, Amadeus93, in no particular order, and many, many others we (Dibrom, user) probably forgot to mention.

'''Idea (also exposing the need for a unified preset system), Original post and list of original settings collected by:''' user

'''Layout and additional work by:''' dev0, CiTay, SNYder, Dibrom.

And finally...

Thank you ALL in the community for making it what it is, providing interest and discussion and helping to work towards the most concise, well tuned, and most thought out MP3 quality "paradigm" seen yet! -- Dibrom

==Further reading==
*[[CBR]]
*[[ABR]]
*[[VBR]]

==External links==
*[http://lame.sourceforge.net LAME official homepage]
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/lame.html Historical versions of LAME] at ReallyRareWares
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/test/ Several multiformat listening tests] featuring LAME and other encoders.
*[http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.html RareWares MP3 page]
*[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=478&st=0 Discussion of recommended Lame compiles in the Hydrogenaudio forum]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=16&t=32288 Forum discussion of the recommended settings]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=203 Forum discussion of the recommended settings (older)]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32288&view=findpost&p=327262 Previous recommendations (outdated)]

[[Category:Software]]
[[Category:Encoder/Decoder]]

LAME

2008-07-23T12:26:09Z

CiTay: /* Recommended encoder settings */ Another overhaul concerning --vbr-new

{{Software Infobox
| name = LAME
| screenshot = [[Image:Lamelogo.png|250px|LAME official logo]]
| caption = LAME ain't an MP3 encoder
| maintainer = The LAME project
| stable_release = 3.98
| preview_release = none
| operating_system = Windows, Mac OS/X, Linux/BSD
| use = Encoder/Decoder
| license = LGPL
| website = [http://lame.sourceforge.net/ LAME website]
}}{{featured}}
'''LAME''' (Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder) is the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended [[MP3]] encoder. It has been developed by the open-source community since 1998, and has become the highest quality [[MP3]] encoder for most purposes.

Some benefits of using LAME:
* Highly optimised presets
* Fast encoding
* [[CBR]], [[ABR]] and quality-optimized [[VBR]] encoding methods
* [[Gapless]] playback with LAME-header compliant decoders
* Supported by recommended CD rippers [[Exact Audio Copy]] and [[CDex]]
* Highly tunable

==History==
LAME development began around mid-1998. Mike Cheng started it as a patch against the 8hz-MP3 encoder sources. After some quality concerns raised by others, he decided to start from scratch based on the dist10 sources. That branch (a patch against the reference sources) became LAME 2.0, and only on LAME 3.81 they got rid of all dist10 code, making LAME a completely new program-not a mere patch of an existing encoder.

The project quickly became a team effort. Mike Cheng eventually left leadership and started working on [http://toolame.sourceforge.net/ tooLAME], an [[MP2]] encoder. Mark Taylor became leader and released version 3.0 featuring gpsycho, a new psychoacoustic model developed by him.

Nowadays LAME is considered the best MP3 encoder at mid-high bitrates and features the best VBR model among MP3 implementations, mostly thanks to the dedicated work of talented developers like Takehiro Tominaga, Naoki Shibata, Darin Morrison, Gabriel Bouvigne, Robert Hegemann, etc. And development is still going on...

==Recommended encoder compiles and source code==

Unless noted otherwise, the recommended LAME compile for optimal quality is always the '''latest stable version'''.

It is suggested that the compiles available here be used with the recommended encoder settings you can find below.

'''Download the latest LAME from these links:'''
* [http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.php RareWares MP3 Page] - Compiles for Win32, Mac OS X universal binary, Linux etc.
* [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=290&package_id=309 LAME source code on SourceForge]

==Recommended encoder settings==
This section describes the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended settings to be used with [[LAME]] for highest quality [[MP3]] encoding. These settings require LAME 3.98 or later (the latest stable version is recommended).

===Quick start (short answer)===
====Best quality: "archiving"====

<code>-b 320</code>. This is the strongest setting for [[MP3]], with the lowest risk of [[artifact]]s.
With the exception of a few situations, quality is rarely better than the highest [[VBR]] profiles described below. However, 'archiving' music using a lossy format like [[MP3]] is never recommended – no matter how transparent the resulting files might sound.
The alternative is to use [[Lossless]] formats like [[WavPack]], [[FLAC]] etc. that allow true archiving, bit for bit like on the original CD.

====High quality: HiFi, home or quiet listening====

<code>-V0</code> (~230 kbps), <code>-V1</code> (~210 kbps), <code>-V2</code> (~190 kbps) or <code>-V3</code> (~175 kbps) are recommended.
These settings will normally produce [[transparent]] encoding (transparent = most people cannot distinguish the [[MP3]] from the original in an [[ABX]] blind test).
Audible differences between these presets exist, but are rare.

====Portable: background noise and low bitrate requirement, small sizes====

<code>-V4</code> (~160 kbps), <code>-V5</code> (~130 kbps) or <code>-V6</code> (~115 kbps) are recommended.
<code>-V6</code> produces an "acceptable" quality, while <code>-V4</code> should be close to perceptual [[transparency]].

====Very low bitrate, small sizes: eg. for voice, radio, [[mono]] encoding etc.====

For very low bitrates, up to 100kbps, [[ABR]] is most often the best solution.
Use <code>--abr <bitrate></code> (e.g. --abr 80).

'''--preset voice''' is only available in the command line front-end, and is there for compatibility.
It is currently mapped to '''''--abr 56 -mm''''', so that means that the recommendation would be to encode in mono, and use ABR.

===Detailed explanation (long answer)===
====VBR (variable bitrate) settings====
'''[[VBR]]:''' ''variable bitrate mode. Use variable bitrate modes when the goal is to achieve a fixed level of quality using the lowest possible bitrate.''

[[VBR]] is best used to target a specific quality level, instead of a specific bitrate. The final file size of a [[VBR]] encode is less predictable than with [[ABR]], but the quality is usually better.

Unlike other MP3 encoders which do VBR encoding based on predictions of output quality, LAME's default VBR method tests the ''actual'' output quality to ensure the desired quality level is always achieved.

'''Usage:''' <code>-V(number)</code> where number is 0-9, 0 being highest quality, 9 being the lowest.

'''Example:''' <code>-V2</code>

'''Note:''' The switch <code>--vbr-new</code>, which enabled a superior VBR mode in LAME 3.97 and some previous versions, is no longer needed with LAME 3.98 as it is now the default VBR mode. However, if you're still using LAME 3.97 or older, you have to add <code>--vbr-new</code> to your commandline to use that mode.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Bitrate overview (mostly based on LAME 3.97 bitrates)'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbit/s''' || '''Bitrate range kbit/s'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -b 320 || --preset insane || 320 || 320 CBR
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset fast extreme || 245 || 220...260
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || 225 || 200...250
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset fast standard || 190 || 170...210
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || 175 || 155...195
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset fast medium || 165 || 145...185
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || 130 || 110...150
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || 115 || 95...135
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || 100 || 80...120
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || 85 || 65...105
|-
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || 65 || 45...85
|}
See also [[#Technical information|Technical details for recommended LAME settings]].

If you need a predictable bitrate (in a streaming application, for example), use [[ABR]] or [[CBR]] modes, described below.

====ABR (average bitrate) settings====
'''[[ABR]]:''' ''average bitrate mode. A compromise between [[VBR]] and [[CBR]] modes, [[ABR]] encoding varies bits around a specified target bitrate.''

Use [[ABR]] when you need to know the final size of the file but still want to allow the encoder some flexibility to decide which passages need more bits.

'''Usage:''' <code>--preset <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (desired averaged bitrate in kbit/s) can be any value between 8 - 320 , like eg. 9, 17, 80, 128, 133, 200 etc.

'''Example:''' <code>--preset 200</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[ABR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

====CBR (constant bitrate) settings====
'''[[CBR]]:''' ''constant bitrate mode. [[CBR]] encoding is not efficient. Whereas [[VBR]] and [[ABR]] modes can supply more bits to complex music passages and save bits on simpler ones, [[CBR]] encodes every frame at the same bitrate.''

[[CBR]] is only recommended for usage in streaming situations where the upper bitrate must be strictly enforced.

'''Usage:''' <code>-b <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (bitrate in kbit/s) must be chosen from the following values: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256, or 320.

'''Example:''' <code>-b 192</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[CBR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

===Remarks===
* The rule of thumb when considering encoding options: at a given bitrate, [[VBR]] is higher quality than [[ABR]], which is higher quality than [[CBR]] ([[VBR]] > [[ABR]] > [[CBR]] in terms of quality). The exception to this is when you choose the highest possible [[CBR]] bitrate, which is 320 kbps (-b 320 = --alt-preset insane), but this produces the largest filesizes for doubtful audible benefit.

* All modes and settings mentioned in this topic belong to the specifications of the [[MP3]] standard, and the resulting MP3s should be playable by every [[MP3]] decoder that conforms with the standard. If your decoder or device does not play MP3s produced by LAME, blame the manufacturer or developer, not LAME.

* Avoid using alpha (a) versions of LAME. More often than not those are exclusively for testing purposes. Use them only if you want to help developers with feedback. History of [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=28125/ Lame versions & compiles].

* The <code>--vbr-new</code> switch enables the new [[VBR]] mode (no longer needed with LAME 3.98, as it is now the default VBR mode). In terms of quality, <code>--vbr-new</code> appears to be better than the old model, but reports of artifacts when using the new model do exist. Despite these possible issues, <code>--vbr-new</code> is currently recommended over the default [[VBR]] mode due to both the speed and quality increases afforded by the new algorithm.

* '''-mm''' : the sound will be encoded in '''mono'''. Useful for low bitrates and/or when stereo is not important.

[[Image:lame-chart-2.png|frame|center|Here a trial to see how the perceived listening quality improves with settings/averaged filesize]]

====Hey! What happened to "--alt-preset"?====

The revolutionary <code>--alt-preset</code> system was introduced in LAME 3.90; it was replaced by the <code>--preset</code> flags in later versions. Starting with version 3.94, the <code>-Vx</code> quality system was introduced, which allows finer control over the desired bitrate; the <code>--preset</code> switches were made into aliases to the corresponding <code>-V</code> flags for the sake of backwards compatibility. '''There is no difference between the output you get if you use <code>-V2</code> or <code>--alt-preset standard</code>.''' (Although adding <code>--vbr-new</code> is recommended for now, see above for details.)

More encoding options are available under the new system, such as <code>-V1</code>, which provides a level of quality between the old "standard" and "extreme" presets, or <code>-V3</code>, which is between the old "medium" and "standard" presets.

Recent LAME versions feature more streamlined command line options, and it's recommended to stick to one of the values described in the text or shown in the tables above.

For example, the following command lines will all produce the same output:

<code>--alt-preset insane</code> = <code>--preset insane</code> = <code>-b 320</code> = <code>--preset 320</code> = <code>--preset cbr 320</code>

(<code>--preset cbr 320</code> is the exact same thing as <code>--alt-preset insane</code>, etc.)

==Technical information==
The table below contains technical details about the recommended settings.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Technical details of the recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbps''' || '''Y Switch''' || '''-b''' || '''Lowpass''' || '''Resample'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset extreme || ~240 || || 128 || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|-
| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme || ~240 || || || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || ~210 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 1 --vbr-new || || ~210 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset standard || ~190 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || ~190 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 3 --vbr-new || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|-
| -V 5 --vbr-new || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|-
| -V 6 --vbr-new || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 7 --vbr-new || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 8 --vbr-new || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|-
| -V 9 --vbr-new || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|}

==See also==
* [[MP3]]
* [[Exact_Audio_Copy|Exact Audio Copy]]
* [[EAC_and_Lame | Configuring EAC and LAME]]

==Notes and references==

'''People who took part in suggesting the different settings:'''

Dibrom, r3mix, ff123, Hans Heijden, kjempen, Benjamin Lebsanft, GeSomeone, Wombat & GuruBoolez for his immense testing.

'''Creation of the alt preset system and related special code level quality enhancements:'''

Dibrom, with technical assistance from Robert Hegemann and Naoki Shibata, Gabriel and extensive tuning help and quality verification via listening tests from JohnV and also initial help (--dm-preset era) from Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, and others. Test clips, bitrate information, and further listening tests provided by TheBashar, zbutsam, Pio2001, BadDuDeX, r3mix, h, TarX, Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, Filburt, Volcano, Garf, MrDrew, TrNSZ, nyaochi, Amadeus93, in no particular order, and many, many others we (Dibrom, user) probably forgot to mention.

'''Idea (also exposing the need for a unified preset system), Original post and list of original settings collected by:''' user

'''Layout and additional work by:''' dev0, CiTay, SNYder, Dibrom.

And finally...

Thank you ALL in the community for making it what it is, providing interest and discussion and helping to work towards the most concise, well tuned, and most thought out MP3 quality "paradigm" seen yet! -- Dibrom

==Further reading==
*[[CBR]]
*[[ABR]]
*[[VBR]]

==External links==
*[http://lame.sourceforge.net LAME official homepage]
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/lame.html Historical versions of LAME] at ReallyRareWares
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/test/ Several multiformat listening tests] featuring LAME and other encoders.
*[http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.html RareWares MP3 page]
*[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=478&st=0 Discussion of recommended Lame compiles in the Hydrogenaudio forum]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=16&t=32288 Forum discussion of the recommended settings]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=203 Forum discussion of the recommended settings (older)]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32288&view=findpost&p=327262 Previous recommendations (outdated)]

[[Category:Software]]
[[Category:Encoder/Decoder]]

LAME

2008-07-23T00:29:50Z

CiTay: /* Hey! What happened to "--alt-preset"? */

{{Software Infobox
| name = LAME
| screenshot = [[Image:Lamelogo.png|250px|LAME official logo]]
| caption = LAME ain't an MP3 encoder
| maintainer = The LAME project
| stable_release = 3.98
| preview_release = none
| operating_system = Windows, Mac OS/X, Linux/BSD
| use = Encoder/Decoder
| license = LGPL
| website = [http://lame.sourceforge.net/ LAME website]
}}{{featured}}
'''LAME''' (Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder) is the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended [[MP3]] encoder. It has been developed by the open-source community since 1998, and has become the highest quality [[MP3]] encoder for most purposes.

Some benefits of using LAME:
* Highly optimised presets
* Fast encoding
* [[CBR]], [[ABR]] and quality-optimized [[VBR]] encoding methods
* [[Gapless]] playback with LAME-header compliant decoders
* Supported by recommended CD rippers [[Exact Audio Copy]] and [[CDex]]
* Highly tunable

==History==
LAME development began around mid-1998. Mike Cheng started it as a patch against the 8hz-MP3 encoder sources. After some quality concerns raised by others, he decided to start from scratch based on the dist10 sources. That branch (a patch against the reference sources) became LAME 2.0, and only on LAME 3.81 they got rid of all dist10 code, making LAME a completely new program-not a mere patch of an existing encoder.

The project quickly became a team effort. Mike Cheng eventually left leadership and started working on [http://toolame.sourceforge.net/ tooLAME], an [[MP2]] encoder. Mark Taylor became leader and released version 3.0 featuring gpsycho, a new psychoacoustic model developed by him.

Nowadays LAME is considered the best MP3 encoder at mid-high bitrates and features the best VBR model among MP3 implementations, mostly thanks to the dedicated work of talented developers like Takehiro Tominaga, Naoki Shibata, Darin Morrison, Gabriel Bouvigne, Robert Hegemann, etc. And development is still going on...

==Recommended encoder compiles and source code==

Unless noted otherwise, the recommended LAME compile for optimal quality is always the '''latest stable version'''.

It is suggested that the compiles available here be used with the recommended encoder settings you can find below.

'''Download the latest LAME from these links:'''
* [http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.php RareWares MP3 Page] - Compiles for Win32, Mac OS X universal binary, Linux etc.
* [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=290&package_id=309 LAME source code on SourceForge]

==Recommended encoder settings==
This section describes the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended settings to be used with [[LAME]] for highest quality [[MP3]] encoding. These settings require LAME 3.94 or later (the latest stable version is recommended).

===Quick start (short answer)===
====Best quality: "archiving"====

<code>-b 320</code>. This is the strongest setting for [[MP3]], with the lowest risk of [[artifact]]s.
With the exception of a few situations, quality is rarely better than the highest [[VBR]] profiles described below. However, 'archiving' music using a lossy format like [[MP3]] is never recommended – no matter how transparent the resulting files might sound.
The alternative is to use [[Lossless]] formats like [[WavPack]], [[FLAC]] etc. that allow true archiving, bit for bit like on the original CD.

====High quality: HiFi, home or quiet listening====

<code>-V0 --vbr-new</code> (~230 kbps), <code>-V1 --vbr-new</code> (~210 kbps), <code>-V2 --vbr-new</code> (~190 kbps) or <code>-V3 --vbr-new</code> (~175 kbps) are recommended.
These settings will normally produce [[transparent]] encoding (transparent = most people cannot distinguish the [[MP3]] from the original in an [[ABX]] blind test).
Audible differences between these presets exist, but are rare.

====Portable: background noise and low bitrate requirement, small sizes====

<code>-V4 --vbr-new</code> (~160 kbps), <code>-V5 --vbr-new</code> (~130 kbps) or <code>-V6 --vbr-new</code> (~115 kbps) are recommended.
<code>-V6 --vbr-new</code> produces an "acceptable" quality, while <code>-V4--vbr-new</code> should be close to perceptual [[transparency]].

====Very low bitrate, small sizes: eg. for voice, radio, [[mono]] encoding etc.====

For very low bitrates, up to 100kbps, [[ABR]] is most often the best solution.
Use <code>--abr <bitrate></code> (e.g. --abr 80).

'''--preset voice''' is only available in the command line front-end, and is there for compatibility.
It is currently mapped to '''''--abr 56 -mm''''', so that means that the recommendation would be to encode in mono, and use ABR.

===Detailed explanation (long answer)===
====VBR (variable bitrate) settings====
'''[[VBR]]:''' ''variable bitrate mode. Use variable bitrate modes when the goal is to achieve a fixed level of quality using the lowest possible bitrate.''

[[VBR]] is best used to target a specific quality level, instead of a specific bitrate. The final file size of a [[VBR]] encode is less predictable than with [[ABR]], but the quality is usually better.

Unlike other MP3 encoders which do VBR encoding based on predictions of output quality, LAME's default VBR method tests the ''actual'' output quality to ensure the desired quality level is always achieved.

'''Usage:''' <code>-V(number)</code> where number is 0-9, 0 being highest quality, 9 being the lowest.

'''Example:''' <code>-V2</code>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''List of recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbit/s''' || '''Bitrate range kbit/s'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -b 320 || --preset insane || 320 || 320 CBR
|-
| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme || 245 || 220...260
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset extreme || 245 || 220...260
|-
| -V 1 --vbr-new || || 225 || 200...250
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || 225 || 200...250
|-
| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || 190 || 170...210
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset standard || 190 || 170...210
|-
| -V 3 --vbr-new || || 175 || 155...195
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || 175 || 155...195
|-
| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || 165 || 145...185
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset medium || 165 || 145...185
|-
| -V 5 --vbr-new || || 130 || 110...150
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || 130 || 110...150
|-
| -V 6 --vbr-new || || 115 || 95...135
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || 115 || 95...135
|-
| -V 7 --vbr-new || || 100 || 80...120
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || 100 || 80...120
|-
| -V 8 --vbr-new || || 85 || 65...105
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || 85 || 65...105
|-
| -V 9 --vbr-new || || 65 || 45...85
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || 65 || 45...85
|}
See also [[#Technical information|Technical details for recommended LAME settings]].

If you need a predictable bitrate (in a streaming application, for example), use [[ABR]] or [[CBR]] modes, described below.

====ABR (average bitrate) settings====
'''[[ABR]]:''' ''average bitrate mode. A compromise between [[VBR]] and [[CBR]] modes, [[ABR]] encoding varies bits around a specified target bitrate.''

Use [[ABR]] when you need to know the final size of the file but still want to allow the encoder some flexibility to decide which passages need more bits.

'''Usage:''' <code>--preset <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (desired averaged bitrate in kbit/s) can be any value between 8 - 320 , like eg. 9, 17, 80, 128, 133, 200 etc.

'''Example:''' <code>--preset 200</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[ABR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

====CBR (constant bitrate) settings====
'''[[CBR]]:''' ''constant bitrate mode. [[CBR]] encoding is not efficient. Whereas [[VBR]] and [[ABR]] modes can supply more bits to complex music passages and save bits on simpler ones, [[CBR]] encodes every frame at the same bitrate.''

[[CBR]] is only recommended for usage in streaming situations where the upper bitrate must be strictly enforced.

'''Usage:''' <code>-b <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (bitrate in kbit/s) must be chosen from the following values: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256, or 320.

'''Example:''' <code>-b 192</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[CBR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

===Remarks===
* The rule of thumb when considering encoding options: at a given bitrate, [[VBR]] is higher quality than [[ABR]], which is higher quality than [[CBR]] ([[VBR]] > [[ABR]] > [[CBR]] in terms of quality). The exception to this is when you choose the highest possible [[CBR]] bitrate, which is 320 kbps (-b 320 = --alt-preset insane), but this produces the largest filesizes for doubtful audible benefit.

* All modes and settings mentioned in this topic belong to the specifications of the [[MP3]] standard, and the resulting MP3s should be playable by every [[MP3]] decoder that conforms with the standard. If your decoder or device does not play MP3s produced by LAME, blame the manufacturer or developer, not LAME.

* Avoid using alpha (a) versions of LAME. More often than not those are exclusively for testing purposes. Use them only if you want to help developers with feedback. History of [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=28125/ Lame versions & compiles].

* The <code>--vbr-new</code> switch enables the new [[VBR]] mode (no longer needed with LAME 3.98). In terms of quality, <code>--vbr-new</code> appears to be better than the old model, but reports of artifacts when using the new model do exist. Despite these possible issues, <code>--vbr-new</code> is currently recommended over the default [[VBR]] mode due to both the speed and quality increases afforded by the new algorithm.

* '''-mm''' : the sound will be encoded in '''mono'''. Useful for low bitrates and/or when stereo is not important.

[[Image:lame-chart-2.png|frame|center|Here a trial to see how the perceived listening quality improves with settings/averaged filesize]]

====Hey! What happened to "--alt-preset"?====

The revolutionary <code>--alt-preset</code> system was introduced in LAME 3.90; it was replaced by the <code>--preset</code> flags in later versions. Starting with version 3.94, the <code>-Vx</code> quality system was introduced, which allows finer control over the desired bitrate; the <code>--preset</code> switches were made into aliases to the corresponding <code>-V</code> flags for the sake of backwards compatibility. '''There is no difference between the output you get if you use <code>-V2</code> or <code>--alt-preset standard</code>.''' (Although adding <code>--vbr-new</code> is recommended for now, see above for details.)

More encoding options are available under the new system, such as <code>-V1</code>, which provides a level of quality between the old "standard" and "extreme" presets, or <code>-V3</code>, which is between the old "medium" and "standard" presets.

Recent LAME versions feature more streamlined command line options, and it's recommended to stick to one of the values described in the text or shown in the tables above.

For example, the following command lines will all produce the same output:

<code>--alt-preset insane</code> = <code>--preset insane</code> = <code>-b 320</code> = <code>--preset 320</code> = <code>--preset cbr 320</code>

(<code>--preset cbr 320</code> is the exact same thing as <code>--alt-preset insane</code>, etc.)

==Technical information==
The table below contains technical details about the recommended settings.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Technical details of the recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbps''' || '''Y Switch''' || '''-b''' || '''Lowpass''' || '''Resample'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset extreme || ~240 || || 128 || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|-
| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme || ~240 || || || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || ~210 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 1 --vbr-new || || ~210 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset standard || ~190 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || ~190 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 3 --vbr-new || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|-
| -V 5 --vbr-new || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|-
| -V 6 --vbr-new || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 7 --vbr-new || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 8 --vbr-new || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|-
| -V 9 --vbr-new || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|}

==See also==
* [[MP3]]
* [[Exact_Audio_Copy|Exact Audio Copy]]
* [[EAC_and_Lame | Configuring EAC and LAME]]

==Notes and references==

'''People who took part in suggesting the different settings:'''

Dibrom, r3mix, ff123, Hans Heijden, kjempen, Benjamin Lebsanft, GeSomeone, Wombat & GuruBoolez for his immense testing.

'''Creation of the alt preset system and related special code level quality enhancements:'''

Dibrom, with technical assistance from Robert Hegemann and Naoki Shibata, Gabriel and extensive tuning help and quality verification via listening tests from JohnV and also initial help (--dm-preset era) from Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, and others. Test clips, bitrate information, and further listening tests provided by TheBashar, zbutsam, Pio2001, BadDuDeX, r3mix, h, TarX, Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, Filburt, Volcano, Garf, MrDrew, TrNSZ, nyaochi, Amadeus93, in no particular order, and many, many others we (Dibrom, user) probably forgot to mention.

'''Idea (also exposing the need for a unified preset system), Original post and list of original settings collected by:''' user

'''Layout and additional work by:''' dev0, CiTay, SNYder, Dibrom.

And finally...

Thank you ALL in the community for making it what it is, providing interest and discussion and helping to work towards the most concise, well tuned, and most thought out MP3 quality "paradigm" seen yet! -- Dibrom

==Further reading==
*[[CBR]]
*[[ABR]]
*[[VBR]]

==External links==
*[http://lame.sourceforge.net LAME official homepage]
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/lame.html Historical versions of LAME] at ReallyRareWares
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/test/ Several multiformat listening tests] featuring LAME and other encoders.
*[http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.html RareWares MP3 page]
*[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=478&st=0 Discussion of recommended Lame compiles in the Hydrogenaudio forum]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=16&t=32288 Forum discussion of the recommended settings]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=203 Forum discussion of the recommended settings (older)]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32288&view=findpost&p=327262 Previous recommendations (outdated)]

[[Category:Software]]
[[Category:Encoder/Decoder]]

LAME

2008-07-23T00:29:13Z

CiTay: /* Hey! What happened to "--alt-preset"? */

{{Software Infobox
| name = LAME
| screenshot = [[Image:Lamelogo.png|250px|LAME official logo]]
| caption = LAME ain't an MP3 encoder
| maintainer = The LAME project
| stable_release = 3.98
| preview_release = none
| operating_system = Windows, Mac OS/X, Linux/BSD
| use = Encoder/Decoder
| license = LGPL
| website = [http://lame.sourceforge.net/ LAME website]
}}{{featured}}
'''LAME''' (Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder) is the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended [[MP3]] encoder. It has been developed by the open-source community since 1998, and has become the highest quality [[MP3]] encoder for most purposes.

Some benefits of using LAME:
* Highly optimised presets
* Fast encoding
* [[CBR]], [[ABR]] and quality-optimized [[VBR]] encoding methods
* [[Gapless]] playback with LAME-header compliant decoders
* Supported by recommended CD rippers [[Exact Audio Copy]] and [[CDex]]
* Highly tunable

==History==
LAME development began around mid-1998. Mike Cheng started it as a patch against the 8hz-MP3 encoder sources. After some quality concerns raised by others, he decided to start from scratch based on the dist10 sources. That branch (a patch against the reference sources) became LAME 2.0, and only on LAME 3.81 they got rid of all dist10 code, making LAME a completely new program-not a mere patch of an existing encoder.

The project quickly became a team effort. Mike Cheng eventually left leadership and started working on [http://toolame.sourceforge.net/ tooLAME], an [[MP2]] encoder. Mark Taylor became leader and released version 3.0 featuring gpsycho, a new psychoacoustic model developed by him.

Nowadays LAME is considered the best MP3 encoder at mid-high bitrates and features the best VBR model among MP3 implementations, mostly thanks to the dedicated work of talented developers like Takehiro Tominaga, Naoki Shibata, Darin Morrison, Gabriel Bouvigne, Robert Hegemann, etc. And development is still going on...

==Recommended encoder compiles and source code==

Unless noted otherwise, the recommended LAME compile for optimal quality is always the '''latest stable version'''.

It is suggested that the compiles available here be used with the recommended encoder settings you can find below.

'''Download the latest LAME from these links:'''
* [http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.php RareWares MP3 Page] - Compiles for Win32, Mac OS X universal binary, Linux etc.
* [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=290&package_id=309 LAME source code on SourceForge]

==Recommended encoder settings==
This section describes the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended settings to be used with [[LAME]] for highest quality [[MP3]] encoding. These settings require LAME 3.94 or later (the latest stable version is recommended).

===Quick start (short answer)===
====Best quality: "archiving"====

<code>-b 320</code>. This is the strongest setting for [[MP3]], with the lowest risk of [[artifact]]s.
With the exception of a few situations, quality is rarely better than the highest [[VBR]] profiles described below. However, 'archiving' music using a lossy format like [[MP3]] is never recommended – no matter how transparent the resulting files might sound.
The alternative is to use [[Lossless]] formats like [[WavPack]], [[FLAC]] etc. that allow true archiving, bit for bit like on the original CD.

====High quality: HiFi, home or quiet listening====

<code>-V0 --vbr-new</code> (~230 kbps), <code>-V1 --vbr-new</code> (~210 kbps), <code>-V2 --vbr-new</code> (~190 kbps) or <code>-V3 --vbr-new</code> (~175 kbps) are recommended.
These settings will normally produce [[transparent]] encoding (transparent = most people cannot distinguish the [[MP3]] from the original in an [[ABX]] blind test).
Audible differences between these presets exist, but are rare.

====Portable: background noise and low bitrate requirement, small sizes====

<code>-V4 --vbr-new</code> (~160 kbps), <code>-V5 --vbr-new</code> (~130 kbps) or <code>-V6 --vbr-new</code> (~115 kbps) are recommended.
<code>-V6 --vbr-new</code> produces an "acceptable" quality, while <code>-V4--vbr-new</code> should be close to perceptual [[transparency]].

====Very low bitrate, small sizes: eg. for voice, radio, [[mono]] encoding etc.====

For very low bitrates, up to 100kbps, [[ABR]] is most often the best solution.
Use <code>--abr <bitrate></code> (e.g. --abr 80).

'''--preset voice''' is only available in the command line front-end, and is there for compatibility.
It is currently mapped to '''''--abr 56 -mm''''', so that means that the recommendation would be to encode in mono, and use ABR.

===Detailed explanation (long answer)===
====VBR (variable bitrate) settings====
'''[[VBR]]:''' ''variable bitrate mode. Use variable bitrate modes when the goal is to achieve a fixed level of quality using the lowest possible bitrate.''

[[VBR]] is best used to target a specific quality level, instead of a specific bitrate. The final file size of a [[VBR]] encode is less predictable than with [[ABR]], but the quality is usually better.

Unlike other MP3 encoders which do VBR encoding based on predictions of output quality, LAME's default VBR method tests the ''actual'' output quality to ensure the desired quality level is always achieved.

'''Usage:''' <code>-V(number)</code> where number is 0-9, 0 being highest quality, 9 being the lowest.

'''Example:''' <code>-V2</code>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''List of recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbit/s''' || '''Bitrate range kbit/s'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -b 320 || --preset insane || 320 || 320 CBR
|-
| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme || 245 || 220...260
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset extreme || 245 || 220...260
|-
| -V 1 --vbr-new || || 225 || 200...250
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || 225 || 200...250
|-
| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || 190 || 170...210
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset standard || 190 || 170...210
|-
| -V 3 --vbr-new || || 175 || 155...195
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || 175 || 155...195
|-
| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || 165 || 145...185
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset medium || 165 || 145...185
|-
| -V 5 --vbr-new || || 130 || 110...150
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || 130 || 110...150
|-
| -V 6 --vbr-new || || 115 || 95...135
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || 115 || 95...135
|-
| -V 7 --vbr-new || || 100 || 80...120
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || 100 || 80...120
|-
| -V 8 --vbr-new || || 85 || 65...105
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || 85 || 65...105
|-
| -V 9 --vbr-new || || 65 || 45...85
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || 65 || 45...85
|}
See also [[#Technical information|Technical details for recommended LAME settings]].

If you need a predictable bitrate (in a streaming application, for example), use [[ABR]] or [[CBR]] modes, described below.

====ABR (average bitrate) settings====
'''[[ABR]]:''' ''average bitrate mode. A compromise between [[VBR]] and [[CBR]] modes, [[ABR]] encoding varies bits around a specified target bitrate.''

Use [[ABR]] when you need to know the final size of the file but still want to allow the encoder some flexibility to decide which passages need more bits.

'''Usage:''' <code>--preset <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (desired averaged bitrate in kbit/s) can be any value between 8 - 320 , like eg. 9, 17, 80, 128, 133, 200 etc.

'''Example:''' <code>--preset 200</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[ABR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

====CBR (constant bitrate) settings====
'''[[CBR]]:''' ''constant bitrate mode. [[CBR]] encoding is not efficient. Whereas [[VBR]] and [[ABR]] modes can supply more bits to complex music passages and save bits on simpler ones, [[CBR]] encodes every frame at the same bitrate.''

[[CBR]] is only recommended for usage in streaming situations where the upper bitrate must be strictly enforced.

'''Usage:''' <code>-b <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (bitrate in kbit/s) must be chosen from the following values: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256, or 320.

'''Example:''' <code>-b 192</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[CBR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

===Remarks===
* The rule of thumb when considering encoding options: at a given bitrate, [[VBR]] is higher quality than [[ABR]], which is higher quality than [[CBR]] ([[VBR]] > [[ABR]] > [[CBR]] in terms of quality). The exception to this is when you choose the highest possible [[CBR]] bitrate, which is 320 kbps (-b 320 = --alt-preset insane), but this produces the largest filesizes for doubtful audible benefit.

* All modes and settings mentioned in this topic belong to the specifications of the [[MP3]] standard, and the resulting MP3s should be playable by every [[MP3]] decoder that conforms with the standard. If your decoder or device does not play MP3s produced by LAME, blame the manufacturer or developer, not LAME.

* Avoid using alpha (a) versions of LAME. More often than not those are exclusively for testing purposes. Use them only if you want to help developers with feedback. History of [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=28125/ Lame versions & compiles].

* The <code>--vbr-new</code> switch enables the new [[VBR]] mode (no longer needed with LAME 3.98). In terms of quality, <code>--vbr-new</code> appears to be better than the old model, but reports of artifacts when using the new model do exist. Despite these possible issues, <code>--vbr-new</code> is currently recommended over the default [[VBR]] mode due to both the speed and quality increases afforded by the new algorithm.

* '''-mm''' : the sound will be encoded in '''mono'''. Useful for low bitrates and/or when stereo is not important.

[[Image:lame-chart-2.png|frame|center|Here a trial to see how the perceived listening quality improves with settings/averaged filesize]]

====Hey! What happened to "--alt-preset"?====

The revolutionary <code>--alt-preset</code> system was introduced in LAME 3.90; it was replaced by the <code>--preset</code> flags in later versions. Starting with version 3.94, the <code>-Vx</code> quality system was introduced, which allows finer control over the desired bitrate; the <code>--preset</code> switches were made into aliases to the corresponding <code>-V</code> flags for the sake of backwards compatibility. '''There is no difference between the output you get if you use <code>-V2</code> or <code>--alt-preset standard</code>.''' (Although adding <code>--vbr-new</code> is recommended for now, see above for details.)

More encoding options are available under the new system, such as <code>-V1</code>, which provides a level of quality between the old "standard" and "extreme" presets, or <code>-V3</code>, which is between the old "medium" and "standard" presets.

Recent LAME versions feature more streamlined command line options, and it's recommended to stick to one of the values described in the text or shown in the tables above. You don't need to worry anymore about quality, settings, arcane combinations of switches, or presets.

For example, the following command lines will all produce the same output:

<code>--alt-preset insane</code> = <code>--preset insane</code> = <code>-b 320</code> = <code>--preset 320</code> = <code>--preset cbr 320</code>

(<code>--preset cbr 320</code> is the exact same thing as <code>--alt-preset insane</code>, etc.)

==Technical information==
The table below contains technical details about the recommended settings.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Technical details of the recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbps''' || '''Y Switch''' || '''-b''' || '''Lowpass''' || '''Resample'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset extreme || ~240 || || 128 || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|-
| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme || ~240 || || || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || ~210 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 1 --vbr-new || || ~210 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset standard || ~190 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || ~190 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 3 --vbr-new || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|-
| -V 5 --vbr-new || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|-
| -V 6 --vbr-new || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 7 --vbr-new || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 8 --vbr-new || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|-
| -V 9 --vbr-new || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|}

==See also==
* [[MP3]]
* [[Exact_Audio_Copy|Exact Audio Copy]]
* [[EAC_and_Lame | Configuring EAC and LAME]]

==Notes and references==

'''People who took part in suggesting the different settings:'''

Dibrom, r3mix, ff123, Hans Heijden, kjempen, Benjamin Lebsanft, GeSomeone, Wombat & GuruBoolez for his immense testing.

'''Creation of the alt preset system and related special code level quality enhancements:'''

Dibrom, with technical assistance from Robert Hegemann and Naoki Shibata, Gabriel and extensive tuning help and quality verification via listening tests from JohnV and also initial help (--dm-preset era) from Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, and others. Test clips, bitrate information, and further listening tests provided by TheBashar, zbutsam, Pio2001, BadDuDeX, r3mix, h, TarX, Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, Filburt, Volcano, Garf, MrDrew, TrNSZ, nyaochi, Amadeus93, in no particular order, and many, many others we (Dibrom, user) probably forgot to mention.

'''Idea (also exposing the need for a unified preset system), Original post and list of original settings collected by:''' user

'''Layout and additional work by:''' dev0, CiTay, SNYder, Dibrom.

And finally...

Thank you ALL in the community for making it what it is, providing interest and discussion and helping to work towards the most concise, well tuned, and most thought out MP3 quality "paradigm" seen yet! -- Dibrom

==Further reading==
*[[CBR]]
*[[ABR]]
*[[VBR]]

==External links==
*[http://lame.sourceforge.net LAME official homepage]
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/lame.html Historical versions of LAME] at ReallyRareWares
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/test/ Several multiformat listening tests] featuring LAME and other encoders.
*[http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.html RareWares MP3 page]
*[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=478&st=0 Discussion of recommended Lame compiles in the Hydrogenaudio forum]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=16&t=32288 Forum discussion of the recommended settings]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=203 Forum discussion of the recommended settings (older)]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32288&view=findpost&p=327262 Previous recommendations (outdated)]

[[Category:Software]]
[[Category:Encoder/Decoder]]

LAME

2008-07-23T00:27:55Z

CiTay: /* Recommended encoder settings */ Small overhaul

{{Software Infobox
| name = LAME
| screenshot = [[Image:Lamelogo.png|250px|LAME official logo]]
| caption = LAME ain't an MP3 encoder
| maintainer = The LAME project
| stable_release = 3.98
| preview_release = none
| operating_system = Windows, Mac OS/X, Linux/BSD
| use = Encoder/Decoder
| license = LGPL
| website = [http://lame.sourceforge.net/ LAME website]
}}{{featured}}
'''LAME''' (Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder) is the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended [[MP3]] encoder. It has been developed by the open-source community since 1998, and has become the highest quality [[MP3]] encoder for most purposes.

Some benefits of using LAME:
* Highly optimised presets
* Fast encoding
* [[CBR]], [[ABR]] and quality-optimized [[VBR]] encoding methods
* [[Gapless]] playback with LAME-header compliant decoders
* Supported by recommended CD rippers [[Exact Audio Copy]] and [[CDex]]
* Highly tunable

==History==
LAME development began around mid-1998. Mike Cheng started it as a patch against the 8hz-MP3 encoder sources. After some quality concerns raised by others, he decided to start from scratch based on the dist10 sources. That branch (a patch against the reference sources) became LAME 2.0, and only on LAME 3.81 they got rid of all dist10 code, making LAME a completely new program-not a mere patch of an existing encoder.

The project quickly became a team effort. Mike Cheng eventually left leadership and started working on [http://toolame.sourceforge.net/ tooLAME], an [[MP2]] encoder. Mark Taylor became leader and released version 3.0 featuring gpsycho, a new psychoacoustic model developed by him.

Nowadays LAME is considered the best MP3 encoder at mid-high bitrates and features the best VBR model among MP3 implementations, mostly thanks to the dedicated work of talented developers like Takehiro Tominaga, Naoki Shibata, Darin Morrison, Gabriel Bouvigne, Robert Hegemann, etc. And development is still going on...

==Recommended encoder compiles and source code==

Unless noted otherwise, the recommended LAME compile for optimal quality is always the '''latest stable version'''.

It is suggested that the compiles available here be used with the recommended encoder settings you can find below.

'''Download the latest LAME from these links:'''
* [http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.php RareWares MP3 Page] - Compiles for Win32, Mac OS X universal binary, Linux etc.
* [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=290&package_id=309 LAME source code on SourceForge]

==Recommended encoder settings==
This section describes the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended settings to be used with [[LAME]] for highest quality [[MP3]] encoding. These settings require LAME 3.94 or later (the latest stable version is recommended).

===Quick start (short answer)===
====Best quality: "archiving"====

<code>-b 320</code>. This is the strongest setting for [[MP3]], with the lowest risk of [[artifact]]s.
With the exception of a few situations, quality is rarely better than the highest [[VBR]] profiles described below. However, 'archiving' music using a lossy format like [[MP3]] is never recommended – no matter how transparent the resulting files might sound.
The alternative is to use [[Lossless]] formats like [[WavPack]], [[FLAC]] etc. that allow true archiving, bit for bit like on the original CD.

====High quality: HiFi, home or quiet listening====

<code>-V0 --vbr-new</code> (~230 kbps), <code>-V1 --vbr-new</code> (~210 kbps), <code>-V2 --vbr-new</code> (~190 kbps) or <code>-V3 --vbr-new</code> (~175 kbps) are recommended.
These settings will normally produce [[transparent]] encoding (transparent = most people cannot distinguish the [[MP3]] from the original in an [[ABX]] blind test).
Audible differences between these presets exist, but are rare.

====Portable: background noise and low bitrate requirement, small sizes====

<code>-V4 --vbr-new</code> (~160 kbps), <code>-V5 --vbr-new</code> (~130 kbps) or <code>-V6 --vbr-new</code> (~115 kbps) are recommended.
<code>-V6 --vbr-new</code> produces an "acceptable" quality, while <code>-V4--vbr-new</code> should be close to perceptual [[transparency]].

====Very low bitrate, small sizes: eg. for voice, radio, [[mono]] encoding etc.====

For very low bitrates, up to 100kbps, [[ABR]] is most often the best solution.
Use <code>--abr <bitrate></code> (e.g. --abr 80).

'''--preset voice''' is only available in the command line front-end, and is there for compatibility.
It is currently mapped to '''''--abr 56 -mm''''', so that means that the recommendation would be to encode in mono, and use ABR.

===Detailed explanation (long answer)===
====VBR (variable bitrate) settings====
'''[[VBR]]:''' ''variable bitrate mode. Use variable bitrate modes when the goal is to achieve a fixed level of quality using the lowest possible bitrate.''

[[VBR]] is best used to target a specific quality level, instead of a specific bitrate. The final file size of a [[VBR]] encode is less predictable than with [[ABR]], but the quality is usually better.

Unlike other MP3 encoders which do VBR encoding based on predictions of output quality, LAME's default VBR method tests the ''actual'' output quality to ensure the desired quality level is always achieved.

'''Usage:''' <code>-V(number)</code> where number is 0-9, 0 being highest quality, 9 being the lowest.

'''Example:''' <code>-V2</code>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''List of recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbit/s''' || '''Bitrate range kbit/s'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -b 320 || --preset insane || 320 || 320 CBR
|-
| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme || 245 || 220...260
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset extreme || 245 || 220...260
|-
| -V 1 --vbr-new || || 225 || 200...250
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || 225 || 200...250
|-
| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || 190 || 170...210
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset standard || 190 || 170...210
|-
| -V 3 --vbr-new || || 175 || 155...195
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || 175 || 155...195
|-
| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || 165 || 145...185
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset medium || 165 || 145...185
|-
| -V 5 --vbr-new || || 130 || 110...150
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || 130 || 110...150
|-
| -V 6 --vbr-new || || 115 || 95...135
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || 115 || 95...135
|-
| -V 7 --vbr-new || || 100 || 80...120
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || 100 || 80...120
|-
| -V 8 --vbr-new || || 85 || 65...105
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || 85 || 65...105
|-
| -V 9 --vbr-new || || 65 || 45...85
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || 65 || 45...85
|}
See also [[#Technical information|Technical details for recommended LAME settings]].

If you need a predictable bitrate (in a streaming application, for example), use [[ABR]] or [[CBR]] modes, described below.

====ABR (average bitrate) settings====
'''[[ABR]]:''' ''average bitrate mode. A compromise between [[VBR]] and [[CBR]] modes, [[ABR]] encoding varies bits around a specified target bitrate.''

Use [[ABR]] when you need to know the final size of the file but still want to allow the encoder some flexibility to decide which passages need more bits.

'''Usage:''' <code>--preset <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (desired averaged bitrate in kbit/s) can be any value between 8 - 320 , like eg. 9, 17, 80, 128, 133, 200 etc.

'''Example:''' <code>--preset 200</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[ABR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

====CBR (constant bitrate) settings====
'''[[CBR]]:''' ''constant bitrate mode. [[CBR]] encoding is not efficient. Whereas [[VBR]] and [[ABR]] modes can supply more bits to complex music passages and save bits on simpler ones, [[CBR]] encodes every frame at the same bitrate.''

[[CBR]] is only recommended for usage in streaming situations where the upper bitrate must be strictly enforced.

'''Usage:''' <code>-b <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (bitrate in kbit/s) must be chosen from the following values: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256, or 320.

'''Example:''' <code>-b 192</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[CBR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

===Remarks===
* The rule of thumb when considering encoding options: at a given bitrate, [[VBR]] is higher quality than [[ABR]], which is higher quality than [[CBR]] ([[VBR]] > [[ABR]] > [[CBR]] in terms of quality). The exception to this is when you choose the highest possible [[CBR]] bitrate, which is 320 kbps (-b 320 = --alt-preset insane), but this produces the largest filesizes for doubtful audible benefit.

* All modes and settings mentioned in this topic belong to the specifications of the [[MP3]] standard, and the resulting MP3s should be playable by every [[MP3]] decoder that conforms with the standard. If your decoder or device does not play MP3s produced by LAME, blame the manufacturer or developer, not LAME.

* Avoid using alpha (a) versions of LAME. More often than not those are exclusively for testing purposes. Use them only if you want to help developers with feedback. History of [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=28125/ Lame versions & compiles].

* The <code>--vbr-new</code> switch enables the new [[VBR]] mode (no longer needed with LAME 3.98). In terms of quality, <code>--vbr-new</code> appears to be better than the old model, but reports of artifacts when using the new model do exist. Despite these possible issues, <code>--vbr-new</code> is currently recommended over the default [[VBR]] mode due to both the speed and quality increases afforded by the new algorithm.

* '''-mm''' : the sound will be encoded in '''mono'''. Useful for low bitrates and/or when stereo is not important.

[[Image:lame-chart-2.png|frame|center|Here a trial to see how the perceived listening quality improves with settings/averaged filesize]]

====Hey! What happened to "--alt-preset"?====

The revolutionary <code>--alt-preset</code> system was introduced in LAME 3.90; it was replaced by the <code>--preset</code> flags in later versions. Starting with version 3.94, the <code>-Vx</code> quality system was introduced, which allows finer control over the desired bitrate; the <code>--preset</code> switches were made into aliases to the corresponding <code>-V</code> flags for the sake of backwards compatibility. '''There is no difference between the output you get if you use <code>-V2</code> or <code>--alt-preset standard</code>.''' (Although adding <code>--vbr-new</code> is recommended for now, see above for details.)

More encoding options are available under the new system, such as <code>-V1</code>, which provides a level of quality between the old "standard" and "extreme" presets, or <code>-V3</code>, which is between the old "medium" and "standard" presets.

LAME 3.97 features more streamlined command line options, and it's recommended to stick to one of the values described in the text or shown in the tables above. You don't need to worry anymore about quality, settings, arcane combinations of switches, or presets.

For example, the following command lines will all produce the same output:

<code>--alt-preset insane</code> = <code>--preset insane</code> = <code>-b 320</code> = <code>--preset 320</code> = <code>--preset cbr 320</code>

(<code>--preset cbr 320</code> is the exact same thing as <code>--alt-preset insane</code>, etc.)

==Technical information==
The table below contains technical details about the recommended settings.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Technical details of the recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbps''' || '''Y Switch''' || '''-b''' || '''Lowpass''' || '''Resample'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset extreme || ~240 || || 128 || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|-
| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme || ~240 || || || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || ~210 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 1 --vbr-new || || ~210 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset standard || ~190 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || ~190 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 3 --vbr-new || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|-
| -V 5 --vbr-new || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|-
| -V 6 --vbr-new || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 7 --vbr-new || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 8 --vbr-new || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|-
| -V 9 --vbr-new || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|}

==See also==
* [[MP3]]
* [[Exact_Audio_Copy|Exact Audio Copy]]
* [[EAC_and_Lame | Configuring EAC and LAME]]

==Notes and references==

'''People who took part in suggesting the different settings:'''

Dibrom, r3mix, ff123, Hans Heijden, kjempen, Benjamin Lebsanft, GeSomeone, Wombat & GuruBoolez for his immense testing.

'''Creation of the alt preset system and related special code level quality enhancements:'''

Dibrom, with technical assistance from Robert Hegemann and Naoki Shibata, Gabriel and extensive tuning help and quality verification via listening tests from JohnV and also initial help (--dm-preset era) from Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, and others. Test clips, bitrate information, and further listening tests provided by TheBashar, zbutsam, Pio2001, BadDuDeX, r3mix, h, TarX, Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, Filburt, Volcano, Garf, MrDrew, TrNSZ, nyaochi, Amadeus93, in no particular order, and many, many others we (Dibrom, user) probably forgot to mention.

'''Idea (also exposing the need for a unified preset system), Original post and list of original settings collected by:''' user

'''Layout and additional work by:''' dev0, CiTay, SNYder, Dibrom.

And finally...

Thank you ALL in the community for making it what it is, providing interest and discussion and helping to work towards the most concise, well tuned, and most thought out MP3 quality "paradigm" seen yet! -- Dibrom

==Further reading==
*[[CBR]]
*[[ABR]]
*[[VBR]]

==External links==
*[http://lame.sourceforge.net LAME official homepage]
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/lame.html Historical versions of LAME] at ReallyRareWares
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/test/ Several multiformat listening tests] featuring LAME and other encoders.
*[http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.html RareWares MP3 page]
*[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=478&st=0 Discussion of recommended Lame compiles in the Hydrogenaudio forum]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=16&t=32288 Forum discussion of the recommended settings]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=203 Forum discussion of the recommended settings (older)]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32288&view=findpost&p=327262 Previous recommendations (outdated)]

[[Category:Software]]
[[Category:Encoder/Decoder]]

LAME

2008-07-19T20:35:49Z

CiTay: /* Recommended encoder compiles and source code */

{{Software Infobox
| name = LAME
| screenshot = [[Image:Lamelogo.png|250px|LAME official logo]]
| caption = LAME ain't an MP3 encoder
| maintainer = The LAME project
| stable_release = 3.98
| preview_release = none
| operating_system = Windows, Mac OS/X, Linux/BSD
| use = Encoder/Decoder
| license = LGPL
| website = [http://lame.sourceforge.net/ LAME website]
}}{{featured}}
'''LAME''' (Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder) is the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended [[MP3]] encoder. It has been developed by the open-source community since 1998, and has become the highest quality [[MP3]] encoder for most purposes.

Some benefits of using LAME:
* Highly optimised presets
* Fast encoding
* [[CBR]], [[ABR]] and quality-optimized [[VBR]] encoding methods
* [[Gapless]] playback with LAME-header compliant decoders
* Supported by recommended CD rippers [[Exact Audio Copy]] and [[CDex]]
* Highly tunable

==History==
LAME development began around mid-1998. Mike Cheng started it as a patch against the 8hz-MP3 encoder sources. After some quality concerns raised by others, he decided to start from scratch based on the dist10 sources. That branch (a patch against the reference sources) became LAME 2.0, and only on LAME 3.81 they got rid of all dist10 code, making LAME a completely new program-not a mere patch of an existing encoder.

The project quickly became a team effort. Mike Cheng eventually left leadership and started working on [http://toolame.sourceforge.net/ tooLAME], an [[MP2]] encoder. Mark Taylor became leader and released version 3.0 featuring gpsycho, a new psychoacoustic model developed by him.

Nowadays LAME is considered the best MP3 encoder at mid-high bitrates and features the best VBR model among MP3 implementations, mostly thanks to the dedicated work of talented developers like Takehiro Tominaga, Naoki Shibata, Darin Morrison, Gabriel Bouvigne, Robert Hegemann, etc. And development is still going on...

==Recommended encoder compiles and source code==

Unless noted otherwise, the recommended LAME compile for optimal quality is always the '''latest stable version'''.

It is suggested that the compiles available here be used with the recommended encoder settings you can find below.

'''Download the latest LAME from these links:'''
* [http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.php RareWares MP3 Page] - Compiles for Win32, Mac OS X universal binary, Linux etc.
* [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=290&package_id=309 LAME source code on SourceForge]

==Recommended encoder settings==
This section describes the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended settings to be used with [[LAME]] for highest quality [[MP3]] encoding.

These settings require '''LAME 3.94''' or later. '''LAME 3.97''' is the recommended version.

===Quick start (short answer)===
====Best quality: "archiving"====

<code>-b 320</code>. This is the strongest setting for [[MP3]], with the lowest risk of [[artifact]]s.
With the exception of a few situations, quality is rarely better than the highest [[VBR]] profiles described below. However, 'archiving' music using a lossy format like [[MP3]] is never recommended – no matter how transparent the resulting files might be.
The alternative is to use [[Lossless]] formats like [[WavPack]], [[FLAC]] etc. that allow true archiving bit for bit like on original CD.

====High quality: HiFi, home or quiet listening====

<code>-V3 --vbr-new</code> (~175 kbps), <code>-V2 --vbr-new</code> (~190 kbps), <code>-V1 --vbr-new</code> (~210 kbps) or <code>-V0 --vbr-new</code> (~230 kbps) are recommended.
These settings will produce [[transparent]] encoding (transparent = most people cannot distinguish the [[MP3]] from the original in an [[ABX]] blind test).
Audible differences between these presets exist, but are extremely rare.

====Portable: background noise and low bitrate requirement, small sizes====

<code>-V6 --vbr-new</code> (~115 kbps), <code>-V5 --vbr-new</code> (~130 kbps) or <code>-V4 --vbr-new</code> (~160 kbps) are recommended for this use.
<code>-V6 --vbr-new</code> produces an acceptable quality, while <code>-V4--vbr-new</code> should be close to perceptual [[transparency]].

====Very low bitrate, small sizes: eg. for voice, radio, [[mono]] encoding etc.====

For very low bitrates, up to 100kbps, [[ABR]] is most often the best solution.
Use <code>--abr <bitrate></code> (e.g. --abr 80).

'''--preset voice''' is only available in the command line front-end, and is there for compatibility.
It is currently mapped to '''''--abr 56 -mm''''', so that means that the recommendation would be to encode in mono, and use ABR.

===Detailed explanation (long answer)===
====VBR (variable bitrate) settings====
'''[[VBR]]:''' ''variable bitrate mode. Use variable bitrate modes when the goal is to achieve a fixed level of quality using the lowest possible bitrate.''

[[VBR]] is best used to target a specific quality level, instead of a specific bitrate. The final file size of a [[VBR]] encode is less predictable than with [[ABR]], but the quality is usually better.

Unlike other MP3 encoders which do VBR encoding based on predictions of output quality, LAME's default VBR method tests the ''actual'' output quality to ensure the desired quality level is always achieved.

'''Usage:''' <code>-V(number)</code> where number is 0-9, 0 being highest quality, 9 being the lowest.

'''Example:''' <code>-V2</code>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''List of recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbit/s''' || '''Bitrate range kbit/s'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -b 320 || --preset insane || 320 || 320 CBR
|-
| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme || 245 || 220...260
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset extreme || 245 || 220...260
|-
| -V 1 --vbr-new || || 225 || 200...250
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || 225 || 200...250
|-
| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || 190 || 170...210
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset standard || 190 || 170...210
|-
| -V 3 --vbr-new || || 175 || 155...195
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || 175 || 155...195
|-
| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || 165 || 145...185
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset medium || 165 || 145...185
|-
| -V 5 --vbr-new || || 130 || 110...150
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || 130 || 110...150
|-
| -V 6 --vbr-new || || 115 || 95...135
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || 115 || 95...135
|-
| -V 7 --vbr-new || || 100 || 80...120
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || 100 || 80...120
|-
| -V 8 --vbr-new || || 85 || 65...105
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || 85 || 65...105
|-
| -V 9 --vbr-new || || 65 || 45...85
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || 65 || 45...85
|}
See also [[#Technical information|Technical details for recommended LAME settings]].

If you need a predictable bitrate (in a streaming application, for example), use [[ABR]] or [[CBR]] modes, described below.

====ABR (average bitrate) settings====
'''[[ABR]]:''' ''average bitrate mode. A compromise between [[VBR]] and [[CBR]] modes, [[ABR]] encoding varies bits around a specified target bitrate.''

Use [[ABR]] when you need to know the final size of the file but still want to allow the encoder some flexibility to decide which passages need more bits.

'''Usage:''' <code>--preset <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (desired averaged bitrate in kbit/s) can be any value between 8 - 320 , like eg. 9, 17, 80, 128, 133, 200 etc.

'''Example:''' <code>--preset 200</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[ABR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

====CBR (constant bitrate) settings====
'''[[CBR]]:''' ''constant bitrate mode. [[CBR]] encoding is not efficient. Whereas [[VBR]] and [[ABR]] modes can supply more bits to complex music passages and save bits on simpler ones, [[CBR]] encodes every frame at the same bitrate.''

[[CBR]] is only recommended for usage in streaming situations where the upper bitrate must be strictly enforced.

'''Usage:''' <code>-b <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (bitrate in kbit/s) must be chosen from the following values: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256, or 320.

'''Example:''' <code>-b 192</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[CBR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

===Remarks===
* The rule of thumb when considering encoding options: at a given bitrate, [[VBR]] is higher quality than [[ABR]], which is higher quality than [[CBR]] ([[VBR]] > [[ABR]] > [[CBR]] in terms of quality). The exception to this is when you choose the highest possible [[CBR]] bitrate, which is 320 kbps (-b 320 = --alt-preset insane), but this produces very large filesizes for very little audible benefit.

* All modes and settings mentioned in this topic belong to the specifications of the [[MP3]] standard, and the resulting MP3s should be playable by every [[MP3]] decoder that conforms with the standard. If your decoder or device does not play MP3s produced by LAME, blame the manufacturer or developer, and not LAME.

* Avoid using alpha (a) versions of LAME. More often than not those are exclusively for testing purposes. Use them only if you want to help developers with feedback. History of [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=28125/ Lame versions & compiles].

* The <code>--vbr-new</code> switch enables the new [[VBR]] mode. Lame will encode much faster than the old/default [[VBR]] mode. In terms of quality, <code>--vbr-new</code> appears to be better than the old model, but reports of artifacts when using the new model do exist. Despite these possible issues, <code>--vbr-new</code> is currently recommended over the default [[VBR]] mode due to both the speed and quality increases afforded by the new algorithm.

* '''-mm''' : the sound will be encoded in '''mono'''. Eg. useful for low bitrates & when stereo is less important.

[[Image:lame-chart-2.png|frame|center|Here a trial to get a view, how the perceived listening quality improves with settings/averaged filesize]]

====Hey! What happened to "--alt-preset"?====

The revolutionary <code>--alt-preset</code> system was introduced in LAME 3.90; it was replaced by the <code>--preset</code> flags in later versions. Starting with version 3.94, the <code>-Vx</code> quality system was introduced, which allows finer control over the desired bitrate; the <code>--preset</code> switches were made into aliases to the corresponding <code>-V</code> flags for the sake of backwards compatibility. '''There is no difference between the output you get if you use <code>-V2</code> or <code>--alt-preset standard</code>.''' (Although adding <code>--vbr-new</code> is recommended for now, see above for details.)

More encoding options are available under the new system, such as <code>-V1</code>, which provides a level of quality between the old "standard" and "extreme" presets, or <code>-V3</code>, which is between the old "medium" and "standard" presets.

LAME 3.97 features more streamlined command line options, and it's recommended to stick to one of the values described in the text or shown in the tables above. You don't need to worry anymore about quality, settings, arcane combinations of switches, or presets.

For example, the following command lines will all produce the same output:

<code>--alt-preset insane</code> = <code>--preset insane</code> = <code>-b 320</code> = <code>--preset 320</code> = <code>--preset cbr 320</code>

(<code>--preset cbr 320</code> is the exact same thing as <code>--alt-preset insane</code>, etc.)

==Technical information==
The table below contains technical details about the recommended settings.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Technical details of the recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbps''' || '''Y Switch''' || '''-b''' || '''Lowpass''' || '''Resample'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset extreme || ~240 || || 128 || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|-
| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme || ~240 || || || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || ~210 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 1 --vbr-new || || ~210 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset standard || ~190 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || ~190 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 3 --vbr-new || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|-
| -V 5 --vbr-new || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|-
| -V 6 --vbr-new || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 7 --vbr-new || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 8 --vbr-new || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|-
| -V 9 --vbr-new || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|}

==See also==
* [[MP3]]
* [[Exact_Audio_Copy|Exact Audio Copy]]
* [[EAC_and_Lame | Configuring EAC and LAME]]

==Notes and references==

'''People who took part in suggesting the different settings:'''

Dibrom, r3mix, ff123, Hans Heijden, kjempen, Benjamin Lebsanft, GeSomeone, Wombat & GuruBoolez for his immense testing.

'''Creation of the alt preset system and related special code level quality enhancements:'''

Dibrom, with technical assistance from Robert Hegemann and Naoki Shibata, Gabriel and extensive tuning help and quality verification via listening tests from JohnV and also initial help (--dm-preset era) from Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, and others. Test clips, bitrate information, and further listening tests provided by TheBashar, zbutsam, Pio2001, BadDuDeX, r3mix, h, TarX, Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, Filburt, Volcano, Garf, MrDrew, TrNSZ, nyaochi, Amadeus93, in no particular order, and many, many others we (Dibrom, user) probably forgot to mention.

'''Idea (also exposing the need for a unified preset system), Original post and list of original settings collected by:''' user

'''Layout and additional work by:''' dev0, CiTay, SNYder, Dibrom.

And finally...

Thank you ALL in the community for making it what it is, providing interest and discussion and helping to work towards the most concise, well tuned, and most thought out MP3 quality "paradigm" seen yet! -- Dibrom

==Further reading==
*[[CBR]]
*[[ABR]]
*[[VBR]]

==External links==
*[http://lame.sourceforge.net LAME official homepage]
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/lame.html Historical versions of LAME] at ReallyRareWares
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/test/ Several multiformat listening tests] featuring LAME and other encoders.
*[http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.html RareWares MP3 page]
*[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=478&st=0 Discussion of recommended Lame compiles in the Hydrogenaudio forum]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=16&t=32288 Forum discussion of the recommended settings]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=203 Forum discussion of the recommended settings (older)]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32288&view=findpost&p=327262 Previous recommendations (outdated)]

[[Category:Software]]
[[Category:Encoder/Decoder]]

LAME

2008-07-19T20:33:06Z

CiTay: /* Recommended encoder compiles and source code */ Removed specific version to be recommended and instead added a notice about the last stable version.

{{Software Infobox
| name = LAME
| screenshot = [[Image:Lamelogo.png|250px|LAME official logo]]
| caption = LAME ain't an MP3 encoder
| maintainer = The LAME project
| stable_release = 3.98
| preview_release = none
| operating_system = Windows, Mac OS/X, Linux/BSD
| use = Encoder/Decoder
| license = LGPL
| website = [http://lame.sourceforge.net/ LAME website]
}}{{featured}}
'''LAME''' (Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder) is the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended [[MP3]] encoder. It has been developed by the open-source community since 1998, and has become the highest quality [[MP3]] encoder for most purposes.

Some benefits of using LAME:
* Highly optimised presets
* Fast encoding
* [[CBR]], [[ABR]] and quality-optimized [[VBR]] encoding methods
* [[Gapless]] playback with LAME-header compliant decoders
* Supported by recommended CD rippers [[Exact Audio Copy]] and [[CDex]]
* Highly tunable

==History==
LAME development began around mid-1998. Mike Cheng started it as a patch against the 8hz-MP3 encoder sources. After some quality concerns raised by others, he decided to start from scratch based on the dist10 sources. That branch (a patch against the reference sources) became LAME 2.0, and only on LAME 3.81 they got rid of all dist10 code, making LAME a completely new program-not a mere patch of an existing encoder.

The project quickly became a team effort. Mike Cheng eventually left leadership and started working on [http://toolame.sourceforge.net/ tooLAME], an [[MP2]] encoder. Mark Taylor became leader and released version 3.0 featuring gpsycho, a new psychoacoustic model developed by him.

Nowadays LAME is considered the best MP3 encoder at mid-high bitrates and features the best VBR model among MP3 implementations, mostly thanks to the dedicated work of talented developers like Takehiro Tominaga, Naoki Shibata, Darin Morrison, Gabriel Bouvigne, Robert Hegemann, etc. And development is still going on...

==Recommended encoder compiles and source code==
Unless noted otherwise, the recommended LAME compile for optimal quality is always the '''latest stable version'''.

It is suggested that the compiles available here be used with the [[#Recommended encoder settings|recommended encoder settings]].

'''Download the latest LAME from these links:'''
* [http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.php RareWares MP3 Page] - Compiles for Win32, Mac OS X universal binary, Linux etc.
* [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=290&package_id=309 LAME source code on SourceForge]

==Recommended encoder settings==
This section describes the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended settings to be used with [[LAME]] for highest quality [[MP3]] encoding.

These settings require '''LAME 3.94''' or later. '''LAME 3.97''' is the recommended version.

===Quick start (short answer)===
====Best quality: "archiving"====

<code>-b 320</code>. This is the strongest setting for [[MP3]], with the lowest risk of [[artifact]]s.
With the exception of a few situations, quality is rarely better than the highest [[VBR]] profiles described below. However, 'archiving' music using a lossy format like [[MP3]] is never recommended – no matter how transparent the resulting files might be.
The alternative is to use [[Lossless]] formats like [[WavPack]], [[FLAC]] etc. that allow true archiving bit for bit like on original CD.

====High quality: HiFi, home or quiet listening====

<code>-V3 --vbr-new</code> (~175 kbps), <code>-V2 --vbr-new</code> (~190 kbps), <code>-V1 --vbr-new</code> (~210 kbps) or <code>-V0 --vbr-new</code> (~230 kbps) are recommended.
These settings will produce [[transparent]] encoding (transparent = most people cannot distinguish the [[MP3]] from the original in an [[ABX]] blind test).
Audible differences between these presets exist, but are extremely rare.

====Portable: background noise and low bitrate requirement, small sizes====

<code>-V6 --vbr-new</code> (~115 kbps), <code>-V5 --vbr-new</code> (~130 kbps) or <code>-V4 --vbr-new</code> (~160 kbps) are recommended for this use.
<code>-V6 --vbr-new</code> produces an acceptable quality, while <code>-V4--vbr-new</code> should be close to perceptual [[transparency]].

====Very low bitrate, small sizes: eg. for voice, radio, [[mono]] encoding etc.====

For very low bitrates, up to 100kbps, [[ABR]] is most often the best solution.
Use <code>--abr <bitrate></code> (e.g. --abr 80).

'''--preset voice''' is only available in the command line front-end, and is there for compatibility.
It is currently mapped to '''''--abr 56 -mm''''', so that means that the recommendation would be to encode in mono, and use ABR.

===Detailed explanation (long answer)===
====VBR (variable bitrate) settings====
'''[[VBR]]:''' ''variable bitrate mode. Use variable bitrate modes when the goal is to achieve a fixed level of quality using the lowest possible bitrate.''

[[VBR]] is best used to target a specific quality level, instead of a specific bitrate. The final file size of a [[VBR]] encode is less predictable than with [[ABR]], but the quality is usually better.

Unlike other MP3 encoders which do VBR encoding based on predictions of output quality, LAME's default VBR method tests the ''actual'' output quality to ensure the desired quality level is always achieved.

'''Usage:''' <code>-V(number)</code> where number is 0-9, 0 being highest quality, 9 being the lowest.

'''Example:''' <code>-V2</code>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''List of recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbit/s''' || '''Bitrate range kbit/s'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -b 320 || --preset insane || 320 || 320 CBR
|-
| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme || 245 || 220...260
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset extreme || 245 || 220...260
|-
| -V 1 --vbr-new || || 225 || 200...250
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || 225 || 200...250
|-
| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || 190 || 170...210
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset standard || 190 || 170...210
|-
| -V 3 --vbr-new || || 175 || 155...195
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || 175 || 155...195
|-
| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || 165 || 145...185
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset medium || 165 || 145...185
|-
| -V 5 --vbr-new || || 130 || 110...150
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || 130 || 110...150
|-
| -V 6 --vbr-new || || 115 || 95...135
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || 115 || 95...135
|-
| -V 7 --vbr-new || || 100 || 80...120
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || 100 || 80...120
|-
| -V 8 --vbr-new || || 85 || 65...105
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || 85 || 65...105
|-
| -V 9 --vbr-new || || 65 || 45...85
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || 65 || 45...85
|}
See also [[#Technical information|Technical details for recommended LAME settings]].

If you need a predictable bitrate (in a streaming application, for example), use [[ABR]] or [[CBR]] modes, described below.

====ABR (average bitrate) settings====
'''[[ABR]]:''' ''average bitrate mode. A compromise between [[VBR]] and [[CBR]] modes, [[ABR]] encoding varies bits around a specified target bitrate.''

Use [[ABR]] when you need to know the final size of the file but still want to allow the encoder some flexibility to decide which passages need more bits.

'''Usage:''' <code>--preset <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (desired averaged bitrate in kbit/s) can be any value between 8 - 320 , like eg. 9, 17, 80, 128, 133, 200 etc.

'''Example:''' <code>--preset 200</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[ABR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

====CBR (constant bitrate) settings====
'''[[CBR]]:''' ''constant bitrate mode. [[CBR]] encoding is not efficient. Whereas [[VBR]] and [[ABR]] modes can supply more bits to complex music passages and save bits on simpler ones, [[CBR]] encodes every frame at the same bitrate.''

[[CBR]] is only recommended for usage in streaming situations where the upper bitrate must be strictly enforced.

'''Usage:''' <code>-b <bitrate></code> where <bitrate> (bitrate in kbit/s) must be chosen from the following values: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256, or 320.

'''Example:''' <code>-b 192</code>

'''Important:''' ''[[CBR]] setting is tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s.''

===Remarks===
* The rule of thumb when considering encoding options: at a given bitrate, [[VBR]] is higher quality than [[ABR]], which is higher quality than [[CBR]] ([[VBR]] > [[ABR]] > [[CBR]] in terms of quality). The exception to this is when you choose the highest possible [[CBR]] bitrate, which is 320 kbps (-b 320 = --alt-preset insane), but this produces very large filesizes for very little audible benefit.

* All modes and settings mentioned in this topic belong to the specifications of the [[MP3]] standard, and the resulting MP3s should be playable by every [[MP3]] decoder that conforms with the standard. If your decoder or device does not play MP3s produced by LAME, blame the manufacturer or developer, and not LAME.

* Avoid using alpha (a) versions of LAME. More often than not those are exclusively for testing purposes. Use them only if you want to help developers with feedback. History of [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=28125/ Lame versions & compiles].

* The <code>--vbr-new</code> switch enables the new [[VBR]] mode. Lame will encode much faster than the old/default [[VBR]] mode. In terms of quality, <code>--vbr-new</code> appears to be better than the old model, but reports of artifacts when using the new model do exist. Despite these possible issues, <code>--vbr-new</code> is currently recommended over the default [[VBR]] mode due to both the speed and quality increases afforded by the new algorithm.

* '''-mm''' : the sound will be encoded in '''mono'''. Eg. useful for low bitrates & when stereo is less important.

[[Image:lame-chart-2.png|frame|center|Here a trial to get a view, how the perceived listening quality improves with settings/averaged filesize]]

====Hey! What happened to "--alt-preset"?====

The revolutionary <code>--alt-preset</code> system was introduced in LAME 3.90; it was replaced by the <code>--preset</code> flags in later versions. Starting with version 3.94, the <code>-Vx</code> quality system was introduced, which allows finer control over the desired bitrate; the <code>--preset</code> switches were made into aliases to the corresponding <code>-V</code> flags for the sake of backwards compatibility. '''There is no difference between the output you get if you use <code>-V2</code> or <code>--alt-preset standard</code>.''' (Although adding <code>--vbr-new</code> is recommended for now, see above for details.)

More encoding options are available under the new system, such as <code>-V1</code>, which provides a level of quality between the old "standard" and "extreme" presets, or <code>-V3</code>, which is between the old "medium" and "standard" presets.

LAME 3.97 features more streamlined command line options, and it's recommended to stick to one of the values described in the text or shown in the tables above. You don't need to worry anymore about quality, settings, arcane combinations of switches, or presets.

For example, the following command lines will all produce the same output:

<code>--alt-preset insane</code> = <code>--preset insane</code> = <code>-b 320</code> = <code>--preset 320</code> = <code>--preset cbr 320</code>

(<code>--preset cbr 320</code> is the exact same thing as <code>--alt-preset insane</code>, etc.)

==Technical information==
The table below contains technical details about the recommended settings.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+'''Technical details of the recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbps''' || '''Y Switch''' || '''-b''' || '''Lowpass''' || '''Resample'''
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 0 || --preset extreme || ~240 || || 128 || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|-
| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme || ~240 || || || 19383 Hz - 19916 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 1 || || ~210 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 1 --vbr-new || || ~210 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 2 || --preset standard || ~190 || || 128 || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|-
| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || ~190 || || || 18671 Hz - 19205 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 3 || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 3 --vbr-new || || ~175 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 4 || --preset medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|-
| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || ~165 || Y || || 17960 Hz - 18494 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 5 || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|-
| -V 5 --vbr-new || || ~130 || Y || || 16538 Hz - 17071 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 6 || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|-
| -V 6 --vbr-new || || ~115 || Y || || 15826 Hz - 16360 Hz ||
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 7 || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 7 --vbr-new || || ~100 || Y || || 14581 Hz - 14968 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 8 || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|-
| -V 8 --vbr-new || || ~85 || Y || || 12516 Hz - 12903 Hz || 32000 Hz
|- style="background:white;"
| -V 9 || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|-
| -V 9 --vbr-new || || ~65 || Y || || 9774 Hz - 10065 Hz || 24000 Hz
|}

==See also==
* [[MP3]]
* [[Exact_Audio_Copy|Exact Audio Copy]]
* [[EAC_and_Lame | Configuring EAC and LAME]]

==Notes and references==

'''People who took part in suggesting the different settings:'''

Dibrom, r3mix, ff123, Hans Heijden, kjempen, Benjamin Lebsanft, GeSomeone, Wombat & GuruBoolez for his immense testing.

'''Creation of the alt preset system and related special code level quality enhancements:'''

Dibrom, with technical assistance from Robert Hegemann and Naoki Shibata, Gabriel and extensive tuning help and quality verification via listening tests from JohnV and also initial help (--dm-preset era) from Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, and others. Test clips, bitrate information, and further listening tests provided by TheBashar, zbutsam, Pio2001, BadDuDeX, r3mix, h, TarX, Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, Filburt, Volcano, Garf, MrDrew, TrNSZ, nyaochi, Amadeus93, in no particular order, and many, many others we (Dibrom, user) probably forgot to mention.

'''Idea (also exposing the need for a unified preset system), Original post and list of original settings collected by:''' user

'''Layout and additional work by:''' dev0, CiTay, SNYder, Dibrom.

And finally...

Thank you ALL in the community for making it what it is, providing interest and discussion and helping to work towards the most concise, well tuned, and most thought out MP3 quality "paradigm" seen yet! -- Dibrom

==Further reading==
*[[CBR]]
*[[ABR]]
*[[VBR]]

==External links==
*[http://lame.sourceforge.net LAME official homepage]
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/lame.html Historical versions of LAME] at ReallyRareWares
*[http://www.rjamorim.com/test/ Several multiformat listening tests] featuring LAME and other encoders.
*[http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.html RareWares MP3 page]
*[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=478&st=0 Discussion of recommended Lame compiles in the Hydrogenaudio forum]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=16&t=32288 Forum discussion of the recommended settings]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=203 Forum discussion of the recommended settings (older)]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32288&view=findpost&p=327262 Previous recommendations (outdated)]

[[Category:Software]]
[[Category:Encoder/Decoder]]

Joint stereo

2008-01-11T13:19:55Z

CiTay: /* External Links */

'''Joint stereo''' is a property of an audio data stream and means that the stream supports more than one method of stereo coding, such as SS ("simple" or "L/R" stereo), MS ("mid-side" stereo), or IS ("intensity" stereo). A joint stereo stream may still only employ a single coding method, but for the sake of efficiency or quality may switch between methods on a frame or even sub-frame basis.

For example, a high-[[bitrate]] "joint stereo" [[MP3]] file may contain a mixture of SS and MS frames, or it may contain all SS frames or all MS frames. A non-"joint stereo" MP3 will never contain a mixture of frame types.

Very few MP3 encoders make ideal decisions about what mode to use from frame to frame in joint stereo files, so there has long been a misconception that joint stereo means too many (perhaps 100%) mid-side frames, which is rarely desirable in stereo music and can result in haphazard channel separation and/or suboptimal quality as measured by other criteria.

"Joint stereo coding methods" in prose generally refers to whatever alternatives to simple (L/R) stereo coding are supported by a particular format, even though simple stereo is also an option.

==Stereo coding methods or "modes"==

===Left-Right (L/R) or "Simple" Stereo (SS)===
Simple stereo is the most straightforward method of coding a stereo signal: each channel is treated as a completely separate entity. This can be inefficient and may adversely impact quality (as compared to other modes) when both channels contain nearly identical signals (i.e., are mono or nearly so).

===Mid-side Stereo (MS)===
Mid-side stereo coding calculates a "mid"-channel by addition of left and right channel, and a "side"-channel, i.e.:

<center><math>Left = L \qquad Right = R\,</math></center>

<center><math>Middle=\frac{L+R}{2} \qquad Side=\frac{L-R}{2}</math></center>

<center> <math>Left=Middle+Side \qquad Right=Middle-Side</math></center>

Whenever a signal is concentrated in the middle of the stereo image (i.e. more mono-like), mid-side stereo can achieve a significant saving in bitrate, since one can use fewer bits to encode the side-channel. Even more important is the fact that by applying the inverse matrix in the decoder, the quantization noise becomes correlated and falls in the middle of the stereo image, where it is masked by the signal.

Unlike [[Joint stereo#intensity stereo|intensity stereo]] which destroys phase information, mid-side coding keeps the phase information pretty much intact. Correctly implemented mid-side stereo does very little or no damage to the stereo image and increases compression efficiency either by reducing size or increasing overall quality.

===Intensity Stereo===

Intensity stereo coding is a method that achieves a saving in bitrate by replacing the left and the right signal by a single representing signal plus directional information. This replacement is psychoacoustically justified in the higher [[frequency]] range since the human auditory system is insensitive to the signal phase at frequencies above approximately 2kHz.

Intensity stereo is by definition a [[lossy]] coding method thus it is primarily useful at low bitrates. For coding at higher bitrates only mid-side stereo should be used.

==Additional information==
Some more details about joint stereo & mid-side coding:

* Bugs and/or not-optimized encoders may implement mid-side coding incorrectly, making mid-side coding sound worse than simple stereo, while in reality (see the formulas above) there should be no difference in quality between mid-side stereo and simple stereo.

* Some older MP3 encoders interpret "joint stereo" to mean 100% mid-side, which for stereo music is almost certainly less than ideal.

* Modern/optimized encoders will use mid-side coding or simple stereo coding as necessary, depending on the correlation between the left and right channels.

==External Links==
* [http://harmsy.freeuk.com/mostync/ Joint stereo myths and realities] ''(very important read, but fails to observe that a "joint stereo" file may very well contain 100% simple stereo data!)''

* [http://www.audiocoding.com/ Audiocoding] -- written by Menno Bakker

* [http://www.High-Quality.ch.vu/ High Quality Audio guides] -- written by user Note: Recommendation of MPC is his preference.

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_stereo joint stereo at wikipedia]

[[Category:Technical]]

Joint stereo

2008-01-11T13:19:32Z

CiTay: /* External Links */

'''Joint stereo''' is a property of an audio data stream and means that the stream supports more than one method of stereo coding, such as SS ("simple" or "L/R" stereo), MS ("mid-side" stereo), or IS ("intensity" stereo). A joint stereo stream may still only employ a single coding method, but for the sake of efficiency or quality may switch between methods on a frame or even sub-frame basis.

For example, a high-[[bitrate]] "joint stereo" [[MP3]] file may contain a mixture of SS and MS frames, or it may contain all SS frames or all MS frames. A non-"joint stereo" MP3 will never contain a mixture of frame types.

Very few MP3 encoders make ideal decisions about what mode to use from frame to frame in joint stereo files, so there has long been a misconception that joint stereo means too many (perhaps 100%) mid-side frames, which is rarely desirable in stereo music and can result in haphazard channel separation and/or suboptimal quality as measured by other criteria.

"Joint stereo coding methods" in prose generally refers to whatever alternatives to simple (L/R) stereo coding are supported by a particular format, even though simple stereo is also an option.

==Stereo coding methods or "modes"==

===Left-Right (L/R) or "Simple" Stereo (SS)===
Simple stereo is the most straightforward method of coding a stereo signal: each channel is treated as a completely separate entity. This can be inefficient and may adversely impact quality (as compared to other modes) when both channels contain nearly identical signals (i.e., are mono or nearly so).

===Mid-side Stereo (MS)===
Mid-side stereo coding calculates a "mid"-channel by addition of left and right channel, and a "side"-channel, i.e.:

<center><math>Left = L \qquad Right = R\,</math></center>

<center><math>Middle=\frac{L+R}{2} \qquad Side=\frac{L-R}{2}</math></center>

<center> <math>Left=Middle+Side \qquad Right=Middle-Side</math></center>

Whenever a signal is concentrated in the middle of the stereo image (i.e. more mono-like), mid-side stereo can achieve a significant saving in bitrate, since one can use fewer bits to encode the side-channel. Even more important is the fact that by applying the inverse matrix in the decoder, the quantization noise becomes correlated and falls in the middle of the stereo image, where it is masked by the signal.

Unlike [[Joint stereo#intensity stereo|intensity stereo]] which destroys phase information, mid-side coding keeps the phase information pretty much intact. Correctly implemented mid-side stereo does very little or no damage to the stereo image and increases compression efficiency either by reducing size or increasing overall quality.

===Intensity Stereo===

Intensity stereo coding is a method that achieves a saving in bitrate by replacing the left and the right signal by a single representing signal plus directional information. This replacement is psychoacoustically justified in the higher [[frequency]] range since the human auditory system is insensitive to the signal phase at frequencies above approximately 2kHz.

Intensity stereo is by definition a [[lossy]] coding method thus it is primarily useful at low bitrates. For coding at higher bitrates only mid-side stereo should be used.

==Additional information==
Some more details about joint stereo & mid-side coding:

* Bugs and/or not-optimized encoders may implement mid-side coding incorrectly, making mid-side coding sound worse than simple stereo, while in reality (see the formulas above) there should be no difference in quality between mid-side stereo and simple stereo.

* Some older MP3 encoders interpret "joint stereo" to mean 100% mid-side, which for stereo music is almost certainly less than ideal.

* Modern/optimized encoders will use mid-side coding or simple stereo coding as necessary, depending on the correlation between the left and right channels.

==External Links==
* [http://harmsy.freeuk.com/mostync/ Joint stereo myths and realities] ''(very important read, but fails to observe that a "joint stereo" file may very well contain 100% simple stereo data!)''

* [http://www.audiocoding.com/ Audiocoding] -- written by Menno Bakker

* [http://www.High-Quality.ch.vu/ High Quality Audio guides] -- written by user '''Note: Recommendation of MPC is his preference.

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_stereo joint stereo at wikipedia]

[[Category:Technical]]

Musepack

2007-09-26T18:53:26Z

CiTay: /* Technical links */

= Introduction =
'''Musepack''' is a lossy audio compression scheme created by Andree Buschmann. He started work on the codec in 1998 (then called MP+) because he was unsatisfied with the audio quality of MP3 codecs at the time. It is strongly based on the [[MPEG-1]] Layer-2 ([[MP2]]) algorithms, with 32 subbands of the same bandwidth, but with several significant improvements. Musepack is optimized for "transparency". The format doesn't compete well at lower, 'streaming' bitrates such as 32/48/64kbps. This is due to MPC being a [[subband]] [[codec]] as well as the fact that very little optimization has gone into such low [[bitrate]]s. However, as can be seen in various 128kbit/s listening tests (see below), despite the fact that MPC has been optimized little for such bitrates it is in the same class of other modern competitors such as [[AAC]] and (Ogg) [[Vorbis]].

== Pros ==
* Suffers from different "problem cases" than most other formats (less pre-echo)
* Very fast encoding/decoding
* Designed to be very good by default at --standard setting.
* Open source
* Portable playback by Pocket-PCs, Palm OS-based and Windows CE/Windows Mobile-based devices, even Smartphones, see http://tcpmp.corecodec.org
* Portable playback on iRiver h1x0 and Archos Gmini players, see http://www.rockbox.org
* Support & development forum at http://www.Musepack.net

== Cons ==
* Marginal support (yet) on portable players
* No [[multichannel]] - to be solved with SV8 (StreamVersion 8), which is in [http://forum.musepack.net/showthread.php?t=395 beta testing]
* Not streamable - to be solved with SV8
* Can't be cut/edited - to be solved with SV8
* No support for [[sampling rate]]s above 48khz

= Technical details =
== Supported input formats (SV7) ==
* channels: 1 or 2
* bit depths: 1 to 32 bit linear [[PCM]]
* sample rates: 32kHz, 37.8kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz (44.1 and 48 are highly tuned)
* [[WAV]], raw [[PCM]], a lot of [[lossless]] compressed audio formats like [[FLAC]], [[LPAC]], [[Monkey's_Audio|APE]], [[OptimFROG]], [[SZIP]] and Shorten ([[SHN]])

== Encoder Functions ==
[[MPC Encoder Functions]]

= Links =
== User oriented links ==
* [http://musepack.net Musepack.net] - a general info, news and software site.
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1927 Users' HowTo MPC guide at HydrogenAudio]
* [http://www.saunalahti.fi/~cse/ Case's page] (Winamp plug-ins and more).
* [http://www.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/ Frank Klemm's official page] (out of order now)
: This page is mirrored at: http://hydrogenaudio.org/musepack/klemm/www.personal.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/
* [http://betaplayer.corecodec.org/ BetaPlayer], the first Musepack-able player on PocketPCs

== Technical links ==
* [http://trac.musepack.net/trac/wiki Specifications]
* [http://www.musepack.net/index.php?pg=src Source code]
* Frank Klemm's [http://www.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/ official page] (out of order now)
: This page is mirrored at: http://hydrogenaudio.org/musepack/klemm/www.personal.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/
* [http://www.audiocoding.com/modules/wiki/?page=MPC MPC at AudioCodingWiki]
* [http://www.caddr.com/code/libmusepack libmusepack portable musepack decoding library] (in progress)

== Listening test involving MPC ==
* [[Listening Tests]] page
* [http://ff123.net/128tests.html ff123's 128kbit/s group listening test]
* [http://ff123.net/128test/instruct.html ff123's second 128kbit/s group listening test]
* [http://audio.ciara.us/test/128extension/results.html rjamorim's 128kbit/s test]

Please note that some of these tests, while valid, used encoder versions which have now been superseded. You should make your own decision about the comparative quality of MPC, listening to clips of music in the style you prefer.

Also note that these are tests at low bitrates; an area where MPC is not particularly optimized. The encoder was designed by the author to be very good at the --standard setting, thus little to no low [[bitrate]] tuning has gone into the [[codec]], opposite to that of [[AAC]], (Ogg) [[Vorbis]], [[WMA]] and others which focus more on this region. However, as can be seen in the various listening test pages, MPC competes surprisingly well with the rest of them.

[[Category: Codecs]]
[[Category: Lossy]]

Musepack

2007-09-26T18:51:23Z

CiTay: /* Cons */

= Introduction =
'''Musepack''' is a lossy audio compression scheme created by Andree Buschmann. He started work on the codec in 1998 (then called MP+) because he was unsatisfied with the audio quality of MP3 codecs at the time. It is strongly based on the [[MPEG-1]] Layer-2 ([[MP2]]) algorithms, with 32 subbands of the same bandwidth, but with several significant improvements. Musepack is optimized for "transparency". The format doesn't compete well at lower, 'streaming' bitrates such as 32/48/64kbps. This is due to MPC being a [[subband]] [[codec]] as well as the fact that very little optimization has gone into such low [[bitrate]]s. However, as can be seen in various 128kbit/s listening tests (see below), despite the fact that MPC has been optimized little for such bitrates it is in the same class of other modern competitors such as [[AAC]] and (Ogg) [[Vorbis]].

== Pros ==
* Suffers from different "problem cases" than most other formats (less pre-echo)
* Very fast encoding/decoding
* Designed to be very good by default at --standard setting.
* Open source
* Portable playback by Pocket-PCs, Palm OS-based and Windows CE/Windows Mobile-based devices, even Smartphones, see http://tcpmp.corecodec.org
* Portable playback on iRiver h1x0 and Archos Gmini players, see http://www.rockbox.org
* Support & development forum at http://www.Musepack.net

== Cons ==
* Marginal support (yet) on portable players
* No [[multichannel]] - to be solved with SV8 (StreamVersion 8), which is in [http://forum.musepack.net/showthread.php?t=395 beta testing]
* Not streamable - to be solved with SV8
* Can't be cut/edited - to be solved with SV8
* No support for [[sampling rate]]s above 48khz

= Technical details =
== Supported input formats (SV7) ==
* channels: 1 or 2
* bit depths: 1 to 32 bit linear [[PCM]]
* sample rates: 32kHz, 37.8kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz (44.1 and 48 are highly tuned)
* [[WAV]], raw [[PCM]], a lot of [[lossless]] compressed audio formats like [[FLAC]], [[LPAC]], [[Monkey's_Audio|APE]], [[OptimFROG]], [[SZIP]] and Shorten ([[SHN]])

== Encoder Functions ==
[[MPC Encoder Functions]]

= Links =
== User oriented links ==
* [http://musepack.net Musepack.net] - a general info, news and software site.
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1927 Users' HowTo MPC guide at HydrogenAudio]
* [http://www.saunalahti.fi/~cse/ Case's page] (Winamp plug-ins and more).
* [http://www.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/ Frank Klemm's official page] (out of order now)
: This page is mirrored at: http://hydrogenaudio.org/musepack/klemm/www.personal.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/
* [http://betaplayer.corecodec.org/ BetaPlayer], the first Musepack-able player on PocketPCs

== Technical links ==
* [http://trac.musepack.net/trac/wiki Specifications]
* Frank Klemm's [http://www.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/ official page] (out of order now)
: This page is mirrored at: http://hydrogenaudio.org/musepack/klemm/www.personal.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/
* [http://www.audiocoding.com/modules/wiki/?page=MPC MPC at AudioCodingWiki]
* [http://www.caddr.com/code/libmusepack libmusepack portable musepack decoding library] (in progress)

== Listening test involving MPC ==
* [[Listening Tests]] page
* [http://ff123.net/128tests.html ff123's 128kbit/s group listening test]
* [http://ff123.net/128test/instruct.html ff123's second 128kbit/s group listening test]
* [http://audio.ciara.us/test/128extension/results.html rjamorim's 128kbit/s test]

Please note that some of these tests, while valid, used encoder versions which have now been superseded. You should make your own decision about the comparative quality of MPC, listening to clips of music in the style you prefer.

Also note that these are tests at low bitrates; an area where MPC is not particularly optimized. The encoder was designed by the author to be very good at the --standard setting, thus little to no low [[bitrate]] tuning has gone into the [[codec]], opposite to that of [[AAC]], (Ogg) [[Vorbis]], [[WMA]] and others which focus more on this region. However, as can be seen in the various listening test pages, MPC competes surprisingly well with the rest of them.

[[Category: Codecs]]
[[Category: Lossy]]

Musepack

2007-09-26T18:49:51Z

CiTay: /* Cons */ SV8 beta update

= Introduction =
'''Musepack''' is a lossy audio compression scheme created by Andree Buschmann. He started work on the codec in 1998 (then called MP+) because he was unsatisfied with the audio quality of MP3 codecs at the time. It is strongly based on the [[MPEG-1]] Layer-2 ([[MP2]]) algorithms, with 32 subbands of the same bandwidth, but with several significant improvements. Musepack is optimized for "transparency". The format doesn't compete well at lower, 'streaming' bitrates such as 32/48/64kbps. This is due to MPC being a [[subband]] [[codec]] as well as the fact that very little optimization has gone into such low [[bitrate]]s. However, as can be seen in various 128kbit/s listening tests (see below), despite the fact that MPC has been optimized little for such bitrates it is in the same class of other modern competitors such as [[AAC]] and (Ogg) [[Vorbis]].

== Pros ==
* Suffers from different "problem cases" than most other formats (less pre-echo)
* Very fast encoding/decoding
* Designed to be very good by default at --standard setting.
* Open source
* Portable playback by Pocket-PCs, Palm OS-based and Windows CE/Windows Mobile-based devices, even Smartphones, see http://tcpmp.corecodec.org
* Portable playback on iRiver h1x0 and Archos Gmini players, see http://www.rockbox.org
* Support & development forum at http://www.Musepack.net

== Cons ==
* Marginal support (yet) on portable players
* No [[multichannel]] - to be solved with SV8 (StreamVersion 8) which is in beta testing
* Not streamable - to be solved with SV8
* Can't be cut/edited - to be solved with SV8
* No support for [[sampling rate]]s above 48khz

= Technical details =
== Supported input formats (SV7) ==
* channels: 1 or 2
* bit depths: 1 to 32 bit linear [[PCM]]
* sample rates: 32kHz, 37.8kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz (44.1 and 48 are highly tuned)
* [[WAV]], raw [[PCM]], a lot of [[lossless]] compressed audio formats like [[FLAC]], [[LPAC]], [[Monkey's_Audio|APE]], [[OptimFROG]], [[SZIP]] and Shorten ([[SHN]])

== Encoder Functions ==
[[MPC Encoder Functions]]

= Links =
== User oriented links ==
* [http://musepack.net Musepack.net] - a general info, news and software site.
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1927 Users' HowTo MPC guide at HydrogenAudio]
* [http://www.saunalahti.fi/~cse/ Case's page] (Winamp plug-ins and more).
* [http://www.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/ Frank Klemm's official page] (out of order now)
: This page is mirrored at: http://hydrogenaudio.org/musepack/klemm/www.personal.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/
* [http://betaplayer.corecodec.org/ BetaPlayer], the first Musepack-able player on PocketPCs

== Technical links ==
* [http://trac.musepack.net/trac/wiki Specifications]
* Frank Klemm's [http://www.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/ official page] (out of order now)
: This page is mirrored at: http://hydrogenaudio.org/musepack/klemm/www.personal.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/
* [http://www.audiocoding.com/modules/wiki/?page=MPC MPC at AudioCodingWiki]
* [http://www.caddr.com/code/libmusepack libmusepack portable musepack decoding library] (in progress)

== Listening test involving MPC ==
* [[Listening Tests]] page
* [http://ff123.net/128tests.html ff123's 128kbit/s group listening test]
* [http://ff123.net/128test/instruct.html ff123's second 128kbit/s group listening test]
* [http://audio.ciara.us/test/128extension/results.html rjamorim's 128kbit/s test]

Please note that some of these tests, while valid, used encoder versions which have now been superseded. You should make your own decision about the comparative quality of MPC, listening to clips of music in the style you prefer.

Also note that these are tests at low bitrates; an area where MPC is not particularly optimized. The encoder was designed by the author to be very good at the --standard setting, thus little to no low [[bitrate]] tuning has gone into the [[codec]], opposite to that of [[AAC]], (Ogg) [[Vorbis]], [[WMA]] and others which focus more on this region. However, as can be seen in the various listening test pages, MPC competes surprisingly well with the rest of them.

[[Category: Codecs]]
[[Category: Lossy]]

Lossless comparison

2007-09-18T16:00:53Z

CiTay: /* FLAC cons */

The '''lossless comparison page''' aims to gather information about lossless codecs available so users can make an informed decision as to what lossless codec to choose for their needs.

== Introduction ==
Given the enormous amount of [[lossless]] audio compressor choices available, it is a very difficult task to choose the one most suited for each person's needs.

Several people only take into consideration compression performance when choosing a codec. But as the following table and article shows, there are several other features worth taking into consideration when making that choice.

For example, users wanting good multiplatform compatibility and robustness (E.G, people sharing live recordings) would favour [[WavPack]] or [[FLAC]]. Another user, looking for the very highest compression available, would go with [[OptimFROG]]. Someone wanting portable support would use [[FLAC]] or [[ALAC]], and so on.

En fin, this is not a matter worth getting too worked up about. If you later find out the codec you chose isn't the best for your needs, you can just transcompress to another format, without risk of losing quality.

'''Note:''' for latest comparison of lossless compression, scroll down to the [[Lossless comparison#External links|Links section of this page]].

== Comparison Table ==


{| cellspacing="2" style="text-align:center; border:1px solid blue;"
|width="120px"|'''Features'''
| width="95px" style="background: #00FFFF" | WavPack
| width="95px" style="background: #00FFFF" | ALAC
| width="95px" style="background: #00FFFF" | FLAC
| width="95px" style="background: #00FFFF" | Monkey's
| width="95px" style="background: #00FFFF" | OptimFROG
| width="95px" style="background: #00FFFF" | Shorten
|-
|align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Encoding speed
| style="background: #00FF00" | very fast
| style="background: #FFFFFF" | average
| style="background: #CCFFCC" | fast
| style="background: #CCFFCC" | fast
| style="background: #FF9900" | slow
| style="background: #00FF00" | very fast
|-
|align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Decoding speed
| style="background: #00FF00" | very fast
| style="background: #CCFFCC" | fast
| style="background: #00FF00" | very fast
| style="background: #FFFFFF" | average
| style="background: #FFFFFF" | average
| style="background: #00FF00" | very fast
|-
|align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Compression*
| style="background: #CCFFCC" | 58.0%
| style="background: #CCFFCC" | 58.50%
| style="background: #CCFFCC" | 58.70%
| style="background: #00FF00" | 55.50%
| style="background: #00FF00" | 54.70%
| style="background: #FF9900" | 63.50%
|-
|align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Flexibility**
| style="background: #00FF00" | very good
| style="background: #FF9900" | bad
| style="background: #00FF00" | very good
| style="background: #00FF00" | very good
| style="background: #00FF00" | very good
| style="background: #FF9900" | bad
|-
|style="background: #FFFFFF" |  
|-
|align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Error handling
| style="background: #00FF00" | yes
| style="background: #FFFFFF" |  
| style="background: #00FF00" | yes
| style="background: #FF9900" | no
| style="background: #00FF00" | yes
| style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-
|align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Seeking
| style="background: #00FF00" | yes
| style="background: #00FF00" | yes
| style="background: #00FF00" | yes
| style="background: #00FF00" | yes
| style="background: #00FF00" | yes
| style="background: #00FF00" | yes
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Tagging ||! style="background: #00FF00" | ID3/APE ||! style="background: #00FF00" | QT tags ||! style="background: #00FF00" | Vorbis tags ||! style="background: #00FF00" | ID3/APE ||! style="background: #00FF00" | ID3/APE ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-|
| align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Hardware support
| style="background: #FF9900" | limited
| style="background: #CCFFCC" | good
| style="background: #00FF00" | very good
| style="background: #FF9900" | limited
| style="background: #FF9900" | no
| style="background: #FF9900" | limited
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Software support ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | good ||! style="background: #FF9900" | bad ||! style="background: #00FF00" | very good ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | good ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" | average ||! style="background: #00FF00" | very good
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Hybrid/lossy ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Replay Gain ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" | sort of ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | RIFF chunks ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" |   ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Streaming ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Pipe support ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Open source ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | Yes (decoding) ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Multichannel ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | High resolution ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | OS support ||! style="background: #00FF00" | All ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | Win/Mac ||! style="background: #00FF00" | All ||! style="background: #00FF00" | All ||! style="background: #00FF00" | Win/Mac/Linux ||! style="background: #00FF00" | All
|}

''(table continued below)''

{| cellspacing="2" style="text-align:center; border:1px solid blue;"
|width="120px"|'''Features'''
| width="95px" style="background: #00FFFF" | WMA
| width="95px" style="background: #00FFFF" | LA
| width="95px" style="background: #00FFFF" | TTA
| width="95px" style="background: #00FFFF" | LPAC
| width="95px" style="background: #00FFFF" | MPEG-4 ALS
| width="95px" style="background: #00FFFF" | MPEG-4 SLS
| width="95px" style="background: #00FFFF" | Real Lossless
|-
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Encoding speed ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" | average ||! style="background: #FF9900" | slow ||! style="background: #00FF00" | very fast ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" | average ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" | average ||! style="background: #FF9900" | slow ||! style="background: #FF9900" | slow
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Decoding speed ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" | average ||! style="background: #FF9900" | slow ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | fast ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | fast ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | fast ||! style="background: #FF9900" | slow ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | fast
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Compression* ||! style="background: #00FF00" | 56.30% ||! style="background: #00FF00" | 53.50% ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | 57.10% ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | 57.20% ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | 57.10% ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | ? ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | 57.0%
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Flexibility** ||! style="background: #FF9900" | bad ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" | average ||! style="background: #FF9900" | bad ||! style="background: #FF9900" | bad ||! style="background: #00FF00" | very good ||! style="background: #FF9900" | bad ||! style="background: #FF9900" | bad
|-
|! style="background: #FFFFFF" |  
|-
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Error handling ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" |  
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Seeking ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | slow ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Tagging ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | Proprietary ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | ID3v1 ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | ID3 ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | Proprietary
|-|
| align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Hardware support
| style="background: #FF9900" | limited
| style="background: #FF9900" | no
| style="background: #FF9900" | limited
| style="background: #FF9900" | no
| style="background: #FF9900" | no
| style="background: #FF9900" | no
| style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Software support ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | good ||! style="background: #FF9900" | bad ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" | average ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" | average ||! style="background: #FF9900" | bad ||! style="background: #FF9900" | bad ||! style="background: #FF9900" | bad
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Hybrid/lossy ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Replay Gain ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | RIFF chunks ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" |   ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" |   ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" |  
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Streaming ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" |   ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Pipe support ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" |   ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" |   ||! style="background: #FFFFFF" |   ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Open source ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | Multichannel ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | High resolution ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #00FF00" | yes ||! style="background: #FF9900" | no
|-|
|! align="left" style="background: #FFFF99" | OS support ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | Win/Mac ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | Win/Linux ||! style="background: #00FF00" | All ||! style="background: #CCFFCC" | Win/Linux/Sol ||! style="background: #00FF00" | All ||! style="background: #00FF00" | All ||! style="background: #00FF00" | Win/Mac/Linux
|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> The Compression ratio is calculated with the division of compressed size by uncompressed size * 100. So, lower is better.

Encoding speed, Decoding speed and Compression ratio are based on each encoder's default settings.

<nowiki>**</nowiki> Flexibility refers to the amount of encoding choices offered to the users (Fast/low compression, Slow/high compression and everything inbetween)

These are the most popular lossless codecs, in alphabetical order:

== Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) ==
http://www.apple.com/itunes/import.html

[[ALAC]] is a codec developed by Apple for usage in [[Apple iPod|iPod]] and AirPort Express.

=== ALAC pros ===
* Very fast decoding
* [[Open source]] ([http://craz.net/programs/itunes/alac.html decoding only])
* Hardware support ([[Apple iPod|iPod]], AirPort Express)
* Streaming support
* Tagging support (QT tags)
* Excellent hardware-software-lossy format integration with [[iTunes]]/iPod.
* Supports [[multichannel]] audio and [[high resolution]]s

=== ALAC cons ===
* Closed source (encoding)
* Limited software support
* Compression efficiency not on par with other lossless codecs
* No hybrid/lossy mode

=== ALAC Other features ===
* Fits in the [[MP4]] container
* Can be used with the AirPort Express gadget

== Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) ==
http://flac.sourceforge.net/

[[FLAC]] is a lossless codec developed by Josh Coalson. It's part of the Xiph multimedia portfolio, along with [[Ogg]], [[Vorbis]], [[Speex]] and [[Theora]].

=== FLAC pros ===
* [[Open source]]
* Very fast decoding
* Fast encoding
* Hardware support ([[Rio Karma|Karma]], Phatbox, etc.)
* Very good software support
* Error robustness
* Streaming support
* Supports [[multichannel]] audio and [[high resolution]]s
* Tagging support (FLAC tags)
* Pipe support
* [[Replay Gain]] compatible

=== FLAC cons ===
* No hybrid/lossy mode

=== FLAC Other features ===
* Supports embedded CUE sheets (with [http://flac.sourceforge.net/faq.html#general__no_cuesheet_tags limitations])
* Includes MD5 hashes for quick integrity checking
* Fits the [[Ogg]] and [[Matroska]] containers

== LosslessAudio (LA) ==
http://www.lossless-audio.com/

[[LA]] is a lossless codec developed by Michael Bevin.

=== LA pros ===
* Very high compression
* Tagging support ([[ID3v1]])
* Supports [[RIFF]] chunks
* Pipe support

=== LA cons ===
* Closed source
* Very slow encoding and decoding
* Doesn't support [[multichannel]] audio and [[high resolution]]s
* No hardware support
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* Bad software support
* Doesn't support [[Replay Gain]]

'''''It's important to mention that the LA foobar plugin is buggy and doesn't produce lossless streams!'''''

== Lossless Predictive Audio Coder (LPAC) ==
http://www.nue.tu-berlin.de/wer/liebchen/lpac.html

[[Lossless Predictive Audio Coder]] (LPAC) is a lossless codec developed by Tilman Liebchen. Development of it has been halted in favour of development of [[MPEG-4]] ALS.

=== LPAC pros ===
* Reasonable compression ratios
* [[High resolution]] audio support
* Supports [[RIFF]] chunks

=== LPAC cons ===
* Closed source
* No error robustness
* Slow seeking
* No tagging
* No [[multichannel]] support
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* No hardware support
* Doesn't support [[Replay Gain]]

== Monkey's Audio (APE) ==
http://www.monkeysaudio.com/

[[Monkey's Audio]] is a very efficient lossless compressor developed by Matt Ashland.

=== APE pros ===
* [[Open source]]
* High efficiency
* Good software support
* Simple and user friendly. Official GUI provided.
* Java version (multiplatform)
* Tagging support ([[ID3v1]], [[APE tags]])
* [[High resolution]] audio support
* Supports [[RIFF]] chunks (only in the GUI encoder)
* Pipe support (only in a [http://www.etree.org/shnutils/shntool/ special] version)

=== APE cons ===
* No [[multichannel]] support
* No error robustness
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* Limited hardware support ([http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/17/gemei-x-21-offers-ape-support/ Gemei X21])
* Doesn't support [[Replay Gain]]

=== APE Other features ===
* Includes MD5 hashes for quick integrity checking
* Supports APL image link files (similar to CUE sheets)

== MPEG-4 SLS ==
MPEG-4 SLS allows audio encoding from lossless scalable to [[AAC]].

=== SLS pros ===
* Transcoding to standard AAC or any higher lossy bitrate at the speed of copying a file
* Scalable decoding from lossless, to any bitrate down to the AAC core track
* Best lossless compression available when you count the AAC track (~5% gain over any other lossless compression + AAC)
* [[High resolution]] audio support
* Multi channel audio support
* [[Open source]] (MPEG-4 Reference code)
* Embedded in standard MP4 files, so supports same tagging and Replay Gain features as AAC does.

=== SLS cons ===
* No usable software available yet
* Pure lossless compression not the best there is
* Seems to be slow in encoding and decoding, but we have to wait for released software

=== SLS Other features ===
* Transform based lossless codec with optional LC AAC core track

== OptimFROG (OFR) ==
http://losslessaudiocompression.com/

[[OptimFROG]] is a lossless format developed by Florin Ghido to become the champion in audio compression.

=== OFR pros ===
* Very high compression
* Good software support
* Error robustness
* Streaming support
* Supports [[high resolution]]s
* Hybrid/lossy mode
* Tagging support ([[ID3]], [[APE tags]])
* Supports [[RIFF]] chunks
* [[Replay Gain]] compatible

=== OFR cons ===
* Closed source
* No [[multichannel]] audio support
* No hardware support
* Quite slow decoding

=== OFR Other features ===
* Supports 32bit float streams
* Includes MD5 hashes for quick integrity checking

== RealAudio Lossless (RAL) ==
http://www.realnetworks.com/products/codecs/realaudio.html

RealAudio lossless is the lossless codec developed by Real Networks for their multimedia portfolio

=== RAL pros ===
* Very fast decoding
* Streaming support
* Tagging support (proprietary)

=== RAL cons ===
* Closed source
* No [[multichannel]] and [[high resolution]] audio support
* Little software support (Real Player)
* No hardware support
* Compression efficiency not on par with other lossless codecs
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* No pipe support
* Doesn't support [[Replay Gain]]

== Shorten (SHN) ==
http://www.etree.org/shnutils/shorten/

[[Shorten]] is a very old and featureless lossless codec developed by Tony Robinson at SoftSound.

=== SHN pros ===
* [[Open source]]
* Fast decoding
* Very good software support
* Supports [[RIFF]] chunks
* Pipe support

=== SHN cons ===
* Quite inefficient
* No [[multichannel]] or [[high resolution]] audio support
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* No error robustness
* Not streamable
* No hardware support
* No native tagging
* Doesn't support [[Replay Gain]]

== True Audio (TTA) ==
http://www.true-audio.com/

[[TTA]] is a new lossless codec developed by a team of russian programmers.

=== TTA pros ===
* [[Open source]]
* Good efficiency
* Hardware support (obscure DVD player)
* Supports [[multichannel]] audio and [[high resolution]]s
* Tagging support ([[ID3]])
* [[Replay Gain]] compatible
* Error robustness

=== TTA cons ===
* No streaming support
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* Doesn't support [[RIFF]] chunks
* No pipe support

=== TTA Other features ===
* Fits the [[Matroska]] container

== WavPack (WV) ==
http://www.wavpack.com/

[[WavPack]] is a fast and featureful lossless codec developed by David Bryant.

=== WV pros ===
* [[Open source]]
* Very fast decoding
* Very fast encoding
* Good efficiency
* Error robustness
* Streaming support
* Hardware support ([http://www.rockbox.org/ RockBox])
* Supports [[multichannel]] audio and [[high resolution]]s
* Hybrid/lossy mode
* Tagging support ([[ID3v1]], [[APE tags]])
* Supports [[RIFF]] chunks
* Ability to create self extracting files for Win32 platform
* Pipe support
* Good software support
* [[Replay Gain]] compatible

=== WV cons ===
* Limited hardware player support

=== WV Other features ===
* Supports 32bit float streams
* Supports embedded CUE sheets
* Includes MD5 hashes for quick integrity checking
* Can encode in both symmetrical and assymmetrical modes.
* Fits the [[Matroska]] container

== Windows Media Audio Lossless (WMAL) ==
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/codecs/audio.aspx

WMA Lossless is the lossless codec developed by Microsoft to be featured in their Windows Media codec portfolio.

=== WMAL pros ===
* Streaming support
* Very good software support
* Supports [[multichannel]] audio and [[high resolution]]s.
* Tagging support (proprietary)
* Pipe support

=== WMAL cons ===
* Closed source
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* Limited hardware support ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigabeat Gigabeat V and S line from Toshiba])
* Doesn't support [[RIFF]] chunks
* Doesn't support [[Replay Gain]]

=== WMAL Other features ===
* Fits the [[ASF]] container

== Oddball Formats ==
There are several old lossless formats that aren't being featured in the article above. Reasons are: lack of widespread support, lack of features, bad efficiency and, most importantly, it seems noone is really interested in them.

Most of those would have disappeared by now, but they are being preserved for posterity at [[User:Rjamorim|rjamorim]]'s [http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/ ReallyRareWares]

=== Advanced Digital Audio (ADA) ===
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/ada.html

=== Bonk ===
* http://www.logarithmic.net/pfh/bonk

=== Marian's a-Pac ===
* http://www.marian.de/en/downloads#APAC
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/apac.html

=== AudioZip ===
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/audiozip.html

=== Dakx WAV ===
* http://www.dakx.com/
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/daxwav.html

=== Entis Lab MIO ===
* http://www.entis.gr.jp/eri/frame.html
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/mio.html

=== LiteWave ===
* http://www.clearjump.com/products/LiteWave.html
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/litewave.html

=== Pegasus SPS ===
* http://www.krishnasoft.com/sps.htm
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/pegasussps.html

=== RK Audio (RKAU) ===
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/split2000.html

=== Sonarc ===
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/sonarc.html

=== VocPack ===
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/vocpack.html

=== WavArc ===
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/wavarc.html

=== WaveZip/MUSICompress ===
* http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/sndspace/
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/wavezip.html

== See also ==
* [[Lossless]]

== External links ==
=== Other lossless compressions comparisons ===
''Sorted based on last '''update''' date.''

* [http://uclc.info/LossLess.pdf Johan De Bock's speed oriented comparison] - best choices speedwise are indicated in green, mostly electronic music (last updated 2006-07-22)
* [http://web.inter.nl.net/users/hvdh/lossless/lossless.htm Hans Heijden's] -- used as reference to build the table (last updated 2006-07-07)
* [http://synthetic-soul.co.uk/comparison/lossless/ Synthetic Soul's comparison] (last update 2006-09-14)
* [http://synthetic-soul.co.uk/comparison/josef/ Josef Pohm's comparison, hosted by Synthetic Soul] (last update 2006-05-29)
* [http://www.bobulous.org.uk/misc/lossless_audio_2006.html Bobulous' lossless audio comparison] — a look at six lossless formats in terms of speed and file size (last updated 2006-05-22)
* [http://uclc.info/lossless_audio_compression_test.htm Johan De Bock's size oriented comparison] - aimed only at the maximum compression setting for each codec (based on a somewhat limited set of samples, however) (last updated 2006-05-19)
* [http://guruboolez.free.fr/lossless/ Guruboolez'] -- comparing only classical music (last updated 2005-02-27)
* [http://members.home.nl/w.speek/comparison.htm Speek's] (last updated 2005-02-07)

=== More on lossless compressions ===
* [http://losslessaudioblog.com/ The Lossless Audio Blog] - by windmiller, is a reliable and complete source of news about lossless compression.
* Go to the [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=33226 Hydrogenaudio thread] to discuss this article.

[[Category:Guides]]

Musepack

2007-09-15T19:05:20Z

CiTay: /* Technical links */

= Introduction =
'''Musepack''' is a lossy audio compression scheme created by Andree Buschmann. He started work on the codec in 1998 (then called MP+) because he was unsatisfied with the audio quality of MP3 codecs at the time. It is strongly based on the [[MPEG-1]] Layer-2 ([[MP2]]) algorithms, with 32 subbands of the same bandwidth, but with several significant improvements. Musepack is optimized for "transparency". The format doesn't compete well at lower, 'streaming' bitrates such as 32/48/64kbps. This is due to MPC being a [[subband]] [[codec]] as well as the fact that very little optimization has gone into such low [[bitrate]]s. However, as can be seen in various 128kbit/s listening tests (see below), despite the fact that MPC has been optimized little for such bitrates it is in the same class of other modern competitors such as [[AAC]] and (Ogg) [[Vorbis]].

== Pros ==
* Suffers from different "problem cases" than most other formats (less pre-echo)
* Very fast encoding/decoding
* Designed to be very good by default at --standard setting.
* Open source
* Portable playback by Pocket-PCs, Palm OS-based and Windows CE/Windows Mobile-based devices, even Smartphones, see http://tcpmp.corecodec.org
* Portable playback on iRiver h1x0 and Archos Gmini players, see http://www.rockbox.org
* Support & development forum at http://www.Musepack.net

== Cons ==
* Marginal support (yet) on portable players
* No [[multichannel]]
* Not streamable
* Can't be cut/edited
* No support for [[sampling rate]]s above 48khz

= Technical details =
== Supported input formats (SV7) ==
* channels: 1 or 2
* bit depths: 1 to 32 bit linear [[PCM]]
* sample rates: 32kHz, 37.8kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz (44.1 and 48 are highly tuned)
* [[WAV]], raw [[PCM]], a lot of [[lossless]] compressed audio formats like [[FLAC]], [[LPAC]], [[Monkey's_Audio|APE]], [[OptimFROG]], [[SZIP]] and Shorten ([[SHN]])

== Encoder Functions ==
[[MPC Encoder Functions]]

= Links =
== User oriented links ==
* [http://musepack.net Musepack.net] - a general info, news and software site.
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1927 Users' HowTo MPC guide at HydrogenAudio]
* [http://www.saunalahti.fi/~cse/ Case's page] (Winamp plug-ins and more).
* [http://www.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/ Frank Klemm's official page] (out of order now)
: This page is mirrored at: http://hydrogenaudio.org/musepack/klemm/www.personal.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/
* [http://betaplayer.corecodec.org/ BetaPlayer], the first Musepack-able player on PocketPCs

== Technical links ==
* [http://trac.musepack.net/trac/wiki Specifications]
* Frank Klemm's [http://www.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/ official page] (out of order now)
: This page is mirrored at: http://hydrogenaudio.org/musepack/klemm/www.personal.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/
* [http://www.audiocoding.com/modules/wiki/?page=MPC MPC at AudioCodingWiki]
* [http://www.caddr.com/code/libmusepack libmusepack portable musepack decoding library] (in progress)

== Listening test involving MPC ==
* [[Listening Tests]] page
* [http://ff123.net/128tests.html ff123's 128kbit/s group listening test]
* [http://ff123.net/128test/instruct.html ff123's second 128kbit/s group listening test]
* [http://audio.ciara.us/test/128extension/results.html rjamorim's 128kbit/s test]

Please note that some of these tests, while valid, used encoder versions which have now been superseded. You should make your own decision about the comparative quality of MPC, listening to clips of music in the style you prefer.

Also note that these are tests at low bitrates; an area where MPC is not particularly optimized. The encoder was designed by the author to be very good at the --standard setting, thus little to no low [[bitrate]] tuning has gone into the [[codec]], opposite to that of [[AAC]], (Ogg) [[Vorbis]], [[WMA]] and others which focus more on this region. However, as can be seen in the various listening test pages, MPC competes surprisingly well with the rest of them.

[[Category: Codecs]]
[[Category: Lossy]]

Musepack

2007-09-15T19:04:20Z

CiTay: /* Introduction */

= Introduction =
'''Musepack''' is a lossy audio compression scheme created by Andree Buschmann. He started work on the codec in 1998 (then called MP+) because he was unsatisfied with the audio quality of MP3 codecs at the time. It is strongly based on the [[MPEG-1]] Layer-2 ([[MP2]]) algorithms, with 32 subbands of the same bandwidth, but with several significant improvements. Musepack is optimized for "transparency". The format doesn't compete well at lower, 'streaming' bitrates such as 32/48/64kbps. This is due to MPC being a [[subband]] [[codec]] as well as the fact that very little optimization has gone into such low [[bitrate]]s. However, as can be seen in various 128kbit/s listening tests (see below), despite the fact that MPC has been optimized little for such bitrates it is in the same class of other modern competitors such as [[AAC]] and (Ogg) [[Vorbis]].

== Pros ==
* Suffers from different "problem cases" than most other formats (less pre-echo)
* Very fast encoding/decoding
* Designed to be very good by default at --standard setting.
* Open source
* Portable playback by Pocket-PCs, Palm OS-based and Windows CE/Windows Mobile-based devices, even Smartphones, see http://tcpmp.corecodec.org
* Portable playback on iRiver h1x0 and Archos Gmini players, see http://www.rockbox.org
* Support & development forum at http://www.Musepack.net

== Cons ==
* Marginal support (yet) on portable players
* No [[multichannel]]
* Not streamable
* Can't be cut/edited
* No support for [[sampling rate]]s above 48khz

= Technical details =
== Supported input formats (SV7) ==
* channels: 1 or 2
* bit depths: 1 to 32 bit linear [[PCM]]
* sample rates: 32kHz, 37.8kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz (44.1 and 48 are highly tuned)
* [[WAV]], raw [[PCM]], a lot of [[lossless]] compressed audio formats like [[FLAC]], [[LPAC]], [[Monkey's_Audio|APE]], [[OptimFROG]], [[SZIP]] and Shorten ([[SHN]])

== Encoder Functions ==
[[MPC Encoder Functions]]

= Links =
== User oriented links ==
* [http://musepack.net Musepack.net] - a general info, news and software site.
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1927 Users' HowTo MPC guide at HydrogenAudio]
* [http://www.saunalahti.fi/~cse/ Case's page] (Winamp plug-ins and more).
* [http://www.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/ Frank Klemm's official page] (out of order now)
: This page is mirrored at: http://hydrogenaudio.org/musepack/klemm/www.personal.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/
* [http://betaplayer.corecodec.org/ BetaPlayer], the first Musepack-able player on PocketPCs

== Technical links ==
* Frank Klemm's [http://www.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/ official page] (out of order now)
: This page is mirrored at: http://hydrogenaudio.org/musepack/klemm/www.personal.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/
* [http://www.audiocoding.com/modules/wiki/?page=MPC MPC at AudioCodingWiki]
* [http://www.caddr.com/code/libmusepack libmusepack portable musepack decoding library] (in progress)

== Listening test involving MPC ==
* [[Listening Tests]] page
* [http://ff123.net/128tests.html ff123's 128kbit/s group listening test]
* [http://ff123.net/128test/instruct.html ff123's second 128kbit/s group listening test]
* [http://audio.ciara.us/test/128extension/results.html rjamorim's 128kbit/s test]

Please note that some of these tests, while valid, used encoder versions which have now been superseded. You should make your own decision about the comparative quality of MPC, listening to clips of music in the style you prefer.

Also note that these are tests at low bitrates; an area where MPC is not particularly optimized. The encoder was designed by the author to be very good at the --standard setting, thus little to no low [[bitrate]] tuning has gone into the [[codec]], opposite to that of [[AAC]], (Ogg) [[Vorbis]], [[WMA]] and others which focus more on this region. However, as can be seen in the various listening test pages, MPC competes surprisingly well with the rest of them.

[[Category: Codecs]]
[[Category: Lossy]]

Recommended LAME

2005-10-10T20:29:22Z

CiTay:

==Introduction==

This article is meant to explain to the users what are the [[Hydrogenaudio]] recommended settings to be used with [[LAME]] for highest quality [[MP3]] encoding.

These settings require Lame 3.94 or later. Lame 3.97beta found on this website is the recommended version ([[Lame Compiles|check here to download]]).

Avoid using alpha (a) versions of LAME. More often than not those are exclusively for testing purposes, if you want to help developers with feedback.

Note: At a given bitrate range, the quality scale is following: VBR is higher quality than ABR which is higher quality than CBR (VBR > ABR > CBR in terms of quality). The exception to this is when you choose the highest possible CBR bitrate, which is 320 kbps (-b 320 = --alt-preset insane).

''Note: all modes and settings mentioned in this topic belong to the specifications of the MP3 standard, and the resulting MP3s should be played by every standard-conform MP3-Decoder. If this shouldn't be the case, blame the manufacturer or developer of your MP3-Decoder/device. ''

==VBR (Variable bitrate) settings==
'''[[VBR]]:''' ''variable bitrate mode, the goal is to keep a constant quality and saving bits where possible without lowering the quality.''

[[VBR]] can be useful to get good quality from a specific quality level. Size is less predictable than with [[ABR]], but the quality is usually better.

-V(number) where number is 0-9, 0 being highest quality, 9 being the lowest.

{| align=center border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0"
|+'''List of recommended settings'''
| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbit/s''' || '''Bitrate range kbit/s'''
|-
| -b 320 || --preset insane || 320CBR || 320
|-
| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme || 245 || 220...260
|-
| -V 0 || --preset extreme || 245 || 220...260
|-
| -V 1 --vbr-new || || 225 || 200...250
|-
| -V 1 || || 225 || 200...250
|-
| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || 190 || 170...210
|-
| -V 2 || --preset standard || 190 || 170...210
|-
| -V 3 --vbr-new || || 175 || 155...195
|-
| -V 3 || || 175 || 155...195
|-
| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || 165 || 145...185
|-
| -V 4 || --preset medium || 165 || 145...185
|-
| -V 5 --vbr-new || || 130 || 110...150
|-
| -V 5 || || 130 || 110...150
|-
| -V 6 --vbr-new || || 115 || 95...135
|-
| -V 6 || || 150 || 95...135
|-
| -V 7 --vbr-new || || 100 || 80...120
|-
| -V 7 || || 100 || 80...120
|-
| -V 8 --vbr-new || || 85 || 65...105
|-
| -V 8 || || 85 || 65...105
|-
| -V 9 --vbr-new || || 65 || 45...85
|-
| -V 9 || || 65 || 45...85
|}
See also [[Technical data for recommended LAME settings]]

If the target is eg. streaming, where you need MP3 in ABR or even CBR mode, there are still the ABR and CBR modes.

==ABR (average bitrate) settings==
'''[[ABR]]:''' ''average bitrate mode varies bits around a specified target bitrate''

''(128 kbit/s ABR: roughly the same filesize as 128 kbit/s CBR)''

* '''[[ABR]] Setting tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s'''
** --preset <bitrate>

<bitrate> (desired averaged bitrate in kbit/s) can be any value between 8 - 320 , like eg. 9, 17, 80, 128, 133, 200 etc.

:: Example: --preset 200

==CBR (constant bitrate) settings==
'''[[CBR]]:''' ''constant bitrate mode is not efficient regarding distributing bitrate to more complex music parts and saving bits where it would be possible without lowering the quality of those music parts. Only recommended for usage in streaming situations where the upper bitrate margin must be strictly enforced.''

*'''[[CBR]] Setting tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s'''
** -b <bitrate>

<bitrate> (bitrate in kbit/s) can be only: 8 , 16 , 24 , 32 , 40 , 48 , 64 , 80 , 96 , 112 , 128 , 160 , 192 , 256 or 320.

==Remarks==
The '''--vbr-new''' switch enables the new VBR mode. Lame will encode much faster compared to old/default vbr mode. Current knowledge qualitywise comparing vbr with --vbr-new is, that --vbr-new might even be better qualitywise than the default vbr mode, but there are also reports about artefact, which is worse in --vbr-new compared to default. Though the general impression is, that --vbr-new should be recommended over vbr-default.
--vbr-new can be faster and at equal/better quality at same time, because it uses a different algorithm than old/default vbr mode.

===Quick Start===

'''Best Quality : 'archiving''''

--cbr 320. This is the strongest setting for MP3, with the lowest risk of [[artifact]]s.
With the exception of a few situations, quality is rarely better than the highest [[VBR]] profiles described below.
Alternative: [[Lossless]] formats like [[WavPack]], [[Flac]] etc. allow true archiving bit for bit like on original CD.

'''High Quality : HiFi, home or quiet listening'''

-V3 --vbr-new (~175 kbps), -V2 --vbr-new (~190 kbps), -V1 --vbr-new (~210 kbps) or -V0 --vbr-new (~230 kbps) are recommended.
These settings will produce [[transparent]] encoding (transparent = most people cannot distinguish the mp3 from the original in an ABX blindtest).
Audible differences between these presets exist, but are extremely marginal.

'''Portable : background noise and low bitrate requirement, small sizes'''

-V6 --vbr-new (~115 kbps), -V5 --vbr-new (~130 kbps) or -V4 --vbr-new (~160 kbps) are recommended for this use.
-V6 --vbr-new produces an acceptable quality, while -V4--vbr-new should be close to perceptual [[transparency]].

'''Very low bitrate, small sizes:''' eg. for voice, radio, [[mono]] encoding etc.

For very low bitrates, up to 100kbps, [[ABR]] is most often the best solution.

Use '''--abr xx''' (e.g. --abr 80).

[[Image:Lame-chart-2.png|frame|center|Here a trial to get a view, how the perceived listening quality improves with settings/averaged filesize:]]

The revolutionary --alt-preset system introduced in lame 3.90, is replaced nowadays by the preset system, which is already substituted by the above explained settings -V x system.

You don't need to worry anymore about quality, settings, switches, presets, if you stick to the recommendations of this topic, all will be fine and even optimized.

If you select nowadays in lame 3.97 either --alt-preset xy , preset xy or corresponding switch xy, you will always get the same, simply stick to one of the recommended switches of the table or described here in the text.

E.G.: --alt-preset cbr 320 is the exact same thing as --alt-preset insane etc.:

--alt-preset insane = --preset insane = -b 320 = --preset 320 = --preset cbr 320

==Setting up EAC for lame.exe with tagging==

{{:EAC and Lame}}

==Additional reading==

* [[LAME|More information on LAME]]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=16&t=32288 Forum discussion of the recommended settings]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=203 Forum discussion of the recommended settings (older)]
* [[Recommended LAME credits|Credits for the recommended settings]]
* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32288&view=findpost&p=327262 Previous recommendations (outdated)]
* [[MP3]]
* [[LAME]]
* [[Exact_Audio_Copy|Exact Audio Copy]]

----
[[Recommended LAME credits|Credits]]

Recommended LAME credits

2005-10-10T20:26:55Z

CiTay:

This page contains credits for the [[Recommended LAME|recommended LAME settings]]. All people involved in the development should be listed.

A big thanks to all LAME developers for making one kickass MP3 codec.

'''People who took part in suggesting the different settings:'''

Dibrom, r3mix, ff123, Hans Heijden, kjempen, Benjamin Lebsanft, GeSomeone, Wombat & GuruBoolez for his immense testing.

'''Creation of the alt preset system and related special code level quality enhancements:'''

Dibrom, with technical assistance from Robert Hegemann and Naoki Shibata, Gabriel and extensive tuning help and quality verification via listening tests from JohnV and also initial help (--dm-preset era) from Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, and others. Test clips, bitrate information, and further listening tests provided by TheBashar, zbutsam, Pio2001, BadDuDeX, r3mix, h, TarX, Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, Filburt, Volcano, Garf, MrDrew, TrNSZ, nyaochi, Amadeus93, in no particular order, and many, many others we (Dibrom, user) probably forgot to mention.

'''Idea (also exposing the need for a unified preset system), Original post and list of original settings collected by:''' user

'''Layout and additional work by:''' dev0, CiTay, SNYder, Dibrom.

And finally...

Thank you ALL in the community for making it what it is, providing interest and discussion and helping to work towards the most concise, well tuned, and most thought out MP3 quality "paradigm" seen yet! -- Dibrom

Recommended LAME credits

2005-10-10T20:26:47Z

CiTay:

This page contains credits for the [[Recommended LAME|recommended LAME settings]]. All people involved in the development should be listed.

A big thanks to all LAME developers for making one kickass MP3 codec.

'''People who took part in suggesting the different settings:'''

Dibrom, r3mix, ff123, Hans Heijden, kjempen, Benjamin Lebsanft, GeSomeone, Wombat & GuruBoolez for his immense testing.

'''Creation of the alt preset system and related special code level quality enhancements:'''

Dibrom, with technical assistance from Robert Hegemann and Naoki Shibata, Gabriel and extensive tuning help and quality verification via listening tests from JohnV and also initial help (--dm-preset era) from Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, and others. Test clips, bitrate information, and further listening tests provided by TheBashar, zbutsam, Pio2001, BadDuDeX, r3mix, h, TarX, Hans Heijden, ff123, Wombat, Filburt, Volcano, Garf, MrDrew, TrNSZ, nyaochi, Amadeus93, in no particular order, and many, many others we (Dibrom, user) probably forgot to mention.

'''Idea (also exposing the need for a unified preset system), Original post and list of original settings collected by:''' user
'''Layout and additional work by:''' dev0, CiTay, SNYder, Dibrom.

And finally...

Thank you ALL in the community for making it what it is, providing interest and discussion and helping to work towards the most concise, well tuned, and most thought out MP3 quality "paradigm" seen yet! -- Dibrom

User:CiTay

2005-10-10T19:59:58Z

CiTay:

hello world