Difference between revisions of "Recommended LAME"

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==Introduction==
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#REDIRECT [[LAME]]
 
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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.
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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]]).
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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.
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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).
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''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. ''
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==VBR (Variable bitrate) settings==
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'''[[VBR]]:''' ''variable bitrate mode, the goal is to keep a constant quality and saving bits where possible without lowering the quality.''
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[[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.
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-V(number) where number is 0-9, 0 being highest quality, 9 being the lowest.
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{| align=center border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0"
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|+'''List of recommended settings'''
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| '''Switch''' || '''Preset''' || '''Target Kbit/s''' || '''Bitrate range kbit/s'''
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|-
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| -b 320 || --preset insane || 320CBR || 320
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|-
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| -V 0 --vbr-new || --preset fast extreme ||  245 || 220...260
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|-
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| -V 0 || --preset extreme || 245 || 220...260
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|-
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| -V 1 --vbr-new || || 225 || 200...250
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|-
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| -V 1 || || 225 || 200...250
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|-
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| -V 2 --vbr-new || --preset fast standard || 190 || 170...210
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|-
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| -V 2 || --preset standard || 190 || 170...210
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|-
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| -V 3 --vbr-new || || 175 || 155...195
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|-
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| -V 3 || || 175 || 155...195
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|-
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| -V 4 --vbr-new || --preset fast medium || 165 || 145...185
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|-
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| -V 4 || --preset medium  || 165 || 145...185
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|-
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| -V 5 --vbr-new || || 130 || 110...150
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|-
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| -V 5 || || 130 || 110...150
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|-
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| -V 6 --vbr-new || || 115 || 95...135
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|-
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| -V 6 || || 150 || 95...135
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|-
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| -V 7 --vbr-new || || 100 || 80...120
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|-
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| -V 7 || || 100 || 80...120
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|-
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| -V 8 --vbr-new || || 85 || 65...105
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|-
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| -V 8 || || 85 || 65...105
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|-
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| -V 9 --vbr-new || || 65 || 45...85
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|-
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| -V 9 || || 65 || 45...85
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|}
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See also [[Technical data for recommended LAME settings]]
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If the target is eg. streaming, where you need MP3 in ABR or even CBR mode, there are still the ABR and CBR modes.
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==ABR (average bitrate) settings==
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'''[[ABR]]:''' ''average bitrate mode varies bits around a specified target bitrate''
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''(128 kbit/s ABR: roughly the same filesize as 128 kbit/s CBR)''
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* '''[[ABR]] Setting tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s'''
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** --preset <bitrate>
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<bitrate> (desired averaged bitrate in kbit/s) can be any value between 8 - 320 , like eg. 9, 17, 80, 128, 133, 200 etc.
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::  Example: --preset 200
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==CBR (constant bitrate) settings==
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'''[[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.''
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*'''[[CBR]] Setting tuned from 320 kbit/s down to 80 kbit/s'''
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** -b <bitrate>
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<bitrate> (bitrate in kbit/s) can be only: 8 , 16 , 24 , 32 , 40 , 48 , 64 , 80 , 96 , 112 , 128 , 160 , 192 , 256 or 320.
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==Setting up EAC for lame.exe with tagging==
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{{:EAC and Lame}}
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==Additional reading==
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* [[LAME|More information on LAME]]
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* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=16&t=32288 Forum discussion of the recommended settings]
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* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=203 Forum discussion of the recommended settings (older)]
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* [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32288&view=findpost&p=327262 Previous recommendations (outdated)]
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* [[MP3]]
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* [[LAME]]
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* [[Exact_Audio_Copy|Exact Audio Copy]]
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Latest revision as of 23:56, 14 September 2006