MP3s, how to shrink them

[NovaPhoenix]

Ok just wondering, is ther e a simple program out there, that will convernt the frequency and size of an mp3 down to lower quality so that I can fit more onto my PPC?<br><br>eg- convert my mp3s to mono<br><br>without needing to decode the mp3 into a wav then en-coding them again.

[Moose or Chuck]

I think there must be one out there, but I've never come across it. Tell me if you do find one.

[k]

I think you should really look into WMA files. You can encode a song at a low birate and get great quality. Much better than mp3 quality (using the same birate). For instance a 64kbps WMA file sounds really really good vs a 64kbps Mp3 file that would sound like crap. You can go as low as 48 kbps with WMA and get decent quality. Its been my experience with Mp3 encoding that once you drop down beyound 128 - 96 kbps, you really notice a big drop. Definetly look in to WMA. Windows media player supports the format, and you wont even have to worry about going mono to save space. If you use Winamp, it can convert mp3 files to WMA.

[Moose or Chuck]

WHY does everyone say that? Microsoft encoders suck. I can definitely tell a huge difference between WMA and MP3s. The MP3 file format is a whole lot more flexible than WMAs. I personally can make my MP3s smaller and better than any WMA.

[NovaPhoenix]

Ok, how do you make them smaller? :>

[Moose or Chuck]

I get the wave file, most of the time decoded from a high bitrate (320kbps), and use whatever MP3 encoder I have handy. I then encode it, for my PocketPC, to a nice 64-96kbps using Mono or Stereo, depending on the song, and set the frequency to something lower like 22050Hz, which is unnoticeable on the PPC. The files are all <= 1MB and are usually 4+ minutes long. But since I got my 1GB MicroDrive I've had no need to reencode any MP3s.

[k]

Moose Master, what encoder are you using to do this encoding. It's been my experience with mp3 encoders that they hurt the quality a lot. Do you have a recommended one?

[Moose or Chuck]

I can't recall which encoder I liked the best. But I usually just go to any MP3 site that comes up in a search and grab the MP3 Encoder with the most features. I found a site once that rated the encoders, it was quite informative, but I didn't bookmark the site because I had gotten what I needed from it after leaving that site.

[Jaybot]

In other words, you're lying or you are extremely forgetful, either way it sounds like you've never even tried to use the windows media encoder (or an mp3 encoder, for that matter) or you could never figure out how to get it to work.  Otherwise you wouldn't have made such vague, assertive, asenine arguments.  It almost sounds like astrology to me.  There is a difference between a high bit rate mp3 and a hifg bit rate wma, the mp3 sounds a bit cleaner.... however a low bitrate,  low sampling Mp3 sounds MUCH worse than a low br/smpling wma, and that is what nova was asking aboutmI believe.... also the wm encoder is much faster (and even a bit easier) than most mp3 encoders... except maybe xing or blade, and is the best Free encoder out there (winamps encoder is lame and slow).... I'm done.

[Moose or Chuck]

Oh no, you found me out. I was lying because I want people to use MP3s more. My master plan has been foiled, I surrender~

[Moose or Chuck]

guys there just mp3's not politics, just because u inform this guy that he should use wma's or mp3's and somebody says somethhing vague u FLIP out. thats not hhelpful. hehehe i'm one to talk

[onlinetracker]

Do the same mentalities that hang/hung out at BetaNews.com hang out here too?<br>

[eboss]

I have just the program to shrink them!! its called "XING MPEG ENCODER"<br>it also does movies and other stuff! And it has a big range of bit rates.<br>to see some samples of it at the lowest bitrate (mono) check em out on my site

[Moose or Chuck]

well aren't you special, i think almost everone here has xing, and we don't nee dthe encoder we jsut wanna get a good qual. sound at a low-bitrate

[eboss]

Well then thats not ganna happen!<br>i just save mine at 64K, not bad quality and only about 1.5meg a song