[K12OSN] Audio Converter

[Henry Hartley]

On Friday, December 02, 2005 9:40 AM Paul VanGundy said:
>> 
>> I am looking for Linux software that will convert .ogg and .wav
>> audio files into .mp3 format. I'm looked around and can't seem
>> to find any. I can find converters that take .ogg and convert
>> them into .wav and vice versa but nothing that will convert .ogg
>> and .wav into .mp3.
>> 
>> We are trying something new in our district and need the
>> compression of quality of .mp3 format. Thanks in advance.

In my experience, with both stereo music and mono speech audio, .ogg
files are smaller and have better fidelity than the equivalent .mp3
file.  With music, I use high sample and bit rates so the quality
differences are not that great.  For this, both .ogg and .mp3 are more
than adequate (although I use .ogg by preference).  With mono speech, I
compress more and this makes the difference more noticeable.  

Specifically, converting a 40 minute speech (using 48kbps bit rate)
gives me .mp3 and .ogg files in the 16 to 20 MB range, with .ogg being
about 5% smaller.  The sound quality, however, it markedly better in the
.ogg file.  I make both because not everyone knows what to do with .ogg
but I always recommend it over the .mp3.  On the other hand, I have a CD
player in my car that plays .mp3 but not .ogg.  Oh well.

As for encoding, you will do MUCH better if you convert .wav files to
.mp3.  Both .mp3 and .ogg are lossy formats.  That means they achieve
much of the compression by throwing out bits of the original.  Since
they don't necessarily throw out the same bits, if you convert from one
to the other, you'd be getting the worst of each.  Instead, convert from
.wav to each separately.

As for tools:
http://lame.sourceforge.net/
http://nostatic.org/grip/

-- 
Henry