Classical Music and Compression

[Floppyman]

Hi all,

I bought an iPod over Christmas break and will soon put a good amount of music I own onto it including a number of classical music albums. I've noticed that when I encode classical music in 128kbps mp3 the sound loses a lot of its color and fullness. Would a higher bit level help? Or, is there a better compression scheme to use for classical music that the iPod supports? Thanks in advance.

[Moose on the Loose]

I would try a higher bitrate. I don't hear the difference when the bitrate goes higher than 192 kps, but you seem to be more of a "connesseur" so you might want to try an even higher bitrate.

I think iTunes supports AAC encoding. Supposedly, 128 bit AAC is more or less the same than 160 kbps MP3, while using the same amount of space. Well that's what iTunes itself says anyway.

You can change the encoding method and bitrate (in iTunes) under Preferences, under the "Importing" tab.

Moose :)

[SonicVanguard]

Hi Floppyman.

Classical music is very dynamic - it has a wider dynamic range than most any other music. And that will show in lower compression schemes - the highs will be toned down, the lows might be cut off, the brilliance will be muted. It's the nature of the beast.

For mp3, I would use a minimum of 192kbs for classical music. Or I would encode with 160kbs AAC - I prefer AAC anyway - it's a better scheme all around. Unless of course you'd like to invest in the Fraunhofer IIS MPEG Layer-3 Codec Professional codec. That will make a world of difference - but will also set you back in the pocketbook.

Dave.

[Floppyman]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I'll give AAC a try. Out of curiousity, how much does the Fraunhofer IIS MPEG Layer-3 Professional Codec cost?

Also can you explain the difference between mp3 and AAC to me (i.e. the technical details)? TIA.

[SonicVanguard]

Rather than me spend the next few hours writing about the major differences and such, take some time to read around here: Fraunhofer Fraunhofer Institut Integrierte Schaltungen (http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/amm/index.html). As far as the professional codec, Thomson takes care of all the Fraunhofer IIS licensing here (http://www.mp3licensing.com/). But it is my understanding that when AAC was developed Fraunhofer IIS stopped offering the professional codec for distribution.

Dave.

[Colonel Sanders]

Doesn't Musicmatch Jukebox use a Fraunhofer codec?

L J

[Floppyman]

Well, 192kbps AAC sounds allright on the iPod; not perfect, but pretty good. The rest I'll blame on the earbuds that come with the iPod which aren't the greatest IMHO. Then again, maybe I'm just saying that since I'm used to high quality Sennheiser headphones...:)

[SonicVanguard]

Doesn't Musicmatch Jukebox use a Fraunhofer codec?

L J
It's not the professional codec - it's the basic codec. Big difference.

Dave.