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.cda Bit-rate

Discussion in 'Audio' started by GalaticSnurd, Jun 23, 2011.

  1. GalaticSnurd

    GalaticSnurd Member

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    I have a cd-rom with .cda music files on it that were created from mp3's. I am using Windows Media Player to rip these tracks and store them on my PC but I must first choose a bit-rate to record them with. I want to duplicate the quality of the source disc. How can I tell what the source bit-rate is?
     
  2. k00ka

    k00ka Regular member

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    Just rip to wav since the source disc is from lossy(MP3) tracks..You'll get another un-compressed version of your lossy source disc..
    At this stage you can't tell what the original source bitrate is/was, since as I stated, it's a lossy source disc...
     
  3. Mez

    Mez Active member

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    Good to see you post something k00ka.

    Everything he said was true, however, you can get a better than a fair guess. There is information in the top sticky that can help you. There are links there to the tool and table I propose you use.

    If you run Tau Analyzer on your CD you can get an audio spectrum of your CD. Find the highest pitch on the CD. There is also a link to a reference to a lame table for vbr bit rates vs highest pitch supported. Rip with EAC or dbPowerAmp to produce the lame vbr mp3 setting that matches the highest pitch in the spectrum of your CD. That will be an effective yard stick. Don't use WMP it is junk compared with the other 2 and you have no pitch guide.

    What do you think K00ka?
     
  4. k00ka

    k00ka Regular member

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    Hi ya doing Mez..Agree on running TA if the OP didn't know whether they had a lossy source CD or not, but since according to 1st post it is indeed a lossy source disc..Otherwise yes it is a very good tool to determine(in most cases) if someone has any doubts, whether they've purchased/acquired a lossless source disc or not, but AFAIK does not give you what the original bitrate is/was..
    Good to be here my friend, thanks for the friendly welcome..
     
  5. Mez

    Mez Active member

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    I always like your 2 cents. I contend that the original BR is not all that important. I can think of some Elton John and Billy Joel LPs that can faithfully be captured with 128 even though the BR was well above 1450 (vinyl). The master recording have no high pitches for what ever reason. I suspect the recordings used only one mic near the artist's mouth. The piano was just background music for the voice. The new age pianists like Olfield & Wakeman changed all that. Now they all use pianos that have internal mic pick ups that have rare earth magnets. Even their live performances blow away those old studio LPs because you can really hear the pianos as if your head was inside the piano. Any music that only have voice and electronic instruments will be the same. It is the acoustic stringed instruments that require massive band width to faithfully capture the music.

    I suspect the CD was a gift. Otherwise why bother trying to resurrect the original BR. GS has to be commended not taking the easy road and just maxing out the MP3, which is an extreme vbr. VBR preserves a higher pitch than a 320. That is the next best way to go and probably just as good now that I think on it. The encoder will do the work for you. It will analyze the music and match the bit rate to just enough BR to faithfully capture the audio in each frame. The BR fluctuates all over the place. That is why it is called Variable Bit Rate.

    Using WMP that can only rip to fixed bit rates would be a mistake. It makes no sense to using anything but Lame or Helix (guess) VBR encoders. VBRs provide the highest quality and does not waist file space like fixed rates do. Lame and Helix provide the best quality of the VBRs.
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2011

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