Okay I’m up on mp3s and can convert them to wavs etc. But what about making wavs mp3s? Is there an easy way to do this that I’m missing?
I believe this has been asked before. At any rate, I can’t see why you would want to do it. Both WAV and MP3 file formats use the same MP3 compression. The difference is that WAV is formatted as a complete file, with the compression info in the header, and MP3 as streaming so the info has to be repeated periodically in the stream. This makes the same amount of audio take up more disk space. I do not understand why you would use MP3 format for audio files when you can use WAV which is more efficient.
So, I guess, my answer to your question is: I’ve never done it and I don’t know of a program that will do it.
Well I never thought I’d need to do it either, which is why I’m totally clueless as to the HOW. Why? Because Age Of Empire taunts need to be mp3s and I’m putting together a new set of taunts and all my quotes and clips are in wav format… sigh
Almost any encoder that you find will be able to turn a .wav file into an .mp3. Even though most are now combined with rippers to take them straight from the CD, most still retain the capability to take a .wav file instead of a CDAudio track. I use AudioGrabber with the Blade command line encoder. Works great, but it’s a little slower than some of the other ones out there.
http://www.mp3.com has reviews and shareware programs you can dowload to find the one you like.
This is not entirely true. A WAV file is not necessarily compressed and can use any of several compression schemes if it is compressed. It IS true that a WAV file requires a header to provide information, but this is only a small, almost inconsequential number of bytes.
Most proper WAV files are not compressed. Period. Generally, when you convert one to an MP3 it does get compressed. Sound Recorder in Win 98 and up does support MP3 compression when playing/recording a WAV file and can save in the MP3 format with one added issue. It HAS to have the WAV header file and a .WAV extension (otherwise it dooesn’t know how to handle the file). Once it is saved like this, you can rename the file and any MP3 player should be able to play it.
There are several utilities out there that convert both ways. Check out www.tucows.com and www.download.com among others to see about downloading software that is more efficient and easier to use than Sound Recorder.
I, myself, use the Gold Wave (www.goldwave.com)
But the program alone doesn’t read MP3. At the same site, you have to d/l the DDLs “Blade091” and “Lame_win”, and put em in the windows/system folder (just drag and drop, it’s that easy).
Program is shareware with limits of use, but of course you can find the crack at [Link deleted. Please do not post information on software cracks here.]
[Edited by Chronos on 11-12-2000 at 01:31 PM]
Check out Music Match Jukebox. It will convert mp3 to wav and vice versa, with just a couple of clicks o’ the mouse.
>> Most proper WAV files are not compressed. Period.
If there is one thing I have learnt in this board is that saying “period” at the end of the sentence automatically makes the previous statement correct and ends all argument.
Meephead, I thought it would be clear from what I said that I was comparing the MP3 and WAV formats when they both use the same MP3 compression.
Since some people cannot gather this by themselves I will make the following statement: I was comparing the MP3 and WAV formats when they both use the same MP3 compression.
it is interesting that “proper” WAV files are not compressed and the rest are therefore “improper”.
At any rate, everything I said is correct.
True. And I stated that a little too strongly. I have no excuse for my rudeness other than that I was in a hurry, which is no excuse at all. Please accept my apology?
That wasn’t clear to me, but I was still too quick and harsh in the way I “corrected” you. (qoutes indicating that I was a little quick in my judgement–or lack thereof)
Clarification noted. Your original reply is more clear now with that being said.
[qoute]it is interesting that “proper” WAV files are not compressed and the rest are therefore “improper”.
[/quote]
Poor choice of words on my part. I should put it this way: It is my understanding that the original intent of the WAV format was to provide pure, un-compressed digital audio in Pulse Code Modulated format. It has since expanded to include several different compression formats, including MP3, among many
Now that you have clarified your original reply, I see that. Please don’t think I was trying to make you look like you didn’t know what you were talking about, because that was not my intent. Thanks for setting me straight. Refer to my sig.
Meep, meep! :-Þ :-þ :-Þ :-þ :-Þ :-þ :-Þ :-þ :-Þ :-þ ::runs away::
Meephead, thanks for your clarification; I guess my first post could have been clearer too. BTW this subject has been discussed before in other threads.
For the benefit of those reading this thread I will try to clarify:
If you have a raw PCM file (uncompressed) and you compress it with the same MP3 bitrate/quality to WAV and to MP3 file types, they will both have exactly the same quality but the MP3 file will be slightly larger because it contains more overhead. (This overhead is necessary with streaming content but not necessary with discrete files where you have the header.)
For this reason I always save my audio files as (MP3 compressed) WAV files and I will normally convert MP3 to WAV format.
Uniball, please don’t post links here to sites which facilitate software cracking or other illegal activities. Without getting into the debate over whether piracy should be illegal, the fact is that it is illegal, like it or not, and the Straight Dope could get into a lot of trouble over it.