Open Source Mp3 Encoders

[Teacher]

Originally Posted by Cellotron

FLAC is completely different from mp3 in that it is a lossLESS codec - in that it gives absolutely the same exact quality as the original source on playback - but at approximately half the data size for the file. It does this through the same data packing methods used by common data compression codecs like WinZip, WinRAR, and StuffIt - but in a format that has been optimized for audio and that allows for full tagging (including ISRC and image files). More info at FLAC - Free Lossless Audio Codec

Best regards,
Steve Berson

has anyone done a blind test with flac and the original wave?

and

if you uncompress a flac will it zero out with the original?

thanks

[kjg]

Originally Posted by Teacher

if you uncompress a flac will it zero out with the original?

yes. complete, total, absolute null. -inf.

[Bob Olhsson]

WavPack retains and restores all of the BWF header metadata.

Flac supposedly can but I've never encountered an actual implimentation that supported complete data integrity.

[Cellotron]

Originally Posted by Teacher

has anyone done a blind test with flac and the original wave?

Yes.

if you uncompress a flac will it zero out with the original?

Yes - it will.

You need to understand that unlike mp3, FLAC does not work by removing any data from the original source - instead it just "packs it tighter" - exactly the same way things like StuffIt are able to take an executable file and make sure that every line of code is absolutely the same as written when it is uncompressed from an archive.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[Cellotron]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

WavPack retains and restores all of the BWF header metadata.

Flac supposedly can but I've never encountered an actual implimentation that supported complete data integrity.

Not sure what you mean here. FLAC is in fact lossless in every implementation I've seen. Perhaps you were testing it with a decoder that was in fact not correctly coded?

As far as tags - FLAC uses id3 tags - which afaik is different from BWF metadata in its tag locations - so I can see where translation from one to another might be awkward. I think id3 tags are actually superior to BWF metadata for purposes - as id3 has a specific tag space for ISRC - which BWF does not have.

Jaikoz works great as a tag editor for FLAC though (as well as for mp3) - Jaikoz Audio Tagger

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[Bob Olhsson]

It's simple, I want to get my time code, notes and other meta-data back.

FLAC strips it all off. WavPack doesn't and hence is a vastly superior professional application.

[Cellotron]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

It's simple, I want to get my time code, notes and other meta-data back.

FLAC strips it all off. WavPack doesn't and hence is a vastly superior professional application.

I'd agree that using WavPack would be vastly superior if maintaining BWF metadata is an issue. For many applications - especially delivery to the consumer - BWF metadata is not a concern though.

But for delivery of high res material at full fidelity to the end listener I think FLAC is superior because there is more software and hardware support for it than WavPack currently, and because it is open source and license free for me it makes it a more welcoming format to embrace as a hope for a future "standard."

Best regards,
Steve Berson