Difference between revisions of "LAME"

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(-lowpass 16 Advanced Setting for FM recordings)
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*[[Gapless]] playback with LAME-header compliant decoders
 
*[[Gapless]] playback with LAME-header compliant decoders
 
*[[Exact Audio Copy]] and [[CDex]] support
 
*[[Exact Audio Copy]] and [[CDex]] support
 +
 +
==LAME Homepage==
 +
 +
*http://lame.sourceforge.net/index.php
  
 
==Download==
 
==Download==
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==Recommended LAME version==
 
==Recommended LAME version==
  
'''LAME 3.98 (beta b6 or newer)'''
+
'''LAME 3.100'''
  
* The LAME bundle which includes the ''lame.exe'' & ''lame_enc.dll'' ([http://www.rarewares.org/dancer/dancer.php?f=186 direct download for lazy people])
+
* The [http://www.rarewares.org/mp3-lame-bundle.php LAME bundle] which includes the ''lame.exe'' & ''lame_enc.dll''
** This ''lame.exe'' includes the ''fix for decoding'', thus this can be used for [http://wiki.themixingbowl.org/MP2#Converting_to_MP3 converting MP2 to MP3]
 
  
 
==Usage==
 
==Usage==
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[[VBR]] mode is the recommended way to use LAME at The Mixing Bowl. You use it like this:
 
[[VBR]] mode is the recommended way to use LAME at The Mixing Bowl. You use it like this:
  
  lame -V 2 input.wav output.mp3
+
  lame -V 0 input.wav output.mp3
 +
 
 +
* Please note: The switch '''--vbr-new''', which enabled a superior VBR mode in LAME 3.97 and some previous versions, is no longer needed with LAME 3.98 and greater as it is now the default VBR mode. However, if you are still using LAME 3.97 or older, you have to add --vbr-new to your commandline to use that mode.
  
The '''-V 2''' switch controls the quality LAME will use and it can be any whole number between 0-9. A lower numbers means a higher quality and therefore a higher bitrate.
+
* The '''-V 0''' switch controls the quality LAME will use and it can be any whole number between 0-9. A lower numbers means a higher quality and therefore a higher bitrate.
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
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|}
 
|}
  
Please be not surprised if you get lower bitrates than shown above. That often happens if you transcode from one lossy format into another - this can easily reduce the bitrate by 40 kbps...
+
====TMB Recommended Setting====
 +
'''-V 0''' (-V 0 --vbr-new for LAME 3.97 and older) is the recommend LAME quality setting to use at The Mixing Bowl. It is probably a higher quality than is strictly necessary (the lower quality presets still provide excellent quality), however its usage is strongly encouraged to avoid any arguments over quality.
  
====TMB Recommended Setting====
+
==''-lowpass 16'' Advanced Setting for FM recordings==
'''-V2 ''' or '''-V 2''' is the recommend LAME quality setting to use at The Mixing Bowl. This is especially true if you prepare MP3 encodings from original WAV or FLAC files. '''-V2''' is probably a higher quality than is strictly necessary (the lower quality presets still provide excellent quality), however its usage is strongly encouraged to avoid any arguments over quality. For transcodings of lossy and medium bitrate broadcasts (192kbps or below) it might be of advantage to take higher quality settings into consideration. You have the choice between '''-V1''' and '''-V0'''. However, the right choice among them and other additional lame options (such as -q0, --lowpass, ..., etc.) often requires some background knowledge so staying with '''-V2''' is in general acceptable.
 
  
===='''-Y''' Advanced Setting====
+
lame -V 0 --lowpass 16 input.wav output.mp3
  
The '''-Y''' setting is especially useful for use on audio that has been recorded from radio transmissions that do not have any audio greater than 16kHz. That generally includes most UK broadcasts, and indeed is especially relevant for older mixes that were recorded onto cassette tapes (as the cassette tape frequency limit is approx 15-16kHz).
+
The '''-lowpass 16''' setting is especially useful for use on audio that has been recorded from FM radio transmissions that do not have any audio greater than 16kHz. That generally includes most UK broadcasts, and indeed is especially relevant for older mixes that were recorded onto cassette, VHS, DAT, and MiniDisc tapes.
  
In simple terms this means that by using the switch you'll save a few KBs and produce a slightly lower [[VBR]] bitrate as the encoder doesn't have to worry about audio over 16kHz.
+
In simple terms, this means that by using the switch you'll save a few KBs and produce a slightly lower [[VBR]] bitrate as the encoder will ignore any audio over 16kHz. This means it will remove the pilot signal - set at 19kHz - that is often found on FM recordings.
  
The technical explanation goes something like:
+
You only use it on the [[VBR]] settings.
sfb21 bloat is possible with LAME settings '''-V0''' through '''-V2'''. Due to faults in the design of the Layer III format itself, encoding audio of 16kHz and higher will cause more bits to be needed than normal. The ''Heavy Metal'' genre suffers with this sfb21 bloat problem sometimes. '''-V3''' through '''-V9''' do not have this problem as they have the '''-Y''' switch activated by default. This switch basically makes it where if the data above 16kHz will bloat the bitrate it is not encoded.
 
  
So, you only use it on the '''-V0''', '''-V1''' & '''-V2''' switches.
+
This is a superior option than the ''-Y'' setting that is described below.
  
 
===Constant Bitrate (CBR)===
 
===Constant Bitrate (CBR)===
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  lame -b 192 input.wav output.mp3
 
  lame -b 192 input.wav output.mp3
  
The '''-b 192''' switch controls the bitrate LAME will use with 192kbps as the target bitrate in this case. Please use a bitrate of 192 kbps to avoid arguments over quality (or better still, use '''-V 2''' instead).
+
The '''-b 192''' switch controls the bitrate LAME will use. Please use a bitrate of 192 kbps to avoid arguments over quality (or better still, use '''-V 2 --vbr-new''' instead).
  
 
==Graphical interfaces==
 
==Graphical interfaces==
 +
 +
===FOOBAR2000===
 +
 +
'''[[Foobar2000]]''' is an advanced freeware audio player for the Windows platform that comes packaged with LAME and provides a very easy way to not only listen to but also convert to almost any format you desire.
  
 
===ALL2LAME===
 
===ALL2LAME===
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#Load the files you want encoding and click ''Encode''.
 
#Load the files you want encoding and click ''Encode''.
  
===LameDropXPd v2===
+
===LameDropXPd ===
 +
 
 +
'''LameDropXPd ''' is a drag 'n' drop frontend for LAME. As well as encoding recordings to MP3, it can also transcode [[Ogg Vorbis]] files, decode [[MP3]] files to [[WAV]], accept [[FLAC]] input to create [[MP3]] files, and auto-tag the files it encodes.
 +
 
 +
It can be downloaded from RareWares:
 +
 
 +
*http://www.rarewares.org/mp3-lamedrop.php
 +
 
 +
==''-Y'' Advanced Setting: depreciated==
  
'''LameDropXPd v2''' is a drag 'n' drop frontend for LAME. It can not only be used to encode recordings to MP3 but also for transcoding from other formats to [[MP3]] (again with a simple Drag'n Drop). It can be downloaded from RareWares:
+
'''''** This setting is no longer recommended: use --lowpass 16 as stated above. Information remains for historical value. **'''''
  
*http://rarewares.org/mp3.html
+
The '''-Y''' setting is especially useful for use on audio that has been recorded from radio transmissions that do not have any audio greater than 16kHz. That generally includes most UK broadcasts, and indeed is especially relevant for older mixes that were recorded onto cassette, VHS, DAT, and MiniDisc tapes.
 +
 
 +
In simple terms this means that by using the switch you'll save a few KBs and produce a slightly lower [[VBR]] bitrate as the encoder doesn't have to worry about audio over 16kHz.
 +
 
 +
The technical explanation goes something like:
 +
sfb21 bloat is possible with LAME settings '''-V0''' through '''-V2'''. Due to faults in the design of the Layer III format itself, encoding audio of 16kHz and higher will cause more bits to be needed than normal. The ''Heavy Metal'' genre suffers with this sfb21 bloat problem sometimes. '''-V3''' through '''-V9''' do not have this problem as they have the '''-Y''' switch activated by default. This switch basically makes it where if the data above 16kHz will bloat the bitrate it is not encoded.
 +
 
 +
So, you only use it on the '''-V0''', '''-V1''' & '''-V2''' switches.
  
 
==Further Reading==
 
==Further Reading==
  
[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/ Hydrogenaudio] are widely regarded as ''the'' digital audiophile site on the web. Most of the audio codec developers are members of the forum, and the information detailed there in stickies and posts, in our opinion, is the best available anywhere on the internet.
+
[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/ Hydrogenaudio] are widely regarded as ''the'' digital audiophile site on the web. Most of the audio codec developers are members of the forum, and the information detailed there in the [http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/ Hydrogenaudio wiki], stickies and posts, in our opinion, is the best available anywhere on the internet.
  
Hydrogenaudio have officially announced a successor to their previoulsy recommended LAME mp3 encoder version 3.90.3. The recommended version is now Lame 3.98 (beta b6 and newer).
+
Hydrogenaudio's recommended LAME compile for optimal quality is now always the latest stable version (unless noted otherwise).
  
*See [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=58385 this] post for details on the LAME 3.98b6 Hydrogenaudio recommendation.
 
*See [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=28124 this] post for the Hydrogenaudio recommended LAME settings.
 
*See [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=28125 this] post for a high level overview of the LAME versions.
 
  
 
[[category:Audio Tools]]
 
[[category:Audio Tools]]

Revision as of 19:32, 16 July 2020

Introduction to LAME

LAME is high quality MP3 encoder. The name LAME is a recursive acronym for LAME Ain't an MP3 Encoder, although the current version is, in fact, a stand-alone MP3 encoder. It shows superior performance and gapless playback. LAME is the recommended MP3 encoder at The Mixing Bowl. Some benefits of using LAME:

LAME Homepage

Download

Download LAME from RareWares:

Recommended LAME version

LAME 3.100

  • The LAME bundle which includes the lame.exe & lame_enc.dll

Usage

LAME is a command line program, although there are graphical interfaces like ALL2LAME which can make it easier to use.

Variable Bitrate (VBR)

VBR mode is the recommended way to use LAME at The Mixing Bowl. You use it like this:

lame -V 0 input.wav output.mp3
  • Please note: The switch --vbr-new, which enabled a superior VBR mode in LAME 3.97 and some previous versions, is no longer needed with LAME 3.98 and greater as it is now the default VBR mode. However, if you are still using LAME 3.97 or older, you have to add --vbr-new to your commandline to use that mode.
  • The -V 0 switch controls the quality LAME will use and it can be any whole number between 0-9. A lower numbers means a higher quality and therefore a higher bitrate.
List of bitrates for VBR mode
Switch Target Kbit/s Bitrate range Kbit/s
-V 0 245 220...260
-V 1 225 200...250
-V 2 190 170...210
-V 3 175 155...195
-V 4 165 145...185
-V 5 130 110...150
-V 6 115 95...135
-V 7 100 80...120
-V 8 85 65...105
-V 9 65 45...85

TMB Recommended Setting

-V 0 (-V 0 --vbr-new for LAME 3.97 and older) is the recommend LAME quality setting to use at The Mixing Bowl. It is probably a higher quality than is strictly necessary (the lower quality presets still provide excellent quality), however its usage is strongly encouraged to avoid any arguments over quality.

-lowpass 16 Advanced Setting for FM recordings

lame -V 0 --lowpass 16 input.wav output.mp3

The -lowpass 16 setting is especially useful for use on audio that has been recorded from FM radio transmissions that do not have any audio greater than 16kHz. That generally includes most UK broadcasts, and indeed is especially relevant for older mixes that were recorded onto cassette, VHS, DAT, and MiniDisc tapes.

In simple terms, this means that by using the switch you'll save a few KBs and produce a slightly lower VBR bitrate as the encoder will ignore any audio over 16kHz. This means it will remove the pilot signal - set at 19kHz - that is often found on FM recordings.

You only use it on the VBR settings.

This is a superior option than the -Y setting that is described below.

Constant Bitrate (CBR)

CBR mode is not recommend because VBR provides better quality, but if you still want to use it you use it like this:

lame -b 192 input.wav output.mp3

The -b 192 switch controls the bitrate LAME will use. Please use a bitrate of 192 kbps to avoid arguments over quality (or better still, use -V 2 --vbr-new instead).

Graphical interfaces

FOOBAR2000

Foobar2000 is an advanced freeware audio player for the Windows platform that comes packaged with LAME and provides a very easy way to not only listen to but also convert to almost any format you desire.

ALL2LAME

ALL2LAME is a graphical interface for LAME that makes it very simple to use. Follow these instructions for the easiest way to encode high quality MP3s:

  1. Download ALL2LAME from ALL2LAME homepage (http://members.home.nl/w.speek/all2lame.htm) and extract it to a folder.
  2. Download LAME from RareWares (as explained in the download section at the top of this page, and not from the link on the ALL2LAME homepage) and extract into the ALL2LAME folder.
  3. Run ALL2LAME and type -V 2 in the Switches: box.
  4. Load the files you want encoding and click Encode.

LameDropXPd

LameDropXPd is a drag 'n' drop frontend for LAME. As well as encoding recordings to MP3, it can also transcode Ogg Vorbis files, decode MP3 files to WAV, accept FLAC input to create MP3 files, and auto-tag the files it encodes.

It can be downloaded from RareWares:

-Y Advanced Setting: depreciated

** This setting is no longer recommended: use --lowpass 16 as stated above. Information remains for historical value. **

The -Y setting is especially useful for use on audio that has been recorded from radio transmissions that do not have any audio greater than 16kHz. That generally includes most UK broadcasts, and indeed is especially relevant for older mixes that were recorded onto cassette, VHS, DAT, and MiniDisc tapes.

In simple terms this means that by using the switch you'll save a few KBs and produce a slightly lower VBR bitrate as the encoder doesn't have to worry about audio over 16kHz.

The technical explanation goes something like: sfb21 bloat is possible with LAME settings -V0 through -V2. Due to faults in the design of the Layer III format itself, encoding audio of 16kHz and higher will cause more bits to be needed than normal. The Heavy Metal genre suffers with this sfb21 bloat problem sometimes. -V3 through -V9 do not have this problem as they have the -Y switch activated by default. This switch basically makes it where if the data above 16kHz will bloat the bitrate it is not encoded.

So, you only use it on the -V0, -V1 & -V2 switches.

Further Reading

Hydrogenaudio are widely regarded as the digital audiophile site on the web. Most of the audio codec developers are members of the forum, and the information detailed there in the Hydrogenaudio wiki, stickies and posts, in our opinion, is the best available anywhere on the internet.

Hydrogenaudio's recommended LAME compile for optimal quality is now always the latest stable version (unless noted otherwise).