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by **Mathieu Benoit** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 2:47 pm

I'm looking for a freeware program that does batch conversion of wave to MP3. I have a great program that changes sample rate and bit-depth (R8brain) but I need to find something that transfers wave files to MP3s. I have like 75 compositions that I want to make into a sample library for clients.

Any suggestions?

by **macrae11** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 2:51 pm

iTunes will do it. The encoder is not the best in the world, but it's not super sucky. I use it for most of my not super critical stuff.

by **Mathieu Benoit** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:05 pm

I don't have iTunes on my workstation computer, the fireface and iTunes do NOT get along in any way shape or form. Worse case scenario I could send everything to my macbook, but I'll try to avoid that.

by **macrae11** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:08 pm

Well you wouldn't even have to run iTunes through the fireface. Just use it as a converter app, and then listen to the output in whatever you want. I'm sure there must be other "playback" apps that can do the same thing iTunes can though.

Although if your MacBook is networked to your workstation, I would think that would almost be a better solution. Open up the files on the PC hard drive from your Mac using iTunes, and then export them. You might even be able to set your destination source as the same networked drive. Having another computer just to do mindless batch processing is my dream somedays.

by **Mathieu Benoit** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:14 pm

Hmm... you're as smart as you look Mr. MacRae.

by **macrae11** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:15 pm

Yeah unfortunately I look like a dumbass.

by **Mathieu Benoit** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:24 pm

macrae11 wrote:Yeah unfortunately I look like a dumbass.

Silly...

by **Malcolm Boyce** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:33 pm

Won't even just WMP do wave to MP3?

I am a fan of Xing:

http://www.mp3-converter.com/xing_mp3encoder.htm

by **Mathieu Benoit** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:57 pm

Malcolm Boyce wrote:Won't even just WMP do wave to MP3?

I am a fan of Xing:

http://www.mp3-converter.com/xing_mp3encoder.htm

Now we're talking............

by **macrae11** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 4:03 pm

Malcolm Boyce wrote:Won't even just WMP do wave to MP3?

I am a fan of Xing:

http://www.mp3-converter.com/xing_mp3encoder.htm

Never used it, but this bit of copy worries me a bit.

So is this the best encoder around then? It all depends. If you have a sensitive ear, you will probably notice some problems with the quality of the Xing encoder. It gets its great speed at a price and many files have a noticeable "flanging" effect on some of the instruments. If you are a musician, you will notice it easily.

Especially coming from a not free piece of software.

by **Malcolm Boyce** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 4:18 pm

macrae11 wrote:
So is this the best encoder around then? It all depends. If you have a sensitive ear, you will probably notice some problems with the quality of the Xing encoder. It gets its great speed at a price and many files have a noticeable "flanging" effect on some of the instruments. If you are a musician, you will notice it easily.

Especially coming from a not free piece of software.

Thiswould have been encoded with Xing.

by **macrae11** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:18 pm

Sounds not to shabby at home on the crappy computer speakers.

What bit rate is that done at? If it's 128, I'll be quite impressed.

by **Malcolm Boyce** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:20 pm

macrae11 wrote:What bit rate is that done at? If it's 128, I'll be quite impressed.

I can't be positive, but I would normally use a "High Variable" setting for something reasonably critical.

by **Jef** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:20 am

I use WaveLab for a lot of things... including converting to .mp3. It works very well and you have a lot of control over the outcome.

by **Mathieu Benoit** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:25 am

Jef wrote:I use WaveLab for a lot of things... including converting to .mp3. It works very well and you have a lot of control over the outcome.

Can it do batch coversion though? Because if it does I wonder if Cubase would... that would be ultimate.

by **Jef** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:18 pm

Drumwaiter wrote:Can it do batch coversion though?

..uh huh

(from the WaveLab Help Files)

Basic procedure:
WaveLab can open and play both uncompressed and compressed files in a number of different formats, including WAV, AIFF, MP3, WMA (Windows Media Audio) and OSQ (Original Sound Quality), which is WaveLab's proprietary lossless audio format.

It's also possible to convert WAV or AIFF files to another format. While this can be done by opening a file and selecting "Save As" or "Save Special/Encode" on the File menu, you can also convert several files in one go (batch conversion). This is much like a simplified version of the Batch Processor, for when only batch file conversion is needed (no processing).

Proceed as follows:

1. Select "Batch file encoding..." from the Tools menu.

The "Encode audio files" dialog opens.

2. Click on the green "plus" symbol.

A file selector opens, where you can select the desired audio files (WAV or AIFF). Files must have the same sample rate and number of channels (e.g. stereo/mono).

3. In the file type pop-up select one of the available formats (WAV or AIFF) and then - in the file list - select the desired files. If necessary, use the [Ctrl] and/or [Shift] keys to select several files. Confirm your selection by clicking "Open".

This brings you back to the "Encode audio files" dialog.

Note that it is possible to simultaneously batch encode audio files of different formats, given that all the files have the same sample rate and number of channels.

4. Select the destination folder for the converted files from the corresponding pop-up menu.

5. Select the desired destination format by clicking the audio properties button at the bottom of the dialog.

This opens the Audio File Format dialog in which you can select the desired format and make settings for it.

6. For some compressed file formats, clicking on the arrow button to the right of the Encoding and Attributes menus calls up dialogs where you can set the encoding parameters and enter text strings.

Click the help button for the Audio File Format dialog for a description of the various options.

Note that MP3 and WMA are "lossy" audio compression formats. This means that the audio quality of such a compressed file will not be the same as of the original, uncompressed file. If you need audio file compression with uncompromised audio quality, you should use the OSQ (Original Sound Quality) lossless audio compression format instead (see About saving OSQ files).

by **Mathieu Benoit** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:42 pm

I must look into this for Cubase. Luckily I keep a copy of all my Cubase manuals and reference guides here at work, for just such an event.

by **Jef** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 1:20 pm

Drumwaiter wrote:I must look into this for Cubase. Luckily I keep a copy of all my Cubase manuals and reference guides here at work, for just such an event.

Do you ever actually do any work there at your job? roflmao

by **Mathieu Benoit** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 1:24 pm

Jef wrote:
Drumwaiter wrote:I must look into this for Cubase. Luckily I keep a copy of all my Cubase manuals and reference guides here at work, for just such an event.

Do you ever actually do any work there at your job?

Define work?

by **Jef** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 1:47 pm

Drumwaiter wrote:Define work?

You know... those annoying little tasks that your employer expects you to do while you're sitting there and getting paid. Instead of say... posting on forums, reading Cubase manuals...etc.
Unless, of course, that is what you get paid to do. If so... are they hiring?

by **Mathieu Benoit** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:00 pm

Jef wrote:
Drumwaiter wrote:Define work?

You know... those annoying little tasks that your employer expects you to do while you're sitting there and getting paid. Instead of say... posting on forums, reading Cubase manuals...etc.
Unless, of course, that is what you get paid to do. If so... are they hiring?

You misunderstand, I post and read manuals on designated break periods.

...Man, I can't even type that with a straight face. :roll:

by **Mathieu Benoit** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:02 pm

Nothing in the Cubase manual suggests that it's even remotely posible. For $1200 you think you could eh? The damn thing should come just short of giving me the 'ol reach-around for that price...

by **Jef** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:56 pm

I think WaveLab was around 500 bucks (worth it IMO).

by **Mathieu Benoit** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 5:43 pm

Jef wrote:I think WaveLab was around 500 bucks (worth it IMO).

Make your sales pitch, my friend.

by **Mathieu Benoit** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:50 pm

So I have about 80ish tunes in my library that I want converted. Anyone interested in doing it for me? I just don't want to have to do them one by one...I'd go insane.

Any takers. Name your "reasonable" price.

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