Difference between revisions of "Macintosh Audio Compression/Expansion"

From Hydrogenaudio Knowledgebase
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 1: Line 1:
MACE (Macintosh Audio Compression/Expansion) is a lossy, proprietary compression scheme developed by Apple Computer for their Macintosh line of computers.
+
'''Macintosh Audio Compression/Expansion''' ('''MACE''') is a lossy, proprietary compression scheme developed by Apple Computer for their Macintosh line of computers.
  
 
Technically, it's very similar to how [[ADPCM]] works.
 
Technically, it's very similar to how [[ADPCM]] works.
  
It only works on 8bit streams. It offers two compression modes: 6:1 (1/6th of the original file size, 117kbps) and 3:1 (1/3rd of the original file size, 235kbps). Quality is relatively poor.
+
It only works on 8bit streams. It offers two compression modes: 6:1 (1/6th of the original file size, 117 kbps) and 3:1 (1/3rd of the original file size, 235 kbps). Quality is relatively poor.
  
 
Users are encouraged not to use this codec, for several reasons:
 
Users are encouraged not to use this codec, for several reasons:
Line 10: Line 10:
 
* Won't work on bit depths other than 8bit.
 
* Won't work on bit depths other than 8bit.
  
 
+
== External Links ==
==External Links==
+
 
+
 
* [http://www.quicktime.com QuickTime] plays and encodes MACE streams.
 
* [http://www.quicktime.com QuickTime] plays and encodes MACE streams.
 
* [http://cekirdek.pardus.org.tr/~ismail/ffmpeg-docs/mace_8c-source.html Reverse engineered MACE decoder sources] by Laszlo Torok
 
* [http://cekirdek.pardus.org.tr/~ismail/ffmpeg-docs/mace_8c-source.html Reverse engineered MACE decoder sources] by Laszlo Torok

Revision as of 16:58, 13 June 2007

Macintosh Audio Compression/Expansion (MACE) is a lossy, proprietary compression scheme developed by Apple Computer for their Macintosh line of computers.

Technically, it's very similar to how ADPCM works.

It only works on 8bit streams. It offers two compression modes: 6:1 (1/6th of the original file size, 117 kbps) and 3:1 (1/3rd of the original file size, 235 kbps). Quality is relatively poor.

Users are encouraged not to use this codec, for several reasons:

  • There are better alternatives quality-wise (ADPCM, WavPack lossy, psychoacoustic codecs)
  • Proprietary codec - E.G, on Windows platform, it can only be encoded and played in QuickTime
  • Won't work on bit depths other than 8bit.

External Links