newer versions of toolame - quality?

[EddyH]

Seeing now that i might have somehow passed by the newer versions of TooLame, with the enhanced/experimental psychoacoustic models and everything, can anyone who's properly tested them tell me how they stack up vs the older versions, other programs? Still on the hunt for the ultimate mp2 encoder

I've downloaded it and am doing a test at the moment, but my main machine is a little crippled so having to use a slower computer without all the usual tools.. cant test very well except with my ears, when it finishes. Does model 3 sound any better, or is it too experimental to be usable? And what does altering the ATH level do?

Suppose these questions might be better levelled at the authour, but there's a chance someone's had practical experience of using it with a range of material etc etc.

Sorry if this looks a bit dazed, i've got a head lioness hungry for internet meat staring over my shoulder

[EddyH]

nothing? hmm guess i did forget to check the archives and the search function

own impression - pretty good, compared to tmpgenc and previous versions anyway. Could (and will..!?) get better, still a bit of warbling and wibbling at the top end, and seems unwilling to go above 16khz very much (at 160k anyhow - but at least it goes there occasionally! and i'd probably filter down to 16-17khz at this bitrate so no biggie), but overall fidelity and stereo quality about as fine and satisfying as mp2 so far gets oh yeah, and of course, it's quick. give it three more months in devel/tweak and i might give up on cooledit/gnu completely.. been waiting for it ever since seeing lame mp3 in action after all

[JoNty]

I prefer using LAME 3.93.1 command line for my DVD audio to DivX needs.

http://mitiok.cjb.net/

[EddyH]

/flame on

No-one ever listens when I ask this question, do they?

I'm trying to make VCDs. With mp2 audio. Em Pee Two. Just a little faster than, but with similar overall quality and better stereo fidelity than, the ancient but surprising encoder with my audio program. Hence TooLame (notice the "Too"??). 3.93 is all fine and dandy and frugal with it's VBR bits when it comes to layer 3 and has earned my respect, but it's a completely different program, standard, and intention.

grr! and for the (fourth?) time, grr!

/flame off

OK, that little rant besides, my mind has changed back under proper testing. It's certainly better than TMPGEnc, and the stereo is very good, but the treble fidelity leaves much to be desired from as low as 13khz on up, especially around 14k and above 15.5k, and there's general squiffiness throughout the whole sound. Oh well. Time to .rar the wave file up into little chunks and buzz it over to another PC that has cool edit on it, to wait for the promised improvements from the superhackers of lame ... cant really complain about something that didnt cost any money after all.

Here endeth the pointless and little read audio update :P