For people who user audiograbber to rip their CD's to MP3 I just found out about an undocumented feature. You can use the r3mix preset with the lame encoder. Here's how to do it:

Edit this line in audiograbber.ini:
MP3QualityMode=xxxxxx
Set it to
MP3QualityMode=R3MIX

What is the r3mix preset used for and how do I get into the audiograbber.ini file to change it?

It would take me to long to explain it, just goto http://www.r3mix.net to learn about the r3mix preset.

To edit the file simply go into windows explorer and goto the audiograbber directory(probably in your C Drive) and you should see the file. Right click on the file and left click edit, change the setting as described above and click file, save. You should be good to go.

Quick question, with Lame 3.91, what should I be using? --r3mix or --alt-preset standard? I keep seeing mixed info on this...

My understanding (based on usenet posts) is that the --alt-preset standard replaced the --r3mix setting, rendering the latter obsolete.

Find the full equivalents of each preset to find out exactly what they're doing. r3mix.net shows the complete command line params and I'm sure the other stuff is available on dibrom's site (can't remember where or what the url is).

The tip above for the r3mix setting and AudioGrabber is for when you're using the DLL with AG's built-in controls. If you use a command-line encoder from AG's command line prefs page, then you can specify whatever options you want (obviously).

Ok, 24 is on. Time to go.

Bruno

Ok, 24 is on. Time to go.

That's why you get a TiVo...

One thing I noticed is that he recommends JointStereo for LAMe.... is this still true? I thought everyone here said NO joint stereo?

Can you use the --alt-preset setting with audiograbber?

Frank

I'm not sure on that. I use EAC, which allows you to specify your own command line options.

I tried putting that setting in the ini file and saved it and opened it again to find it had changed to normal. I'm not sure what it was supposed to do.

It's a way to override the simpler settings normally allowed for the dll LAME implementation.

Don't use r3mix without going to www.r3mix.net to read about it. It's an easy read. Just make sure you understand why he chose to configure the preset the way he did.

You can also download LAME.exe and use that with Audiograbber as an EXTERNAL encoder. That way you can easily specify any command line options right in AG. Very easy to do.

Bruno

I do use Lame in AudioGrabber, the newest 3.91 version of it.

If you are already running it as an external encoder, changing the how audiograbber uses the dll won't change anything. The dll integrates into audiograbber, while the lame exe file is a seperate standalone program that could be run by itself if you wanted to. All you have to do to get the command line version to use r3mix settings is to add --r3mix to the arguments under mp3settings.

Sean

I believe I understand. I have been running it as an internal encoder. I checked external and saw where you put in the command lines. I"ll have to go back to the R3mix site and read up on what should be in the command line. Thanks.

I just wish my job work load would ease up a bit so I could find more time to play around with all this stuff.

Joint Stereo with Lame is OK, and the recommended setting. The major problems with Joint Stereo were when using Xing as the encoder. The stereo seperation was all foobar'ed and it made for interesting listening with headphones.

Lame, Fraunhofe, and Blade don't seem to do this.. Long live lame.

(i liked being called stranger better than newbie.)

I guess I'm not as computer savy as I thought...

I WAS using MediaJukebox with LAME but convinced myself to get Audiograbber (with a little persuation from a fellow BBS member) with the seperate LAME encoder. But I can't seem to find a place to start... The site referenced in this thread seems to be out of date because of LAME releasing 3.91?

I was running MediaJukebox at "High" quality, VBR LAME, Joint Stereo. File sizes were slightly smaller than 192kps CBR with MusicMatch. I would like file sizes the same as I had with MediaJukebox and am clueless with the command line stuff... oh well.

I havn't had much luck at the AudioGrabber site for LAME specific info and the LAME site is pretty general too... Oh well, I guess I'll use MediaJukebox for the meantime.

Just download Audiograbber (from audiograbber) and the lame DLL file (linked from all lame and most mp3 sites) - and install audiograbber. Pop the Lame DLL in the audiograbber directory and it will appear automagically as an option. When Lame is selected as the encoder of choice, the GUI presents you with parameters relevant to LAME.

Yup - it really is that easy.

You can either go with the options from the menu or use the slider bar for lower to higher quality.

The major problems with Joint Stereo were when using Xing as the encoder. The stereo seperation was all foobar'ed and it made for interesting listening with headphones.

I've got plenty of joint stereo tracks made in Xing, and they sound fine on headphones. Perhaps the foobar'ed problem you describe was due to this problem?

I'll hook you up with some good settings to start with. You can tweak beyond that after you make some preview tracks.

Check your PM in a bit.

Bruno

Bruno, I got the PM thanks!

But get this:!!!!

I was testing the "--alt-preset standard" setting... The program ripped along at a decent rate... dumping all the WAV's to the folder. The I saw the program (AudioGrabber) create the folder for the mp3's. When it was done, a little window popped up, one after another, for each track. Each window was up for only 1/2 second. Each time, it did, the WAV disappreared. I was shocked it was working this fast and knew it wasn't encoding this fast. When it was done, I looked in the folder it created for the album and it was empty.... this thing ripped to WAV, created a folder, then erased all the WAV's! wff?!

What else is in your command line? It sounds like either you didnt tell ag where to find the lame file, or your command line was wrong. Mine looks like this:
%s %d --r3mix

Yours should be somthing along the lines of:

%s %d --alt-preset standard

Sean

I just did "--alt-preset standard".... I thought that took care of everything.. what does %s %d do?

EDIT: Just click the "info" box and found out... I feel stupid now... hehe I guess I took the instructions of putting "--alt-preset standard" in the arguments too literal!

Tells the encoder where to look for the ripped wavs. Try it!

Basically you told AG to call LAME with the argument "--alt-preset" but without the IN or OUT file. AG happily does that. And then also deletes the WAV as you also asked it to do. Hehe. It's a case of it doing exactly what you told it to do. And not what you wanted it to do.

When I pasted you my command line, I *did* have the in/out variables in there - guess you missed them.

Bruno

Nope, you DID have them in there, and I did use them for YOUR preset, but for the --alt-preset, I didn't put them in. I never thought it was "broken" or acting up, I knew I was just telling it the wrong thing...:)

I'm just glad I didn't rip a ton of CD's and THEN find out.

Heh, I did the exact same thing. Had to do a little research on usenet before I figured out what I did wrong.

Ok, I played around with this tonight. I set Lame to be used as an external encoder, turned off normalization and used the --alt-preset standard. I then played the original CD and then the MP3 but I have to admit this is all through WinAmp because my players are still in England at the moment, and I thought the song sounded kind of distorted in the MP3 file. I was using Metallica's song One for my example. So what did I do wrong here?

Do it again exactly like you did the first time, EXCEPT, do not delete the WAV file. When you're done encoding, do a 3-way comparison between CD, WAV and MP3. Basically you want to figure out where the problems are being introduced. If your WAV is lousy, then your problem is at the ripping stage, not encode. If your WAV is fine, try the r3mix setting. Or try the following (which is mostly r3mix):

"--nspsytune --vbr-mtrh -V0 -mj -h -b112 --lowpass 19.5 --athtype 3 --ns-sfb21 2 -Z -X0 %s %d"

Don't include the quotes when you paste it into AG. Obviously you have to pick "user defined" in the list box above where you paste the argument.

Bruno

Thanks, I'll give that a try and see. I've always just deleted the .wav files without listening to them. I do have just a cheap generic CD-ROM drive so maybe that is the problem.

There could be a couple of reasons for this. If you are getting bad wavs, like hybrid suggested, then try slowing down your cd drive. Go into the settings tab, and there will be options for the cd drive, drive speed, and rip method. First, try slowing down the cd drive. If you have it set for 20x, try 8X. If that doesnt work, try changing the rip method to dynamic sync width or one of the fixed sync width options.

Sean

Or, if it doesn't work (and work well) on "Buffered Burst" go out and buy a new CDROM drive. Because you'll be pulling your hair out trying to rip on a slow drive with questionable performance. As an aside: It takes me between 2 to 3 minutes to rip an entire CD with my Plextor. That's rip, not encode.

Bruno

I did notice that when using Lame externally it took quite a bit more time for the encoding. The ripping time was the same, about 5 to 6 mintues for an entire CD. It's a Samsung drive and was given to me since my other drive gave up. I would like to get a Plextor someday but can't afford it at the moment. I haven't had a chance to test a .wav file yet but will sometime today.

I think my ears are getting tired. I slowed down the rip speed since the .wav file didn't sound any better than the MP3. I have it set on dynamic synch width which did help out. I have tried --r3mix and --alt-preset standard internally and externally. The --r3mix sounds better to me at least through AudioGrabber using Lame externally. But it doesn't sound any better than it did using the settings I used to use internally, VBR, high quality and joint stereo. I'll try again later after my ears have rested.

Guess I'll buy a better CD-ROM drive when I can.

You should try ripping the wav twice, while noting the checksum after the first run...if the checksum of the second rip is the same, you can be pretty sure you have a perfect rip. In that case, if sound-quality isn't good, it's still the best you can get from that CD...
I always do a 'grab', and then a 'test': that way i get two checksums to compare and only one wav-file.
Could use EAC instead, but I don't like it...

The internal encoder is seperate from the executable, and regardless of whether you use the lame.exe from audiograbber, eac, or directly it will take the same amount of time. As discussed earlier, the executable has more to do.

Is this correct? I edited audiograbber.ini and changed MP3QualityMode=R3MIX. I'm using the internal LameEnc DLL v3.91and had it set to CBR 160; Quality stereo, high. I did not change these settings. I then ripped the only audio CD I have here in the office (GBH; very unaudiophile ). The resulting mp3 file played in winamp starts at 160 bitrate and goes up to >230 slowly. Winamp track details show 160kbit rate. The audiograbber.ini file was changed such that CodecMode=160 Kbit/s, Stereo, R3Mix quality. File size = 6.86MB.

Went back into the internal encoder settings and changed it to VBR, MTRH, slider set to VBR 1. Reripped one of the tracks and now winamp reports it as a VBR mp3 (232kb). File size is 6.83MB. Sound quality difference is impossable to tell; it's GBH and I stuck with laptop speakers right now.

Am I fubar'ing the settings or just missing more info? I'd prefer to know how to set up the internal encoder LAME settings for AG to take advantage of the r3mix settings (is this what the original poster implied for this tread?)

Thanks for any help you can offer. Cheers!
Dave

There are "exact" instructions on the audiograbber forum. I remember reading the original thread on the subject.

BUT. Just use the command-line lame.exe as an external encoder. You just need to set it up once and then forget about it.

Bruno

It's possible that in your first case all the settings were fine, except for some reason the VBR header didn't get written to the file. The symptoms you describe sound a lot like what WinAmp does on a VBR file that doesn't have the appropriate header. I'd use some tool like VBR fix to fix the header, and then see what WinAmp says when you play it.

Thanks, I spent a hour or two searching for the "exact" instructions in the AG fourm, but came up empty handed. I did however Bruno find some of your posts on the subject and you convinced me that it was time after using AG for years now to stop using the internal encoders and start feeding CL instructions to lame. I started investigating the --r3mix options to understand what they do better. The lame documentation is missing a lot of the parameters (It is fine however for your average users). After spending too much time on r3mix.net, I understand why to use the string Bruno lists above and I tried using it, only I used the -V1 setting instead of -V0. I didn't want to blindly use --r3mix or --alt-preset; if I'm going to figure this stuff out, I'll type it all out and ensure it's what I want thank you!

The resulting file sizes as compared to the 160CBR files are a 1.25x bigger and sound the same, but then again my source material is still GBH (I have good headphones this time). I'm about to rip my 700+ CD collection and I want to do this only once. I'm just going to trust others on these settings since I don't currently have the right equipment right now to do a proper evaluation.

FWIW, winamp 2.78 still has no clue as to whether the file is a CBR or VBR. Doesn't matter though as it plays it fine.

Regarding AG external encoder setup, I enabled the options for using stdin/stdout and for use encoder as internal encoder so I can do direct rip and encode. It works; is there any reason I should not configure it this way?

Thanks again for all of your help.
Cheers!
Dave

Glad you got some info.

Don't use STDIn/Out in AG. If there's still a bug in the current release (that I found while beta-testing 1.81) then you will probably end up with bad headers. I'm only using WinAmp 2.77 but it identifies the tracks properly for me using LAME 3.90 with the options I posted.

My MP3 tab is set simply to use external encoder, path to LAME specified, User Defined Arguments selected, and then the options to pass to LAME. I also set the option to minimize the launched console window.

Bruno