Splitting FLAC with CUE file & exporting to MP3

[PortaStudio]

Okay, I'm going to use the foobar2000 option for now and will give MusicBee a try when I am going to move more data.

 

[PortaStudio]

So the soundsystem in my car supports m4a and m4b. Are they both better compared to mp3? Which one is better? And is there something I should be aware of in the settings when exporting?

 

[Vincent Kars]

Are they both better compared to mp3?

Both are containers so you can't say anything about the content
However, m4a is supposed to support both ALAC (Apples own FLAC) and AAC (MP3 but better).
If space is limited, try AAC else ALAC.

 

[PortaStudio]

Both are containers so you can't say anything about the content
However, m4a is supposed to support both ALAC (Apples own FLAC) and AAC (MP3 but better).
If space is limited, try AAC else ALAC.

Interesting, so if the manual of my system says that m4a is supported, it might be able to play ALAC in a m4a container? ALAC can have a resolution up to 192khz 24bits. I would like to make some test files in the m4a container in AAC, CD quality ALAC as well as higher resolutions. Can I do this with foobar2000? Or is there another program I can use to split the audio (with a cue file) and put these codecs in a m4a container?

 

[Vincent Kars]

What I understand is that you always get a m4a as filetype. At conversion time you specify the codec (ALAC or AAC) to be used.

 

[PortaStudio]

What I understand is that you always get a m4a as filetype. At conversion time you specify the codec (ALAC or AAC) to be used.

Great! In foobar2000 I see four options for AAC:

Apple, exhale, FDK, Winamp FhG

There is also 'Apple Lossless'. I can adjust the bit depth but not the sampling rate?

 

[Vincent Kars]

You probably have to add a sample rate converter to the chain:

https://www.reddit.com/r/foobar2000/comments/hj7imv

 

[PortaStudio]

Thanks a lot!

 

[recycle]

@PortaStudio If you are a music lover you should under no circumstances use mp3, you deserve better than that. If your hifi car does not accept flac format you should definitely consider upgrading it, in addition to have an audio quality improvement, you would also enjoy all the modern features (navigation - streaming - bluetooth, rear camera, etc)

 

[oozlum]

Max

 

[PortaStudio]

@PortaStudio If you are a music lover you should under no circumstances use mp3, you deserve better than that. If your hifi car does not accept flac format you should definitely consider upgrading it, in addition to have an audio quality improvement, you would also enjoy all the modern features (navigation - streaming - bluetooth, rear camera, etc)

Thanks for the tip! Unfortunatly I don't think you can upgrade this:

It has bluetooth, navigation and rear camera. It is a very good system, but no FLAC support. Maybe ALAC in a m4a container, I'll have to test that. It is puzzling to me why this does not support at least CD quality FLAC.

 

[PortaStudio]

Max

MacOS only.

 

[PortaStudio]

I have tried converting to AAC (Apple) from FLACs of various bit depths and sampling rates, as well as from mp3s. Nothing works:

1 out of 1 files converted with major problems.

Source: "[...]"
An error occurred while writing to file (The encoder has terminated prematurely with code 2 (0x00000002); please re-check parameters) : "[...]\test.m4a"
Additional information:
Encoder stream format: 44100Hz / 2ch / 16bps
Command line: "[...]\foobar2000\encoders\qaac.exe" --ignorelength -s --no-optimize -c 512 -o "test.m4a" -
Working folder: [...]
Conversion failed: The encoder has terminated prematurely with code 2 (0x00000002); please re-check parameters

Edit: Just tried out ALAC. Unfortunatly the system just skips the tracks. AAC at 512kbps sounds promising, if I can get the conversion to work.

Edit2: Apparently I have to install iTunes or Winamp first.

Edit3: got it to work!

 

[PortaStudio]

The AAC m4a files I create with foobar2000 come out as 320 kbps eventhough I have set the encoder to the constant bit rate (CBR) of 512 kbps. What am I doing wrong?

EDIT: From what I have gathered, with qaac the max bitrate for stereo files at 44.1 kHz is 320 kbps, with 8 channel files at 48kHz theoretically going up to 1280 kbps (althoug in foobar2000 it is only allowing for 512 kbps). If someone can confirm that 320 kbps is the maximum bitrate possible with a 44.1 kHz stereo file, that would be good to know. Before I convert all my audio I'd like to make sure it is the best quality I can get with AAC.

 

[PortaStudio]

I went for 320kbps AAC and it is decent enough. There is a notable difference compared to 16bit 44.1kHz FLAC but it works well enough. I would recommend to go for as highest resolution lossless format if possible. I'd always pic AAC 320kbps compared to mp3 320kbps, as well as I'd prefer CD quality compared both of those. If you audio device allwos for it, I'd go for hires lossless audio always.

 

[SuperDerpBro]

CUETools is fantastic for this http://cue.tools/wiki/CUETools

 

[PortaStudio]

CUETools is fantastic for this http://cue.tools/wiki/CUETools

I've used foobar by now, but it looks like this is easier to install.